Gambling In Atlantic City – Three Card Poker
The weekend of gambling continues with more than a few hands of Three Card Poker. I played a lot less than I have on recent trips, but I played more than enough.
I hit straight flush after straight flush followed by a few 3 of a kind and plenty of other good hands. I won almost every time I sat down at a 3 card poker table at any casino. This is not normal, but the suns and the stars must have been aligned. It also helped that I was able to play two hands at a time since the tables were usually not full. This reminds me that I need to update my 3 card poker strategy to include the number of player.
Table minimums were $10 and $15 all weekend so playing two hands wasn’t much of a strain on the bank roll. At the end of the weekend I had one losing session in about eight. My winnings at 3 card poker helped a lot to what became one of my most profitable weekends gambling.
I noticed a couple differences in payouts since I played at both the Borgata and Harrahs. The differences won’t make a world of difference to most, but it really underlines how Harrah’s in shorting their gambling customers.
Pay Tables for Pair Plus bets were different:
Borgata
Straight Flush: 50-1
Mini Royal: 100-1
Harrahs
Straight Flush: 40-1
Mini Royal: 50-1
This would bother me less if there was only one Harrah’s casino, but pay tables are the same at all four properties they own in Atlantic City.
I’ve never had or seen a Mini Royal in 3 card poker, but a big part of the fun in 3 card poker is trying to squeeze out that last card to get the huge payout. I’ve gotten more than a few straight flushes at Harrah’s and the extra pay would have been nice.
With all of my anger towards Harrah’s from this weekend I must say that, generally, I receive very good comps and very good service. I’m questioning whether or not it’s worth the poor payouts I just noticed.
I’ll keep thinking about this while I write up my weekend. Next up in my weekend review is my experience with the slots.
You should stop playing at Harrah’s.
According to The Wiz, Borgata’s pay table has a 4.2% house advantage. That’s not great, but Harrah’s is 7.1%. That’s almost criminal. I stopped playing 3CP entirely because they kept shorting the paytables. If I were you, I would take my business elsewhere.
Ted
Thanks for the input. The house edge in 3CP isn’t good. It’s more relaxing to me than craps, which is my favorite game and also has the smallest house edge.
Still considering going elsewhere, but the comps keep me with Harrah’s. I have a few more posts before I settle on my decision moving forward.
Thanks for your input. Every vote will help me make a decision.
I know you had some non-positive things to say about Trump, but I think that was just in regards to Trump Marina. You should give Trump Plaza a try. Can’t speak for their 3CP, but 9/6 JOB is prevalent. If I ever make it back to the AC boardwalk, I’m giving that joint some play to see if any bounceback offers are generated. I’m pretty much done with Harrah’s properties in AC, too.
Thanks JMP. My negativity about Trump is less about the every day management of the hotel and the ownership. I actually haven’t stayed at a Trump property nor have I been to one in about a year. Nothing will be off limits if/when I look at my options.
Thanks for the push in that direction. It definitely helps.