Crown Casino

[Koz1984]

Hey Franklint,

Always good to see another person willing to take on Crown! May I ask where you played/observed when you went? I consider Crown's "Premier BJ" the only beatable form of the game, so in learning BS (WHICH YOU MUST), you should learn them for that rule set, which is:
8 deck
H17
3:2
Split to 3
Split aces one
DOA
DAS
No LS

I take it you are also learning the hi-lo count?

 

[AussiePlayer]

Premier BJ

Haven't been to Crown for ages, as I've been learning a new count, is Premier BJ offered outside of the Mahogany Room?

 

[Koz1984]

Yes it is offered in the Maple and Monte Carlo rooms. $30-$100 tables.

 

[StudiodeKadent]

AussiePlayer,

Learning basic strategy is an absolute must. If you need, keep a BS card with you at the tables. They'll allow it.

Second, deliberately play slow and make sure you get plenty of free drinks. This is the primary way you can end up recouping most of your expected loss.

If you only spread modestly and play rated, you should come out ahead AFTER comps.

If you don't play rated, then you can spread more aggressively (apparently you need a 1-8 spread to beat Crown), but you won't get comps.

 

[Koz1984]

I agree with you there about the spread. That is Wonging btw, in at +2. I usually spread $30-2x$200.

 

[Franklint]

Hey Koz1984,

I agree, taking on the Crown is good!

I'm not exactly sure which area I was in, but I entered through the main entrance with the extravagant archway, past security and through a room of pokies before I reached the table games. I didn't change levels or anything, I just stayed on the main gaming floor. I doubt I was counting on the Premier Blackjack tables.

Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely start internalising the specific basic strategy necessary to beat the Crown. As I'm new to the blackjack lingo, could you tell me whether I've configured the rules correctly on this site's basic strategy engine?:

And yes, I'm getting pretty good with the hi-lo count, which I got from Edward O. Thorp's seminal work, Beat the Dealer (revised edition). I think I would like to master the hi-lo before I move onto more complex counts, such as keeping additional side counts of certain cards, etc.

Thanks for the replies, guys. Koz1984, I'll practice more counting and basic strategy and let you know when I move to Melbourne, and perhaps I can tag along with your group when you hit up the Crown?

Cheers,
Franklint

 

[StudiodeKadent]

Franklint,

Important correction. You put Crown's rules in as "no peek (European)". This is technically incorrect. Whilst the dealer does not peek for blackjack, a player will only lose their ORIGINAL bet against a dealer blackjack. This is mathematically the same as "dealer peeks." EUROPEAN means that the player loses all their bets, including splitting and doubling wagers, against a dealer BJ.

 

[Koz1984]

Thank you for that StudiodeKadent! I was going to point that out too after reading Franklint's post, but you beat me to it!

Franklint, the rooms in which these rules are employed are the Monte Carlo and Maple rooms. To enter these you need to go to the furthermost wing (where the Christmas extravaganza is set up i.e Palladium room/Crown Towers foyer) and enter at the Atrium bar. The Monte Carlo is the FIRST room on your right as soon as you enter. Literally 10 metres away. There will be a BJ pit to the left and two roulette/two baccarat tables to the right. The Maple room is about 40 metres down from this room, also on the right hand side, just past the noodle bar. Conversely, if you enter from one of the main ground floor entrances, just head left and you will find these rooms.

In terms of counting, I do not think the benefit gained from a difficult count would be beneficial. Hi-Lo is absolutely fine. Also, given it is an ace reckoned count, a side count of aces is unnecessary.

 

[Franklint]

Oh, cool, thanks for the correction guys. I've now created a basic strategy decision chart (as per the Blackjack School on this site), which I will soon turn into flashcards to aid my learning.

Thanks also for directions to the Monte Carlo and Maple rooms. I will be sure to check them out first when I move in in late February.

I'm glad the hi-lo will be sufficient, as I'd like to get it to the stage that it is completely automatic for me, rather than having to actively calculate as I go, which would no doubt get tiring after a few hours. I may then work on a more complicated count, depending on whether I'm netting a profit at blackjack. Do you find that you and your friends are consistently making money, or are you still only breaking even? Have the Crown's rules proven too difficult to beat?

Cheers,
Franklint

 

[Koz1984]

We have only been doing this for a few months now (as a team) and are currently up $1200, having peaked at around $3000. We have hit a bit of a bad run recently. It's good considering the comps we get too.