If you have ever read anything I’ve written, you know that I have a soft spot for the old Stardust. From its early beginnings with the coolest signs on the Strip to its mobbed-up past right up to its implosion, the Stardust was a special place. By the time I started visiting it in the early 1990s, it had lost some of its shine, but perhaps that is what I liked about it. It wasn’t quite run down, but the ‘Dust had certainly seen its better days. After some searching, I found a cool map that shows the Stardust’s layout, which is exactly how I remember it.
I always entered the property from the North entrance and walked into the always-packed sportsbook. Past the book were the many table games where I spent a lot of time playing $2 blackjack. I remember meeting up with many folks traveling from all over the world, happy to sit and enjoy low-minimum gaming and free drinks. I’d put down my $20 and receive 20 silver $1 gaming coins. At the end of a session, if I was lucky enough to have money left, the dealer would “color me up” (trade my $1 coins for higher denominations). I’d get those red ($5) or green ($25) chips and walk directly to the cage behind the tables to get cash for them.
The dealers at the ‘Dust were always friendly. I remember one in particular, Penny, who was friendly and pretty happy in general. Even curmudgeons smiled when Penny wished them good luck at the table. Penny was probably in her late 20s or early 30s (I’m bad at guessing ages, so who knows). She had long blonde hair and was pretty. She probably had been dealing for years but she had not lost joy in the art of dealing blackjack. She got to know the folks at her tables and had the really rare talent of dealing at a good pace and still carrying on a conversation. Penny certainly set the bar for me in terms of my expectations for blackjack dealers. It didn’t hurt that I actually came out ahead many times I was at her table. She was like a good luck charm.
The ‘Dust had a few restaurants right behind the table games. My favorite was William B’s, a really nice and reasonably priced steak house. There were also a few shops tucked away behind the slots. It wasn’t The Grand Canal Shoppes or The Forum Shops by any means, but that wasn’t the ‘Dust’s style. This was a place where everything was good but not over-the-top. The whole concept was pretty simple; large, easily-navigated rectangular casino floor with decent games, a good sports book, a few quality eateries, some shops where you could buy ibuprofen and cigarettes, a theater with a headliner, and exceptional service from everyone who worked there. No resort fees, no dazzling attractions, no 6-5 blackjack or crapless craps, no charge for parking, no waiting an hour for your drink just because you are playing at a $2 table. No nonsense.
Times change, and there will be people who will argue that the Stardust is no longer in existence because it wouldn’t change with the times. Maybe, but I don’t think so. I think there are other properties that went the way of the Dodo because they couldn’t keep up with “modern Vegas” but I don’t think the Stardust was one of them. There are still plenty of people out there like me that just want a fun place to hang out and slowly lose my money playing blackjack or quickly lose it playing craps without having to deal with other annoyances. That’s why the Stardust will always have a special place in my heart.
Viva,
Mike