Last time I was in Las Vegas, I noticed more and more casinos offering 6 to 5 for a blackjack payoff and I never heard or saw a single player even complain.

In fact I was probably the only "complainer" in Las Vegas that entire week! And I took advantage of every opportunity I had to complain good and loud with the right people on the casino floor.

In fact, I don't think that many of these present blackjack players are even aware that they should be receiving 3 to 2 when they get that blackjack. They just get real excited and take that six for a five dollar bet.

According to some of the old time Las Vegas players I know; it's the biggest rip-off a casino can legally commit without fear of offending the Games Commission.

Now the following may not be a "rip-off" but it will show you what the casinos are doing to increase their bottom line. And when they do stuff like this, you can be sure that they are doing some tightening up on their in residence one armed bandits. .....

Up till recently each casino shared their Wheel of Fortune slot profits with the Wheel of Fortune slot manufacturer. Now Harrah's is removing any and all slots that are installed within the casino on this so called "Sharing Program".

That's another good way to increase the bottom line but if a casino changes its modus operandi with an important supplier and creates bad will in the process, don't you tend to wonder what they are doing to YOU to increase that same bottom line?

I'll wrap it up by saying this ........ Until recently I was playing various slot machines on and off the Strip for about a continuous two-year period. When you play that long you start to realize where you continuously win a little and where you continuously lose a lot. You also come to learn how long you can sit at a slot machine before you spend your entire gambling bankroll.

I always seemed to be lucky just about each time I played the slots in the Palms or at the Orleans and most definitely at Ellis Island and a couple of the other local hotels. But no matter how many times I played at one of the Strip casinos or no matter how many guests I took to the Strip casinos, no one ever came out a winner or even managed to hit a decent jackpot.

Based on my personal experience I suggest three things for anyone planning a trip to Las Vegas:

A. Play the slots in casinos off the Strip. You may not win, but you'll play a heck of a lot longer and have a better chance at doubling your investment at least.

B. Avoid all casinos that don't pay 3 to 2 for blackjacks no matter how many decks they play with.

C. And don't drink martinis in a plastic cup.

And maybe a fourth,,,, Go see Fat Elvis at Bill's. He's still singing his heart out and everyone leaves happier than when they went inside.

I knew Ballys took out the "shared revenue". I know MGM was seriously looking at it. Are you saying the Harrah's empire or the one Harrah's casino here is dumping it?

Don't ask me why it took almost a month before I saw this post, sorry.

My 2 cents (worth only 1.5 cents on the strip) on your suggestions

A - I know this is common sense, if you look at the payback percentages posted - someplace(?) it shows a higher payback off strip. But odds are odds - my two biggest wins have been at the Mirage and Flamingo.

B. Does this mean I can only play at the Fallsview Casino in Canada? It seems thats one of the few places still offering 3 2 (but Im not a blackjack player, so I really don't know...)

C - Absolutely! (and, just because it has vodka and some sort of flavor, and is usually served in a martini glass doesn't make it a martini. But those lemon drops sure are tasty.)

Most casinos have house machines that are indistinguishable from "Wheel of Fortune" machines other than they don't shout "Wheel of Fortune". Unless one has a Vanna White or Pat Sajak obsession, it should not make much difference.
If you assume that the house is planning a certain return then not sharing with another concern nominally improves the deal for the player. Less overhead for the casino, presumably gets shared between casino and customer.

The no plastic glass for martinis is a real good rule. The high alcohol content can leach the plasticizers out of the plastic.

Eric