Really Surprised at how 6:5 bj has spread even dowtown!

I couldn't believe the amount of 6:5 tables there are now, especially at the $5 level even downtown. Couldn't find a $5 3:2 payout with no CSM at night downtown anywhere. Could only find a few during the day. And the strip is worse. Stayed at the Flamingo which I consider a lower tier (or maybe mid level) place and they never had a $5 bj or even craps table. Even Bill's next door had terrible bj, but at least they had $5 craps, but my budget prefers just 2x odds and their min odds was 3x so I had to play a little over what I like but did get to play about an hour mostly being even or up. The last two rolls (one was mine) took a chunk of what I had plus it was late and I was tired so I left.

It is really sad to me that a low roller can't find a decent bj game on the strip and barely one downtown anymore. I didn't make it to the Riv, CC or Hooters where some have said you can find a decent $5 game. Next time I will check out the Riv or Hooters.

Looks like Shreveport will get most of my gambling $$$ from now on.

Jana,

It sounds to me like you have not checked out El Cortez. They do have $5 3:2 Paying Single Deck games that do not use Continuous Shufflers. They do use Automatic Shufflers, but that isn't that bad of a thing.

RecVPPlayer

Minimum odds bets on a Craps table? I've never heard of or seen that before, anywhere. Since the odds bet is an optional bet, I don't understand how there can be a minimum odds bet.

Jana, you can make 2X odds wagers at tables marked 3-4-5X. The 3-4-5X refers to the maximum multiple of your front line bet that you can make on the 4 & 10, 5 & 9 and 6 & 8, respectively. It's beneficial for the player to take advantage of all the free-odds a casino offers. Nevertheless, the player is free to take lesser odds (say 2X) or none at all for that matter.

I did ask the dealers and pit boss if I could make a 2x odds bet and they just repeated the odds that was listed on the table such as 3x, 4x etc and I thought when I asked again to clarify they said no. None of them ever said yes, you can bet just 2x odds if I wanted so I guess next time I'll just do it and see what happens. Thanks for the info.

And no we didn't ever make it to the El Cortez. Will check it out next time.

DON'T SUCCUMB! DO NOT EVER PLAY 6/5!

Ok, I'm off my soapbox now. But seriously, as long as people play 6/5 BJ, the tables will be there. Whenever I see people playing 6/5, and I have the opportunity, I mention to them that 6/5 costs them $1.39 for every $100 bet.

If the following rules were in place:
Hit Soft 17
Double only on hard 11
No Double after split
this would create a house edge of 1.39% (the same as 6/5 all by itself!). You wouldn't play this game would you?

Jana, I noticed the exact same thing during my visit last month. Went from property to property and didn't seem to matter...Strip or downtown. It was almost always totally unplayable. I'll never sit and play at any 6:5 table either.
Even last year, I was shocked to see people at the Flamingo's 6:5 table, betting $25 a hand. You wonder if so many people can be that misinformed or what?

Tim

Last summer, we spent a lot of time at Fremont's 3:2 $5 double deck games. Have these tables also disappeared? Thanx for any info.

Yes, Tim, there are a lot of misinformed people out there (although many of them just may not care at all and just want to play) and many people think that 6:5 is better than 3:2 because the numbers are higher (6 and 5 as opposed to 3 and 2).

But they don't know that 3 To 2 is 6 To 4, not 6 To 5.

What I do to get people to understand the damage done by 6 To 5, I tell them that if you bet $10 at each of these tables and get a Blackjack, the player at the 3 To 2 table will be paid $15 and the player at the 6 To 5 is paid $12.

That will seriously eat into people's money and make it a lot harder to end up being a winner!

RecVPPlayer

It is really sad that there is so little real $ 5 BJ left in Vegas. I play at locals places and in the corners of downtown when I find a game. At the Four Queens the last few times we were there NO BJ ( maybe 1 table with a huge shoe and people three deep waiting for a seat) just phoney BJ and carnie games for suckers. I don't play 6/5 black jack...ever on principle. I would rather play 6/5 video poker if forced to play something awful.