Alberta games

[SystemsTrader]

Is there anyone on this board from Alberta? If there is I have a few questions to ask. Could you PM me or respond here please.

[bondon]

I have been playing in Alberta for the past year, experimenting with different systems. What information are you interested in?

[golfnut101]

What are conditions like in Alberta ? What city do you play out of ?

[bjhack]

Originally Posted by golfnut101

What are conditions like in Alberta ? What city do you play out of ?

http://www.aglc.gov.ab.ca/pdf/handbo...conditions.pdf

and the Edmonton Casino link

[Martin Gayle]

Long time reader first time poster...

I have recently moved away from Alberta so I can let the cat out of the bag...Alberta is a Valhalla for counters. There are small casinos everywhere. Many are privately owned and I know (from disputes) that they do not have onsite surveillance and the floormen/pit bosses are the worst I have ever seen anywhere.

And...the games are the best I have seen outside of LV. Alberta has had gaming long before most other Canadian provinces. Humble and Cooper do a review of the Stampede Frontier Casino in their book. The BJ games are all 4, 6 or 8 deck. Most are 6 deck with 4 decks popular at some casinos and the 8 decks are rare. The rules are the basic, DAS, DOA, H17, split to 4 hands except with Aces (one card on each). They do not take a hole card at any casino but only take one bet on splits, doubles etc, not European style. The best rule they have is the Early Surrender rule which can be used agaisnt any dealer card except an Ace. I did the math and the house edge is around -0.3%. I have found dealers that would mistakenly allow you to surrender v A which would give a BS player an advantage.

Some casinos have ASM but most of the dust joints hand shuffle their cards. Also, the cards may stay in play upto a week before being changed out. The policy and procedures are very antique. And the end of every night the cards are counted packed up and locked in a vault but they will bring the same cards out the next morning. Some casinos may use a CSM but I can't recall which ones or even if they do.

The stakes are generally low. Many casinos will not accept action over $100 but some will accept $200. You may play 2 spots for double the min and if you want to play more you must bet table max. You can find $5, $3, $2 min bet tables in most casinos at most times. I liked to play a $3-$200 6-deck game at the Deerfoot Casino in Calgary or a $2-$50 4-deck game at Cash Casino in Red Deer. I would spread from table min to table max with not real heat. This was in small casinos where you would see the same dealers, PC's and ploppies etc day in day out. Many casinos are 10-12 table joints.

Casinos are not busy and they all close everynight. Typically tables close at 2am slots at 3am and they will reopen at noon the next day.

The Jackpot Casino in Red Deer is the only one in the world that I have heard of that will allow a player to play 2 hands of 3-Card-Poker without having to play one blind. Ultimate Texas Hold'em is very popular and most casinos have multiple tables and the game could be beat using information.

[Martin Gayle]

Pen depends on the joint. Some are has bad as 50% but I would often play a 4 deck game that would cut off less than one deck.

Also, some casinos will let the player cut the deck anywhere (one card, two cards) after a shuffle. I usulally play first base and I was often able to cut to an Ace.

I don't know how to shuffle track but like most procedures in the smaller casinos in Alberta the shuffles were short, rudimentary and sloppy.

[Brock Windsor]

What are the table maximums in the high limit rooms (if they have any) in Alberta casinos? What kind of games do they have in those rooms besides BJ?
Thanks,
BW

[Sonny24]

Games aren't that great anymore. Recently I have noticed casinos have less tables open then they normally did, so you always are playing at a full table. And the penetration is bad.