Reno/Northern Nevada Report Spent time over the last week in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area and visited
every sports book worth noting. There are many William Hills so did not
hit all of those but got to just about every other book including the four
independent ones that are the main attraction in Northern Nevada.
ATLANTIS:
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An independent book that hangs openers on Sunday for both the
NFL and NCAA. Their lines are often soft and slow and can be seen for
free on VegasInsider.com or for a price on SportsOptions and Don Best.
They take up to $1000 without an issue on main sports sides and $500 on
totals (after that it will just depend). Using your card helps at first.
After awhile though it will become a negative if you keep betting the good
numbers and winning. They have 1/2 pt parlay cards but no Ties Win cards.
Make a $50 parlay bet off the board or on a parlay card and get a free meal
voucher good for that day from the sports players menu. They serve both
breakfast and lunch items which consist mostly of bar-type food. They
also have a free football contest you can play just by swiping at a kiosk
near the card booth. Drink tickets easy to get and good at all bars.
PEPPERMILL:
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An independent book that has outlets in Wendover as well, and briefly on Water St
in Henderson a year or two back. That didn't last long as the LV guys took advantage.
Have had lots of problems with this place over the years but that is because
their lines can be so juicy vs the market. They will request a players card for
anyone betting above $50. Their limits are posted as being fairly decent but,
like the Atlantis, it will depend on what you are asking for on bets above $1000.
Having a higher level Peppermill players card will help with those bigger bets.
They have 1/2 pt parlay cards that pay 5.75/1 on 3 teamers and they get put
out on Wednesdays so some stale stuff there by end of the week. Their lines
can be seen for free on VegasInsider and they have a definite slant to the
lines posted on the Reno team. You will often get the best line on U Reno here.
SIENA:
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Siena is on the edge of the downtown area and is a nice boutique hotel that is popular
with small conventions. They have a William Hill book and there is nothing noteworthy
about it. What is worth noting is that their players club has the best sign up deal in the
state of Nevada. New members get their losses rebated up to $500 on their first 24 hours
of play. They also match tiers so if you have a Diamond card from Harrahs or some
similar top tier card from another casino you are in good shape. Just show it at sign-up
and they'll give you their higher end card. If you lose the $500 max you get it all back the
next day in the form of freeplay loaded to your players card. If you lose less then the max,
they dole it out in increments that will require future visits so just blast it out or hit your
stop-win limit and quit. It's currently the best deal by a wide margin for new sign-ups.
HARRAHS:
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Located downtown, it is a typical Harrahs outlet. The only aspect worth mentioning is that
their drink tickets are good at all casino bars and have no expiration date. The bar in the
main casino serves a good variety of Asian beers including Asahi Dry and Sapporo.
CIRCUS CIRCUS:
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They use the MGM line here but like their neighbor next door (Silver Legacy) the MGM
claims no real relationship with them so the card is different and they have their own
comp system. This works in the players favor because they offer the best comp rate
of any sportsbook in the state. You get $1 in comp for every $125 bet for a rate of .8%.
That's about double what you get at the best places in LV. They have a great sushi spot
on the upper level that offers AYCE for around $25. On the menu is real King Crab that
can be had by the piece or used in rolls. There are a lot of great comp AYCE sushi
spots in Reno including Atlantis, Peppermill, Siena, Eldorado and this one at Circus.
All are under $28 and at lunch most are under $20. The Peppermill and Atlantis are the
most well-known but the ones downtown are the underrated ones, especially Circus.
SILVER LEGACY:
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They use an MGM line, have no real comp program and are right next door to Circus
so there is absolutely no reason to give them a play when the Circus is a 30 second
walk away with their great comp card.
CARSON STATION Carson City:
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A small book in Carson City that is a William Hill shop. It's the one worth stopping in
if driving through Carson because their slot club has a decent sign-up program which
will amount to $20-$40 depending on how you run. Carson Nugget and Cactus Jacks are
also William Hill right in the center of Carson City. A little further up South at Fandango
is also a Will Hill. In the opposite direction there's a Will Hill at the Gold Dust in the
North end of Carson City.
LAKESIDE INN:
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Up on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe, this place might have the best square lines
in the state. Problem will be getting your action in after a couple visits. They are
covered by no line service I know of so walking in and checking out the board is
like a kid getting up on Christmas morning and getting that first look at what's
under the tree. Best time to check them out is just before the games start as
all the pre-game line moves will probably not have made their way to Lakeside.
The guys working the book are not too motivated to monitor the market so you get that
first shot when walking in. Once they realize they have someone in the room with
half a brain though, they may hit the screen and sharpen up the board. Get your
business done on the first trip to the window. I've met with opposition the last couple
times in there including the sports book manager making a call to security. Not
sure what their problem was as I hit the door before they arrived. Cash your tickets
after hours at the cage to avoid dealing with the sportsbook people.
CARSON VALLEY INN:
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An independent book that is well off the beaten path in Minden. They have their own
parlay cards but don't take a players card or offer drink tickets. The lines are good with
a real Bay Area bias. Example - The SNF game Hou@SFran was -5 at CRIS and Pinn
on a Friday afternoon and this place had -7. The Tigers vs A.s game had a similar
Bay Area slant to the line. They know their customers and deal accordingly.
HARRAHS/HARVEYS Lake Tahoe:
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On the South Shore. The book at Harrahs is more a satellite spot then a full-service book.
The hours are limited and there is no real place to watch a game. Across the street at
Harveys is a nice full-service book that is the place to bet. The players card is taken at both
but have been told you do much better at Harveys. Just a few doors down is MontBleu, formerly
Caesars Tahoe. The book there is a William Hill with nothing unique about it other then an
old Sigma Derby machine 50 feet away that always seems to be full.
NORTH SHORE Lake Tahoe:
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Tahoe Biltmore, the Crystal Bay and the Hyatt Incline Village are all William Hill books.
They have a monopoly on that side of the lake. The nicest place to watch a game may
be Incline Village but I prefer the Crystal Bay. They have a dedicated area for viewing
prime time games and some cozy bars to sit and watch at. The Biltmore has a similar
area and is just across the street. Both run viewing specials on food and drink.
