Morongo

Just curious, has anyone been to the Morongo Casino Resort and Spa in California? Does anyone know what kind of bj they have there?

[Moses]

This message should be on a different page.

[KenSmith]

Thanks Moses. I didn't catch that initially.

I've never been to Morongo, but I know some of the tournament regulars have. Hopefully they can weigh in here with recent information on Morongo.

[Safehouse]

Morongo has the worst game of all the Indian casinos in southern California. They only offer 8-deck games. They hit on a Soft 17, no surrender, they do allow DAS and they do allow you to replit aces, but you can't continue to hit on them by any more than one card. They hand-shuffle, which is better than the CSM's that are starting to invade the indian joints, but hand shuffling does slow the game to a grinding halt after every shoe. Table ranges are 5-200, 10-500, 15-1000, 25-2000, 50-5000, 100-5000, 500-5000.

I find those last three a bit odd, but that's what they've got. I could be wrong, but by my math, they have a house edge of .61%.

I had a conversation with an employee there who claimed to be a math major, and after doing the sales pitch on the rare resplitting of aces rule, they whispered to me that I should play somewhere else, and that they're ashamed to work there, the game is so bad.

barry

[Mikeaber]

Safehouse....the table rules you describe are about what has become "standard" with shoe games except for the 8 decks. Most places I've seen use these rules on 6-deck games. As for resplitting Aces....most of the 6-deck games I've played and that are so common, allow the resplit and do not allow but one card. "Surrender" is quickly becomming extinct too. In fact, I've played only one "real" Blackjack table where surrender was allowed and that was in St Joseph (a Terrible's casino) Missouri. I gave the dealer the surrender signal and she didn't know what I was doing!

[Safehouse]

that may be the standard in the midwest, but out here, the indians seem to be divided into two camps, hit soft 17 and stand on soft 17. I of course try to only play where they stand on soft 17, but with the exception of morongo, the places that hit on soft 17 allow surrender. That makes it the worst game in SoCal, in my opinion. I have noticed a trend out here. The nicer the joint, the worse the game. Pechanga, San Manuel and Morongo are all beautiful casinos, and Pechanga and Morongo have luxurious hotels and spas, and all 3 hit on soft 17. Augustine and Soboba are affectionately referred to as "trailer parks" by my musician friends who play them, and they aren't exactly the Bellagio, but at least they stand on soft 17 and allow surrender, and they also have very favorable penetration, bordering on 80%. I'll take a .36% house advantage in a dump with fewer amenities over a spa resort with a .61% edge, any day of the week.

[Mikeaber]

Originally Posted by Safehouse

I'll take a .36% house advantage in a dump with fewer amenities over a spa resort with a .61% edge, any day of the week.

Me too. In Kansas and in the KC, Missouri area, I know of only one casino that stands on 17's (Sac & Fox). None of them offer a respectable double-deck game so the pickin's are pretty much just the 6-deck games at something like .62%. Except for Sac & Fox with the .42% game. It is also, by the way, the only one that is hand shuffled and I'd MUCH rather play at a hand shuffled table! Call me crazy, but I find it extremely difficult to beat or even break even on Shuffle Master tables. At least that's been the rule on my last three trips!

I think I mentioned it here that I got my butt kicked all last weekend until the dealer dropped the cards and had to hand shuffle them. On that shoe, I won back about 1/3 of what I'd lost the rest of the weekend!

[Rats]

Originally Posted by Safehouse

Morongo has the worst game of all the Indian casinos in southern California. They only offer 8-deck games. They hit on a Soft 17, no surrender, they do allow DAS and they do allow you to replit aces, but you can't continue to hit on them by any more than one card. They hand-shuffle, which is better than the CSM's that are starting to invade the indian joints, but hand shuffling does slow the game to a grinding halt after every shoe. Table ranges are 5-200, 10-500, 15-1000, 25-2000, 50-5000, 100-5000, 500-5000.

I find those last three a bit odd, but that's what they've got. I could be wrong, but by my math, they have a house edge of .61%.

their limits are really shitty now. they are 10-500, 15-500, 25-1000, 50-2000, and 100-2000. I didn't see anything higher, not even in the high roller room.

[ihate17]

Originally Posted by Safehouse

that may be the standard in the midwest, but out here, the indians seem to be divided into two camps, hit soft 17 and stand on soft 17. I of course try to only play where they stand on soft 17, but with the exception of morongo, the places that hit on soft 17 allow surrender. That makes it the worst game in SoCal, in my opinion. I have noticed a trend out here. The nicer the joint, the worse the game. Pechanga, San Manuel and Morongo are all beautiful casinos, and Pechanga and Morongo have luxurious hotels and spas, and all 3 hit on soft 17. Augustine and Soboba are affectionately referred to as "trailer parks" by my musician friends who play them, and they aren't exactly the Bellagio, but at least they stand on soft 17 and allow surrender, and they also have very favorable penetration, bordering on 80%. I'll take a .36% house advantage in a dump with fewer amenities over a spa resort with a .61% edge, any day of the week.

Perhaps 6-8 months ago Soboba destroyed their games going to H-17, are you saying they have returned to S-17?

ihate17

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by ihate17

Perhaps 6-8 months ago Soboba destroyed their games going to H-17, are you saying they have returned to S-17?

That post was from 2005 so it was before the switch. I think Soboba is still H17.

-Sonny-