New Highroller Destination: El Cortez (?)

I was back at my favorite high-heat haunt the other day, the good ol' El Cortez, spreading 1-5 on the SDs and somehow avoiding heat. I spotted two empty tables, side by side, and proceeded to scope them out. What I witnessed next was enough to make me question my own mental health. Two tables, $500 minimum bet, 2pm, on a weekday. WTF?!?

Someone please help me out here, as I'm thoroughly confused by what I've witnessed

I think you read the sign wrong. It probably said $500 maximum bet.

I wish it were that simple, but I walked by twice. $500 - $5000. There was action at every table, except those two, for the entire hour I was there. This was in the pit that runs adjacent to the Sports Book. On a previous trip, I have seen these two tables at a $25 minimum, but that was on a Friday night, on Super Bowl weekend, to boot.

In my experience, any table that is not $5-15 minimum is entirely negotiable in terms of the minimum. If it was 2pm on a weekday, a simple, "Can you lower the table minimum to $25, I'll play right now" has a good chance of success, especially since there are TWO empty $500 tables. Some more sophisticated negotiation is usually required if it's nighttime or a weekend.

How odd. They had a reason for it. It's probably not a reason that any of us can explain. I haven't seen this at EC before, but I have seen it before.

Once in a LV strip casino, I suspected that the dealer at the empty table was closely watching play on the next table over. I went over to take a look and one of the players at that table was counting and had a big stack of greens.

At other casinos, I've seen them raise the limits so that new players won't join the table. Once the players at that table leave, they close the table. Does not really apply in this case.

might be new management.

I cant hardly believe it, but Jackie is retiring. he is the last of the old-timers.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/long-gaughan-el-cortez-owner-sells-stake-downtown-casino

if the pit is taking a vacation, there are some real opportunities at EC right now.

Maybe a real high roller in the house...keeps the tables open for the real action. I've witnessed similar in the low roller town of Laughlin at Harrah's

anyone check the heat at EC today?