| Harrah's East Chicago has also increased five-dollar slot presence with its ongoing $27 million renovation. Some of the new five-dollar machines they've introduced to its second level may be worth exploring. All of the other casino properties have five-dollar games, of course, but I'd stick with the higher-end properties that use them to attract players with bankrolls to suit the appetites of the machines. Ten-Dollar and Above Ten-dollar games are becoming more noticeable, but the inventories are still so low in this gaming jurisdiction that I'd be wary of playing them anywhere. As for the twenty-five dollar and one hundred dollar games, well, if you can afford to play them you probably don't need any shopping tips! Second: All 14 blackjack tables at Argosy Empress utilize hand shuffling by the dealers. Advantage: Player. At Harrah's, there are some tables that use a shuffling machine. Worse than that, Harrah's also has tables with a continuous shuffler. When the decks are hand shuffled, there's time to relax between rounds. More importantly, players can give their bankrolls a break. Shuffling machines speed up play, decrease valuable player "down time", and subject bankrolls to an increased "grind". But continuous shufflers are the real menace. Not only do they make for non-stop play, they make it impossible for skilled players to keep mental track of the cards. If you take the game seriously, avoid continuous shufflers at all costs. One bit of bad news for players on a budget from both Harrah's and Argosy Empress: Neither casino currently offers a $5 minimum game. At Harrah's the minimum is $10 and at Argosy Empress it's $15. If you're a high roller, the properties differ on limits. For the record, Argosy Empress offers higher limits. At Argosy Empress, for $15 the limit is up to $1,000. For the $50 games you can bet up to $2,000, and for $100 you can bet up to $3,000. At Harrah's, for $10 the limit is up to $500, for $25.00 it's $1,000, and for $50 and higher it's up to $2,000. Finally, Argosy Empress is offering a special promotion at its blackjack tables during the months of January, February and March. Every player who is dealt a "natural" (two-card total of 21) will receive a coupon good for 100 entries into the monthly drawing for a Nissan Xterra, along with hundreds of other prizes from Speedway and Autozone. The more player-friendly six-deck shoes are the norms at Hollywood's high limit tables, and they are the only games dealt at the Grand Victoria. Some good news that'll interest average players is the fact that the Grand Victoria is now the only casino destination in the Chicago area on the Illinois side to offer a $5 minimum game. The best time to catch a $5 table at the Grand Vic is in the mornings everyday except holidays and some weekends. The minimum bet at the Hollywood is $10, the same as at Harrah's Joliet. The minimum at Argosy's Empress is $15. As for shoe penetration (the number of cards dealt out of a shoe before the dealer shuffles up), both the Hollywood and the Grand Vic cut it off at about two decks, the same as Harrah's Joliet. Argosy's Empress offers the best penetration, about a deck and a half. High rollers should note that the limits are higher at the Grand Vic, where $5 to $25 bettors can risk up to $2,000. The $25 and higher tables go up to $5,000. At the Hollywood, the limit at the $10 games is $1,000 while the high limit pit sets the bar at $2,000. So, to sum things up over the last couple of weeks, based upon information provided by the individual properties, here are my rankings of the best casinos in the Chicago-area on the Illinois side to play blackjack: #1 – Argosy's Empress Casino Joliet. #2 – Harrah's Casino Joliet. #3 – Grand Victoria in Elgin. #4 – Hollywood Casino in Aurora. The Horseshoe and Harrah's East Chicago are also uniform in one player-hostile rule. Neither casino allows players to re-split aces, the same as at the Grand Victoria and Hollywood. Argosy's Empress and Harrah's Joliet allow players to re-split aces up to four hands. Now for some differences: All 24 blackjack tables at Harrah's East Chicago use 6-deck shoes, which gives them the edge in this category. The 21-table inventory at the Horseshoe features a majority of 6-deck shoes, but there are some 8-deck tables, primarily in the lower limit sector, to be on the lookout for. You can always check with the dealer. As for the all-important penetration factor, give the edge to the Horseshoe. Dealers there deal cards until there's about a deck and a half remaining in the shoe. Dealers at Harrah's East Chicago will stop to shuffle up when there are about two decks remaining. If you happen to be a high roller, the Horseshoe also gets the advantage with a limit of up to $10,000, double what's permitted at Harrah's East Chicago. |
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