Cherokee Casino Feb 21 - 22

RC and the missus will be haunting Cherokee the weekend of Feb 20-21.

If anyone would like to meet up, please post here or PM.

The last 2 years, every time I have gone to Cherokee, the rules for craps have gotten worse.
It used to be 10x and Buy 4 5 9 10, vig on win only.
Then it was Buy 4 and 10 on win only.
Last trip it was all Buy vigs up front.

I used to be afraid they would get rid of the 10x, but the reality is I'm not taking enough stake to take advantage of 10x anymore, unless I happen to stumble into a $5 game at 4:00 AM some night.

Time to recheck my BJ basic strategy.

Quote: RaleighCraps

... unless I happen to stumble into a $5 game at 4:00 AM some night.

They had $5 tables (typically crowded) when I played on a Wednesday afternoon in October and on a Thursday afternoon in January. Nothing lower than $10 on a Friday afternoon in December. Maybe you need to consider coming on weekdays.

I wish we could make it but poor sucks. Good luck on your trip.

Quote: Doc

They had $5 tables (typically crowded) when I played on a Wednesday afternoon in October and on a Thursday afternoon in January. Nothing lower than $10 on a Friday afternoon in December. Maybe you need to consider coming on weekdays.

Wife does not think using vacation days in the middle of the week is a good use of time off. ;-)

Quote: RaleighCraps

...using vacation days in the middle of the week....

One of my favorite expressions over the past decade:

Unemployment can be really nice, as long as you can afford it.

I'm planning to come although right now the wife is out of town for a couple of days, and I'd prefer to check in with her when she gets back, rather than discussing in on the phone*

Is it confirmed then that 10x is still the deal for sure? Do they ever go to $15 min or more?

*I don't "ask permission" but it's possible we discussed something I forgot about that would be a conflict; I don't think so though and she may come too

I have seen them at $25 on one table sometimes when they are really crowded.

Also see $5 at slow times.

$10 seems to be the norm - I dont remember ever seeing $15

They have quite a few craps tables at Cherokee. I have seen tables minimums of $5, $10, $15, and $25, but not all at the same time. I don't think I have ever seen a time that there was not a $10 table open, and I don't think I have ever seen a $5 table that was not crowded.

We have a conflict on that Saturday, but at least for now, my wife and I plan to come up on Sunday 2/22, arriving about noon. We will stay that night if I can arrange a room, but things seem to be a bit tight then -- comp rooms offered for Monday night but "sold out" on Sunday night. I think that's fairly typical for the weekend there, which is why we go more often mid-week, and I'm not the kind of player who has a junket operator ready to go to bat for me. If we don't get a room, we will just drive home after dinner.

Will there be enough WoV attendees that this gathering should have a name?    ;-)

Quote: Doc

If we don't get a room, we will just drive home after dinner.

Using google maps I notice there are a bunch of hotels nearby. Are they all booked up too, or is google misleading me, or what?

Quote: Doc

Will there be enough WoV attendees that this gathering should have a name? ;-)

WoV Mid-Atlantic?

Yes, there are a pretty fair number of hotels in the area -- some are fine, and some are dumps. We have stayed at four places other than the casino hotel, two of which I would be willing to try again. I have not yet checked on off-site availability.

As far as naming the gathering, I'd skip that if there are only two or three of us. If there were a sizable group, I would suggest something like "WoV Carolina Convention". Any chance we could draw rdw4potus into this? Isn't he based in South Carolina now?

Quote: Doc

Any chance we could draw rdw4potus into this? Isn't he based in South Carolina now?

He apparently has not visited the forum today, but even if he had, a thread can be missed [I had been PM'd but missed coming upon this thread, had to search for it]

R-craps may have PM'd him?

I only PM'd 2 people, and both of you have outed yourselves,so now I can reveal that info. Rules rules rules. hehe.
We have stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, which is about an easy 3 block walk from the casino. Straight shot, and you can see the destination from your leaving point. I walked it alone at 3:00 AM, and our wives have done it at 11:00 PM. No transients hanging around to cause issues. I think the HIE was $129, or something close to that.

The casino also put us up at the Smoky Mountain Inn and Suites (344 Seven Clans Lane address) one time. It is about 4 miles down the road. Not really convenient, but it was a nice enough place. They had an outdoor (but covered pool) and a hot tub that might be open year round. That was where the casino wanted to put me this trip, until my junket agent intervened and got me a room at the casino for the weekend.
Since the casino covered the cost, I didn't really look too closely, but it seems like it was a bit pricier than I would have paid myself.

Cherokee seems to block A LOT of rooms for comp'd gamblers on the weekends. Even when I was Diamond, I could not book a weekend room at Cherokee, but if I went through my junket agent, she always gets me a room. I suspect she is going through a host, who is making the call based on my ADT, versus the desk which is just looking at my TR offers.
Come Sunday afternoon, when they have no gamblers coming in to take the rooms, I bet they will have rooms available for your use. Don't know what the cost will be, but I bet they have rooms. I have to believe the way they are managing the rooms is costing them some play from lower tier players like us, who want to go, but only want to stay on site.


I started this thread as an open invitation, but also realize that Cherokee is central to almost no one on this site. I think Doc, at 3 hours, may be the closest person. And picking it on a Sunday afternoon probably also limits participation from those with a Monday J O B, but it was needed to be able to get Doc and OG as probable attendees..... If anyone else can make it, that would be great.

Affirming what Doc said, when I was last there on a weekend in Aug. 2014, they had 11 craps tables,and they are not shy about opening them all. They will have at least one $10 table, and it will be packed. I have played at $15, so I know they also run that amount. And they will have at least 2 $25 tables going. I have never seen anything higher than that. Most of the time, we leave early Sunday, so I can't say for sure what they will do on a Sunday afternoon. There is a big concert Saturday night (Heart), so there will likely be a bigger crowd late Saturday night, and then lots of people leaving on Sunday. I am hoping that will lead to lighter volumes in the games area on Sunday, which will at least get us together on a $10 table.

It has been a couple of years (and about 20 craps sessions) since I have had a 30+ minute roll. This is the longest time I have gone without a big roll, so I am hoping I am overdue for one. In fact, I am sure of it ;-)

The only potential fly I see is weather. We are mid Feb. and it is in the mountains. Any storms and colder weather around that time could have snow, and the roads around there I bet get treacherous. They are sharp turned mountain roads, not what you want to be driving on in 3 inches of fresh white junk (After 40 years in NE PA, I can't say that 4 letter word anymore).

Quote: Doc

Yes, there are a pretty fair number of hotels in the area -- some are fine, and some are dumps. We have stayed at four places other than the casino hotel, two of which I would be willing to try again. I have not yet checked on off-site availability.

As far as naming the gathering, I'd skip that if there are only two or three of us. If there were a sizable group, I would suggest something like "WoV Carolina Convention". Any chance we could draw rdw4potus into this? Isn't he based in South Carolina now?

I think I can make it. The drive is about 3 hours each way, so I'd probably spend the night either friday or saturday. Looks like that's not an option at the casino itself - where should I be looking in the area to avoid bad properties?

Quote: rdw4potus

I think I can make it. The drive is about 3 hours each way, so I'd probably spend the night either friday or saturday. Looks like that's not an option at the casino itself - where should I be looking in the area to avoid bad properties?

The 2 I have stayed at are
Holiday Inn Express very close to the casino, and the Smoky Mountain Inn and Suites (344 Seven Clans Lane).
It has been suggested to me to avoid the Great Smoky Mountain Inn, but I have no personal experience.
There is a Days Inn directly across from the casino, but I don't know how nice, or bad, it is.

I think there might be a Fairfield Suites right there as well, but not sure.

It would be awesome if you could join us on Sunday.

Quote: rdw4potus

I think I can make it. The drive is about 3 hours each way, so I'd probably spend the night either friday or saturday.

Excellent! Why not just blow off the job and spend Sunday night, too?    ;-)

Quote: rdw4potus

Looks like that's not an option at the casino itself - where should I be looking in the area to avoid bad properties?

I should correct or at least clarify my earlier post about motels in the area. There are a few motels very close to the casino; I have never stayed in them, but they certainly look like places I wouldn't want to stay. Same for several that are 2 to 4 miles away.

I couldn't remember the name of the motel where we stayed the first time we went to the casino back in 2006, but I thought it had closed. I checked my records and reminded myself that we had stayed at the Holiday Inn Express that RaleighCraps mentioned. It was one that I was thinking I wouldn't stay in again, but only because I thought it was closed. It was fine when we were there, and it's very close to the casino. I was remembering it as being another 1/4 mile down the road.

Harrah's has previously put us up at two off-site motels. One was the Cherokee Lodge, and we will not be going back there. Ever. The other was the Chestnut Tree Inn, which was OK and which we would be willing to try again. We have also stayed at the Comfort Suites, which is fine except that Harrah's hasn't ever picked up the bill for us there. All three of those motels are 2 to 3 miles from the casino.

We have a Harrah's Cherokee mailer with a promo code for a "special casino rate at an area hotel", supposedly good Sundays through Thursdays 2/1 through 3/14. I just called to try for a room for Sunday 2/22 under that promo code, and they said that they haven't purchased any rooms at area hotels for that night. I asked, and he confirmed that their main hotel is sold out for that night but that they haven't made any arrangements for rooms at area hotels. I suppose that it could be that their business analysts really believe that the number of rooms they have on site (and have completely sold out) is the exact, optimal number that they should have in inventory, and that any more wouldn't be worth setting up. On the other hand, I suspect that "we don't have any rooms available" really means "we don't have any for you" and makes it clear just where this low roller stands with Caesars.

Just booked a room for that Sunday night at that Comfort Suites, cancelable until 4 p.m. in case Harrah's decides to subsidize my stay somewhere else. I could have gotten the room a little cheaper than what I booked it for if I paid up front, but with no opportunity to cancel. Hey!, this trip is about gambling just a little, isn't it?

Quote: Doc

I just called to try for a room for Sunday 2/22 under that promo code, and they said that they haven't purchased any rooms at area hotels for that night. I asked, and he confirmed that their main hotel is sold out for that night but that they haven't made any arrangements for rooms at area hotels. I suppose that it could be that their business analysts really believe that the number of rooms they have on site (and have completely sold out) is the exact, optimal number that they should have in inventory, and that any more wouldn't be worth setting up. On the other hand, I suspect that "we don't have any rooms available" really means "we don't have any for you" and makes it clear just where this low roller stands with Caesars.

Don't take it so personally Doc. ;-)

IMHO, Harrah's has a broken housing model at Cherokee. Like I said before, even when I was Diamond, and could get free rooms at any time, I still was never able to book Cherokee on a weekend without help from my junket agent. I would call the casino and be told no rooms were available. I would then call my agent, and she would call me back and confirm my room was reserved.
So I KNOW they are holding back rooms, and I can't believe they were giving me the last of the held rooms.

I wonder what level you have to be to be able to get one of those rooms directly from the desk, perhaps 7 stars?

Since it looks like we may be at 4 members, plus 3 wives, do we want to try and meet at the food court?

I think OG will have the longest commute, so we will need to see what time he (they) will be getting to Cherokee.

Quote: RaleighCraps

... 4 members, plus 3 wives....

Do we need to look for some leverage to convince rdw4potus to bring his fiancé to this gathering? I think maybe she needs full knowledge of the "dark side" of his life/nature.

The food court would work for us. We would expect to arrive about noon or a few minutes earlier. Our last few visits there, we have stopped for a bite at the Arby's (near the McDonald's over the hill) before going into the casino complex.

BTW, for anyone coming there via Asheville and I-40 westbound, do NOT follow all of the signs saying "Cherokee." That will lead you to a very small winding road that I definitely wouldn't want to be on if there is inclement weather. Proper route from I-40W: Take exit 27 (which is the exit to almost everywhere; there must be close to 20 signs leading up to that exit telling you what to exit for.) Then carefully AVOID exit #103 to Maggie Valley and "Cherokee" and just follow US74 to exit 74 (easy to remember 74 to 74). It's about 30 miles from I-40 to that exit, and it's all 4-lane. From there follow US441 maybe four miles over the hill (still 4-lane) to a traffic signal immediately before a gas station and McDonald's. There, take a right on Casino Trail (yep, still 4-lane) for 3/4 mile to the next light, and you can see the casino. There are open surface parking lots plus at least two garages, including (my preference) a casino self-parking building somewhat hidden way around in the back of the facility. If you haven't been there before, take a look at GoogleMaps; the casino garage is the most extreme northeastern part of the complex.

thanks for all the help all around

The kind of place I stay in if my wife comes will be 180 degrees different from the one I stay in if she doesnt come.

I agree that the weather is going to be a biggie

are there class II/class III issues on the machines at Cherokee?

Quote: odiousgambit

are there class II/class III issues on the machines at Cherokee?

They have real slots now (and a lot of them), if that is what you are asking. But being a casino run by Harrah's, the payback is pretty low.

I did run into a few class II slots mixed in various banks last year, but have not paid any attention, so not sure if they are still around or not. I have not been able to find any 9/6 JOB.

Quote: RaleighCraps

I think OG will have the longest commute...

So, OG, where are you coming in from? Your profile doesn't list a location. If you prefer not to share this openly in the forum but would convey it via PM, that would satisfy my curiosity, too. My wife and I live just north of Charlotte, in the tiny lakeside town of Cornelius.

I feel bad for not making the drive -- Raleigh Craps did drive 7.25 hours to play craps with us clowns in Pennsylvania!

Quote: teddys

I feel bad for not making the drive -- Raleigh Craps did drive 7.25 hours to play craps with us clowns in Pennsylvania!

You should feel bad! Work on that feeling and show up! LOL

Quote: Doc

So, OG, where are you coming in from?

I'll PM

Locals say it's in the Shenandoah Valley, which is a bit of a stretch IMO, but close enough, west of the blue ridge mountains anyway

the missus says she'll skip this; she has gambled in her day some, but just doesn't dig it much. So I may be the only one going solo? Thinking now I'll be there a full Saturday and Sunday both, not caring too much for the long drive, then to turn around and go back with another long drive

Quote: teddys

I feel bad for not making the drive -- Raleigh Craps did drive 7.25 hours to play craps with us clowns in Pennsylvania!

Teddys, Can you find the subliminal message from my wife and me?

GUILT TRIP

Quote: teddys

I feel bad for not making the drive

Hey! No need to feel bad yet - there's still time to make the drive:-)

Yes, rdw4potus, you need to apply whatever coercion it takes to get teddys to join us. I think he should set up a vanpool and bring the entire Pittsburgh-area group.

Speaking of which, you are bringing your little lady along to this event, aren't you? Have you established a definite schedule for your visit yet? It seems that RaleighCraps and his wife will arrive on Friday, odiousgambit will arrive sans spouse on Saturday, and my wife and I will arrive on Sunday (conflicting event on Saturday evening), with all of that contingent staying until Monday. And you and the spouse-to-be?

adding peer pressure to rdw4potus, since my peer pressure to teddys seems to have been a miserable failure.............

I am willing to come if anyone would like to fund it.

It sucks being poor.

Quote: Doc

Speaking of which, you are bringing your little lady along to this event, aren't you? Have you established a definite schedule for your visit yet? It seems that RaleighCraps and his wife will arrive on Friday, odiousgambit will arrive sans spouse on Saturday, and my wife and I will arrive on Sunday (conflicting event on Saturday evening), with all of that contingent staying until Monday. And you and the spouse-to-be?

I'll probably drive up on Saturday and stay until Sunday night. Might do Monday morning. The fiancee will probably be in Wisconsin on the 21st & 22nd. Really, if she's not there, she'll probably keep me from making this meetup. But she's about 50% likely to come with me to the southwest in May. Didn't see that one coming & not sure what it does to my plans there. Sure not driving 1,800 miles through nothing but desert with her there.

Oh, that makes it doubly important for you to bring her to Cherokee. If you do, my wife can explain how much fun is is to ride for hours and hours to a dinky casino, just so your guy can pick up another souvenir chip for his collection. How can you pass up an opportunity for that kind of support?

Quote: GWAE

I am willing to come if anyone would like to fund it.

It sucks being poor.

Get Caesars and the Cherokee tribe to wind up funding it through your effective use of DI at the crap table. And let us join you for that ride -- we'll be cheering you on.

Quote: GWAE

I am willing to come if anyone would like to fund it.

It sucks being poor.

Ill fund it at 20 points

Quote: Doc

Get Caesars and the Cherokee tribe to wind up funding it through your effective use of DI at the crap table. And let us join you for that ride -- we'll be cheering you on.

DI me? Now that's funny. I can show you a thing or 2 about betting banker and player at the same time.

Quote: rdw4potus

Really, if she's not there, she'll probably keep me from making this meetup

I tried really, really hard but can't stop myself from posting something.

Maybe I will just try an allegory. A story about a guy we'll call Russ.

Russ was a hunter, just loved to hunt. And cook the game too. Show up for dinner and deer, turkey, duck, or goose could be on the menu any time. But he loved to hunt small game too, and if about the only in season was squirrel, he'd like nothing better than to spend all his free time hunting that. Then he got engaged to be married. He assumed his fiancee loved him as he was, so they never talked about his hunting. Then after he got married, he found out his wife resented the time and money he spent on his outdoor activities. There was a period of time when he would show up with his buds once in a while to hunt or fish, but almost immediately this kind of recreation was cut way back. Ultimately, to the astonishment of everyone who knew him, his hunting almost completely came to an end. The other hunters would say "Russ was the last guy I ever thought that would happen to"



Sorry. Should stay out of this. Just couldn't stop myself. Talk to your fiancee about the non-negotiables.

Quote: RaleighCraps

RC and the missus will be haunting Cherokee the weekend of Feb 20-21.

If anyone would like to meet up, please post here or PM.

The last 2 years, every time I have gone to Cherokee, the rules for craps have gotten worse.
It used to be 10x and Buy 4 5 9 10, vig on win only.
Then it was Buy 4 and 10 on win only.
Last trip it was all Buy vigs up front.

I used to be afraid they would get rid of the 10x, but the reality is I'm not taking enough stake to take advantage of 10x anymore, unless I happen to stumble into a $5 game at 4:00 AM some night.

Time to recheck my BJ basic strategy.

So I'm curious, if you pay the vig up front, it's the same as paying it on the win, isn't it? The only difference is if you decided to bring down the bet--then you've already paid the vig?

If you pay up front and later take the bet down, you get the vig back.

The difference beteween "on the buy" and "on the win" is in those cases where the 7 shows up while the buy bet is working. If you paid up front, you lose the vig. If you only pay on the win, you lose the wager when the 7 is rolled but you don't lose the vig on top of it; i.e., vig on the win means you pay a portion of all winnings as vig, but vig on the buy means you pay the vig for being allowed to place the wager, win or lose.

Quote: Greasyjohn

So I'm curious, if you pay the vig up front, it's the same as paying it on the win, isn't it? The only difference is if you decided to bring down the bet--then you've already paid the vig?

Your expected loss is greater when the vig is paid up front. The math guys here can give you the exact, but here is the layman version.

With Vig on the win, I bet $25 on the Buy 4.
There are 3 ways to win the 4, and 6 ways to lose, so I would expect to lose 2x to every win.
So, I lose $50 twice, and then I win $50 once, but I pay a $1 vig on the win, so I get $49, which means a $1 loss overall.

With Vig up front, I bet $26.
I lose twice, so I have lost $52. I win the third time, and since I have paid already, I get $50.
Net is I have lost $2 on this round trip.

Quote: Greasyjohn

So I'm curious, if you pay the vig up front, it's the same as paying it on the win, isn't it? The only difference is if you decided to bring down the bet--then you've already paid the vig?

Quote: Doc

If you pay up front and later take the bet down, you get the vig back.

I should clarify. If you place a buy bet, and it wins, and you then take the bet down rather than keeping it up, then your description is correct -- it turns out to be the same for vig on the buy and vig on the win. As I noted, however, if the bet lost instead of winning, you would have lost the vig too, if you had paid it up front.

Quote: odiousgambit

I tried really, really hard but can't stop myself from posting something.

Maybe I will just try an allegory. A story about a guy we'll call Russ.

Russ was a hunter, just loved to hunt. And cook the game too. Show up for dinner and deer, turkey, duck, or goose could be on the menu any time. But he loved to hunt small game too, and if about the only in season was squirrel, he'd like nothing better than to spend all his free time hunting that. Then he got engaged to be married. He assumed his fiancee loved him as he was, so they never talked about his hunting. Then after he got married, he found out his wife resented the time and money he spent on his outdoor activities. There was a period of time when he would show up with his buds once in a while to hunt or fish, but almost immediately this kind of recreation was cut way back. Ultimately, to the astonishment of everyone who knew him, his hunting almost completely came to an end. The other hunters would say "Russ was the last guy I ever thought that would happen to"

the real scary part

I have known scores of guys who's hunting days ended once they got married

Sorry. Should stay out of this. Just couldn't stop myself. Talk to your fiancee about the non-negotiables.

LOL! That's awesome! Luckily, I don't think I have too much problem with the meetups or even the collecting on a long-term basis. She's unlikely to join me collecting, but she won't stop me from going (she'd probably come along if I didn't schedule those trips quite so aggressively). The immediate problem is that the fiancee is (finally) in the process of hammering out her move from WI to SC. Should that happen on Feb 21, I can't be like "Hi sweetie! Welcome to Columbia. I'm gonna go shoot some craps now. Please don't steal all my closet space while I'm gone!" I already can't figure out how her stuff can possibly fit in my place. I can't let her unpack alone, especially while she's upset, or my socks will wind up in the kitchen.

Quote: rdw4potus

LOL! That's awesome!

Whew! Glad that this is your reaction, something got into me to post a thing like that.

Quote: rdw4potus

I can't be like "Hi sweetie! Welcome to Columbia. I'm gonna go shoot some craps now.

No, you can't be like that LOL. It's a tricky business, this 'marriage' stuff. Assuming she isn't a pushover ... evidence is, she isn't .... you can't ever do anything that 'looks bad' with your wife. Or even deny her a fair share of your time; what the hell, I enjoy doing things with my wife!* Gotta be lots of time for that. Well, I can't seem to find my marriage counselor certificate, so that's enough from me, I'll just repeat it's a tricky business - but don't get blind-sided by her ideas about 'changing you' either. Those notions are going to be there.

*she can absolutely wear me out with that yak yak yak all the time though LOL

Quote: rdw4potus

"Hi sweetie! Welcome to Columbia. I'm gonna go shoot some craps now. Please don't steal all my closet space while I'm gone!"

Nope. Try this version:

"Hi sweetie! Welcome to Columbia. I've got your first few days planned out for you. First, we're going up to Cherokee so you can meet a few of my friends. You'll love it -- there are some fantastic shops just upstairs from the casino floor -- clothes, purses, everything! Then, when we get home, I'll help you unpack all your stuff and move it into our new little place together."

Quote: Doc

Nope. Try this version:

"Hi sweetie! Welcome to Columbia. I've got your first few days planned out for you. First, we're going up to Cherokee so you can meet a few of my friends. You'll love it -- there are some fantastic shops just upstairs from the casino floor -- clothes, purses, everything! Then, when we get home, I'll help you unpack all your stuff and move it into our new little place together."

Doc, you silver tongued devil! Throw in a stop in Asheville and that'd work! Now I just need to get her here. Still not sure when she's moving down - contract exit discussions with her district are sloooooow. Might be next week, might be the end of the school year before they're done negotiating (which, yes, is also the end of the contract).

Quote: Doc

Nope. Try this version:

"Hi sweetie! Welcome to Columbia. I've got your first few days planned out for you. First, we're going up to Cherokee so you can meet a few of my friends. You'll love it -- there are some fantastic shops just upstairs from the casino floor -- clothes, purses, everything! Then, when we get home, I'll help you unpack all your stuff and move it into our new little place together."

But it can get even better....
"Honey, two of the people I have never met before are inviting us on Saturday, to take a 40 minute drive over the mountain pass to Gatlinburg TN, or perhaps Pigeon Forge to check out the pottery and craft shops. It seems distilleries are also found in these towns. And Cherokee has an indoor pool now (or so I have heard) and they have a nice spa as well. There is SO MUCH for you to do there."

I should note that I have also extended the offer for the TN trip to OG to help entice his bride to make the trip. :-)

Quote: rdw4potus

Doc, you silver tongued devil!

How do you think I've stayed married and unscathed for 46 1/2 years so far? You just have to learn your place and how to make the most of it. And yes, those shops on the second floor have both cost me and saved me.

Seriously, best of luck getting her down to Carolina soon. If it happens this month, we would all be delighted to meet her.

The Missus just ain't coming, folks. Maybe next time.

So I believe that leaves 6, with the weather still to check on:

Doc+Mrs. Doc, R-Craps + Mrs. R-Craps, rdw4potus, me, with Teddys being drafted ...

Since I started this thread, I guess I can derail it without penalty?

I was on the Cherokee site and they have a news item about the new Cherokee casino they have started building in Murphy, NC. It is about an hour and 20 minutes to the south east, which puts the new casino about 2.5 hours from Atlanta.
I wonder what will this do to the number of players at Cherokee?
I have met a number of bigger craps players that all hail from the Atlanta area. I would expect they will not drive an extra hour each way to come to the existing casino.

The existing casino does seem to get pretty full on the weekends. I guess they figure they will get enough play to run 2 full time casinos.