Moving to Pennsylvania
Valley Forge 45 minutes (small 40,000 sf)
Philadelphia casinos just over 1 hour (Harrahs / Sugar House)
Racinos also offer table games - Penn National is about 45 minutes away as well.
I believe slots would be very tight there with a huge % of revenue going to the state. Statewide PA payout for fiscal year ending June 30, 2015 is 89.94%. VP is being loosened and would be comparable to Las Vegas strip properties, and table games are fair.
I haven't visited any of them.
AC just over 2 hours
Mohegan Sun about 4 hours.
Not sure exactly what the OP was looking for in terms of info, but I will offer a few thoughts based on a blackjack AP's perspective.
1.) Obviously Pa has really good state mandated BJ rules (although casinos continue to petition for change)
2.) This region of Pa has grown increasingly sweaty over the last couple years. At first they were mostly tolerant, but that has declined.
3.) Valley Forge is in my opinion the sweatiest casino that I have played....anywhere....EVER. 10x worse that El Cortez and South Point in Vegas. Playing Valley Forge is actually dangerous to a blackjack AP because of their heavy participation in several database groups including OSN. They will flyer you to all the casinos in the region even though they are affiliated with none and they are very active in OSN. This means than drawing heat and countermeasures in Valley forge will result in lost of surrounding venues in Pa as well as nationwide.
After receiving countermeasures at Valley Forge this spring, I received similar counter measures at two other Pa properties within days and upon returning home to Vegas was backed of two other properties in my regular rotation immediately almost before I sat down. These 5 incidents all stemming from a single VF countermeasure are about the number of backoffs/countermeasures that I normally see for an entire year (6-8 per year).
Sands is my favorite casino in That area although they are crowded especially on weekends with a heavy bus tour crowds, mostly Asian coming from New York City and state.
Parx is my second favorite casino in the region, but they too seem to have become a bit more sweaty.
Sugarhouse which opened when I still lived in Philly is very small. Too small for the area it serves and not a great area.
Harrah-Chester just a bad area.
Even if the OP isn't interested in blackjack AP conditions, it should be noted that in my experience, the tolerance levels of casinos concerning blackjack correlated closely to other things, like more favorable paytables on VP. If casino is sweaty, they are generally tight all around.
Quote: kewlj
Not sure exactly what the OP was looking for in terms of info, but I will offer a few thoughts based on a blackjack AP's perspective.
Even if the OP isn't interested in blackjack AP conditions, it should be noted that in my experience, the tolerance levels of casinos concerning blackjack correlated closely to other things, like more favorable paytables on VP. If casino is sweaty, they are generally tight all around.
I'll be honest, I'm quite content min-betting all night as I just love playing the games. The most you'll ever see me bet is 20-25 on a 10 table. I just play for fun, and not worry about AP stuff. I just like a place with a good variety of games (especially craps and pai gow poker) and decent nickel video poker to help me pass the time :)
Quote: ArtVandalayI go to Valley Forge when I visit my mother near Reading. The drive to Sands is annoying and it seems more blackjack players cost me money there than anywhere else. Parx and Sugarhouse are ok, not great. Harrahs Chester stay away. VF is fine with me. Good dealers, good comps back to a $20-25 player like me. Don't worry about the entry fee, you'll make it back or just get the membership. I'd rank it VF, Parx, Sands, SH in that order.
Have you considered relocating Vandalay Industries to Pennsylvania? :-) Your second sentence is what prompted me to respond to your post.
If you are of the opinion that other players cost you money, that is something that we can discuss. I'm assuming you are referring to poor play and not something like slowing down the game. The latter can cost you money.
Parx a/k/a "Trailer Parx" has a trashy element and everyone chain smokes
Sugar house also has a surrounding criminal element. There have been reports of players being crime victims.
Try Mount Airy or Sands... They are you best bet.
BJ is great in PA but the casino is strongly lobbying to change that to the crappy games of the Vegas strip
Comps suck throughout the state. AC has better comps....no question
Delaware Park is my second favorite, but the dealers are very strict. I've gotten reprimanded for looking at the time on my phone. And unlike Harrah's, the drinks aren't free.
I'm not a fan of Sands, it was stupid crowded when I went, dealers were rude, and no free drinks .. $11 a pop for liquor.
Don't rule out AC, which is above and beyond anything in PA. It's an extra 40 mins - 1 hour drive from reading, but totally worth it, especially if you play enough to get compt'd a room.
Quote: WizardofnothingWow on the Delaware advice in my opinion. To start- the walk to the casino is literally over 8 blocks in a busy day. They charge upfront for valet, the comps are almost non existent- they have zero high limit room, they use the worst chips known to man, the players club reps know absolutely zero and the host might be the worst I have ever dealt with in life. They also have zero game selection. Can I say anything more .
That hasn't been my experience, but I guess it depends what/how much you play. My bankroll is usually only a couple hundred so I rarely get comps, but even with that I've gotten free meals at Delaware.
Quote: WizardofnothingOk I'll re phrase that- you can get comps to the snack bar and little things like pizza- but they have no comps to take advantage of- the old store traditions has nothing short of astronomical prices. And the lack of a high limit room- not saying I play in it just says it all- they had one and closed it. You don't find the parking atrocious? The first 4 rows are all handicapped and then you have to walk a mile, valet closes and ten so even if you want to pay that isn't an option at times
I totally get the complaints, but I think this kinda highlights how different casinos can be better/worse for different players.
I'm totally a low roller. I play slots, 3 card poker, craps, and roulette, and try not to lose more than $200/trip. So maybe take my advice with a grain of salt. I'm not getting comps and I know that, and the table limits at places like Sands and Parx are too big for my teensy bank roll. I also end up going to Delaware a lot because it's a much nicer drive for me, so I guess a large part of my liking for the place is personal.
Parking does suck but 5 mins of walking doesn't really bother me. Again different strokes.
When you returned to Vegas did you try using your player's card when they backed you off? Or did they recognize you by face?
Quote: kewljBoyminbo....you left out Parx, my second favorite casino in that area. :)
Not sure exactly what the OP was looking for in terms of info, but I will offer a few thoughts based on a blackjack AP's perspective.
1.) Obviously Pa has really good state mandated BJ rules (although casinos continue to petition for change)
2.) This region of Pa has grown increasingly sweaty over the last couple years. At first they were mostly tolerant, but that has declined.
3.) Valley Forge is in my opinion the sweatiest casino that I have played....anywhere....EVER. 10x worse that El Cortez and South Point in Vegas. Playing Valley Forge is actually dangerous to a blackjack AP because of their heavy participation in several database groups including OSN. They will flyer you to all the casinos in the region even though they are affiliated with none and they are very active in OSN. This means than drawing heat and countermeasures in Valley forge will result in lost of surrounding venues in Pa as well as nationwide.
After receiving countermeasures at Valley Forge this spring, I received similar counter measures at two other Pa properties within days and upon returning home to Vegas was backed of two other properties in my regular rotation immediately almost before I sat down. These 5 incidents all stemming from a single VF countermeasure are about the number of backoffs/countermeasures that I normally see for an entire year (6-8 per year).
Sands is my favorite casino in That area although they are crowded especially on weekends with a heavy bus tour crowds, mostly Asian coming from New York City and state.
Parx is my second favorite casino in the region, but they too seem to have become a bit more sweaty.
Sugarhouse which opened when I still lived in Philly is very small. Too small for the area it serves and not a great area.
Harrah-Chester just a bad area.
Even if the OP isn't interested in blackjack AP conditions, it should be noted that in my experience, the tolerance levels of casinos concerning blackjack correlated closely to other things, like more favorable paytables on VP. If casino is sweaty, they are generally tight all around.
What I found interesting at Sands was that it was the first casino that I've ever been to where none of the slots or video poker machines even accepted a $1 bill. It only accepted $5 or above. Seemed odd to me.
Thanks all for your comments on this! I'll be sure to hit up Atlantic City sometime too. I have two free nights to use at Harrahs properties at some point before the end of April :)
Quote: cestanlSo I finally did make the move to Reading, and I checked out Delaware Park about a week ago. I won 250 or so on Pai Gow poker and craps. Just last night I drove up to Sands. Lost $200 on pai gow before recovering that back and an extra $300 playing craps.
What I found interesting at Sands was that it was the first casino that I've ever been to where none of the slots or video poker machines even accepted a $1 bill. It only accepted $5 or above. Seemed odd to me.
Thanks all for your comments on this! I'll be sure to hit up Atlantic City sometime too. I have two free nights to use at Harrahs properties at some point before the end of April :)
Not sure if you are beer drinker, but I know someone who owns one of the best bars in the state for craft beer and it's near Reading.
Quote: jjjooogggKewlj
When you returned to Vegas did you try using your player's card when they backed you off? Or did they recognize you by face?
I hope kewlj will come back and answer this question, but I believe based on previous posts that he usually does not play rated anywhere, especially in his regular Vegas rotation. I would guess they backed him off based on a picture.
It is a huge smokey warehouse, filled to overcapacity with a very questionable element.
I will never go back.
I have not been to Mt. Airey but I hear it is not bad.
