Best place to play in Reno

Planning a trip to Reno.
Would appreciate any tips on where to play BJ with the best odds?
Are the BJ rules different in Reno compared to Vegas?

Go to the web site www.easymoneyblackjack.com/conditions_reno
DISREGARD the system they are selling!

Reno rules are indeed very different than in Vegas as a whole--lots of single deck games. The downside is most of them restrict doubling to 10 and 11 only.

Apparently the best rules are at a place called the "Alamo Travel Center" on the outskirts of town--single-deck, double on anything and surrender. However, you may want a place that's easier to get to and maybe a little classier, in which case I'd suggest John Ascauga's Nugget in nearby Sparks--also has 1D DOA (but no surrender). Grand Sierra is also a very nice casino, but only has those good BJ rules on their higher-limit games ($25 and up). Good luck!

Thanks for the link and tips.

The Alamo is a mile further out than JA's Nugget. Not hard to get to at all. And classy doesn't matter if one is looking for the best game. The Alamo isn't a bad place at all. Great service (dealers and cocktails), and a very, very, VERY soft 3-6 hold-em game if that is your game of choice. Plus a LeRoys self-serve sports book. And, let's not forget, we are talking about Reno/Sparks....class isn't real high on the list.

Never heard of The Alamo. Sounds like the place for best odds.
Thanks

I second the recommendation for JA's Nugget. Only go to the Alamo if you like truckers and/or unique blackjack rules.

Quote: teddys

I second the recommendation for JA's Nugget. Only go to the Alamo if you like truckers and/or unique blackjack rules.

I like to win.

Its the same theme as in the more populous Las Vegas area: gambling amongst Glitz and Glamor on the Strip, mere Glitz Downtown, no Glitz, no Glamor in the various Locals Joints such as on the Boulder Strip.

While sometimes the difference between casinos is very slight when you work out the math (er uh,,, I mean when others work out the math for me) sometimes its a bit more significant when other issues are concerned.

I'd "drive an extra mile" for a less smokey casino or a less noisy one. Sometimes a casino technically offers a better blackjack game, but has fewer tables or staffs them for fewer hours. Linoleum on the floor rather than a carpet? Working men versus professionals. That "extra mile" just might make a difference in the enjoyment level for a vacationer but might make less of a difference for a more frequent gambler who lives nearby. Whether its looser slots or looser women, sometimes ambiance really makes a difference and sometimes it simply does not.

Boomtown Casino has the only single deck Blackjack tables in the area, paying 3 to 2, like the good old days. It also has the one and only Shortie Blackjack game. All you can eat lobster buffett is served on Friday-Sunday.

http://www.vegasinc.com/news/2011/may/27/looking-nevadas-best-blackjack-experience-go-north/

Current blackjack rules in Reno can be found here .

It looks like the best conditions for BJ is Alamo with the 6 card charlie and late surrender (no double after split, double on any two cards, no re-split Aces) (.21%)

But there are a number of single deckers in town where you can double on any two cards (no double after split, no late surrender, no resplit A): Boomtown, Nugget, Rail City, Western Village (.42%)

Next is the same game where you can only double on 9 or more at the Grand Sierra, Sand Regency (.56%)

The Eldorado will only let you double on 10 or more but you can double after splitting. (.58%)

And the other casinos will have the same game when you can double on 10 or more (.70%).

For most of us, I think its not really a question of "best" place based solely on rules, decks, shoes or any of the standard indicators.

I'm mindful of that recent article wherein the writer drove all the way to this town of Nowheresville, NV for the ultimate "best rules" in blackjack and promptly got banned from the three casinos in town. He treks there, gets banned and treks back plus he writes an article. For me it would have simply been: trek there, get banned, trek back. No article, just a frustrating and wasted trip.

If some place is "9, 10 or 11" and another place is "10 or 11" ... heck, its the confusion that would annoy me more than anything else. Driving out to a linoleum floored truck stop may be okay. Truckers usually eat well and booze is booze. I don't really need no carpet on the floor. Its just that the "real" casinos with "fairly good" rules are okay. They have carpets, they have more waitresses and probably better looking ones, they have buffets, they probably have a few more diversions than some small truck stop with optimal rules. And if luck is really with me sometimes its nice to just be able to stagger next door than trek somewhere to the second best place to play.

Six card charlie? Yeah I like that. Late surrender? Heck, I can never remember the rules for surrender, be it early, late or on-time. The difference between .56 percent and .58 percent is just too negligible. And if one place serves just one more drink than the other place that difference is lost right there. Now if you are going to put a whopping amount of money on the table then maybe that .56 versus .58 stuff matters but table limits probably matter more in that situation.

What is the percentage for 6 deck shoe at Silver Legacy with double any time including after split (no surrender, no resplit A)?

Agree with your views Fleastiff, but just in case I want to check out the casinos in the Boonies, would like to know what places to stop by for a different experience. Ever get the urge to get off the Strip and go to Downtown LV or Boulder Blvd? Same thing.

Quote: susluss

Agree with your views Fleastiff, but just in case I want to check out the casinos in the Boonies, would like to know what places to stop by for a different experience. Ever get the urge to get off the Strip and go to Downtown LV or Boulder Blvd? Same thing.

Yes. Its good to atleast know that some place exists rather than drive right past it and then find out later that it was the best restaurant in town or the best blackjack game in town or had a free concert with a world famous organist or something. You can still drive right by it but atleast you are doing it with an awareness of what is available.

Quite frankly, I'd love a non smoking casino but don't expect to find one. I'd prefer a "great ventilation" place to a "gas-mask required" place. And these things probably outweigh the decimal points in house edge calculations, but I would still be interested in the consequences of my choosing lungs over lower house edge. I used to play in one casino where the non-smoking area was large and included the only three craps tables. I was happy. Usually two of the three tables were open and the limits were generally five and ten dollars. And no smoking to boot! I was happy but my companion smokes like a chimney and plays blackjack. The Blackjack was rapid fire blackjack even though the rules were not so bad. So I'd play smoke free low-limit craps for much of the time and then I'd go to the smoke filled blackjack area wherein blackjack was dealt super fast. Its nice when the two separate areas are only one flight of stairs apart. The problem arises when the best blackjack and the low-limit crap tables are at the opposite ends of town and the stiffest drinks are in the middle. Knowledge of what is available is important.

I'm pretty sure that game at JANugget is their $25 game...because I'm pretty sure on the $5 single deck game, it's 10/11 only.
I think Western Village has a pretty good game...