Four Queens

You’ll either love it here or hate it here.   I rank these tables in my all-time Top Five in the WORLD for primary-set on-axis dice performance.   They are simply spectacular.

However, if you are part of a dice-setting “team”, or they suspect that you are part of some grassy-knoll-group of skilled dice-conspirators; then you can be totally assured that you and your compadrés will be treated like pure c-r-a-p. 

While the dealers and box-man treat most players with jaded indifference, they have a particular hard-on for members of a certain dice-setting religion.  I’m told that this policy is due to large flocks of newly-graduated disciples who descended on the 4Q tables, and didn’t show any kind of mature restraint when it came to “raiding the bank” over the past couple of years.  There is always a price to be paid when unbridled greed is allowed to rule the day.

Nowadays, the casino-troops keep a sharp eye out for organized teams who descend on their tables, en-masse.   Even if you are alone, but you handle the dice or shoot like one of their “one-set, one toss” brethren, then you can expect a decidedly frosty, “let’s-distract-and-aggravate-the-player-while-he-is-shooting” reception from all table-staff. 

I want to send out a big wet and sloppy kiss of thanks to those who took a nice long piss in this particular sweet-water well of Precision-Shooting profit. 

To those disciples who haven’t had a chance to drink from this fount…well all I can tell you is that when your anointed patriarchal-leader hands you a tall glass of purple Kool-Aid, you might want to take a pass on it.  It’s usually a good idea to THINK before you mindlessly drink it all in.  Blind devotion and a “don’t-worry-the-casinos-will-never-catch-on-to-what-we’re-doing” attitude may be harmful to your Precision-Shooting future.

You can read all about that entire subject in my two Okay, Who Cooked the Golden Goose? articles.

At the Four Queens, you will find 10x-Odds, relatively low rails (2.5” lower than normal, just like a couple of Fremont Hotel-Casino tables) and two tables that are near-perfect in their neutral, non-splattering dice-reactions.

I toke a little more generously at 4Q's, especially if I am a solo player.  There is a sweet spot (actually a sweet "band") that is about four to eight inches from the back-wall.  The "band" extends almost from the deep outside corner of the table to just past the middle of the table.  Again, this is a four-inch wide band that is about 4" to 8” from the back wall, and forms a two-foot long strip of Precision-Shooting perfection. 

Minimal backspin and a low landing-angle (25 to 30 degrees) generally brings in consistent on-axis, primary-set performance in the 85% to 90% range for me on the table that is parallel to the stairs leading to Burger King.

If your fine lady accompanies you on your next dice adventure, I would heartily recommend Hugo's Cellar for dinner.  It’s not just the long-stemmed rose that each lady receives, and it’s not just because they have table-side cooking or made-to-your-wishes salads; it’s because the food is superb and the service is impeccable.

Suncoast

From the day it opened, their four $2 tables have only offered 2X-Odds.  While that may be a turn-off for some folks, the real attraction at Suncoast Hotel-Casino is the good-rolling tables.

Although they seem too long to suit most people’s tastes, they actually roll like they are much, much shorter.  This is due to a very thin and forgiving underlay beneath the felt.  When you press your fingertips into it, you’ll barely notice that it is there, but the deadening-effect on the dice is definitely noticeable. 

When you first toss, you will think that the table-felt is too “lively”, but in fact, it is just the opposite.  Because of the table-length, people have a tendency to “over-throw” the dice with too much energy, and the dice react as though they have been hurled by a random-rolling Major League pitcher. 

If you s-l-o-w down your throw, all of a sudden you’ll find that this isn’t the wild-monkeys-having-sex kind of table that you thought it was.  In fact, it is quite tame when you take about 50% of the heat out of your normal throw.  By “normal”, I mean that you can throw the dice like you are on a 12-foot table, despite it’s nearly 18-foot actual length.  The one piece of advice that I would give to you is, “Don’t worry, the dice WILL reach the back-wall.”

Orleans

This is one of the sister casinos to the Suncoast.  It’s a busy craps joint that has a tendency to “sweat” the money BIG TIME! 

All of the west-side locals flock to this place.  I’m pretty sure that each one of them is a shareholder of RJ Reynolds, British-American Tobacco, Brown & Williamson, Lorillard, Commonwealth Brands, Liggett Group, and Philip Morris because their cigarette consumption alone pretty much guarantees a steady stock-price in those companies for the foreseeable future.  This is one smoky casino, especially during prime “local-player” hours from 11 am to 11 pm.

You will find their half-dozen craps tables set at the $2 mark.  Again, in keeping with Coast Casinos policy, they only offer 2x-Odds.  I do not play here very often because the tables are almost always busy, and the dice don’t advance around the table very quickly. 

There are lots of “regulars” who have their mail forwarded to their very own personal zip-code positions at the rail.  Your favorite spot is also usually their favorite spot, which leads to very little player-position turnover.

The tables here roll fairly smoothly, but new felt-layouts age rapidly due to a clientele that doesn’t seem to wash their hands with any sort of hygienic frequency.

One other thing that newcomers find un-nerving at Orleans is the non-stop PA announcements.   Many people liken it to gambling in a busy bus station.

In “Part Three”, we’ll continue our review of fourteen more $2 craps-destinations.   Until then,

Good Luck & Good Skill at those cheap tables…and in Life.