Horseshoe Council Bluffs

I won all this at 3card poker!

This is my review of Horseshoe Council Bluffs. I was there Mid April 2013.

A little bit about myself...

I am a gambling addict. Rather than try and fight my addiction, I have learned to control it, so that it doesn't destroy me. My gambling goals change year to year. Some years I say that I will only take one trip (which never works), some years I go through my entire bankroll, some years I play until I am bored and cease for a year. I consider myself an AP player, and to me, anything over .02% HE is unbearable, and I won't play it. I heard someone say that 0% and 1.5% is no different, and it hurts me deeply.

Anyways, there are three casinos in Iowa. I flew to Iowa because someone told me of an exploit at the craps table, in that there were very weak dealers at the tables at all three casinos (weak craps dealers are good for AP players because you shut up when mistakes favor you, and point out mistakes when they favor the house). The ameristar casino and Harrahs had crappy odds, so I didn't bother to play or look around to write a review. I headed over to the horseshoe, and lo and behold, it had 100x odds.

[redacted per request of board members]...re 3cp.

The casino is large by Iowa standards. They have one $5 BJ table that is always full, and other BJ limits from $10-25. Most tables are $10. The craps tables, of which there are four, are always $5 min, no matter how busy it got. On Saturday all four craps tables were packed, and they did not raise the limit. All the BJ tables use a shoe, which I hate because I prefer to count a CSM window count. The only hand pitch game was in the high limit room, at $50 min. The rules are BJ 3:2, dealer hits s17, split up to four hands, no resplit aces, DAS. Crappy rules, IMO. Penetration is 4.5 of six decks. Heat seemed low, as I would jump from $5-500 with zero heat. I tested the gods after a while by Wonging, in addition to my 100x spread, and there seemed to be no heat. I was only stopped from Wonging by a floor, when the stupid players complained that I was ruining the flow by sitting out. Almost everytime I would sit out, the dealer would get as strong hand because she'd pull a 4 or a five to make a pat hand, which after a while caused a salty old dude to say it happened because I was ruining the flow of cards. Eventually he complained loudly enough wherein floor told me that there was no midshoe re-entry, even though there was no such sign prohibiting mid shoe entry. Counting a shoe hurts my head because I'm mostly in vacation mode, and since they didn't have a CSM for me to do a window count (countin for the ADHD crowd, as it's known), I only played a total of 6 hours of BJ over three days, which resulted in a net win of about $600, which was slightly more than one large bet.

The horseshoe also has three Pai gow poker tables, with a fortune bonus bet. The players all were very upset that I didn't play the fortune bonus. I play Pai gow to take a break from the heart attack known as craps. The limits on Pai gow poker are $10 on two tables, and $15 on one table. They were kinda tight on the rules enforcement. I tried educating the players by telling them about the 'joker busy' strategy, and the dealer would have none of it, calling the floor over.

All the other carnival games are $5, including LIR and UTH. I did not see a Carribean stud table. They have a Mississippi stud table, but it is not like the Barona game (actually, no one has the Barona game, other than Barona).

They have all manner of slots, which seemed really tight. I played $5 worth of slots over three days, min bet, one line, 1c slot, and didn't win anything over 10c! I hate slots. After three days I cashed out my $5 initial investment for...drum roll...4cents. And yes, I cashed it out with some chips. I don't waste money, even if it's 4c. Btw, I was on slot tilt and moved to betting 5c a spin, and couldn't bet 1cx4 on some stupid machine that I was playing, so I was forced to redeem a 4c voucher.

Other than Saturday night, the casino is really slow.

Craps session started badly. Day one ended with me down $8,000. I was betting $5 with $500 odds, with two come bets. According to my math, at the pace of the game, I was losing $8 an hour in expected loss. After about 10 hours of play, they comped me a steak dinner to Jack Binions steakhouse for the amount if $80, rebating me the entire expected loss. Discretionary comps at Horseshoe are always very strong. I was also comped my room for the entire duration.

Day two I immediately hit a hot streak and within an hour, a four number fire bets hit, followed by another four number (I never bet fire). I was up $20,000 at this point and hit my day's win/loss within two hours, meaning I was up about $16,000 for the trip after yesterday's 3CP win and the craps loss. I then moved around the casino and decided to waste $100 playing carnival games. I have terrible self control when it comes to enforcing win/loss, so I jerk around on various games to stop me from going back and violating my win/loss. While a stop point makes no difference in the HE, it feels good to revel in the feel of a $20,000 win, and shorter play samples result in higher variance, and high variance is our friend on a negative EV game.

While playing carnival games, I only had a small stack of reds in front of me. The cocktail waitress then asked how I would like to pay for my drink, to which I responded, 'huh?'. She asked, cash or diamond points? I said I didn't understand, and the players explained that the drink I ordered wasn't free. Apparently the way it works is that certain drinks are free, but other alcohol drinks are not free. My drinks at the craps table were paid by the pit because I was a large bettor at craps, and the waitress just comped the drink because I had a large rack of chips to show that I was a large bettor. Small bettors, as evidenced by their stack, and nonplayers are charged for certain alcoholic drinks. I told the cocktail waitress that I was getting all my drinks free at the craps table, so she went and spoke to the floor in craps, and all my drinks were comped.

I finished my drink and then ordered another drink, and then discovered another Iowa law. The cocktail waitress said I had to wait 20 minutes to order a second drink. According to state law, casinos can only serve one drink at a time, and twenty minutes apart. I told her to go talk to the supervisor in craps, and state law went out the window. I got my drink of woodford reserve, blue moon, and pineapple juice on side, and I got that combo all night long. After about 10 rounds of this combo I was drunk on my ass, but had my money safely locked away except for the $100 that i was dicking away.

Around 10pm I asked for a comp, and I was told about another state law. The floor said that they were only allowed to issue one comp a day, and I had already gone to Binions Steakhouse earlier for dinner (the previous day, I was given three comps, one for the steakhouse, and one for the snack bar, and one room comp for three days). I didn't protest and didnt bring up the previous day's comps because I didn't stir the pot, for various reasons.

Around 4am, I had $20 left of the $100, and I saw that black had hit 9 times in a row on the roulette wheel. The Wizard of odds website says that it can't possibly come up a tenth time in a row, so I put my entire fortune of $20 on red, and black hit for the tenth in a row. I then went to bed.

I looked but did not find my favorite 3cp dealer. Btw, what's up with 3cp players throwing a hissy fit because I don't bet the pair plus?

Day three, final day. Craps started off hot, up about $6000, but quickly lost it all back to point, point, point, point, seven! At this point, the Captain and Frank Scoblete came up to the table and rolled 147 times. I ended day three up $2,003,000 at craps for the day, but then put $2,000,000 on black on roulette, and red came up. Net win for the day was $3000. And yes, it was confirmed, only one comp per day, and I went back to the Jack Binions Steakhouse.

Day three was rather uneventful, however, it was an enjoyable craps day, all day long.

A rather fun trip, and I highly recommend the Horseshoe. Players seemed to be on the blue collar side, and dealers were friendly, but you could tell they were unhappy, probably due to poor pay, as I saw very few players tip.

A few more odds and ends...they allow put bets at craps, and the dealers constantly kept asking me if I wanted a put bet, even though I said that I hate put bets (for example, I go to bathroom, come back, dealer, 'hey, point is 8, wanna put a pass bet up with your odds?').

The locals kept asking me what the heck I was doing in Iowa. Apparently, there is nothing to do in Iowa.

How do I post the pic?

Great report but TMI on the 3CP game, edit if possible!

Welcome back klimate10, it's been roughly a year and a month since you last posted. I think you are the only poster who ever admitted gambling addiction and stuck around and kept posting. btw I don't think we ever heard how the 100x odds gambit of yours of about a year ago in Vegas went?

Quote:

Around 4am, I had $20 left of the $100, and I saw that black had hit 9 times in a row on the roulette wheel. The Wizard of odds website says that it can't possibly come up a tenth time in a row, so I put my entire fortune of $20 on red, and black hit for the tenth in a row.

I love your sense of humor. Hopefully the WoO sees this.

Quote:

I looked but did not find my favorite 3cp dealer. Btw, what's up with 3cp players throwing a hissy fit because I don't bet the pair plus?

Agree, this is almost as irritating as the "you mess up the flow" types. In any similar situation I do 2 things, say "but you have to play it by hunches or you get killed" suggesting I sometimes play it [i might place my one and only min bet then], and when something would have paid big I say real loud "damn it, I was going to bet it that time too!". Edit: actually with the right paytable the pair plus is worth considering. I still havent sat down to play this game even though there is a chance to get the right dealer. If the dealer is sharp I am thinking of just betting the pair plus for a few hands and not bet the main game. [can you even do that?] I definitely don't like the idea of making *both* bets.

Quote:

At this point, the Captain and Frank Scoblete came up to the table

Love it!

Quote: DeMango

Great report but TMI on the 3CP game, edit if possible!

TMI because why? A) dont tip off the casino. B)dont tip off AP's. C) you don't like 3cp. D)both A&B

Quote: klimate10

How do I post the pic?

You need to post your photo on a photo-sharing service like Picassa, photobucket, or even Facebook, and then link to the photo through a img link on the post.

Quote: AxelWolf

TMI because why? A) dont tip off the casino. B)dont tip off AP's. C) you don't like 3cp. D)both A&B

yup, d!!

I have the pic on photobucket and I've followed the instruction on how to post the image, but it doesn't show.

As to riviera 1000x odds,I lost my entire bankroll for the year in about two days.

As to the AP on 3cp, I was debating on whether to mention it, and I decided to put it up bc I see myself never going back to Council Bluffs. But, ok, I will take out the part on 3cp.

Quote: klimate10

I have the pic on photobucket and I've followed the instruction on how to post the image, but it doesn't show.

As to riviera 1000x odds,I lost my entire bankroll for the year in about two days.

As to the AP on 3cp, I was debating on whether to mention it, and I decided to put it up bc I see myself never going back to Council Bluffs. But, ok, I will take out the part on 3cp.

Here's the location of a pic that I just successfully posted:
http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee403/rdweber/New%20Chips/ON%20New/CasinoNiagara2-ON_zps265f1b5a.jpg
And here's the info from your attempted picture in this thread:
http://s1063.photobucket.com/user/klimate10/media/20130421_172650.jpg.html

I think you may have used the wrong link from Photobucket. There are several different ones available, depending on how/where you want to post the image. To post the picture here, use the link that's listed under "Direct" on Photobucket.

edit: Here's that "direct" link for your picture: http://i1063.photobucket.com/albums/t515/klimate10/20130421_172650.jpg

Quote: AxelWolf

TMI because why? A) dont tip off the casino. B)dont tip off AP's. C) you don't like 3cp. D)both A&B

I'm betting "A"

Thanks for the instructions on how to post pics.

Btw, please do not think that I am a winning player. I am a losing player. As a continually recovering gambling addict, I will always be the first to admit my losses. I often have little wins, little wins, little wins, then bam(!) my entire bankroll of 100,000 is gone in one session (happens about 2 out of five years, and 3/5 years I'll just stop bc I have to get back to work). I do not want other gambling addicts or young readers to fall into the trap that led me to addiction. I own a good business, and 100,000 bankroll annually is nothing to me, but I hear many stories of gambling addiction ruining lives, and at one point, it came close to ruining my life.

I am a losing player, but I go by the mantra of discountgambling, 'he gambles too much, for too little', and using AP usually helps extend my gambling, until I realize that I have to get back to work.

Quote: klimate10

I am a losing player.

It's sort of fascinating to follow this, thanks for the honesty.

Perhaps it can help you deal with addiction to post "the truth and nothing but the truth"

Quote: klimate10

He lives! I was convinced you had been beaten to death by your friends after the undergound BJ debacle...

Nice trip report. Sometimes I wish i lived in the midwest...

Midwest gambling is actually quite awesome. We don't have the pizzazz of Vegas, but the odds are wayyyyyy better. The comps are also wayyyyy better and more generous. And the drink service is a million times better than Vegas. Vegas can keep their Tower, Statue of Liberty, Volcanos, $17 million buffet, tigers, lions, dancers, and neon lights. We prefer our strippers with one tooth, day old bacon at the buffet, 100x odds, free 4/10, zero HE field bets, and minimal heat at any of the games.

The downside to midwest gambling seems to be for slot players, based on my limited observation. It seems that a HE of 10% seems normal at midwest casinos, as it seems my friend every year has loses of 10% of his total action in slots; he's a slot degenerate. I also have never ever seen full pay dueces wild, even though I've looked.

For the longest time, about five to seven years ago, Binions in Bossier City, LA had the only positive expectation BJ game in the US. Then Harrahs took over Binions Horseshoe and they immediately removed the game. It was single deck, deal two rounds, Dealer stands on all 17, Resplit Aces, DAS, and double on any two cards. Basic strat yielded a player advantage. I would even have the balls to wong out the second round if the count on the first deal was bad. Also, there was zero heat for a 1-5 spread ($25 min), and the game was already +EV. According to my estimate, with a simple count, and wonging, the player had a 1.5% edge. And it was stupidly easy to count because the single deck required no running count, and you could get ADHD and not have to wait 10 hours for the deck to finish. It was a sweet game! Goddamn Harrahs!!!!!!

Do they have all the games in Council Bluffs? Like LIR, UTH, 4CP, PGP, MS Stud, etc? I was thinking about making the trip, but I didn't know if all the table games were allowed or if they had dumb rules like card craps or dice roulette.

At Horsehoe CB, they have LIR, UTH, Mississippi Stud, and Pai Gow poker. I did not see Pai Gow tiles, and I did not see 4cp. They do have 3cp. MS is played face down, and they go ape shit crazy if you try to collude. Same goes for Pai gow if you try to use the 'Joker Busy' strategy.

The only game I did not see at the other casinos, of which there is Ameristar and Harrahs, is 4cp. I am not a fan of carny games, so I did not observe closely.

Oh wait...they had Spanish 21 at CB.

I think the trip is nice to make if you are going to be in Iowa or Omaha, NE or near those places, but it defnitely is not worth the trip. The casino is smallish, slightly smaller than the Harrahs in Vegas. The really good thing about the casino is that they cater to low rollers and treat low rollers well. The craps never goes up in limit, as it is always $5, and there is always one $5 BJ table. Pai Gow poker is $10 a hand, but LIR, UTH, and other carny games are $5. Be warned that they are stingy on the drinks, as they charge for certain drinks (I'm still unsure of what they charge and what they don't charge, as sometimes the waitress would try to charge me, until I told them to talk to the craps supervisor).

I'm on a magic mystery tour of all the casinos in the US that have 100x odds or super duper promotions (like free buys or triple/triple field), but its safe to say that, in my lifetime, I will never go back to Horseshoe Council Bluffs. But I did have a good time, and I can say that I went to Iowa. Iowa has a population of four people.

BTW, card craps is awesome. It's not a dumb game.