Graton Casino May 2024
On this Wednesday night, they also had 6-12 limit, 1-3 no-limit, and 3-5 no-limit. Signage indicated they have Omaha games and jackpots.
The drop is $5 plus $2 for the jackpots. The host said the bad beat jackpot is quad-10s beaten, but chatter at the table indicated they also have high hand bonuses.
While I was waiting, I checked a nearby Game King. At quarters and half dollars, Bonus Poker was 6-5. At $1 and $2, it was 7-5. For blackjack at both $1 and $2, the rules did not mention anything about splitting or double downs, so I assume they're set at the lowest payback pct.
The poker game was friendly, with occasional raising. At one point, five people at the table changed to different seats within the table and everyone was happy. The dealers were friendly and competent. I slowly drained to be down $100, but relatively quickly won three good pots and finished ahead $23.
I have always had a bad feeling about Graton since its opening because they had the worst VP odds for a major casino and I don't think that's changed. Now they're bigger and fancier, and they also have a luxury hotel. So it's nice in there, but the place still rubs me the wrong way.
First, I went to use my free play on a slot machine, and discovered after I started playing it that it was a Class II. They do have Class III machines there, but they don't go out of their way to point out which ones are which; you have to look for a small video small above the reels where, in fine print, it mentions that the result is based on a bingo game.
I noticed that VP tended to have the same payouts on the nickel machines as they did on the dollar ones. Jacks or Better was 7/5, and I think DDB was 9/5/4.
The big surprise, to me anyway, was in blackjack - not only was every game in the open H17 (I didn't check the high limit area), but single-deck and double-deck were 6-5. Now I know why Cache Creek stresses "all of our games are 3-2, S17" in its advertising.
Quote: ThatDonGuyWent there on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend. A few things surprised me.
First, I went to use my free play on a slot machine, and discovered after I started playing it that it was a Class II. They do have Class III machines there, but they don't go out of their way to point out which ones are which; you have to look for a small video small above the reels where, in fine print, it mentions that the result is based on a bingo game.
I noticed that VP tended to have the same payouts on the nickel machines as they did on the dollar ones. Jacks or Better was 7/5, and I think DDB was 9/5/4.
The big surprise, to me anyway, was in blackjack - not only was every game in the open H17 (I didn't check the high limit area), but single-deck and double-deck were 6-5. Now I know why Cache Creek stresses "all of our games are 3-2, S17" in its advertising.
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Many of the tribal casinos are limited on the number of Class III games they are allowed to have but can put as many Class II as they like.
Another thing we discovered was they don't allow people under 21 anywhere on the property anymore. So despite my son being 18, we had to find a room elsewhere. We're used to staying with his grandma at Thunder Valley and enjoying pool time.
