Just returned from Denver and headed out to Blackhawk for a couple of hours to check out the gaming. It's not Vegas but it's not too bad either. Since we were only there for a couple of hours, we only got a look at the Isle of Capri and the Riviera. Both are right next to each other.

First, the Isle of Capri advertises as the largest casino in Colorado. Boy are they hurting if this is true. This casino can't be any larger than the San Remo or HI Boardwalk casino. Still, it's a nice, well lit casino with bright colors. Best thing was hearing those slot machines. Decent slot club with a $10 vouchure sent to you if you play at least $10. We did of course.

The Riviera appeared to me to be about the same size and had a little more of a Vegas feel to it. Unfortunately we didn't have time to play there as our time was limited. We did sign up for the slot club and ran $2 through a machine to activate it. One thing about their machines, you can put your card in but the machine doesn't want to give it back. Guess we didn't play enough.

Isle of Capri is building a 240 room hotel which is supposed to be completed in 6/2000. I'm hoping to get an offer from them in the mail. I would like to spend a couple of nights there in order to better check it, and the others out.

Strictly low stakes in Colorado. Largest bet allowed is $5 so no problem finding the $5 tables. I didn't see a lot of table games though. At that rate neither the casio or the gambler can make any money. It may be a good place to practice playing basic strategy or card tracking though. Tough to lose much money while you learn this way.

The slots seemed pretty tight to me. At one car carousel, I noted the last time it was hit was 6/12/99. Caeser's gives away a mustang a week. Isle of Capri gives away a car every 6 + months? Not much incentive to play that one. They have a lot of triple play VP machines at Isle of Capri but I didn't get a chance ot look at the pay tables.

One other observation was that there seemed to be a lot of people with a gambling problem. Maybe it's just me but we saw many people playing 2 and 3 machines as fast as they could play. How do they figure to win any money that way? I've never known anyone to get rich playing slots and have only heard of a few BIG winners. While I see this in Vegas, it was much more prevelant here. Some banks of machines you couldn't even play because one or two people were occupying the entire bank. Sort of gave me a depressed feeling.

Drink service was nonexsistant. Was never offered a drink in the one hour we were there. I only saw 2 waitress's for the entire casino. Food selection was poor as well at Isle of Capri. The big item on the buffet was peel and eat shrimp. Price was $15.95. To rich for my blood. They also had some kind of snack bar looking thing but I didn't check it out.

We had been in Blackhawk before the current gold rush. The town isn't the same. It used to be a charming, tourist town with some old west atmosphere. Now it's becoming a miny Vegas without all the Vegas trappings.

Will we go back? Now that's the big question for the casino's isn't it? The answer is both yes and no. Yes, because I can practice BJ at low stakes to prepare for Vegas and because my father and mother-in-law live in Denver. I might also stop in if I were skiing and it was close enough for a little entertainment at night. Since I'm not a skier, that won't happen with me. No, I would not make a special trip to Denver for the gaming offered there. The stakes are to low, the selection to thin, and there's not enough of what makes Vegas great to divert me from Vegas.

Since Vanguard airline got us to Denver for $69 RT (from KC). I might consider going back more often IF the airfare stays that low, but only for a couple of nights. Without family in Denver, we might not even make the trip with the low airfare. It would be more of desperation and trying to appease the Vegas fix.

It will be interesting to see if they start offering gambling junkets like Elko NV. Elko offers RT airfare and 2 nights lodging for $80pp from Wichita. If they did that, then yes I would go more often.

Thanks for the timely report, Doug. The Riviera just had its soft opening about 2 weeks ago. Did you notice what type of entertainment is scheduled in their showroom?

What type of blackjack rules do those $5 tables use? I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at your description of the folks playing 2 or 3 slots as fast as they could. Back in 1990, I started to put my money into the end machine at a dollar carosel in Binions and was chased off by a fellow playing all six machines. I went to the other side of the carosel and hit the progressive jackpot about 2 minutes later. Discretion won out, but I really wanted to go back and thank that man<g>.

We were in and out so fast I didn't pay attention to the rules. Talked with a friend who is a big blackjack player and he said they had funny rules. I don't know what he ment by that but I do know he prefers not to plays there. Could be becuase he plays a min. of $25/hand.

Never noticed the entertainment at the Riv. We only stopped in to get a slot club card because it was across from the Isle of Capri. I was surprised to read the even had a showroom. The entire place is really small.