Nov 8, 2017 | Features Articles, Gaming News, In this Issue, Property Reviews

(Bowler, Wisconsin) Known as the “Midwest’s Friendliest Casino,” North Star Mohican Casino Resort is a premier destination nestled in the breathtaking North Woods of Wisconsin. Located within an hour of Green Bay and minutes north of Hwy 29, North Star offers gaming enthusiasts everything they could imagine, and more.
The property is a sure bet when it comes to choosing your next gaming adventure.
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Sep 11, 2017 | Gaming News, In this Issue, Restaraunt Reviews

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.
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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.