Playing Conditions at Hollywood Casino in Pa.

[Robby Mercer]

My wife and I are considering a trip to the Hollywood Casino near Harrisburg. We are attending a wedding close by and would be there all day on a Sunday. We play a good bit at the Meadows. She is a good basic strategy player and I use Hi-Opt I.

How are playing conditions at the Hollywood? Lots of continuous shuffling like at the Rivers near Pittsburgh? Many $10 games? Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Pokemon]

As of mid-May:

Tables at the valet entrance are 6-deck, ASM. Standard PA rules. Mins are 10-15 in the mornings (more $10 tables than $15), and seem to go up in the mid-afternoons (mostly $15 with a few $25).

There are several $15 min Shufflemaster Royal Match machines.

In the back, the tables are CSM (and lower limits).

There's a section off to the right (as you come in the valet entrance) that's never been open when I've been there (weekday mornings and afternoons).

Felts on the tables were wrinkled and worn; maybe they've been replaced in the last two months.

Search the Eastern PA forum for more info.

Let us know if you go and what you find.

p

[MJBreeze]

I think all the tables are 8-decks.

On Sundays there are some $10 min tables in the afternoon, they usually are raised to 15 late in the afternoon.

[peaegg]

Originally Posted by MJBreeze

I think all the tables are 8-decks.

The same that I wanted to say. When I asked about 6d game, the answer was the CSM uses 6 decks only. what a joke.

[alwayssplitaces]

The 6D ASM games are great. Good Pennsylvania rules as usual and low limits, and usually not crowded. If you play at the same table as your wife, she can raise her bet when you do.

[Albee]

Incorrect info posted here. All shoe games are 8-deck, CSM's are 6-deck. Pen is dealer dependent, but hoovers around 2 1/2 to 3 decks cut off. I would drive past this place on my way to Pocono Downs, which has an excellent 6-deck game with the right dealer giving you a decent cut.

[Gamblor]

Originally Posted by Albee

Incorrect info posted here. All shoe games are 8-deck, CSM's are 6-deck. Pen is dealer dependent, but hoovers around 2 1/2 to 3 decks cut off. I would drive past this place on my way to Pocono Downs, which has an excellent 6-deck game with the right dealer giving you a decent cut.

Avoid Pocono Downs at all cost, you have to be pay for an alcoholic beverage unless your betting $25!

[tthree]

Originally Posted by Albee

Incorrect info posted here. All shoe games are 8-deck, CSM's are 6-deck. Pen is dealer dependent, but hoovers around 2 1/2 to 3 decks cut off. I would drive past this place on my way to Pocono Downs, which has an excellent 6-deck game with the right dealer giving you a decent cut.

2.5 to 3 deck cut off? Why even play?

[ChefJJ]

Originally Posted by Gamblor

Avoid Pocono Downs at all cost, you have to be pay for an alcoholic beverage unless your betting $25!

FWIW, I believe Holllywood at Penn National has a similar situation...only higher-tiered cards get you a free drink.

[jaygruden]

All shoe games are 8 decks and they have more shoe games than they do CSM's. Most of the shoe games have ASM - Automated Shuffle Machines but many get broken or jammed often so they end up hand shuffling more than they want to.

They have 3 pits but only one of them is open at all times - the front main pit by the valet entrance - There are no CSM's there but all 8 deck shoe games.

The "back pit" is open at 6am on Sundays and opens around noon on most other days. There may be a few days of the week when it doesn't open until 2pm. This pit has equal number of shoe games and CSM games. All shoe games use ASM.

"Pit 3" - Only opens on Fri, Sat evenings around 7pm. It was also open on at least one Sunday evening that I was there. These are all shoe games and all are hand-shuffled.

In the morning 6am-noon - Most games are $10 and some are $15 with maybe one or two at $25. Around noon most go to either $15 or $25 but you may still find one or two at $10. Around 7pm many tables go up to $25 but they still have a fair number of $15 tables on weekdays.

Weekends are a different story. By 7pm on a Fri and Sat, 85% of tables are $25 or $50 and by 9pm you will not find a table below $25. It gets very crowded on Fri/Sat night. They always have a live band playing and all the drunks come out. Other than that it's generally not crowded and they have enough tables open that you can move around fairly well.

Penetration is up to the dealer and doesn't seem to be well regulated or coached well by the pit. I walk until I find a good dealer who I see giving good penetration. After 141 playing hours logged here I feel that I can say with confidence that the average penetration is 2 decks cut out. However, some dealers consistently will cut out only 1 to 1.5 decks. There are also a few that I stay the hell away from who cut out 3 decks like it's their money.

90% of the dealers are inexperienced rookies who are very slow and make a lot of mistakes on both counting the value of each hand and payouts. I've seen them pay out on ties and player losses and seen them take money on pushes and player wins. I've seen them pay out on a 22 by the player and try to stand on a 16 with everyone at the table telling them that they have to hit.

Most of the PB's are very freindly with a few exceptions. Not many players really know how to play. I guess most are BS players but they still make a lot of bad plays. And some people are just pissing their money away ----I see people hitting a 12 vs 6, surrender 12 vs 8, split 7's vs 9, double on 6 vs 2. One night some guy split tens vs 9 and I could not believe what I was seeing.

I have not really seen anyone that I would call an AP but they may have been a lot better than me at disguising it.

The clientelle is nearly all locals - Once in a while I run into people from out of state but most live within 1.5 hours away and the casino caters to the locals. They have no hotel because they know that is not their nitch.

Good luck!

Jay