Best Strip casino for??

[Girl21]

What is the best Strip casino or a couple good ones for a brand new, BS, low stakes player? This will be my first casino blackjack.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ihate17]

A couple of places

Decent basic strategy games though not always good for a counter.

Slots-A-Fun has both double deck and 6 deck games where the dealer stays on soft 17 for $5

Tropicana has double deck and 6 deck games where the dealer stays on soft 17 for $10 and sometimes you can find the 6 deck at $5

Of course neither place could be considered an in place, most just describe them as dumps.

If you like a better place.
MGM, Monte Carlo and Mandalay Bay all offer the same basic 6 deck shoe as Trop for between $10-$15 unless they are busy.

ihate17

 

[shadroch]

Is this a one time trip or will you be returning to Vegas? If you plan on returning,then I would suggest you put in some time at Imperial Palace or The Flamingo. Both are members of Harrahs Total Rewards Club and Harrahs is well known for its marketing offers.While the game itself is not good,the future free room offers you should recieve will more than make up the difference.While MGM properties offer better BJ,their comp offers suffer when compared to Harrahs.
Unless they have just ended it,Harrahs also offers a loss rebate on thirty minutes of slot play,up to $50.This is a great deal,as you build comp points risk free.The important thing to is get onto the Harrahs marketing list,if you will be returning to Vegas.
If its a one time trip,stick with ihate17s advice.

 

[callipygian]

MGM, Monte Carlo and Mandalay Bay all offer the same basic 6 deck shoe as Trop for between $10-$15 unless they are busy.

All the MGM casinos will offer a shoe/CSM game with decent rules (H17, LS, DA2, DAS, RSall) for $10 on weekdays - the Monte Carlo, Excalibur, and Treasure Island sometimes even have $5 games. The only time you can't find a $10 shoe/CSM game is at the top casinos (Bellagio, Mandalay Bay) at peak hours (3pm to 3am on Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun nights). If there's a big boxing match at Mandalay Bay, table limits might skyrocket to $25, but usually the maximum minimum minimum ( ) I see is $15.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

On weekdays, every casino will typically have a blackjack lesson at 10 am or 11 am. They'll show you how to play and table etiquette, all the dealers are braced for new player questions, and all the other players are new players too. I'd suggest that as a way to start, even if you already know how to play blackjack and basic strategy. It's a very gentle way to ease into the casino scene.

In general, games on the Strip are remarkably uniform.

I would also recommend Tropicana as the only casino worth walking a long distance to. If you're close to the Excalibur, Monte Carlo, or Treasure Island, you can swing by to see if they have a $5 game. As a third tier, any game at a big MGM property is probably the same (Mandalay, Luxor, Excalibur, MGM, NYNY, Monte Carlo, Bellagio, Mirage, TI). You might be able to find $10 shoe games at some Harrah's properties (Paris, Bally's, Flamingo, Harrah's) but my personal opinion is that Harrah's treats blackjack players poorly and I am on a personal boycott of Harrah's games.

I haven't been north of the Wynn (Circus Circus, Frontier [may be closed], Hilton, etc.) for years, so I don't know if those games are more like Strip games or downtown games.

 

[Girl21]

Well, I'm sure I'll be back to Vegas, but I don't know how soon. I won't be going there regularly.

Have any of you heard of the Champagne Pit at the Imperial Palace? What is it? Is it high stakes?

I'm staying at the Mirage, so the IP would be convenient, especially if they have $5 tables. What can I say, my bank roll right now is small.

I'll definitely take advantage of some casino lessons. I think that woud be a big help. I suppose mornings are my best time to play anyway. I don't want to play with the regulars and people who are likely to get pissed at my "newness".

Thanks for the help!

 

[ihate17]

Be careful at HET properties

Well, I'm sure I'll be back to Vegas, but I don't know how soon. I won't be going there regularly.

Have any of you heard of the Champagne Pit at the Imperial Palace? What is it? Is it high stakes?

I'm staying at the Mirage, so the IP would be convenient, especially if they have $5 tables. What can I say, my bank roll right now is small.

I'll definitely take advantage of some casino lessons. I think that woud be a big help. I suppose mornings are my best time to play anyway. I don't want to play with the regulars and people who are likely to get pissed at my "newness".

Thanks for the help!

Special pits at Harrah owned casinos can generally be translated into rip-off pits, paying 6/5 on shoe games, so check out the rules. There are some low limit games at places like Imperial Palace or Flamingo but you will find them inferior to the rules on the $10 hand shuffled, 6 deck shoes where the dealer stays on soft 17 at MGM, Monte Carlo, Mandalay Bay and Trop. Unfortunately in your area Mirage and TI have the same game but it is always at least $25 minimum.

Personally, since HET properties offer overall the worst blackjack in Vegas, the fact they have a few tables that are nearly OK, is far from enough for me to reccommend ever playing blackjack at any HET property by a BS player. There may be a few special opportunities for AP's at HET but just about all of their games are designed to remove money from your wallet a little to a lot faster than other casinos design their games.

ihate17

 

[ihate17]

One more thing: Casino lessons

In your first post you stated that you are a BS player.
As a BS player you may not be as good as the dealer giving the lessons when it comes to table ediquite but are far more qualified when it comes to playing strategy.

I have watched these lessons both on the casino floor and on television and you will find many many BS errors. Think about how most people play and you will find that this is what they teach. They will play soft 18 wrong along with things like 9,9 and other hands.

ihate17

 

[Girl21]

In your first post you stated that you are a BS player.
As a BS player you may not be as good as the dealer giving the lessons when it comes to table ediquite but are far more qualified when it comes to playing strategy.

I have watched these lessons both on the casino floor and on television and you will find many many BS errors. Think about how most people play and you will find that this is what they teach. They will play soft 18 wrong along with things like 9,9 and other hands.

ihate17

Thanks for the info. I'll stay away from the Harrahs casinos. I'll jump in a cab and head for the Tropicana, Slots-of-Fun, El cortez, or Four Queens.

No one is going to stop me from playing correct BS! I only want the lessons to get used to table etiquette and the casino experience so that I feel more comfortable when I sit down at a table to play.

I really appreciate your advice!

 

[shadroch]

Special pits at Harrah owned casinos can generally be translated into rip-off pits, paying 6/5 on shoe games, so check out the rules. There are some low limit games at places like Imperial Palace or Flamingo but you will find them inferior to the rules on the $10 hand shuffled, 6 deck shoes where the dealer stays on soft 17 at MGM, Monte Carlo, Mandalay Bay and Trop. Unfortunately in your area Mirage and TI have the same game but it is always at least $25 minimum.

Personally, since HET properties offer overall the worst blackjack in Vegas, the fact they have a few tables that are nearly OK, is far from enough for me to reccommend ever playing blackjack at any HET property by a BS player. There may be a few special opportunities for AP's at HET but just about all of their games are designed to remove money from your wallet a little to a lot faster than other casinos design their games.

ihate17

This is where I disagree. A regular visitor to Vegas will gain more from getting free rooms at Harrahs than they will by paying for rooms elsewhere and playing $5-10 BJ at a casino that gives a slightly better game.
I can understand a counter avoiding Harrahs games,but when a BS player is looking for the best overall games,its wrong to ignore Harrahs greatly superior marketing offers.For the ten dollar player,what is his cost of playing four hours at IP as oppossed to Monte Carlo? Less than one bet? Four hours play at IP will generate multiple free room offers. Will the same play at MC?

 

[ihate17]

Yes, if they do make great offers to $5 players

Not sure about this Shadroch. My understanding was that HET does not do much for the $5 player and I know MGM does nothing for her.
Now at the $25 or higher level, comps and offers from MGM properties had exceeded those from HET properties back when I was permitted to step foot into an HET property, but HET did comp the machine player better.

There again, I am not even close to objective on this subject since only HET tossed me out of a hotel room at 3:00AM and assalted me in my room (no cameras in the room) as I was forced to pack up my stuff. So again, I am a firm believer in the mass stiffing of HET, its personal.

Overall though, there are only two locations in Vegas that I ever play for comps and under my real name and neither of them are owned by these two major players. At one of these major owned joints I am using either a players card on a phony ID or a card found and belonging to someone else or no card at all.

ihate17

 

[shadroch]

Playing $10 BJ at IP will absolutely generate marketing ofers for free rooms.
In fact,the standard MO is three nights,four buffets,2 $5 MPs and $10 in free slotplay.
Playing $10 in the Flamingo for a few hours will get you a marketing offer of two free nights per month for the next few months.Accepting a single offer will keep you on the list for a couple of years.
What Harrahs won't do is give you food comps or a break on your current room rate. Its all about future free rooms.

If an experianced player came here and asked the best strip casino for counting and playing,my answer would be quite different for for the beginner who plans on visiting a few times,my answer stands.

 

[InPlay]

What is the best Strip casino or a couple good ones for a brand new, BS, low stakes player? This will be my first casino blackjack.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Try Hooter's. I hear the views are great!

 

[shadroch]

Hooters gives a free $25 match play and two tickets to Bobby Slayton to all new members,so it is a good plavce to hit.The tix are worth $60 and figure the MP is worth $12.50,so you get over $70 in value for signing up. One of the best sign up bonuses on th strip. I believe you also get $10 in free slot play,as well.

 

[callipygian]

I'll jump in a cab and head for the Tropicana, Slots-of-Fun, El cortez, or Four Queens.

Your cab ride will likely cost more than the expected difference between the Mirage and wherever you want to play at. Cabbing downtown will cost about $20, or 8 hours of $10 basic strategy play at 100 hands/hr.

 

[mdlbj]

Don't play at the IP..

Well, I'm sure I'll be back to Vegas, but I don't know how soon. I won't be going there regularly.

Have any of you heard of the Champagne Pit at the Imperial Palace? What is it? Is it high stakes?

I'm staying at the Mirage, so the IP would be convenient, especially if they have $5 tables. What can I say, my bank roll right now is small.

I'll definitely take advantage of some casino lessons. I think that woud be a big help. I suppose mornings are my best time to play anyway. I don't want to play with the regulars and people who are likely to get pissed at my "newness".

Thanks for the help!

 

[shadroch]

The Champaigne Pit at IP is not a 6-5 pit. That is the one in the back with the dealertainers.When I played there in December,the shoe games were still 3/2. They did lose their fairly good DD games,but it wasn't a complete loss,like O'Sheas.

 

[bj bob]

I don't know...

Try Hooter's. I hear the views are great!

Every time I go to that place I suffer from double vision.

 

[Girl21]

Your cab ride will likely cost more than the expected difference between the Mirage and wherever you want to play at. Cabbing downtown will cost about $20, or 8 hours of $10 basic strategy play at 100 hands/hr.

Wow! I had no idea the cab would be that much! Is that one way or round trip? Well, my friend wants to see the light show thing down there too, so I guess I'll have to do it anyway.

Still, I would rather play at the Mirage. I'll have to figure out what would be most advantageous with the BR I have. Meager though it may be.

 

[shadroch]

Its about $20plus in each direction. You can take the Duece,the two deck buses that go up and down the strip for about $5 roundtrip.While you are down there have a Fried Twinkie or a Deep Fried Oreo at Mermaids.

 

[InPlay]

Wow! I had no idea the cab would be that much! Is that one way or round trip? Well, my friend wants to see the light show thing down there too, so I guess I'll have to do it anyway.

Still, I would rather play at the Mirage. I'll have to figure out what would be most advantageous with the BR I have. Meager though it may be.

Hey your on vacation spring for the extra bucks for the cab. You will make it up at the tables. Chump change. Why get on the bus with the rest of sweaty humanity and denergates gamblers, drug addicts, and panhandlers. If you run out of money they have plenty of ATM machines no problem.