3:2 single deck BJ in the country
1D, H17, DOA, RS4, NoDAS, NoRSA, NoLS
Two of these games total, only one tbale open when it's not busy.
Automatic shuffle machine, not hand shuffle.
House edge: 0.30%~ (maybe higher due to fixed number of rounds, discussed below)
Limits: 15-1000 (minimum goes to 25 on weekends and busy nights, max remains 1000).
Heat: low
Rules for two hands: double minimum per hand.
Rules for three hands: either double, triple or 5x minimum per hand (I forget which)
Fixed number of rounds depending on players:
1 player: 4 rounds
2 players: 3 rounds
3 players: 2 rounds (nearly unplayable. You play first round, hope for positive, and raise on second).
4-5 players: 1 round (unplayable, avoid on weekends and busy nights).
You don't get an opportunity to play many hands in positive counts.
Only beatable when it's solo, but you won't get to play solo for any significant amount of time because people will eventually join in.
Best way to beat a game with fixed rounds is to spread to two or three hands on the last hand on positive counts and apply play variation indices. This technique is called depth charging.
I'd rather play in a 6:5 game with a cut card than a 3:2 with fixed rounds..
Quote: RedJackBarona used to? As in no longer offers it? I've read plenty of positive reviews on that casino's game selection as well as the place itself. So anyone care to elaborate on blackjack games offered there and conditions? Any other 21 variant(s)? i.e. Spanish, Switch or Free Bet? What about other table games? Any worth giving a try?
Barona is home to the Blackjack Hall of Fame.
They used to offer the best single deck game around, but a lot of advantage players killed the game. One player won over a million dollars exclusively on single deck.
Now, their best game is double deck and the rules are great for H17.
DD, H17, DOA, DAS, Rs4, RSA, LS. You can't really ask for more than that other than S17 and better penetration.
They claim to have the best blackjack rules in the USA, which might be true for H17, but their penetration is lacking.
Another casino might have identical rules but better penetration.
Any S17 game without LS and RSA has a lower house edge.
They have 24 double deck blackjack tables last time I checked.
12 are in high limit and are $100 minimum with one or two at $50 minimum depending on the day.
The other 12 are $25 minimum, with some going up to $50 on busy nights.
Not all tables will be open.
A lot of players play reserved games in high limit. I once went in there and saw that six tables were reserved and only one or two were being played.
Penetration has gotten worse over the years and is now about 55-60% (set by notch).
Heat is minimal until you get on their radar, so spread out to each shift, don't play long sessions and don't use a player's card.
They are not afraid of action since their table maximum is $10,000 in high limit (people rarely bet the maximum, and any professional counter who has the bankroll to have a max bet of $10,000 won't be welcome there for long).
At the $25 tables, you can get away with a lot on a busy night if you don't use a player's card and move around.
They have three blackjack pits: one in high limit, and two on separate ends on the main floor.
They have Free Bet Blackjack, Blackjack Switch, and SuperFun21. Check out their website for info on the games offered. Those variations of blackjack are still beatable, but not really worth the effort. They only have two of each of those games and they are always full on weekends.
If you're interested in other carnival games like Ultimate Texas Hold'em, Three Card Poker, Four Card Poker, or Mississippi Stud, you can find certain dealers who don't follow the dealing procedures correctly and you can exploit those games. No, I will not share which games, which shift, or which dealers are prone to mistakes.
Quote: RedJackMost of us are probably aware that El Cortez is well-known for its real single deck game paying 3:2. For those who have been to other casinos across the country, has anyone run into another place that offers that? Of course chances are the minimum should be much higher than $5 and protection extremely tight, but for those playing for fun it doesn't get much better than that!
Just about anywhere in Reno has it at $5 but every place to my knowledge is double on 10 and 11 only which makes it no better a game than 6 deck games with decent rules-about .40% off the top of my head. El Cortez is the place to go.
Biggest problem at Barona is penetration and crowding. Very difficult to get a game with even 2 other players [or less]. Seems like it's always crowded, even midday on a weekday. If I remember correctly, Viejas offers the same DD game (or at least they did) but with a $15 minimum and no LS. Having LS, I think, is the most powerful rule for a card-counter (barring insurance, 3:2 BJ, and perhaps DAS/DA2).
I got my ass handed to me in that game. I ended out losing a grand flat betting $5. Nonetheless, if you're ever in southern Idaho (I don't know why you'd be in Northern NV) it's right there on the border.
Quote: RSBarona has an excellent (second best?) DD game. There's another game, somewhere else in the country, but with S17, I believe. Never played the S17 game.
Biggest problem at Barona is penetration and crowding. Very difficult to get a game with even 2 other players [or less]. Seems like it's always crowded, even midday on a weekday. If I remember correctly, Viejas offers the same DD game (or at least they did) but with a $15 minimum and no LS. Having LS, I think, is the most powerful rule for a card-counter (barring insurance, 3:2 BJ, and perhaps DAS/DA2).
The Viejas DD rules are NoRSA, NoLS, and 50% pen, making it a poor game compared to Barona.
They also deal it out of a shoe rather than pitch it.
Even without LS or RSA, a penetration of 50% or less makes it barely playable or worth it.
Despite Viejas dealers earning their own tips, I found that tipping does not encourage better penetration, so I never tip there. I only tip to encourage better playing conditions (specific toke). If I'm going to have to work hard to beat a 50% penetration, it sure as heck wasn't because of the dealer.
Their minimum is almost always $25 for DD. Sometimes they have a $15 minimum during the day or graveyard, but I've only seen it once.
Sycuan's playing conditions are similar, except I do believe they offer surrender. They have two $15 DD tables - one in non-smoking area and one in the smoking area. Lots of heat in the high limit room once you're a suspected counter. Not worth the heat for a poor game like that. Penetration ranges around 50-60% depending on the dealer. Again, the dealers here earn their own tips and I haven't found them to be affected by tokes.
Wendover, Elko, etc. There is no place like it.
Quote: hitthat16Northeastern Nevada is the last outpost for 3:2 single deck where you can double on any first two cards.
Wendover, Elko, etc. There is no place like it.
Last bastion not including El Cortez. Also, and I'm not going to look it up to see if it's still there, an Alamo truck stop casino, if you can believe it, right on I-80 in Sparks, next to Reno as of 2 years ago.
http://www.thealamo.com/alamo-casino-sparks-petro/casino/
But if I really wanted to push it I could play and ask the pit for comps. If I was them I'd say to me, "What do you think we are, stupid? Then I'd say, "No, I don't think you're stupid." And they'd say, "No, I was calling YOU stupid."
If a card counter plays for comps, just stop the comps and goodbye counter. No tap. Of course, if you don't get the message and continue to play then you just like being a big blip on the radar screen with a big loud ping.
Not me. Run Silent Run Deep.
Quote: RedJack
Heard that the Riverside Resort & Casino in Laughlin, NV offers $5 Blackjack game with a 3-2. Heat is pretty low but Green and Black action is watched occasionally unless you seem like another drunken idiot of a gambler. You can also get away with a good bet spread of 1-4 without much notice...and MAYBE a bet spread of 1-8 if your table isn't completely empty and have your "camouflage" game on point. But we're talking about Red action here like you mentioned.
Quote: AvincowSo are there any SD games that take big action? Seems like all these places are for red chippers
At El Cortez you can bet green with a 1-3 spread. Best to start with $50 opener. You can spread more and bet higher, if you only have a short time to live.
Quote: AvincowSo are there any SD games that take big action? Seems like all these places are for red chippers
Wendover takes action pretty well. Each casino always has at least one $25 table open. I have regularly seen chunky green and black action there.
They also comp very generously. I never pay a dime for anything when I'm there. By far the easiest and best "self comp" system of any casino chain in my opinion.
Quote: GreasyjohnI got a soft backoff from the El Cortez. I used to get free rooms, vp and food. Then it all stopped. No reason to ask the host. No reason to ask marketing. What are they going to say? "Do you give your player's card to pit when your playing, because if you don't you won't get rated?" My level of play should have been acknowledged by their best mailers.
But if I really wanted to push it I could play and ask the pit for comps. If I was them I'd say to me, "What do you think we are, stupid? Then I'd say, "No, I don't think you're stupid." And they'd say, "No, I was calling YOU stupid."
If a card counter plays for comps, just stop the comps and goodbye counter. No tap. Of course, if you don't get the message and continue to play then you just like being a big blip on the radar screen with a big loud ping.
Not me. Run Silent Run Deep.
What was your spread?
I plan on counting there Sunday but with lowroller spread
5 to 15
Quote: terapinedWhat was your spread?
I plan on counting there Sunday but with lowroller spread
5 to 15
I was betting $25 to $75 a hand. Many times opening for $50 on two hands, then dropping to one hand of $25 if the count went negative, or raising to two hands of $75 if the count was plus. Sometimes, when I lowered to one hand I might spread back to two hands on a plus count. They didn't give any signs that they didn't like this. But, you can only play so long at the El Cortez with this kind of aggressive play. And I was told by a very knowledgeable Blackjack Ball invitee that black action should be avoided at the El Co. If you're betting 5-15 that should give you longevity, epically if you're only playing one hand. Open for $10 once in a while, even $15. If you're sitting mid-table you'll get lots of information for index plays so you won't be opening with a negative expectation. I won't be playing there anymore.
LOL. I love it. The ol' 1:20 spread at the sweatiest joint in the biz. Can you give details? Did you win? How long did you last before they gave you the hook?
Quote: ShadowlessViejas in San Diego, CA.
I'd rather play in a 6:5 game with a cut card than a 3:2 with fixed rounds..
Fixed rounds is preferred for single deck. It gets rid of the cut card effect and makes any preferential shuffling stand out. The problem isn't fixed rounds, it's the number of rounds. Barona used to deal that same rounds configuration but had double after aplit and late surrender which made that game excellent.
