Sep 15, 2017 | Gaming News
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Churchill Downs Incorporated and Keeneland Association, Inc. announced today an historic partnership to propose the construction of two new state-of-the-art racing facilities. One will be in southeastern Kentucky in Corbin (Knox County), and the second will be in southwestern Kentucky in Oak Grove (Christian County).
The proposed facilities will feature live horse racing and historical racing machines for guests from Kentucky and beyond.
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Sep 11, 2017 | Gaming News, In this Issue, Restaraunt Reviews, Southern Gaming Reviews: Wine, Bourbon, Cigars and things we love!
Who’s hungry? We are excited to unveil some of the top casinos and their culinary offerings in this year’s Casino Dining Guide.
If you aren’t carving out time to check out your favorite casinos dining options, you are missing the boat!
Whether you are celebrating something special and go to the white table cloth, fine dining steakhouse, or want something more casual, we have listed some of our top picks for your consideration and think you’ll enjoy them as much as we do!
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Sep 11, 2017 | craps, Craps Tips & Strategies, Gaming News, In this Issue, Winning Tips
Craps is the most exciting game in the casinos. Craps players are an interesting and diverse lot too – from working-class men and women betting a small percentage of their incomes, all the way up to the economic elite of society betting tens of thousands of dollars on a single roll of the dice.
“Baby needs a new pair of shoes,” one says. Another says, “I need a new Lear jet!” It doesn’t matter what category you are in, the game holds fascination and thrills galore no matter your betting level.
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Sep 11, 2017 | Blackjack Tips & Strategies, Craps Tips & Strategies, Features Articles, Gaming News, In this Issue, Other Tips, Poker Tips, Slots & Video Poker Tips & Strategies, Winning Tips
As a game that allows players to exercise their skill along with having a strong element of chance, blackjack has more subtleties than most casino games. It also leaves plenty of room for question and comment. Let’s try to answer a few questions and relay a few comments submitted by readers.
Q. Weird thing at blackjack the other night. Some guy wanted to double down on blackjack when the dealer had a 6. The dealer told him it was against house rules to double on blackjacks. It became this whole big thing. The pit supervisor came over and told the guy sorry, they don’t allow it.The dealer busted, the player complained some more, but I told him we didn’t know if the dealer would have busted if the player had taken a card for his double. Just for discussion, how bad is doubling with blackjack vs. 6? Does it make a difference if blackjacks pay 3-2 or 6-5?
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Sep 11, 2017 | Features Articles, Gaming News, In this Issue, Property Reviews
Since opening in August 2014, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City has welcomed over 5.3 million guests through its doors, making it a premier entertainment destination. Gamers and entertainment seekers alike have flocked to the property for over a decade for the best in gaming and luxurious accommodations. Serving as one of Midwest Gaming’s Preferred Properties, and the recipient of Best Overall Property in our recent Readers’ Choice Awards, we are excited to give our readers an insider’s look at what makes Hard Rock a definite destination property to add to your Summer and Fall travel calendar.
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Sep 11, 2017 | Blackjack Tips & Strategies, Features Articles, Gaming News, In this Issue
There’s a cancer growing in the game of blackjack, namely, those abominable blackjack games that only pay 6:5 for a blackjack. If players don’t do something about it, 6:5 payoff games may become the new blackjack standard. However, you can help get rid of this game once and for all, and I’ll show you how in a moment.
Historically a blackjack hand has always paid 3:2. That means if you bet $10, you will be paid $15 (a 3:2 payoff). (This assumes, of course, that the dealer doesn’t have a blackjack on the same hand.) When a casino decides to pay only 6:5 for a player blackjack, it increases the house edge by almost 1.4 percent (no, that’s not a typo).
Instead of talking percentages, let’s talk dollars and cents so you can really see how much a 6:5 game costs you. Suppose you play two hours of blackjack at $10 a pop and you are dealt an average of 80 hands per hour. A blackjack occurs about once in every 21 hands, so on average you should expect to get four blackjacks per hour, or a total of eight in two hours. Each of those blackjacks should earn you $15 (with a 3:2 payout on a $10 wager), but instead you get paid only $12 in the 6:5 game. You are shortchanged $3 on every blackjack, so in the course of two hours of play, you have been shortchanged $24. That is an atrocity.
Casinos also love the 6:5 game because it virtually eliminates those pesky card counters, since many find the house edge too tough to beat with card counting. And get this, many casino bosses have implemented the 6:5 payoff in double-, six- and even eight-deck games (no, I’m not joking). This would increase the house edge, on some games, up to an appalling 2%!
The 6:5 games also have these additional pitfalls, which most players are not aware of:1. If you wager an amount that is not divisible by 5, your payoff for a blackjack actually gets worse. For example, if you bet $8 and get a blackjack, you’ll get paid only $9, which is equivalent to the payoff odds of 5.625:5 rather than 6:5 (casinos will pay 6:5 on the first $5 of your wager, and even money for the remaining $3). When the game was first offered, I had bet a red ($5) and pink ($2.50) chip on a hand and luckily I was dealt a blackjack. At 6:5 payoff odds, a $7.50 wager should pay an even $9, but the dealer paid me only $8.50. I tried to politely explain to the dealer and then to the shift boss that 6:5 on $5 is $6, and 6:5 on $2.50 is $3 therefore I should be paid a total of $9. My plea fell on deaf ears.2. In a 3:2 game, a player can take even money if he is dealt a blackjack and the dealer shows an ace. But the math doesn’t work in the casino’s favor on a 6:5 game, so they won’t allow players to take even money.3. The game is mostly offered on low-limit tables in tourist locations where blackjack players tend to be less sophisticated about the game (“milk the tourists” mentality). Knowledgeable players with limited bankrolls are also faced with this dilemma: either play the 6:5 game with lower betting limits, or play the better 3:2 multiple-deck games, but with higher betting limits. If they opt for the latter, they often get less play time because they tap out sooner as a result of overbetting in relation to their modest bankroll. Either way, they get screwed.
The bottom line is that unless players do something about it, the 6:5 game will ultimately ruin blackjack. So what can you do to help? 1. Don’t play any 6:5 blackjack games; instead play only on tables that pay 3:2 for a blackjack. 2. Voice your displeasure about the game to a casino supervisor, your casino host and even the casino manager. Be sure to also tell them you are taking your business to casinos that don’t offer this wretched game.3. Warn your friends and family that are planning to visit a casino, about this outrageous game.
It’s clear that in their attempt to make more money, casinos are ruining one of the best games for players. Don’t let this happen. Just say NO to 6:5 blackjack games!
Author Bio: Henry Tamburin, Ph.D. is the author of the Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide (http://www.888casino.com/blog/blackjack-strategy-guide/), editor of the Blackjack Insider e-Newsletter (www.bjinsider.com), lead instructor for the Golden Touch Blackjack course, and host of smartgaming.com. For a free three-month subscription to his blackjack newsletter, go to www.bjinsider.com/freetrial. To receive his free Casino Gambling Catalog, call 1-888-353-3234 or visit www.smartgaming.com.
