PartialInfo
PartialInfo
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March 10th, 2015 at 7:15:38 AM permalink
Are there any Interblock Craps or Roulette machines left at Horseshoe?
100xOdds
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March 10th, 2015 at 7:37:30 AM permalink
Quote: PartialInfo

Are there any Interblock Craps or Roulette machines left at Horseshoe?



yes, both are still there.
e-Roulette is on the 1st floor by the escalator.
e-Craps is on the 2nd floor by the poker room, on the other side of the bar.

and the e-Craps machine also allows you to play e-Bacarat and e-Blackjack!

I have no idea where the physical e-Bacarat and e-Blackjack machines are located tho.
Any help here?
Craps is paradise (Pair of dice). Lets hear it for the SpeedCount Mathletes :)
Sandybestdog
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March 10th, 2015 at 2:16:03 PM permalink
Quote: 100xOdds

yes, both are still there.
e-Roulette is on the 1st floor by the escalator.
e-Craps is on the 2nd floor by the poker room, on the other side of the bar.

and the e-Craps machine also allows you to play e-Bacarat and e-Blackjack!

I have no idea where the physical e-Bacarat and e-Blackjack machines are located tho.
Any help here?


The roulette on the top floor is linked to the results of the physical machine downstairs. I assume that the blackjack and baccarat games are just computer generated random numbers. I have played the physical baccarat machine at Perryville. One time I went there and it was closed off and a guy had the whole machine open trying to fix it. When it opened back up, I noticed that the physical machine wasn't moving but the display would give cards. I asked an attendant how it was working. He said it was a random number generator. When Horseshoe first opened, the blackjack was $2, stand 17 and 3:2. Now it's $5 and $10 on the weekend, hit 17 and 6:5. Tempting but I'll pass.

It's a shame these machines are going away because the state considers them slot machines. When you break down what you can do at a casino it pretty much falls into slots, video poker and table games. Slots are boring and have the worst house edge. Pretty much all video poker in MD, WV, PA and DE has terrible paytables. Table games are the funnest to play and give you the best chance at winning. The problem is the table minimums and variance. I was playing Ultimate Texas Hold'em a few weeks ago. I played $5 on the ante and blind, no side bets. Just playing basic strategy I went straight downhill $400. That means you have to have a huge bankroll to withstand the swings. Sometimes people don't want to risk that much. So those automated machines let you play st lower stakes and also at your own pace. They are plentiful in Delaware and Pennsylvania.
vendman1
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March 11th, 2015 at 9:04:16 AM permalink
Quote: Sandybestdog

The roulette on the top floor is linked to the results of the physical machine downstairs. I assume that the blackjack and baccarat games are just computer generated random numbers. I have played the physical baccarat machine at Perryville. One time I went there and it was closed off and a guy had the whole machine open trying to fix it. When it opened back up, I noticed that the physical machine wasn't moving but the display would give cards. I asked an attendant how it was working. He said it was a random number generator. When Horseshoe first opened, the blackjack was $2, stand 17 and 3:2. Now it's $5 and $10 on the weekend, hit 17 and 6:5. Tempting but I'll pass.

It's a shame these machines are going away because the state considers them slot machines. When you break down what you can do at a casino it pretty much falls into slots, video poker and table games. Slots are boring and have the worst house edge. Pretty much all video poker in MD, WV, PA and DE has terrible paytables. Table games are the funnest to play and give you the best chance at winning. The problem is the table minimums and variance. I was playing Ultimate Texas Hold'em a few weeks ago. I played $5 on the ante and blind, no side bets. Just playing basic strategy I went straight downhill $400. That means you have to have a huge bankroll to withstand the swings. Sometimes people don't want to risk that much. So those automated machines let you play st lower stakes and also at your own pace. They are plentiful in Delaware and Pennsylvania.



I agree with everything you just said here. I often play bj for fairly large stakes. But sometimes I might go with the wife or a buddy and not be in the mood for a serious BJ session. Maybe I just want to throw $100 in a machine and play $5 a hand. I would do that if the game in the machine were a decent game. But as you pointed out they are now H17 and pay 6:5. I've even seen a few (though not at Horseshoe) that pay even money on BJ!!! Awful.

It would seem to me that the house would have an incentive to make these machines BJ trainers in a sense. Set them at $2 or $3 during the day and $5 on weekends and let people learn the game for low stakes. That might turn them into real table game players eventually. I would think they would still generate pretty good profits and would give low limit players something to do besides waste money on slots. On the other hand, as a casino operator I guess I want them wasting money on slots. But as they say you can milk a cow every day. But you only get steak once. If I was running the casino I'd concentrate on building my customer base, the profits would take care of themselves.
wezvidz
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March 12th, 2015 at 6:33:40 PM permalink
Going on a chip collecting trip from Philly>Pittsburgh>Buffalo in June. I fly into PHL on a Friday afternoon, which of these area casinos is best to stay at in your opinion for craps/VP? I'm diamond with TR, does Horseshoe have a hotel?
vendman1
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March 13th, 2015 at 5:02:55 AM permalink
Quote: wezvidz

Going on a chip collecting trip from Philly>Pittsburgh>Buffalo in June. I fly into PHL on a Friday afternoon, which of these area casinos is best to stay at in your opinion for craps/VP? I'm diamond with TR, does Horseshoe have a hotel?



None of the MD casinos have hotels attached with the exception of Rocky Gap in the far western part of the state. There is a very basic holiday inn next to horseshoe, not affiliated with the casino in any way, but it is a very average hotel. If you are planning to spend the night in Baltimore check out one of the downtown inner harbor hotels. Most are very nice. There is also a Marriott near Camden Yards (the orioles stadium) that I know runs a shuttle to the casino which is only maybe 1/2 mile from there. You could walk it but I wouldn't. It's not a pedestrian friendly street. Either way the Horseshoe has a huge parking garage and ample cab service. MD live is in a mall parking lot. There are half a dozen hotels (all mid level) at the Arundel Mills complex, at least some run a shuttle to the casino/mall. Hollywood Perryville in Cecil County is right off I-95(exit 93). If you are just chip collecting you could be in and out of there in literally 10 minutes. There are a couple roadside motels nearby, with a scenic view of the interstate. I wouldn't recommend staying there unless your idea of a gourmet meal is Bob Evans.
wezvidz
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March 14th, 2015 at 4:48:27 PM permalink
Thanks great info
MprtUSA516
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March 16th, 2015 at 6:20:34 PM permalink
Visited Horseshoe Baltimore for the first time this weekend. Played the $10 BJ downstairs. Hated the automatic shuffle of course
Dealers were slow and made some mistakes but overall were friendly. One dealer knocked over the security box sending chips all over the table. Same dealer forgot to deal himself a hole card on one occasion. Another dealer was questioning people hitting on 16 vs. a dealer 10. A pit boss didn't know the rules after a fresh dealer didn't burn their first card and someone objected - delaying play for about 10 minutes. Won $180 with four hours of play, and a friendly pit boss comped me $25 for food credits, so in the end, I was happy.

Drink service was fairly quick, but not having comped alcohol in Maryland is a big drawback. I will still visit Horseshoe Baltimore, but I'd much rather go and spend a night or two in AC and have free drinks, shoe games, and a better crowd.
vendman1
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March 17th, 2015 at 5:38:56 AM permalink
Quote: MprtUSA516

Visited Horseshoe Baltimore for the first time this weekend. Played the $10 BJ downstairs. Hated the automatic shuffle of course
Dealers were slow and made some mistakes but overall were friendly. One dealer knocked over the security box sending chips all over the table. Same dealer forgot to deal himself a hole card on one occasion. Another dealer was questioning people hitting on 16 vs. a dealer 10. A pit boss didn't know the rules after a fresh dealer didn't burn their first card and someone objected - delaying play for about 10 minutes. Won $180 with four hours of play, and a friendly pit boss comped me $25 for food credits, so in the end, I was happy.

Drink service was fairly quick, but not having comped alcohol in Maryland is a big drawback. I will still visit Horseshoe Baltimore, but I'd much rather go and spend a night or two in AC and have free drinks, shoe games, and a better crowd.



Agreed.. I live 25 or 20 min. from Horseshoe Baltimore. It's a very nice facility and most of the staff is ex-AC people. So they mostly know what they are doing. They have great restaurants and bars. Live music often, and the place is busy without being over crowded. I'd still rather go to AC. For me gambling is a get away from work/stress. It's a way to have fun and maybe turn a profit if you are a smart/lucky gambler. I like having a hotel to sleep in and the free drinks flowing.

For the record the upstairs BJ tables at Horseshoe almost all have shoe games. At least the $25 tables (which is what I play usually) do. Some of the $15 tables up their might have CSM's. But I know they've pulled some of them cause people complained. The $10 pit downstairs is reeking with ploppies and bad dealers. I think the break in people get relegated down there.

Additionally the side bet action at Horseshoe is the busiest I've ever seen. Many of the tables there have the "in-between" side bet, and the 21+3 side bet that pays when you make a flush, straight etc. On the layout at the same time. Can really slow the game down. The minimum on the side bets is $5 too. I've seen people play greens for the main action and $10 each on the sides. Every freakin hand, they seem to only play the main game for the sidebets. I've tried to smarten up one or two that seemed nice. But mostly they don't want to hear it. Also I remember the motto "never smarten up a chump" so I quit trying. Needless to say they are usually not at the table long.
MprtUSA516
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March 17th, 2015 at 4:44:34 PM permalink
Quote: vendman1

Agreed.. I live 25 or 20 min. from Horseshoe Baltimore. It's a very nice facility and most of the staff is ex-AC people. So they mostly know what they are doing. They have great restaurants and bars. Live music often, and the place is busy without being over crowded. I'd still rather go to AC. For me gambling is a get away from work/stress. It's a way to have fun and maybe turn a profit if you are a smart/lucky gambler. I like having a hotel to sleep in and the free drinks flowing.

For the record the upstairs BJ tables at Horseshoe almost all have shoe games. At least the $25 tables (which is what I play usually) do. Some of the $15 tables up their might have CSM's. But I know they've pulled some of them cause people complained. The $10 pit downstairs is reeking with ploppies and bad dealers. I think the break in people get relegated down there.

Additionally the side bet action at Horseshoe is the busiest I've ever seen. Many of the tables there have the "in-between" side bet, and the 21+3 side bet that pays when you make a flush, straight etc. On the layout at the same time. Can really slow the game down. The minimum on the side bets is $5 too. I've seen people play greens for the main action and $10 each on the sides. Every freakin hand, they seem to only play the main game for the sidebets. I've tried to smarten up one or two that seemed nice. But mostly they don't want to hear it. Also I remember the motto "never smarten up a chump" so I quit trying. Needless to say they are usually not at the table long.



I'm with you. I get my money's worth with the free drinks in AC believe me, and with the comped rooms, even if I lose, I feel like I'm getting a good value for the entertainment of it. I also like the late night hours of playing from 1-4am or sometimes even later and knowing you have a bed to collapse into right upstairs. And even with hard times hitting AC, I still love the atmosphere. Something was lacking in Horseshoe.

Side bets were busy and I was surprised that they were $5 minimums. Dealers weren't always on top of it either and it did slow the game down. Wish they would leave it to one side bet if they feel the need to put it there at all. The felt looks like a circus with all that noise on it.
vendman1
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March 31st, 2015 at 8:45:02 AM permalink
Tried to use an ATM at Horseshoe the other day. They all had withdraw limits of $240. WTF. I've never seen such a low limit before. Why would a casino want you to take out less money. Maybe for the ATM fee's? So you hit the machine more than once? Weird.

For the record I pretty much never use casino atm's. I just bring my bankroll with me. But I was stopping in just to redeem some matchplay, and didn't have much cash on me. I'm really not going to be using their atm now.

Just wanted to let you guys know. Get your cash BEFORE you go down there.
zoobrew
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March 31st, 2015 at 9:00:58 AM permalink
ATMs at most non-banking locations are rental agreements, just like Guy Fiere's, and as long they pay their rent, the casino doesn't really care how they go about making money.
vendman1
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March 31st, 2015 at 3:15:55 PM permalink
Well I found out today that the reason they limit withdraws to $240 is the state of MD in their infinite wisdom limits casino ATM transactions to $250. So since the machines only dispense $20. The limit is effectively $240. These are the same chuckleheads that won't let the casino give away free drinks. Good thing the politicians are there to protect us. I sleep better at night.
ahiromu
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March 31st, 2015 at 4:15:26 PM permalink
Typical Maryland, probably the same people that taxed rain.
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BlueEagle
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September 25th, 2015 at 4:23:51 PM permalink
I'm in Baltimore for a few days so I popped into Horseshoe to check it out around 2:30 PM on Friday. The open layout makes the casino look big because it's like a warehouse full of gaming machines & tables on both the main floor and lower floor.

6 of the 12 craps tables were open; 1 had $15 minimum, 5 had $25 minimum. All have $5,000 max and 100x odds, $10,000 max. The field pays double for both 2 & 12 instead of triple for one or the other.

It looked like all slot machines with progressive jackpots had a sticker posted on them saying the progressive jackpot was going away in 30 days, dated 8-1-2015.

There were a few guys at the entrance of the parking deck, standing next to a sign saying something like "Horseshoe hurts their workers". They were handing out flyers that claim Horseshoe pays maintenance workers $9 an hour which requires the workers to get tax-funded public assistance. People are urged to go to a casino that pays fair wages.
100xOdds
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September 26th, 2015 at 8:31:13 AM permalink
Quote: BlueEagle

I'm in Baltimore for a few days so I popped into Horseshoe to check it out around 2:30 PM on Friday. The open layout makes the casino look big because it's like a warehouse full of gaming machines & tables on both the main floor and lower floor.

6 of the 12 craps tables were open; 1 had $15 minimum, 5 had $25 minimum. All have $5,000 max and 100x odds, $10,000 max. The field pays double for both 2 & 12 instead of triple for one or the other.

It looked like all slot machines with progressive jackpots had a sticker posted on them saying the progressive jackpot was going away in 30 days, dated 8-1-2015.

There were a few guys at the entrance of the parking deck, standing next to a sign saying something like "Horseshoe hurts their workers". They were handing out flyers that claim Horseshoe pays maintenance workers $9 an hour which requires the workers to get tax-funded public assistance. People are urged to go to a casino that pays fair wages.



there's a e-craps machine on the 2nd fl by the poker room that pays triple for the 12. I think it's 3/4/5x odds.

as for the maintenance workers, they don't have to work there. they don't like their wages, go find work somewhere else.
Craps is paradise (Pair of dice). Lets hear it for the SpeedCount Mathletes :)
Sandybestdog
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September 26th, 2015 at 11:16:36 AM permalink
Quote: BlueEagle

There were a few guys at the entrance of the parking deck, standing next to a sign saying something like "Horseshoe hurts their workers". They were handing out flyers that claim Horseshoe pays maintenance workers $9 an hour which requires the workers to get tax-funded public assistance. People are urged to go to a casino that pays fair wages.

I was there around the same time but didn't see any protesters but it wouldn't surprise me. I'm not sure about maintenance workers. Dealers don't even get minimum wage, I think maybe $2 less. One dual rate told me he gets $27 an hour when managing. I know that they give decent benefits. I talked to one dealer and I said that I saw him at another casino and he said they have no problem with them working at both and that he drives 40 miles there because he gets 40 hours a week and health insurance. Not to get into tipping discussion but I do think it's rediculous that the casino offers a game with a built in house edge and then expects you to take care of paying their dealer. Obviously I still tip though.
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