Will be heading to Vegas soon, and would like to try out the SD or DD games at ElCo. Do they still offer decent (beatable) games? Will I get backed off in a hurry? Or will I last awhile if I drink like a fish and act like a fool?
ElCo ? Do you mean Elko, Nevada ? L.O.L.
Obviously you mean "The Sweaty Spaniard", A/K/A El Cortez !
They offer a very decent game, BUT, they are really sweaty !
The games are as follows:
There are a total of 10 BJ tables, not that you can trust in their all being open.
Five of them are (real )Single Deck $5 to $1,000 H17 with a lovely e.v. of - .14
Five of them are DD$3 to $1,000 H17 DAS that has a -.40 e,v
All games cut off ,5 decks and are dealt from a shoe !
BEWARE that the heat is at levels that you probably have not experienced there in the past.
Half a deck is "cut off"
They are undealt that means.
That is what we refer to as "penetration"
The factor that is more important than rules, etc. to a Card Counter, but of no consequence to a Basic Strategy Player.
In a Single Deck game 1/2 of the cards are dealt if 1/2 of a deck is cut off. 50% penetration.
In a DD game 1/2 of a deck or (25%) of the cards are undealt if 1/2 of a deck is cut off. 75% penetration.
Re: "dealt from a shoe" goes I cannot believe that you are unfamiliar with a BJ shoe, ordinarily used in dealing multi-deck (2, 4, 6, and 8 deck) games.
I have not been to this sweatshop in recent years.
They do not handle skilled play of green or black chips any too graciously.
All info is courtesy of the current monthly edition of C.B.J.N.
Cut off refers the number of cards, the dealer cuts out of the total, expressed as a decimal of one deck. .5 means half a deck, 26 cards remain when the cut card comes out. It is column #7 "Cut" in CBJN. The El Cortez, being a break-in joint for new dealers, most of which are Asians, takes steps to make the process as mechanical as possible. In order to assure that approximately 1/2 deck is cut off, there is a notch in the discard tray that the dealer uses to place the cut card. Also, games there are machine shuffled, old one into machine, new one pops up, like many poker tables use. Jackie Gaughan, the former owner and Vegas Legend (he owned a piece of almost everything downtown), has won many awards for giving opportunites to diverse groups of people. Whether this was done for more selfish reasons is sometimes disputed. I like the old man and some members of his family, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt.
Take care my friend,
Cobbson
..Between my posting and FLASH's the lesson is complete.
That is the purpose of this board. Go easy.
Professor Cobbson
I think FLASH meant .5 deck cut off and yes they are both dealt from a shoe .
When I arrived there in August and saw shoes on all the tables ,I almost panicked ,but yes they were 1D and DD .Seems to me previous years they were pitch games ,but I may be wrong . I must have played there 2 hours the first day and 6 the next day . Had obligations around town with my son and his friends ( free food and room ) or I would have spent more time there . Won some money with my little red chips but never bet much ,was enjoying the game (1D )too much . Was able to play heads-up quite a bit of the time . Of course if you play green for any amount of time , I am sure they will show you the door or shuffle after each round .
Played 1D at 2 other places nearby ,but they were much more crowded .
Last month I was in Vegas and spent one afternoon down town. Was backed off at EL C after less than ten minutes at the double deck game. Was only spreading $10-$50. Seems they have gotten REAL sensative there.
