Shreveport, LA TR
May 14th, 2017 at 11:10:57 PM
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Shreveport Bossier City Trip report
Gambling is legal in Louisiana. I'm not sure of the legal technicalities, but some casinos are on riverboats, while some are on land. The riverboat casinos are usually on boats that are permanently anchored.
My preferred gambling place in Louisiana is a city called Shreveport, located in the north west corner of Louisiana. Shreveport has a twin city next to it named Bossier City. The cities border each other very closely; some casinos are in Shreveport, while some are in Bossier City. You'll see this gambling area referred to as Shreveport/Bossier City. All the Shreveport and Bossier City casinos are within a five minute drive of each other. I just call it all 'Shreveport'.
There are a number of casinos in Shreveport, but the ones I frequent are El Dorado and the Horseshoe. The new Margaritaville casino is pretty nice, and they have 100x odds, but I've yet to play there. I'm sure if the host at Margaritaville offered me a room and some comp chips, I would play.
I used to get mailers from a casino called Diamond Jacks. At first it was for $250. I would cash the mailer, play for 1 hour, use the free buffet coupons that were included in the mailer, and then go to the Horseshoe, which was located across the I-20 freeway from Diamond Jacks. Then the mailers started steadily decreasing to $200, then $100, then was $50 for about six months. On the free $50, I'd just cash the mailer (they gave you cash in exchange for the mailer at the cage) and eat the buffet and leave, without even gambling. This $50 coupon lasted for three more trips before they completely stopped. This was two years ago.
Diamond Jacks craps game is 20x odds, which is stingy for Shreveport. If they had 100x odds, I'd play there on every trip for the free money. Or I'd play for half of the trip, at least.
I hadn't been to Shreveport in a while, but I called up my host and reserved a free room at the Horseshoe. They're very generous with the room comps at the Horseshoe.
Unlike Vegas, valet and self parking are both still free.
As one walks into the Horseshoe, it has a cavernous feel to it. I took pictures, but I'm too tired to upload them, and I notice everyone just types out their reviews.
There are five restaurants at the Horseshoe. It's very easy to get food comps, and it appears that the noodle bar is practically giving away free food. The pit will give vouchers for food simply for asking (at least in my experience), and I've seen people get the noodle bar comp when betting $5.
The cafe is typical overpriced casino cafe food, and they have really big burgers there. They rebranded it as a burger bar.
The buffet is really good, especially if you like seafood. On weekend nights (I think, but not sure because I didn't eat there this trip), they have stone crab claws and all sorts of other seafood. I've had it before, and it was really good.
The really good food is the Asian fusion restaurant and the steak house, Jack Binions Steakhouse and Four Winds Asian Cuisine.
Usually they give me a $200 voucher per person to either Jacks Steakhouse or Four Winds. If the host joins me, there's really no voucher. He just orders some off menu stuff that's super good, like Lobster Asian Fusion dishes, sea bass, American Wagyu, etc.
The Steakhouse is good, but if someone blindfolded me and said it was a Ruth's Chris steak, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
The Horseshoe used to be owned by Jack Binion, before he sold it to Harrahs/Caesars. When Jack Binion owned it, it was a super liberal casino. It was the only casino in the US that had a BJ game where the player had +EV basic strategy. There was only one table. It was a single deck, guaranteed two deals per deck, $25 min, double any two cards, stand on soft 17, split on any two cards, and double after split. Max $500. And they didn't sweat the game. The only time they ever said anything was one time when a floor called me to the side and asked me to be a little less 'aggressive', as I was wonging and going from $25 to the $500 max. He said I was pissing the players off by wonging (changing the flow of the cards), and that it was just a little too obvious that I was counting, and asked me to keep it to a smaller spread. Very cool joint.
When Harrahs took over the 'Shoe, the first thing to go was the BJ game.
For the most part, the Shoe still retains most of Jacks liberal policies. It's way easier to score a comp than in Vegas. In Vegas, the host would tell me to charge everything to the room and he would evaluate at the end. This is terrible because you could get stuck with the bill. Also, in Vegas, as of my last trip, the pit told me that they couldn't issue comps; only my host could issue comps.
At the Shoe, the pit will give me a voucher on my players card, and they'll ask me, if $X enough? I like this method much better.
The Horseshoe casino is two stories. Actually, it might be three, as there might be one story above the second story, but I've never gone above the second story of the casino because everything above the first floor is all slots. Slots bore me.
The Horseshoe has $5 craps on weekdays, with 100x odds. On weekends, around when it gets busy, the table goes to $10. Unlike in Vegas, where they will grandfather in players, there is no grandfathering in Shreveport. When the table ups it's limit, the box or floor will announce that next shooter is $10 minimum.
I usually buy in for $5000-$20,000 and I always play $5 pass with 30x-100x odds. Then I play two come bets with 30-100x odds. Many years ago, when I first started playing at the Shoe, they treated me like a small whale and offered me comp chips and loss rebates. Then they realized all the money I brought went mostly on the odds, and that I was a $5 bettor on the house advantage bets. That all ended after two trips. Nowadays, they're just very generous with the comps.
The Horseshoe has probably the most efficient and nicest dealers I have ever engaged with. Shreveport gamblers are notoriously stingy when it comes to tipping. Compared to Vegas or other cites that I've been to, players seem to tip significantly less and less often in Shreveport. Yet, the dealers never complain and never once have I seen any form of tip hustling; not even subtle or passive aggressive tip hustling.
The Shoe has two or three roulette tables, some carnival poker games, and the usual assortment of BJ. I didn't see any 6-5 BJ, but I didn't look closely.
When the last limits are upped to $10, I start cashing out and heading to the El Dorado.
The El Dorado is in Shreveport proper. It's a land based casino, whereas the Shoe is a boat that is permanently anchored.
The El Dorado has three floors. The second floor has the traditional table games. The El Dorado has the allure of always having at least one or two craps tables that are always $5 with 100x odds at craps. One table is never craps, a game which I've not seen anywhere else, whether Vegas or Shreveport.
The El Dorado occasionally has a very nice Alaskan king crab buffet. I once made the mistake of falling for a Mississippi casino billboard advertising King Crab, which turned out to be disgusting Southern King Crab. The El Dorado King crab is the genuine Alaskan variety with the huge legs.
The El Dorado is also very generous with their comps.
So what's the problem with the El Dorado?
Well, the Horseshoe is like Target and El Dorado is like shopping at WalMart. You kind of have the same WalMart demographics at El Dorado. I regularly get hit up by panhandlers at the El Dorado, while I'm at the craps table, and also when I walk to the restroom. They all say the same thing, 'I'm stranded, can you help me out with $20 so I can get a bus fare'. I've never given a penny to any panhandler. When I'm hit up at the craps table, I'll turn to the pit and ask them how they allow panhandlers into their casino. The really don't see to care.
Also, the crowd can be hostile, and there are people there who should not be gambling. Just think low income WalMart crowd gambling with their WalMart grocery money. I've had guys lose $5 on a come out roll, and then demand that I reimburse them $5 because I rolled a craps on the come out. No joke.
And then once I had a lady say to me, as I threw money onto the layout for a buy in, F!#/ you, I f!#/ing hate rich people. To which I relied, you think having $10,000 makes me rich? Which them provoked her boyfriend to say nasty things to me, which then provoked me to say that they shouldn't be playing craps with infant formula money. After the box calmed everyone down, I could see them staring at my chips. That's the only time I ever asked for two security guards to walk me to my car.
But, they have $5 craps with 100x odds.
I had a pretty good time and had a very good winning session. The only problem with a winning session is that I'll want to go back, and I'll keep going back until I have the inevitable losing session. Next time, I'll take half my winnings from this trip and maybe lose it.
If you want good gambling and generous comps, and you want to do a pure gambling trip, then go to Shreveport. I've been to many parts of the country that have gambling, and Shreveport is by far the best deal from a pure gambling perspective. Vegas is now all about fleecing their gamblers as fast and as hard as possible, and all about nickel and dining their guests (6-5 BJ and paid parking, for example).
Granted, as a family or a date destination nothing beats the lights, excitement, dining options, people watching, shows, size, and craziness of Vegas. But for pure gambling, go to Shreveport.
Gambling is legal in Louisiana. I'm not sure of the legal technicalities, but some casinos are on riverboats, while some are on land. The riverboat casinos are usually on boats that are permanently anchored.
My preferred gambling place in Louisiana is a city called Shreveport, located in the north west corner of Louisiana. Shreveport has a twin city next to it named Bossier City. The cities border each other very closely; some casinos are in Shreveport, while some are in Bossier City. You'll see this gambling area referred to as Shreveport/Bossier City. All the Shreveport and Bossier City casinos are within a five minute drive of each other. I just call it all 'Shreveport'.
There are a number of casinos in Shreveport, but the ones I frequent are El Dorado and the Horseshoe. The new Margaritaville casino is pretty nice, and they have 100x odds, but I've yet to play there. I'm sure if the host at Margaritaville offered me a room and some comp chips, I would play.
I used to get mailers from a casino called Diamond Jacks. At first it was for $250. I would cash the mailer, play for 1 hour, use the free buffet coupons that were included in the mailer, and then go to the Horseshoe, which was located across the I-20 freeway from Diamond Jacks. Then the mailers started steadily decreasing to $200, then $100, then was $50 for about six months. On the free $50, I'd just cash the mailer (they gave you cash in exchange for the mailer at the cage) and eat the buffet and leave, without even gambling. This $50 coupon lasted for three more trips before they completely stopped. This was two years ago.
Diamond Jacks craps game is 20x odds, which is stingy for Shreveport. If they had 100x odds, I'd play there on every trip for the free money. Or I'd play for half of the trip, at least.
I hadn't been to Shreveport in a while, but I called up my host and reserved a free room at the Horseshoe. They're very generous with the room comps at the Horseshoe.
Unlike Vegas, valet and self parking are both still free.
As one walks into the Horseshoe, it has a cavernous feel to it. I took pictures, but I'm too tired to upload them, and I notice everyone just types out their reviews.
There are five restaurants at the Horseshoe. It's very easy to get food comps, and it appears that the noodle bar is practically giving away free food. The pit will give vouchers for food simply for asking (at least in my experience), and I've seen people get the noodle bar comp when betting $5.
The cafe is typical overpriced casino cafe food, and they have really big burgers there. They rebranded it as a burger bar.
The buffet is really good, especially if you like seafood. On weekend nights (I think, but not sure because I didn't eat there this trip), they have stone crab claws and all sorts of other seafood. I've had it before, and it was really good.
The really good food is the Asian fusion restaurant and the steak house, Jack Binions Steakhouse and Four Winds Asian Cuisine.
Usually they give me a $200 voucher per person to either Jacks Steakhouse or Four Winds. If the host joins me, there's really no voucher. He just orders some off menu stuff that's super good, like Lobster Asian Fusion dishes, sea bass, American Wagyu, etc.
The Steakhouse is good, but if someone blindfolded me and said it was a Ruth's Chris steak, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
The Horseshoe used to be owned by Jack Binion, before he sold it to Harrahs/Caesars. When Jack Binion owned it, it was a super liberal casino. It was the only casino in the US that had a BJ game where the player had +EV basic strategy. There was only one table. It was a single deck, guaranteed two deals per deck, $25 min, double any two cards, stand on soft 17, split on any two cards, and double after split. Max $500. And they didn't sweat the game. The only time they ever said anything was one time when a floor called me to the side and asked me to be a little less 'aggressive', as I was wonging and going from $25 to the $500 max. He said I was pissing the players off by wonging (changing the flow of the cards), and that it was just a little too obvious that I was counting, and asked me to keep it to a smaller spread. Very cool joint.
When Harrahs took over the 'Shoe, the first thing to go was the BJ game.
For the most part, the Shoe still retains most of Jacks liberal policies. It's way easier to score a comp than in Vegas. In Vegas, the host would tell me to charge everything to the room and he would evaluate at the end. This is terrible because you could get stuck with the bill. Also, in Vegas, as of my last trip, the pit told me that they couldn't issue comps; only my host could issue comps.
At the Shoe, the pit will give me a voucher on my players card, and they'll ask me, if $X enough? I like this method much better.
The Horseshoe casino is two stories. Actually, it might be three, as there might be one story above the second story, but I've never gone above the second story of the casino because everything above the first floor is all slots. Slots bore me.
The Horseshoe has $5 craps on weekdays, with 100x odds. On weekends, around when it gets busy, the table goes to $10. Unlike in Vegas, where they will grandfather in players, there is no grandfathering in Shreveport. When the table ups it's limit, the box or floor will announce that next shooter is $10 minimum.
I usually buy in for $5000-$20,000 and I always play $5 pass with 30x-100x odds. Then I play two come bets with 30-100x odds. Many years ago, when I first started playing at the Shoe, they treated me like a small whale and offered me comp chips and loss rebates. Then they realized all the money I brought went mostly on the odds, and that I was a $5 bettor on the house advantage bets. That all ended after two trips. Nowadays, they're just very generous with the comps.
The Horseshoe has probably the most efficient and nicest dealers I have ever engaged with. Shreveport gamblers are notoriously stingy when it comes to tipping. Compared to Vegas or other cites that I've been to, players seem to tip significantly less and less often in Shreveport. Yet, the dealers never complain and never once have I seen any form of tip hustling; not even subtle or passive aggressive tip hustling.
The Shoe has two or three roulette tables, some carnival poker games, and the usual assortment of BJ. I didn't see any 6-5 BJ, but I didn't look closely.
When the last limits are upped to $10, I start cashing out and heading to the El Dorado.
The El Dorado is in Shreveport proper. It's a land based casino, whereas the Shoe is a boat that is permanently anchored.
The El Dorado has three floors. The second floor has the traditional table games. The El Dorado has the allure of always having at least one or two craps tables that are always $5 with 100x odds at craps. One table is never craps, a game which I've not seen anywhere else, whether Vegas or Shreveport.
The El Dorado occasionally has a very nice Alaskan king crab buffet. I once made the mistake of falling for a Mississippi casino billboard advertising King Crab, which turned out to be disgusting Southern King Crab. The El Dorado King crab is the genuine Alaskan variety with the huge legs.
The El Dorado is also very generous with their comps.
So what's the problem with the El Dorado?
Well, the Horseshoe is like Target and El Dorado is like shopping at WalMart. You kind of have the same WalMart demographics at El Dorado. I regularly get hit up by panhandlers at the El Dorado, while I'm at the craps table, and also when I walk to the restroom. They all say the same thing, 'I'm stranded, can you help me out with $20 so I can get a bus fare'. I've never given a penny to any panhandler. When I'm hit up at the craps table, I'll turn to the pit and ask them how they allow panhandlers into their casino. The really don't see to care.
Also, the crowd can be hostile, and there are people there who should not be gambling. Just think low income WalMart crowd gambling with their WalMart grocery money. I've had guys lose $5 on a come out roll, and then demand that I reimburse them $5 because I rolled a craps on the come out. No joke.
And then once I had a lady say to me, as I threw money onto the layout for a buy in, F!#/ you, I f!#/ing hate rich people. To which I relied, you think having $10,000 makes me rich? Which them provoked her boyfriend to say nasty things to me, which then provoked me to say that they shouldn't be playing craps with infant formula money. After the box calmed everyone down, I could see them staring at my chips. That's the only time I ever asked for two security guards to walk me to my car.
But, they have $5 craps with 100x odds.
I had a pretty good time and had a very good winning session. The only problem with a winning session is that I'll want to go back, and I'll keep going back until I have the inevitable losing session. Next time, I'll take half my winnings from this trip and maybe lose it.
If you want good gambling and generous comps, and you want to do a pure gambling trip, then go to Shreveport. I've been to many parts of the country that have gambling, and Shreveport is by far the best deal from a pure gambling perspective. Vegas is now all about fleecing their gamblers as fast and as hard as possible, and all about nickel and dining their guests (6-5 BJ and paid parking, for example).
Granted, as a family or a date destination nothing beats the lights, excitement, dining options, people watching, shows, size, and craziness of Vegas. But for pure gambling, go to Shreveport.
Last edited by: beachbumbabs on May 16, 2017
May 14th, 2017 at 11:43:59 PM
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Enjoyed reading about the food part and the gambling part in Shreveport! Your TR on Lucky Dragon Casino was superb with the pictures. So I just imagined all the pictures at Shreveport - if I get the chance, I'd love to visit Shreveport. Good TR!Quote: klimate10But for pure gambling, go to Shreveport.
Eat real food . . . and you won't need medicine (or a lot less!)
May 15th, 2017 at 12:14:25 AM
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Great TR klimate10. A very enjoyable read.
You can shear a sheep a hundred times, but you can skin it only once. — Amarillo Slim Preston
May 15th, 2017 at 1:18:25 AM
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Do any Vegas properties even rate craps play anymore? Stratosphere/AZ Charlies claim table games players earn slot club points but I don't know if craps does or at what rate.
100% risk of ruin
May 15th, 2017 at 2:45:24 AM
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> The new Margaritaville casino is pretty nice, and they have 100x odds,
Great.
>if the host offered me a room and some comp chips, I would play.
Contact the host. Try email. Make him work. New casinos are often willing to "invest'' in players more than an established casino will, so go for it.
> Very cool joint.
Very cool supervisors. Good atmosphere for sure.
> In Vegas, the host would tell me to charge everything to the room and he would evaluate at the end.
> This is terrible because you could get stuck with the bill.
Yeah it is a risk and it bespeaks a stingy host unwilling to stick his neck out.
>The Horseshoe has $5 craps on weekdays, with 100x odds.
>On weekends, around when it gets busy, the table goes to $10.
That is understandable and its nice when its known in advance.
>I usually buy in for $5000-$20,000 and I always play $5 pass with 30x-100x odds.
The Wizard, with his slide rule, will be proud of you.
>they treated me like a small whale Then realized the money went on the odds
>and that I was a $5 bettor on the house advantage bets.
So they realized you were smart. ANY dealer should always advise you to put your real money on the odds bet. Not pester you about it, he should just make sure that a player understands that.
>That all ended after two trips. Nowadays, they're just very generous with the comps.
If you think they are doing what they can, fine. Have you thought about asking for more though?
>The Horseshoe has probably the most efficient and nicest dealers
That is rare praise these days.
>never once have I seen any form of tip hustling; not even subtle or passive aggressive tip hustling.
Do you tip? If so, how do the dealers react to it.
> I regularly get hit up by panhandlers at the El Dorado,
A sign of the times and its being Louisiana.
>. That's the only time I ever asked for two security guards to walk me to my car.
If you have the slightest fear, inside or outside the casino, ALWAYS contact the nearest employee. You will get an escort, no matter how foolish they think your fears are. Casinos fear adverse newspaper headlines about winners getting mugged. If players feel there is no hope, they won't show up anymore, so casinos will always provide security instantly and free of any charge or any hassle.
".... I've been to many parts of the country that have gambling, and Shreveport is by far the best deal from a pure gambling perspective. Vegas is now all about fleecing their gamblers as fast and as hard as possible, and all about nickel and dimeing their guests (6-5 BJ and paid parking, for example).
Granted, as a family or a date destination nothing beats the lights, excitement, dining options, people watching, shows, size, and craziness of Vegas. But for pure gambling, go to Shreveport."
Yes, for your home movies you will show your guests your trip to Vegas, but for the best deals for the money you will go elsewhere than 'glitter gulch'. The opulence of the Venetian is great, you will enjoy the floors, the walls, the ceilings, etc. but the slots are the second worst in town. Their craps tables are a good deal though. Good crews. Never a panhandler. Not one. Not good comps though. Much of Vegas has become a gawker's paradise, not a gambler's paradise.
Great.
>if the host offered me a room and some comp chips, I would play.
Contact the host. Try email. Make him work. New casinos are often willing to "invest'' in players more than an established casino will, so go for it.
> Very cool joint.
Very cool supervisors. Good atmosphere for sure.
> In Vegas, the host would tell me to charge everything to the room and he would evaluate at the end.
> This is terrible because you could get stuck with the bill.
Yeah it is a risk and it bespeaks a stingy host unwilling to stick his neck out.
>The Horseshoe has $5 craps on weekdays, with 100x odds.
>On weekends, around when it gets busy, the table goes to $10.
That is understandable and its nice when its known in advance.
>I usually buy in for $5000-$20,000 and I always play $5 pass with 30x-100x odds.
The Wizard, with his slide rule, will be proud of you.
>they treated me like a small whale Then realized the money went on the odds
>and that I was a $5 bettor on the house advantage bets.
So they realized you were smart. ANY dealer should always advise you to put your real money on the odds bet. Not pester you about it, he should just make sure that a player understands that.
>That all ended after two trips. Nowadays, they're just very generous with the comps.
If you think they are doing what they can, fine. Have you thought about asking for more though?
>The Horseshoe has probably the most efficient and nicest dealers
That is rare praise these days.
>never once have I seen any form of tip hustling; not even subtle or passive aggressive tip hustling.
Do you tip? If so, how do the dealers react to it.
> I regularly get hit up by panhandlers at the El Dorado,
A sign of the times and its being Louisiana.
>. That's the only time I ever asked for two security guards to walk me to my car.
If you have the slightest fear, inside or outside the casino, ALWAYS contact the nearest employee. You will get an escort, no matter how foolish they think your fears are. Casinos fear adverse newspaper headlines about winners getting mugged. If players feel there is no hope, they won't show up anymore, so casinos will always provide security instantly and free of any charge or any hassle.
".... I've been to many parts of the country that have gambling, and Shreveport is by far the best deal from a pure gambling perspective. Vegas is now all about fleecing their gamblers as fast and as hard as possible, and all about nickel and dimeing their guests (6-5 BJ and paid parking, for example).
Granted, as a family or a date destination nothing beats the lights, excitement, dining options, people watching, shows, size, and craziness of Vegas. But for pure gambling, go to Shreveport."
Yes, for your home movies you will show your guests your trip to Vegas, but for the best deals for the money you will go elsewhere than 'glitter gulch'. The opulence of the Venetian is great, you will enjoy the floors, the walls, the ceilings, etc. but the slots are the second worst in town. Their craps tables are a good deal though. Good crews. Never a panhandler. Not one. Not good comps though. Much of Vegas has become a gawker's paradise, not a gambler's paradise.
May 15th, 2017 at 5:26:57 AM
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Nice report. Very good insight into Louisiana casinos which I have yet to visit. By the way, do they still allow smoking? I know New Orleans no longer allows it on the gaming floor but I'm not sure about the others. That said, most smoking players I have run into in other places are respectful toward others for the most part so I would be somewhat OK with it. Would still be nice to know though. Thanks.
May 15th, 2017 at 9:32:20 AM
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Quote: FleaStiff> The new Margaritaville casino is pretty nice, and they have 100x odds,
Great.
>if the host offered me a room and some comp chips, I would play.
Contact the host. Try email. Make him work. New casinos are often willing to "invest'' in players more than an established casino will, so go for it.
> Very cool joint.
Very cool supervisors. Good atmosphere for sure.
> In Vegas, the host would tell me to charge everything to the room and he would evaluate at the end.
> This is terrible because you could get stuck with the bill.
Yeah it is a risk and it bespeaks a stingy host unwilling to stick his neck out.
>The Horseshoe has $5 craps on weekdays, with 100x odds.
>On weekends, around when it gets busy, the table goes to $10.
That is understandable and its nice when its known in advance.
>I usually buy in for $5000-$20,000 and I always play $5 pass with 30x-100x odds.
The Wizard, with his slide rule, will be proud of you.
>they treated me like a small whale Then realized the money went on the odds
>and that I was a $5 bettor on the house advantage bets.
So they realized you were smart. ANY dealer should always advise you to put your real money on the odds bet. Not pester you about it, he should just make sure that a player understands that.
>That all ended after two trips. Nowadays, they're just very generous with the comps.
If you think they are doing what they can, fine. Have you thought about asking for more though?
>The Horseshoe has probably the most efficient and nicest dealers
That is rare praise these days.
>never once have I seen any form of tip hustling; not even subtle or passive aggressive tip hustling.
Do you tip? If so, how do the dealers react to it.
> I regularly get hit up by panhandlers at the El Dorado,
A sign of the times and its being Louisiana.
>. That's the only time I ever asked for two security guards to walk me to my car.
If you have the slightest fear, inside or outside the casino, ALWAYS contact the nearest employee. You will get an escort, no matter how foolish they think your fears are. Casinos fear adverse newspaper headlines about winners getting mugged. If players feel there is no hope, they won't show up anymore, so casinos will always provide security instantly and free of any charge or any hassle.
".... I've been to many parts of the country that have gambling, and Shreveport is by far the best deal from a pure gambling perspective. Vegas is now all about fleecing their gamblers as fast and as hard as possible, and all about nickel and dimeing their guests (6-5 BJ and paid parking, for example).
Granted, as a family or a date destination nothing beats the lights, excitement, dining options, people watching, shows, size, and craziness of Vegas. But for pure gambling, go to Shreveport."
Yes, for your home movies you will show your guests your trip to Vegas, but for the best deals for the money you will go elsewhere than 'glitter gulch'. The opulence of the Venetian is great, you will enjoy the floors, the walls, the ceilings, etc. but the slots are the second worst in town. Their craps tables are a good deal though. Good crews. Never a panhandler. Not one. Not good comps though. Much of Vegas has become a gawker's paradise, not a gambler's paradise.
I'm always one to ask for more. I'm quite shameless, in that I'll ask and try to stretch it as far as possible.
The host is generally pretty accommodating. He says that if I want a room in Vegas, he can get me a room. That's about the extent of it.
Do I tip? I work in the hospitality industry, so yes, I tip. In addition to my main business (not hospitality related), I own hotels and I'm acquiring more as the years go by. One day I'll leverage all my assets, get a gaming license, and buy a hotel casino, probably in Vegas; of that, I'm pretty sure. So I'm very sympathetic to people in hospitality. However, I have no mercy for tip hustling dealers.
Vegas is truly a gawkers paradise nowadays. Go look at the Cosmopolitan casino. Looks very busy, with lots of tables and lots of people. But most tables have only one or two gamblers. Very few full tables. I noticed this a lot in Vegas. But hey, as long as people eat the food, drink the drinks, watch the shows, pay the parking, you don't need full tables.
May 15th, 2017 at 9:46:56 AM
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Quote: RogerKintDo any Vegas properties even rate craps play anymore? Stratosphere/AZ Charlies claim table games players earn slot club points but I don't know if craps does or at what rate.
Roger,
From my understanding, yes, all casinos rate craps play. What they don't rate is the odds bet. The casino has no advantage on the odds bet (although many craps players will tell you the odds bet is the worst bet because you have to hit the number twice...but that's another issue). Because the house has no advantage on the odds bet, the house will not rate the odds. Granted, when you're on a downswing of $20,000 from the odds, it sure feels like they should comp the odds.
What this means is that in theory, mathematically a guy who buys in for $100 and then plays the hard ways is more valuable than a gambler who buys in for $100,000 and then plays $5 pass+ max odds.
In practice however, that's not true from a marketing perspective. The house may see the $100,000 gambler as a prospective bacarrat or BJ or roulette player, so they'll be more generous with the $100,000 guy than with the $100 guy.
Someone asked me why I make a big deal out of $5 pass versus $10 pass when I'm betting $500 on odds. It's only $505 versus $510...so they reason.
I once did the math on what my expected loss is based on my craps play. It's about $7.50 an hour. I play $5 pass with odds plus two come bets plus odds. That results in about 100 total bets an hour (if it's really slow, then a lot less). At 100 total bets, and based on the HE for a pass bet, the total expected loss per hour is abour $7.50 or so.
I typically play craps for like 14-16hours a day, if my fiancé or friends aren't around. So at 14 hours, were talking about losing $105 per day on average.
If the house minimum is increased to $10, the expected loss doubled to $210. Huge difference!
Don't underestimate the power of a 1.5% house edge.
Last edited by: klimate10 on May 15, 2017
May 15th, 2017 at 9:52:20 AM
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Quote: NostalgicGuyNice report. Very good insight into Louisiana casinos which I have yet to visit. By the way, do they still allow smoking? I know New Orleans no longer allows it on the gaming floor but I'm not sure about the others. That said, most smoking players I have run into in other places are respectful toward others for the most part so I would be somewhat OK with it. Would still be nice to know though. Thanks.
I kind of take no smoking for granted, so I don't pay attention to whether or not smoking is allowed. But I don't remember seeing people smoke. On this point, I'm not sure.
On that NOLA casino...I hate that casino. High minimums, stingy games and craps odds. It gets so busy that sometimes there will be a line to get in when it reaches capacity. And since it's the only game on town, they can gouge their gamblers. That's not a typical Louisianna casino, and I've been to a lot of LA casinos.
May 15th, 2017 at 9:56:14 AM
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Quote: klimate10
You're a maniac that's why your TRs are so enjoyable. Glad you're posting again. When you own a casino one day will you offer a good value or try to fleece the gambler as fast as possible?
100% risk of ruin
May 15th, 2017 at 10:06:55 AM
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Quote: RogerKintYou're a maniac that's why your TRs are so enjoyable. Glad you're posting again. When you own a casino one day will you offer a good value or try to fleece the gambler as fast as possible?
Offer a good product at a fair price, with excellent service, and people will come.
May 15th, 2017 at 10:27:41 AM
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Quote: RogerKintYou're a maniac
Talk about maniacs, my grandmother, who passed away last month, loved blackjack.
In the early 2000s, when she was in her 80s, I would take her to Vegas and give her $100. She'd plop herself down at the $1 3-2 blackjack table at Circus Circus and play for 16 hours straight, with the occasional restroom and food break. She'd quit around midnight. Then at 4 in the morning she'd tell me to drive her back to the casino so she could play blackjack.
She got to play blackjack one last time at casino Morongo in California, before she passed away.
She was a maniac.
May 16th, 2017 at 2:33:33 AM
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Shreveport sounds interesting. I'm not going to the El Dorado though!
That's something, that 20x just didn't cut it for you; there must have been something else you didn't like about Diamond Jacks?Quote: klimate1020x odds ... is stingy for Shreveport
You're fairly convincing.Quote:for pure gambling, go to Shreveport.
the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!” She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
May 16th, 2017 at 7:06:40 AM
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Klimate10,
Great TR on an area we haven't heard much about, bad form on the f-bombs. Mask those suckers, please; the board is PG. I edited your OP for that. Thanks.
Great TR on an area we haven't heard much about, bad form on the f-bombs. Mask those suckers, please; the board is PG. I edited your OP for that. Thanks.
If the House lost every hand, they wouldn't deal the game.
May 16th, 2017 at 10:01:04 AM
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Have a good evening!
Last edited by: klimate10 on May 16, 2017
May 16th, 2017 at 10:31:30 AM
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Quote: klimate10the Kicker ... played craps just like I play craps. Pass bet plus odds then come bets
Good story.
Whenever I've see whale-ish Craps bettors, it's been the opposite of this, a guy devoted to placing his own numbers plus plenty of sucker bets.
the next time Dame Fortune toys with your heart, your soul and your wallet, raise your glass and praise her thus: “Thanks for nothing, you cold-hearted, evil, damnable, nefarious, low-life, malicious monster from Hell!” She is, after all, stone deaf. ... Arnold Snyder
May 16th, 2017 at 12:25:14 PM
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Quote: klimate10I may as well finish off the review of Shreveport with my story of 'the Kicker' ... Everything in the world was ok again.
Wow! A great story and an enjoyable trip report. What wonderful "southern hospitality" Shreveport casinos show their whales. But, perhaps they could do with a bit less of the "hospital" part of hospitality, don'cher know?
May 18th, 2017 at 1:08:56 PM
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Great TR klimate. Definitely a good read and entertaining. Oh that blackjack game sounded amazing, as most of them from 'back in the day' do. Any mississippi stud, UTH, THB, or 3CP at these joints?
Playing it correctly means you've already won.
May 18th, 2017 at 4:09:11 PM
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I've never understood why a casino ignores a player making odds bets. I know there is no house edge on that bet but if he loses he goes thru his bankroll faster and he makes room for others at the table, so it should be considered in his potential value to the casino.
A tight player who doesn't lose his temper or his sense of restraint is a value to the casino. He should be welcomed because they know he will be back in the future no matter what happens this particular trip.
A tight player who doesn't lose his temper or his sense of restraint is a value to the casino. He should be welcomed because they know he will be back in the future no matter what happens this particular trip.
May 18th, 2017 at 7:40:20 PM
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Quote: RomesGreat TR klimate. Definitely a good read and entertaining. Oh that blackjack game sounded amazing, as most of them from 'back in the day' do. Any mississippi stud, UTH, THB, or 3CP at these joints?
Yes, there is Mississippi Stud, but it's not played Casino Barona style.
Yes to UTH. Yes to 3CP. What's THB?
Also, I was asked to take down the second story I put up. That's the reason for the edit.
Last edited by: klimate10 on May 18, 2017
