Bad news at the Palms

Since founder George Maloof lost control of the Palms, things have been going downhill, video poker-wise. First the full-pay deuces wild progressive came out; the $1 10/7 double bonus progressive was downgraded to 9/7, then removed; the $2 10/7 double bonus -- to my knowledge, the only positive game available in Vegas for more than $1 -- bit the dust. The $2 jack or better between the high-limit room and the Mint high-limit lounge, gone -- along with all the other video poker in that area, all replaced by slot machines.

On Wednesday I visited the Palms and went to play what has become my favorite game there, the $1 five-play "not so ugly" (16/10) deuces. For at least a couple of years, the Palms had been the only place you could play this good version of deuces on triple play/five machines. There was a group near the center of the casino and a couple more in the high-limit slot room. After playing my free Megabucks pulls on Wednesday I went to one of the triple play/five play machines on the main floor. Seeing the "this machine does not qualify for any promotions" sign still on the machine, I assumed the deuces were still 16/10 and began playing. Soon I noticed the deuces had been downgraded to 15/9, a reduction of about 0.9 percent to the players' return. In video poker this is a big deal.

I immediately cashed out and headed to the high limit room, where I was shocked to find an empty space where the last two triple play/five play machines had been. I asked the slot attendant what was going on and found here unsually forthcoming. She said she didn't know whether the triple play/five play machines were coming back but speculated they wouldn't, given the direction the new management was going. She said their focus was on penny slot players -- among the most helpless, pathetic gamblers (my words, not hers) -- and noted that all signs were that the Palms was headed toward becoming something like another Caesars Entertainment property. She said so many regular video poker players had left -- many of them in anger -- that she was surprised to still have a job.

It will be interesting to see what else the new management does to what had been one of the best places in the world to play video poker. If they stop the negative changes now, there's a good chance the Palms will still be worth visiting, though maybe not as often as before. But given what I've seen and heard, I can't be too optimistic that six months from now the Palms will still be on my dance card.