Colorado casinos

I'm going to be visiting Denver/Northern Colorado next week for the first time since like 2007, and I was wondering if anyone could steer me toward which casino or casinos I should visit?

I usually stick to $5-10 min blackjack (double deck or six deck), $5 min craps and the occasional hand of Pai Gow poker as well.

I'm familiar with Ameristar, as i play there in KC, so I'm thinking about going to Black Hawk to check that out, but if there are better options I am of course open to others :)

Thanks in advance!

Quote: cestanl

I'm going to be visiting Denver/Northern Colorado next week for the first time since like 2007, and I was wondering if anyone could steer me toward which casino or casinos I should visit?

I usually stick to $5-10 min blackjack (double deck or six deck), $5 min craps and the occasional hand of Pai Gow poker as well.

I'm familiar with Ameristar, as i play there in KC, so I'm thinking about going to Black Hawk to check that out, but if there are better options I am of course open to others :)

Thanks in advance!

As someone that works up in Black Hawk...

Pai Gow is very limited in Black Hawk/Central City. The only places that have it are the Isle (Emperor's Challenge) and the Lodge (Fortune Progressive). Your Ameristar card level carries over to Black Hawk, so if you are a Premier card holder in KC, you'll be Premier in Colorado as well. Ameristar has the most hotel rooms and I believe the most table games at 30. Casinos run the gamut--there's also a handful of casinos that have eight or less. In the spirit of full disclosure, that's where I work...so that's where I'd like you to play. :) The "big three" casinos in Black Hawk (Ameristar, Lodge, Isle) have 3-4-5x odds on craps. The Gilpin (small joint in "downtown" Black Hawk) offers up to 50x odds during the week. ($2 line bet).

Also keep in mind in Colorado that alcoholic beverages are free, but you're pretty much limited to 2-3 per hour, unless you know how to 'game' the system. Dealers in almost all casinos keep their own tips, which means you'll only get 30 minutes with a specific dealer on a given table; then they rotate. It doesn't make a bit of difference in how the cards come out, but Colorado has the most players that deviate from basic strategy than any other market that I've worked or played in. (KC, Vegas, St. Louis, Sioux Falls, Twin Cities) (A vestige of when bets were a $5 max by law) I know you didn't mention it, but if you have any friends or associates with you, no limit poker games are not offered, due to gaming regulations capping the maximum bet at $100.

If you have any other questions about Black Hawk, feel free to ask. Do keep in mind that Black Hawk and Central City (one mile from each other) are the only two places that have casinos in the Denver "metro" and they're about 45 minutes away.

I appreciate the info, too. I'll be making my first visit to Colorado casinos in late May right after WoVCon ]I[. I'll be going to both Central City and Black Hawk, plus Cripple Creek, to pick up souvenir chips from every casino I can get to. Perhaps I'll see you at the Ameristar!

I live about 2 and a half hours from Blackhawk, but I find myself spending a fair amount of time up there. Ive only ever stayed at the isle, but have played a fair bit at the Ameristar and Riv as well. Personally I enjoy the isle the most, maybe just because I can stumble back to my room (which I think I have only had to pay for once) without worrying about being too drunk haha. I like the atmosphere, and they do have a couple "above average" looking cocktail waitresses as well. They seem to comp much more than the others as well, but that may just be a byproduct of how much I end up putting into the roulette machine, where every bet is tracked immediately and credited to my card.

Im actually heading up for a trip next weekend :) Much more fun than a quick trip to the smaller casinos in Cripple Creek

Quote: PGBuster

As someone that works up in Black Hawk...

Pai Gow is very limited in Black Hawk/Central City. The only places that have it are the Isle (Emperor's Challenge) and the Lodge (Fortune Progressive). Your Ameristar card level carries over to Black Hawk, so if you are a Premier card holder in KC, you'll be Premier in Colorado as well. Ameristar has the most hotel rooms and I believe the most table games at 30. Casinos run the gamut--there's also a handful of casinos that have eight or less. In the spirit of full disclosure, that's where I work...so that's where I'd like you to play. :) The "big three" casinos in Black Hawk (Ameristar, Lodge, Isle) have 3-4-5x odds on craps. The Gilpin (small joint in "downtown" Black Hawk) offers up to 50x odds during the week. ($2 line bet).

Also keep in mind in Colorado that alcoholic beverages are free, but you're pretty much limited to 2-3 per hour, unless you know how to 'game' the system. Dealers in almost all casinos keep their own tips, which means you'll only get 30 minutes with a specific dealer on a given table; then they rotate. It doesn't make a bit of difference in how the cards come out, but Colorado has the most players that deviate from basic strategy than any other market that I've worked or played in. (KC, Vegas, St. Louis, Sioux Falls, Twin Cities) (A vestige of when bets were a $5 max by law) I know you didn't mention it, but if you have any friends or associates with you, no limit poker games are not offered, due to gaming regulations capping the maximum bet at $100.

If you have any other questions about Black Hawk, feel free to ask. Do keep in mind that Black Hawk and Central City (one mile from each other) are the only two places that have casinos in the Denver "metro" and they're about 45 minutes away.

"limited to 2-3 drinks per hour" so you can only get 24 free drinks in eight hours.....I'm not going there.

Youre not truly limited, but if you stay at one spot (hanging out at a table) the waitresses will only come around a couple times an hour. However, there are ways around that, if you move around the floor haha

Quote: hagen49

Youre not truly limited, but if you stay at one spot (hanging out at a table) the waitresses will only come around a couple times an hour. However, there are ways around that, if you move around the floor haha

Well, yes, absolutely. That's why I said you have to "game" the system...but I probably shouldn't tell people exactly how to do that.

I think that the casinos in Blackhawk have horrendously slow drink service. It is far cheaper to just go up to the bar and order a drink. I like to go to Golden Gates/Mardi Gras Casino because I can go to the bar, put a buck into the bartop video poker and order a beer; and the beer is better than the standard fare, with Dale's Pale Ale for me, Mama's Little Yella Pils for my wife, and I've even seen some Tommyknocker on tap. It stinks, though, that you cannot take a beer from one casino to the next, even when the casinos are connected by a covered walkway.

The drink service as the casinos is slow and it is by law and design. If you are looking to get a "buzz" on , try a video poker game at a bar and tip a nice amount on the first drink. This usually will get em coming faster.
Also, there is a bar on the upstairs at Ameristar that is only open on the weekends I believe but it is usually dead. The bartender there is very liberal if given incentive as he gets very bored.

The good thing about "our" casinos is NO SMOKING!

That is amazing for us nonsmokers.

This comment is not exactly timely, as I just had a vacation in Denver back in early June 2013, but I did notice some new information for anyone planning an upcoming trip. Me and my siblings went for a site seeing trip to Blackhawk where I played some Blackjack and Craps at Ameristar.

The Table limits as I recall on BJ were only $10 on a shoe game. There was a pseudo progressive side bet called streak where if you win a streak of 3-4-5 or so hands in a row, betting the bonus, you could win some progressively better odds that I saw a couple people play.

Also of note that at the Craps table, the dealer mentioned to me that they allow 5x odds on all the numbers 4-5-6-8-9-10. This was early in the day on a Thursday so they may have different rules on the weekend. I walked around the little burg but only played at Ameristar so I can't speak to other casinos if they are doing the same.

It was early in the day so I didn't notice the slow drink service, but if you are thirsty for non-alcoholic drinks since it is rather dry in Denver, then there are several self service drink station areas throughout the casino floor at Ameristar. Very convenient if all you want is a soda or even coffee/tea service. Plus it's free, just serve yourself much like a fast food place. I wish more casinos offered free beverage stations if all you want/need is a water or soda.

And not being a smoker, it's a nice place to gamble and not leave with your clothes smelling of smoke.

Quote: drsamurai

This comment is not exactly timely, as I just had a vacation in Denver back in early June 2013, but I did notice some new information for anyone planning an upcoming trip. Me and my siblings went for a site seeing trip to Blackhawk where I played some Blackjack and Craps at Ameristar.

Also of note that at the Craps table, the dealer mentioned to me that they allow 5x odds on all the numbers 4-5-6-8-9-10. This was early in the day on a Thursday so they may have different rules on the weekend. I walked around the little burg but only played at Ameristar so I can't speak to other casinos if they are doing the same.

This changed right around the time of your visit. We'll also let you go up to 6x on the 5 or 9, so that the bet is 'proper'. (Colorado doesn't let us round down on a payout).

Quote: PGBuster

This changed right around the time of your visit. We'll also let you go up to 6x on the 5 or 9, so that the bet is 'proper'. (Colorado doesn't let us round down on a payout).

That's an important point to note. It also makes $1 bets for the dealer on the 5 & 9 odds pay $2. I think the dealers liked that I kept making that bet for them in CO :)

Quote: teddys

That's an important point to note. It also makes $1 bets for the dealer on the 5 & 9 odds pay $2. I think the dealers liked that I kept making that bet for them in CO :)

Would it also make $1 bets for dealer 6 or 8 odds pay $2?

Quote: MathExtremist

Would it also make $1 bets for dealer 6 or 8 odds pay $2?

I don't know where Teddys played, but we have pink $2.50 chips on the craps table, so the dealers just pocket one of those each time a bet hits.

For some reason, we don't give these to players, we simply round up.

Quote: PGBuster

I don't know where Teddys played, but we have pink $2.50 chips on the craps table, so the dealers just pocket one of those each time a bet hits.

For some reason, we don't give these to players, we simply round up.

This was at Lady Luck.

Any update on BlackHawk games/drinks? Heading to Denver in a few weeks and had no idea the drinks were free.

Quote: Actuarial

Any update on BlackHawk games/drinks? Heading to Denver in a few weeks and had no idea the drinks were free.

I already posted in another thread about Gilpin in Blck Hawk having a two dollar craps table with 50x odds.

Quote: Actuarial

Any update on BlackHawk games/drinks? Heading to Denver in a few weeks and had no idea the drinks were free.

I was just there a couple weeks ago. Drinks are free. In addition, every casino seems to have a self-service station for coffee and soft drinks.

The best thing about Colorado casinos -- no smoking! Three cheers for Colorado!

I hate Colorado casinos for two reasons:

1) no smoking

2) the state has this awful law that if you cash out or gamble away abandoned slot credits, it is misdemeanor fraud.

GMAFB, if you pick up a quarter on the sidewalk, does the city arrest you for "fraud"? Ridiculous, and there is no sign on the door warning you "caution: asinine laws here".

When I walk through a casino and see 27 cents left on a 30 cents min bet slot machine that some moron left behind, I like to hit "cash out" and shove it into another slot machine that can do smaller bets so I can lose it down to zero or win it up to $1 and then cash out a more useful amount.

Hundreds of people have been busted for this. If a casino wants to kick out vultures, that is their right. Why does it have to be state law? That is idiotic.

You'll have to pay a fine, do 24 hours of forced labor, be on probation for a year, and you have a criminal record. Lovely! For some people, that can be a big deal. If you want to work for a bank, the government, any place that does a criminal background check, you have to answer as to why you've been convicted of fraud, or worse yet, they might skip over you entirely.

When I lived in Colorado, I went to Cripple Creek three times, about once a year, until I found out about this awful law, and then I immediately put Colorado casinos on my blacklist. I will NEVER darken the doorstep of a casino that is required to sic the cops on you and have you arrested for that.

One of the victims of this idiocy sat down at a $1 slot machine with 57 cents left on it, put in a $5 bill, hit spin a couple times, and then the cops show up and arrested him. That's even less "fraud"-y than what I used to do (thankfully I wasn't caught the one time I did that). IMO this is the equivalent of a cook spitting in your food. No thank you, I will drive 1,000 miles to another state before I let you do that.

Down with Colorado! May you go out of business!!!

I Love Colorado casinos for one reason.
No Smoking!

We all have our various preferences and I too prefer a non-smoking but certainly not a non-drinking casino.

Most of us have rather strong preferences for staying out of handcuffs, prison cells and computer files.

I'm glad about that post regarding the state's absurd laws and their enforcement. Such reminders are good things on this site. Who knows how many members might otherwise be busted over twenty-seven cents or something.