Blackjack in Eastern PA?

Hello everyone,

I've begun visiting casinos again recently and I am focusing my efforts on low house edge games, preferably under 1.5% (Although my wife does enjoy roulette, but we can play that in Atlantic city with slightly better house edge of 2.56%). I don't like craps very much, but will play some of those in Vegas because $5 minimum. I've never actually played live Craps so it might be a good experience with people around. Baccarat is okay, but its not the most thought provoking.

That being said I have a few questions:

1) I know that the PA state law mandates all BJ games be the same. The closest place to me is Harrah's Chester, and while It is close and I can earn TR points there, I would rather find a different house because of the location. What houses in the area can provide a $10 BJ game? Atlantic City is certainly an option.

2) I am planning a trip to Las Vegas next month. I have been looking at house edges, and my wife and I have decided to play $5 games to make the money stretch longer. I am able to play a .603 house edge in Vegas. How much will this really affect me, compared to say the .355 in PA or the .45ish in Atlantic City? I will have access to the Luxor Shuffle master at .34 edge for the first half of my stay. You know i'll be there!

3) Should I care about comp points? I probably will not be gambling enough to hit any type of serious level like diamond. If i were to go for comp levels, I would probably focus on either TR or Tropicana AC, since I can transfer it to Borg black card. I probably will not hit any of these levels though, maybe platinum TR if i were to get the Credit card (But theres better value in cash back CC i think....) Are these higher levels even worth it?

4) I did play some of the $5 shuffle master tables in Harrah's Chester. My understanding is the house edge is just shy of .6. It apparently does not have to be a stand of S17 game, as it was H S17. Ended up making a few bux off it though. Are these worth playing?

5) Video poker seems mediocre in PA, other than maybe the progressive game at Harrah's chester. I would rather only play 5 credits at 25c each, so I feel like I will need to make an AC trip to really play this. Any thoughts here? I've looked at VPfree. Most non progressives I found at Harrah's were 8/5 (And i managed to hit a 4oaK on my second hand there, so i walked away happy :) )

6) When I do go to Vegas, i'll be staying at the D. Should i focus my playing there with a .638 edge, or play freemont with a .602? Will having all my eggs in the D's basket help me get comps? I do not know when I will return to Vegas, probably not until 2017 at the earliest, but who knows!

I'm really looking to have some fun and maybe win some money, not break either the Houses or my bank. Should I even waste my time with around .6 house edge games? As for vegas, we've already planned our trip and bank roll around the .6 so that's a certain happening. Like I said, I know i can get a better edge with more money, but that is not my goal right now. The main goal is entertainment!

Thank you for all your help, I've found both WoO and WoV to be very informative. Best of luck to everyone at the tables.

Thanks for your time.

#1. Atlantic City has $10 and even $5 Blackjack
#2 those edge figures take the "long term" into account. In you short trip anything can happen. Plus you are playing so low the difference is negligible
#3 You are correct playing tables at that betting level will never get you to Diamond. If you play long enough you will get weekday room offers
#4
#5
#6 you are joking with this one...I hope...you are comparing .638 to .602. To determine what is better for a red chip player? This is casino gambling hopefully you will play BJ enjoy the game, have a cocktail and a few laughs. In the end you will likely lose but you invested in fun either way.

Thank you for your input. I've only ever seen $5 in AC at Bally's, but I recall it being 6:5 payout.

Sadly I wasn't joking :) I really tend to be a bit of a "Min/Max" player with games, so I like to make sure i'm making the right plays. Better to ask, right?

Thanks again!

Quote: drgn21

Thank you for your input. I've only ever seen $5 in AC at Bally's, but I recall it being 6:5 payout.

Sadly I wasn't joking :) I really tend to be a bit of a "Min/Max" player with games, so I like to make sure i'm making the right plays. Better to ask, right?

Thanks again!

Welcome to the forum drgn. Nice first post.

I think the D is very generous on comps, though I don't play BJ there (so I don't have any feel for how they rate you). I play both tables and slots with them, and get rooms, meals, show tix pretty much when I want them, plus a little FP ($25-50 every couple weeks), though I've only played there twice and stayed once. I've nothing against the Fremont, but principle on this forum says, go for the game with the most value, which is Fremont for you unless you have some hope of using D comps you might earn.

Mount Airy in Tannersville, PA has low limit tables $10-15 on weekends and are S-17 with Surrender offered. They used to have $5 tables during the day, but they probably realized they didn't have to use that gimmick to get people to play.

So they might be offering you the best odds for PA. Their comp system is peculiar though, you do earn comp dollars, but an abysmal rate of $0.07 per hour. In order to get comped for meals, you must ask a host and then continue to play/wait for them to come back and give you their "answer."

Usually, they throw you $15-25 comp dollars to get a meal, but if you ask for a buffet comp they take more time and give you the run around. Though I must admit, the buffet is worth it and decently priced on weekdays. So if you make a little coin on the table, you might as well spend it on the buffet instead of waiting for that comp.

Try this the next time u are waiting for a comp in Mt. Airy. Ask for the comp then pull your chips back and just occupy the seat without playing.

This will lite a fire under him.