Prairie Meadows FINALLY adds table games
By NICK POWILLS
College life would have been much wealthier for me had a casino with table games been within my reach. Since Altoona is only about 15 minutes outside of downtown Des Moines, having top-of-the-line gambling at my fingertips would have been nice, but all this establishment offered was about 1,500 slot machines and horse racing April through November.
For me, it’s all about the blackjack and poker – specifically Texas hold ’em. So, when I heard that Prairie Meadows was making the much needed renovation, I knew Des Moines was in for a treat.
ENTERTAINMENT
It’s a casino, and now a full working casino, so you have your options. You can do the traditional slots, or try video poker, poker, roulette, craps, blackjack and carnival games. There is no longer a need to drive an hour to Osceola, since Prairie Meadows now has everything one could imagine.
In today’s world – the world when ESPN has made poker into a sport – for a casino to survive, it must have options. It must be built around table games, and if it has a poker room, especially in a city that practically boasts two universities (Drake and Iowa State), the casino will revel in infinite success.
No longer will college students have to learn math skills snuggled in a dorm room with the lights dimmed, hoping the RA won’t find their high rolling game. Now, they can go to PM for some good times.
The only downfall is there will only be five tables. In Osceola there are eight hold ‘em tables and there is usually a three hour wait. But my gut feeling says PM will quickly add on when they see the cash potential. Soon, table games will take over the casino.
WHY IT’S UNIQUE
One of the other beneficial characteristics of this casino is its eclectic flexibility. If you don’t want to gamble on horses, then you can play slots. If you don’t want to play slots, then you can dine in the restaurant. If you don’t want to dine, then you can watch the night’s entertainment. No matter what you decide to do, the options and flexibility of entertainment is endless.
