Binion's has had quite the ride lately. Here's the back story: Professionals in the know say that "for the serious player, the Binions are this town." Benny Binion could neither read nor write, but, boy, did he know how to run a casino. His venerable establishment has been eclipsed over the years, but it claims the highest betting limits in Las Vegas on all games (probably in the entire world, according to a spokesperson). Unfortunately, its last couple of years read like a Vegas soap opera -- you know, in-family fighting, murder of one scion at the (alleged) hands of his stripper girlfriend, another taking out many of the elements that made Binion's famous, and the whole thing getting shuttered in early 2004, thanks to nonpayment of bills. To everyone's relief, after 3 months, the casino reopened, thanks to the then dual owners, one of which was Harrah's, which managed it for a year before running off with the Horseshoe name (and rumors are running wild over what that might one day mean, including speculation that they will build a new "Harrah's Horseshoe" on the spot currently occupied by Bally's) and the rights to Binion's famous World Series of Poker, which was moved to the Rio in 2005. Binion's has since changed hands twice more; the current owners were behind the very nice makeover for the Four Queens, so they clearly get classic Vegas. Let's hope they bring the old man back to great glory. Until that happens, here's what to expect: Binion's has about 400 fewer slot machines than it used to, in an effort to improve flow, and some parts got painted, so it looks less dingy (but still like an Old West bordello), but it remains otherwise essentially the same. That includes the relatively high claustrophobia level. It offers single-deck blackjack and low minimums, 10-times odds on craps, and high progressive jackpots. Real gamblers still won't consider going anywhere else.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Las Vegas 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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