When the Eastside Cannery opened in 2008, it replaced the old Nevada Palace that occupied the site at 5255 Boulder Highway since 1979. Completely refurbished at a cost of $250 million, the facility quickly became a favorite among local residents who had not seen a new casino built in eastern Las Vegas for more than a decade. The Eastside Cannery is a sister property of the original Cannery Casino and Hotel established in North Las Vegas in 2003. Its primary attraction is a 65,000-square-foot gaming space that contains two dozen gaming tables, the majority of which are dedicated to blackjack.
Eastside Cannery Tables & Games
Double-deck blackjack is the bread-and-butter game at the Eastside Cannery. Dealt by hand, it is played for stakes of $5~$1,000 and follows the tight rules of traditional blackjack. That means the dealer must draw on all counts of 16 or less, hit soft 17, and stand on a hard 17 and all totals of 18 or higher. Doubling down after splitting (DAS) is allowed, but re-splitting of Aces is not and surrender is not available. Hands may be split up to three times to create four separate hands, and only one card may be drawn to split Aces. These rules make for a House edge of 0.45%.
Also offered is a six-deck game dealt from a shoe. With stakes of $5~1,000, it has the dealer hit on soft 17 and allows DAS like the double-deck version, but both RSA are allowed. Those rules result in a margin for the House of 0.47%. When all of the Eastside Cannery’s blackjack games are taken into account, the overall average advantage to the House is 0.50%, which places the casino in the mid-range of best odds for off-Strip gaming venues, just outside the top ten.
What’s Different
Like the original Cannery in North Las Vegas, the Eastside property has adopted a distinct mid-20th century theme, including murals of women in beehive hairdos and photos of cars with tail fins. Design accents include beaded curtains and geometric tile accents, while dining at the Deli or Snaps Restaurant, which offers “classic American comfort food”, harks back to an era of innocence and prosperity. From the cost of menu items to the low stakes at the tables and free entertainment at Marilyn’s Lounge, every effort has been made to make a visit to this casino an inexpensive experience—cheap but still classy.
Can Club for Frequent Blackjack Players
In 2013, the Eastside Cannery introduced a revamped version of its loyalty program called the “Can Club,” so that it is now integrated with the points program of the original Cannery Casino in North Las Vegas. Players can work their way up the ladder from Entry Level to Frequent Flyer, High Flyer and First Class, with greater benefits at every stage. One point is awarded for every $1 coin in on slots or $2 coin in on video poker. Every 400 points earns $1 in Free Play, Cash and Comps, which can be redeemed for meals, entertainment, merchandise and special events. Blackjack players can start earning points by handing the card to the table games dealer at the start of play.
The Inside View
Each month, the Eastside Cannery publishes a promotions calendar, including a number of offers just for table games players. These range from cash drawing tickets earned for each half hour of rated play to “Hot Seat” giveaways awarded at random on designated days. One recent “Fill’er Up” promotion allowed players to earn $5 gas cards for average wagering of $10 at table play for two hours or $20 average wagering for one hour. It is also a good idea to pick up a copy of “The Reporter” monthly newsletter, which contains information on promotions plus coupons for dining and $10 match play.
