Reviewing VA Caesar's & HR Bristol

I did visit two of the three Virginia casinos, posting previously about what we Craps players have to hope is not the general trend in the Thumbs-Down Bristol thread,
https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/gambling/craps/41785-thumbs-down-bristol-va-craps/ .
So for a more general review, here goes.

The Bristol casino was midweek, so to what degree minimums were lower then, I can’t say. I can say that I was there in 2022 before it formally became a Hard Rock with the Seminole connection. At that time the minimums were plenty high, and then you could encounter a $25 Craps minimum even in the middle of the night, while that was pretty much the guarantee during the day. It was the only public Craps table going in the state in those days, true enough. This time, midweek, minimums I saw were generally $10-15 on the usual assortment of table games, including 3 and 4 card poker, UTH, PGP, M Stud, Bacc… a few others as well, of little interest to me. The BJ was 6:5 unless the min was $25, though. I didn’t count, but overall 50-60 or more tables had some kind of game, with capacity for about the same again to open. VP had a lot of multiple line stuff, with one line at a time hard to find and not the good paytables.

If you followed the above thread you know I can’t report on what they might have put the min on Craps to be, since they decided to scandalize me with running a Sucker-Craps game designed to favor the house in every way, and run that only. Just a real “just say no” derivative in league with 6:5 Blackjack. This crapless min was $10. I refuse to applaud.

I went into the high limit room and Bacc and BJ is all that were going for tables … $100 minimums. Perhaps there were $25 BJ mins with 3:2 in the main area, I really didn’t keep good notes on that.

The smoke at Bristol was noticeable to me, but not too bad really, during the day, while barely existent though early AM hours with the fewer players. They have a no-smoking section downstairs that I discovered too late to be sure, but possibly it never opens except for slots if midweek, the weekend surely different. The food court areas are sufficient if pricey [what do you expect?] and they have a very good fine-dining restaurant called Council Oaks that was top notch and priced in line with such places.

The Bristol Hard Rock is full of helpful and friendly people, had good midweek minimums and a good fine-dining place, just a lot going for it. Now all they have to do is bring Craps back and we will be able to say it is a legitimate casino. Can’t say that yet. I hope they get the message.

Caesar’s Danville was experienced as a weekend and into the week. It’s a big place, so though maybe 50-60 tables were open, with double that available in that area. There was also a similar sized area with the same capacity directly across, with no games going. Table minimums were high on the weekend, generally $25. They also had the full assortment of table games as above, notably it makes me happy to see the UTH.

The smoke was barely noticeable at all times, I think they had really good ventilation. I don’t remember a smoke free section.

They had the usual pricey food court scene, with a Ramsey’s Kitchen for fine dining. I’ve never eaten at one, and didn’t this time, though the city of Danville doesn’t seem to offer much in that way that I could find.

The table minimums slowly came down, and IIRC by Monday morning there were $10 mins showing up. The UTH and Craps had been $25 but I was now able to catch $10 which saved the trip, I’ll blog about that. VP seemed to be only at the bars, but I’m not sure, don’t quote me. I played some Bonus Poker type that had you thinking it was 8|5 … I was suspicious and was able to confirm later it was tricky how they did that, probably not really on purpose though.

Caesar’s Danville hasn’t been open that long but at this point has it going pretty good IMO. They are packing them in from North Carolina and I think soon we might benefit from more competition. It’s a legitimate 24/7 casino, with 24/7 craps … you can play Sucker-Craps if you want to but real Craps is going all the time, with a high min on the weekend. I don’t know what they thought of my play, but with any incentive I would go back.

I have at this time no concern as to whether Hard Rock Bristol would want me back, which allows me to freely warn other Craps players.

I'm currently trying to do PL progressions on a regular craps table, but finding the table with a $5 minimum is hit or miss. I'd have to double my buy-in for a $10 table.

If I was met with a crapless craps table, I'd just bet $12 on the PB 6 and/or 8 and pass the dice if possible. But I saw a strategy recently on YouTube where a player can put $18 on the 6 & 8 and when it hits, put $10 on the next two outside numbers. Or the player can put $30 on the PB 6 & 8 and when it hits, the player can put $10 on the 3, 4, 5 when the 6 hits and cover the 2 on the next hit on the 6; and cover the 9, 10, 11 for $10 when the 8 hits and cover the 12 on the next hit on the 8. Of course that should only be attempted on vig on a win tables with a much lower house advantage.

If you were just going insane without the experience of the Craps table, enough to want to play Crapless Craps, yes, you can make place and buy bets that pay the same as regular Craps.

Which would mean you skip playing on the bubble Craps machine, which is an alternative. A better one? I think so since I maintain that it's a 'just say no' situation

Forgot to report that the free odds level at Caesar's Danville was 10x

The minimum was lowered to $10 midweek, I can't remember if this was early AM or later, but I think so. We soon were leaving so I didn't get a good look at evening conditions midweek. I freely admit I should take better notes!!

Can't fail to note that the free odds at Hard Times Bristol remained unknown to me for reasons that should be clear now. Yes, I am showing them no mercy. Decisions like they made have consequences ............... this is the way of the world, friends