Lucky Seven Casinos in Seoul, Korea

[ortango]

Just wanted to drop a note to folks that three casinos opened up in South Korea in the past year. I know that sounds like no big deal but now the grand total is 12 Casinos in the country. After all, gambling is illegal for Korean citizens so only foreigners are allowed.

Three are in Seoul, one is 5 mins from my house so I have been frequenting it. The rules are surprisingly good for the complete lack of competition. The three are about 30 miles from each other, the other 9 being in Pusan or Cheju Island.

Anyway, for the Seven Luck Casino at the Hilton near my house:

Six Deck
Dealer stays on S17
Double anything
Surrender except on dealer ace
Resplits, DAS
and three 7's pay 3:2 and beat dealer's 21 like blackjack (btw, is this a normal rule? I didn't even know about it till someone got one)

Special Bonus: 4/5 of the dealers and waitresses are really gorgeous asian ladies, if that matters to anyone (I like it
Special Bonus 2: free drinks, free parking and free dried squid if you want it.. I'm serious, haha!

I'm pretty new to counting so sorry if the rules above look amaterishly described. Anyway, I like the rules since I usually play in Reno where they have some lame tables.

So, if anyone wants to come to Korea I'll be glad to guide you to them, just let me know.

 

[ScottH]

Special Bonus: 4/5 of the dealers and waitresses are really gorgeous asian ladies, if that matters to anyone (I like it

That's all I needed to hear! I wish I could go there!

 

[shogun]

I just found out my brother is likely moving to Seoul, so now I will definitely have to visit him. Anyone know anything about the legality of counting there? Measures employed by the casinos to stop counters?

 

[ortango]

Well, in my experience so far, there has not been much heat at all, though I'm kind of a chicken with my bets and don't flux much with my bets. The good news is, the crew is relatively inexperienced, a lot of the dealers seem brand new and some of the pit bosses look like they are out of high school.

The bad news is that most of the games they have running are on auto shufflers, which they play with about a deck at a time and shove into the machine, which Im assuming gets shuffled into the other decks constantly (is that correct? Im just guessing). However they always have at least one or two handshuffled tables going, which I'm assuming the counters flock to. I usually play it, but not always just to show em Im not dedicated to counting. Also I'm not the best judge but it looks like about 75% penetration.

Like I mentioned there is three, one at a Hilton in Northern Seoul, one at a Walker Hill in Eastern Seoul and one at the COEX Mall in Southern Seoul in about a 30 mile triangle. You can take a subway between them for a dollar each way. There are 8 casinos on the small Island of Cheju.

 

[poker]

8 decks not 6

There is 8 decks in Seoul not 6 unless they have gone to 6 decks since i was there 2 months ago.
I was barred from Walker's hill and half cut in the 2 seven lucks.
The seven lucks have a no barring policy from what i can see but will half cut you once you are detected.

 

[shogun]

There is 8 decks in Seoul not 6 unless they have gone to 6 decks since i was there 2 months ago.
I was barred from Walker's hill and half cut in the 2 seven lucks.
The seven lucks have a no barring policy from what i can see but will half cut you once you are detected.

By half cut do you mean "no more 21"? What are the table conditions like: # of decks (are there only 8-deck shoes?), rules, pene., table limits? Thanks for the input.

 

[poker]

Yes, 8 decks in all 3 casinos, halfcut means what it said cutting 4 decks out of 8, only if you are detected as skilled, normally 1.8 to 2 decks.
S10 and American rules applied, double on any 2 cards.
If you are detected as skilled in one of the seven luck, they pass infos to the other and they will cut at least 3 decks or 4.
No barring policy though maybe because its government owned.
Walkers hill always had 8 decks , seven luck started with 6 then changed to 8 when the other 7 luck open.
If you are Chinese, you have BIG advantage as they hardly get barred, American and Europeans do, do we look cleverer??
I know of a famous CC winning a fortune and not getting heat at all...he is Chinese.

 

[ortango]

Yes you are right, it is 8 deck, which I noticed after I posted the first time. Also, I really haven't seen many Chinese folks, the clientele is 90% Japanese or American.

Had a weird run this morning, took 200 with me and slowly lost it all, ending up with 5 white chips. Somehow I took that 5 dollars to over 350 in a crazy half hour, then lost it all back on a +5 true cut. What bugged me the most was the buffoonery there was on Sunday morning. I am by no means a great player but I saw over 5 people stand on S16 and below today, and as the evil blackjack laws declare a couple of them went on blackjack streaks. I really don't mind losing if I feel like I play right, except when a bunch of azz clowns around me are winning big.

Shogun, as for your questions, they are all 8 decks, mostly CSMs but always a couple shoe tables. There is always at least one $5, $10 and $50 min tables, regardless of the time of day. The rules are above on the first post.

 

[ortango]

Just for fun, I've logged how I fared for the last 2 weeks. I've been at Seven Luck 12 out of the last 14 days (yep, the wife is mad) but only for a couple hours at a time. I can't help it, its on the way to work! lol Amounts are in x1000 won, which is slightly more than a dollar each

July 13: +30
July 14: -180
July 15: +615
July 17: +403
July 18: -200
July 19: -460
July 20: -200
July 21: -195
July 22: +86
July 23: -215
July 25: +1100
July 27: -128

Total: +656

Doing okay so far, and getting pretty good at counting with a lot of practice. One thing I found out about the Casino YESTERDAY after two weeks. There is a restaurant on the actual floor with FREE FOOD. Yep, not snacks.. actual, restaurant style food and all that you can eat anytime. You can order from the game table and it is ready in 15 mins. I could live there if they had a place to sleep.

 

[ortango]

New BJ table

Seven Luck put up a sign yesterday for new BJ rules. The sign says ONLY the following in english, chinese and japanese, with no further information:

- Players BJ beats dealer Bj and pays 3:2
- Players hard 21 beats dealers 21
- Players soft 21 pushes dealers 21
- Players can double up to four times

Please don't ask what other rules, as this is the ONLY thing the sign says. They will offer one table with these rules starting on the 18th. No idea on betting limits or anything else.

Now... this is obviously too good to be true without some bad rules, but that is all the sign says. I'm expecting something like 6:5 or no DAS or some bullcrap. I'll keep you posted, and If it is somehow that good, I will let you know so I can see you all there! (That is if they haven't closed it already because of me).

 

[chichow]

any update on the seoul casinos?

still all 8 deck? if it is 6 deck I would consider going there from shanghai

 

[golfnuts]

any update on the seoul casinos?

still all 8 deck? if it is 6 deck I would consider going there from shanghai

Hi, chichow I live in Guangzhou and travel to Shanghai often. I stopped counting some ten years ago for business in China. I like your idea fm sh to Seoul...

 

[MacauData]

Would appreciate if there is any update on the Blackjack rule in Seoul. Do they still have shoe game left or just plainly CSM?

Data

 

[SleightOfHand]

Would appreciate if there is any update on the Blackjack rule in Seoul. Do they still have shoe game left or just plainly CSM?

Data

I played in Korea (I think it was the Walker-Hill Casino but I could be wrong) this last summer (although at the time I knew NOTHING about blackjack) but I recall it being played out of a shoe. No memory on rules or decks. Sorry for being so vague, I have terrible memory lol.

 

[MacauData]

I played in Korea (I think it was the Walker-Hill Casino but I could be wrong) this last summer (although at the time I knew NOTHING about blackjack) but I recall it being played out of a shoe. No memory on rules or decks. Sorry for being so vague, I have terrible memory lol.

Thanks, Sleight! Judging from previous post, they have both CSM and Shoe games available. The BJ rule is OK except didn't offer early surrender with 8 decks. They will spot advantage player and barred them with half cut. Will these still hold true by now? Also will 7 luck have similar rules to Walker Hill.

Data

 

[ortango]

Seven Luck Casino

"Judging from previous post, they have both CSM and Shoe games available. The BJ rule is OK except didn't offer early surrender with 8 decks.

I have played over a thousand hours at Seven Luck Casino. They moved to six decks about 8 months ago. All the $2-10 tables are CSMs and the 4-5 shoes are all $50-100. Occasionally a $10 shoe opens up. Yes, all good rules, late surrender, DAS, etc.

"They will spot advantage player and barred them with half cut."

They have never barred me or ever given me less than 70% penetration, usually about 80%. They will NOT spot an advantage player. I have been backed in less than 30 mins in the states, and I am going on two years at this casino.

 

[jerseyshop101]

"Judging from previous post, they have both CSM and Shoe games available. The BJ rule is OK except didn't offer early surrender with 8 decks.

I have played over a thousand hours at Seven Luck Casino. They moved to six decks about 8 months ago. All the $2-10 tables are CSMs and the 4-5 shoes are all $50-100. Occasionally a $10 shoe opens up. Yes, all good rules, late surrender, DAS, etc.

"They will spot advantage player and barred them with half cut."

They have never barred me or ever given me less than 70% penetration, usually about 80%. They will NOT spot an advantage player. I have been backed in less than 30 mins in the states, and I am going on two years at this casino.

Ortango,

I just went their last Friday to play carribean stud, got a fullhouse early and made 2700 playing 4 hours. I found this site trying to find info on spanish bj. I was surprised when all the big bettor at the table could tell me was that they took all the tens out. I'm staying at the dragon for a couple days so I will be playing tomorrow afternoon and Thursday.

If you're around, I'd like to link up and learn from you or just say hi. As you know, Americans are easy to find there, I will be wearing a Yankees cap.

 

[ortango]

Jersey,

Unfortunately, I don't live close enough to Seoul to go too often like I used to, though I try to make it up there once a week. But if there is anything you can take from me, it should be that Carribean Stud is a losing game, with very bad odds and you will lose to it.

Secondly, I would not recommend trying to learn Spanish BJ, trust me, I tried. Not only would you have to learn an entire different system and indexes, there is very little literature to work with. Arnold Snyder's Big Book of Blackjack has a chapter on beating Spanish 21, but it is limited and he recommends totally avoiding it if you have access to regular BJ. I would strongly advise the same.

As far as learning more, this website is a great resource in itself.

-Ortango

 

[jerseyshop101]

Ortango,

I got there late and could only play that one night, and I must of picked the midweek tourist night as all lower limit tables were full, definitely didn't want to play at the 100,000 won min table. Even at the stud tables and 3 card poker mostly full, and the only open seats had chips still on the table. :{ I picked a bad night to go.

I work on Osan, so i don't get to Seoul much. The train ride is nice though, I always use the train's massage chair and internet- makes the 50 minute ride go fast.

Whatcha think about that won rate now?, 1500 yesterday , Wow.! More chips to play with

I'll take your advice, learn from here and stay away from those -ev games like stud.

Thanks.

 

[DonMacky]

All Straight Shoes

All straight shoes - I'm not sure if that's the right phrase or terminology but I wanted to add that Seven Luck Casino at the Hilton has completely gotten rid of the automatic shuffling machines on all tables, even the $10 tables have the clear shoe.

Unfortunately they have gotten rid of the $5.00 table, which a lot of people loved.

P.S. Also wanted to say too that the food and drinks there are fantastic! But on a down side, why is it so eerily quiet?