Dueling-piano acts actually date back to the ragtime players of the late nineteenth century, who would literally compete in musical "duels" to determine who played better and faster. The introduction of the concept in its modern-day format, which basically involves two pianists playing impromptu requests from the audience, is credited to a still-extant bar in New Orleans called Pat O'Brien's.
That bar first opened in 1933, just after the end of Prohibition, but from what we can tell (accounts online differ, and we couldn't get hold of anyone at the bar when we tried) it was after it had moved to its larger, current premises at 718 St. Peter Street, in 1942, that a special room was included where two piano players would regularly entertain the crowd on copper-topped baby grands, taking turns to sing songs requested, via cocktail napkins, by the audience.
It's a fun, rowdy, crowd-pleasing form of entertainment that seems like a natural fit for Las Vegas, so it's no surprise that the city has long been home to several dueling-piano acts, although new arrivals on the scene in recent years have generally proven to be short-lived, while the old favorites seem to stand the test of time. South Point, the Rio, Palazzo, and Circus Circus have all previously had dueling-piano acts but no longer do, while Kahunaville at TI has featured one on and off over the years (currently off). Swingers Club at the Plaza, Pete's Dueling Pianos at Town Square, and Lynrd Skynrd BBQ & Beer at Excalibur have all closed, so no more dueling pianos at any of those, either, obviously.
However, the good news is that the following all still have their dueling pianos, and we just called to verify days and times, so here's the up-to-date lay of the land. Plus, the other good news is that no cover charge applies for any of these:
