el cortez SD shoe

SD is now dealt from a shoe, face down.

It always been face down,hasn't it?

Single deck from a shoe? That's just strange. Maybe the Cortez got tired of break-in dealers messing up the pitch game.

Do they use a cut card, or deal Rule of X?

RO6 with 2 or 3 people.

While heads up I couldn't keep track, but RO6 would also be a sure guess. I was too busy trying to shoe away other people who wanted to sit down with me. Now that is a skill and a challenge! Won tons heads up. When others sat down, the flow went down the toilet.

Won a bit while there. erased previous losses :eyepatch:

Bailed out when the temperature rose.

yes, but it used to be a pitch game.

There are several dealers who no longer count Rule of X. They use the discard rack to estimate how many cards they have left and then make a decision on whether to deal another round or not. I had one dealer deal out 44 cards on one occasion. She was dealing a lot deeper than other dealers. This makes good oportunities for Grifter's Gambit since the number of hands played doesn't affect penetration. The drawback is that there are more rounds in negative counts and less rounds in positivie counts.

Just my thoughts.

The Consolidation Gambit always worked great for EC because they don't use Ro6. I used Gambit there many times under the careful watch of EC's most knowledgeable mgmt, like Wayne Starky. zg

I found a dealer that consistently gave 2 rounds to 4 people (two of which were me ). It sure beats 3 rounds to 3 people. It seemed like many dealers were estimating in my favor (and to the disadvantage of all the ploppies).

-Sonny-

Usually 50% pen but by shopping the dealers and with some timely tokes, you may do better.

Now if I could just get my wife to stop tipping $25 per hour at $5 tables...!!!

I was just there.....



I was sitting at a table around 2am, and a super-newbie dealer is at my table. she was SUPER nervous, with an experienced dealer over her shoulder. Two straight decks, she almost doesn't shuffle when she "should".
PB comes over and asks her if she knows when to cut for 1 player. 5 hands. 2 players, is 4 hands. 3 players, 3 hands. 4 players, 2 hands.
Hope this helps

rightfully or wrongfully---paranoia

Faced with a situation where break ins and dealers that no one else wants, the El Cortez is aware that they do not have the best dealers in Vegas working behind their tables. Fear of hole carding new and sloppy dealers is, I believe, the reason for dealing out of the shoe.

ihate17

this most certainly is the reason.

with hoe carding being secondary.

When I was there, it was slightly humid out (after Vegas received a whopping .1 inch of rain), and the bottle card kept bending upwards ever so slightly. If I had known strategies about and how to play hole carding, I think I would have done even better than I actually did
But it was still profitable and fun and I can't wait to go back!

The new casino manager came from the Plaza. just before he left Plaza he switched the 2D games there to shoe because they had been beat a few hundred grand in one shift by holecard pros. 1D shoes at EC is Stalker's fault. zg

So no decline in the penetration, just dealing from a shoe now?

I hear you guys talking about the El Cortez all the time. I am familiar with Vegas, on strip and off, but I have never seen the EC. Where is it and what is main reason it attracts so many counters? I'll bet it's in town, because I seldom get up there.

Carding hoes is a completely different subject

Hoe's are generally not carded at blackjack tables, unless they are underage.

ihate17

Primarily a low stakes place, great for protecting a small bankroll. Mostly $5, but they even have $3 tables!

EC is on Fremont Street,about two blocks east of the Fremont Street Experiance.Its about a five minute walk from The Golden Nugget/Binions/4 Queens.
It has very good low limit BJ,is very generous with comps and a great place to meet some local characters.Its steakhouse is one of my favorite places to eat in Vegas.Salad,Shrimp Cocktail,Porterhouse Steak and a Fred Flintstone sized glass of wine for about $40,if you don't have any comps or coupons.
I often stay in a vintage suite for next to nothing,when I'm comped out elsewhere.

I don't recommend walking around outside the area around EC, not a great area. Park in their garage, or better yet, use their valet parking.