Colorado-Vegas-Bahamas

[Ben RosenthalKeymaster]

My three destinations in the month ahead. I’ll report back on how they are. I haven’t been to Colorado before, and Vegas is always extremely competitive but still beatable (and fun!). The Bahamas doesn’t have tons, but I usually do pretty well there (Baha Mar and Atlantis).

[NickelsParticipant]

It’s been a little while since I’ve been to Colorado for AP. But stay hydrated and prepare for lots of walking at high altitudes, Black Hawk/Central City is something like 8,000ft above sea level. and it’s mostly a walking type of town, it would be really tedious to drive around to all the parking lots. I don’t know where you’re staying, but parking at Bally’s is usually a good option since it’s pretty centrally located.

Notes from my last visit; Ameristar was pretty barren, Lodge was mildly paranoid about slot hustling and Monarch tends to get new games early from IGT.

I do know that Black Hawk tends to be a lower RTP market compared to some other destinations.

That’s from over a year ago though, no notes on Cripple Creek. There are two tribal casinos that often get overlooked down in the four corners area, but it’s pretty far out of the way for a short visit to Colorado.

[Ben RosenthalKeymaster]

Great stuff. Thanks for the primer.

[Nickels]

On Nickels said

There are two tribal casinos that often get overlooked down in the four corners area, but it’s pretty far out of the way for a short visit to Colorado.

Out of the way. Usually much easier to find a play with less competition.

[Ben RosenthalKeymaster]

That can often be the case for sure. I’ll be gambling most of the trip, so I’ll try to check out as many casinos as I can when I’m there.

[Ben RosenthalKeymaster]

Lots of fun games in Colorado on the first day. Many I haven’t seen in a long time. I’ll have some new write-ups next week. There’s competition, but there’s plenty of opportunity out here. I’ll have more detailed notes and videos on the casinos here next week.

[NickelsParticipant]

@Countgr8 Yup, that is the upside. The downside is that if there’s an AP in the area, then that can end up being a lot of driving for naught. There are pros and cons for sure.

 

[TroyParticipant]

I have friends who I used to cruise with a lot tell me that their last few experiences at Baja Mar have not been good. Supposedly the slot attendants themselves will put playable machines out of service until their friend shows up to play them off.

[Ben RosenthalKeymaster]

That’s wild. Baha Mar has so few AP slots these days too. The slot attendants I’ve encountered in the Bahamas seem oblivious to AP, but maybe that’s just a facade and they’re secretly scoping the place out!

[Ben RosenthalKeymaster]

I’ll have videos for all of the casinos in Black Hawk, Colorado, in the days ahead. I’ll put them in the Blog section, along with write-ups of each with more specifics than I’ll have here. Overall, I thought the place was solid if you’re going strictly for slots, but I probably wouldn’t make another trip of it (despite how picturesque everything was built into the mountains).

There was a fair bit of competition at the casinos of substance, particularly at Monarch. Nothing like Las Vegas, of course, but then again nothing is like Las Vegas on a competitive level. Black Hawk had a few rare games you won’t find at most venues, and I was finding plays on many of those games (see New Games thread).

If you do go, I’d suggest going in a Monarch-Ameristar-Lodge-Bally’s loop. The other casinos didn’t have a whole lot, though I was still stopping at all of them at least once per day.

Also, make sure you book a ride back to the airport in advance, particularly if you have a morning flight. Taxis and Uber/Lyft are very hard to come by, and it’s over an hour to get to the main airport in Denver.

[Ben RosenthalKeymaster]

I’ll have a bunch of new content next week when I get back from Las Vegas. I still need to properly add all the entries from Colorado to the Condensed doc too. Las Vegas is very competitive (probably the most competitive in the world for slots), but there’s plenty of opportunity out there, especially if you get off the Strip.

[mb23Participant]

I’ll be in the Bahamas in a couple of weeks, so I’d be interested to hear what opportunities are there.

[Ben RosenthalKeymaster]

You got it. I have slot tours of the two casinos there, shot not too long ago. Not much has changed at either.

Baha Mar Bahamas Advantage Slot Tour

Atlantis Bahamas Advantage Slot Tour

Atlantis has many more advantage games, but it also has more competition since it’s close to the port where all the cruise ships come in with folks who will check while they’re docked. So figure that 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. window is going to be tough at Atlantis. The best time is often 10 p.m. and later at Atlantis, though I know not everyone is going strictly for slots, and sleep is important too haha. More competition will also be at the hotel in Atlantis, as it’s damn hard to get a comp at Baha Mar as an advantage player since there’s hardly anything to show action on. Atlantis also goes by duration on the machines more than strictly coin in, so that’s an annoying thing to keep in mind if you’re trying to keep up on comps. Baha Mar does have a few solid options in high limit, but not a whole lot else. I usually go to Baha Mar once or twice per day via bike (it’s $30 one-way by taxi). I bring my own foldable bike, and if you’re into bikes, I highly recommend Cycles Bahamas (20-minute walk from Atlantis).

Otherwise, I would recommend the food trucks about five minutes outside of Atlantis (still on Paradise Island). I attached a photo of my favorite. I find most of the food at Atlantis overpriced and awful, especially the pizza. The Chinese place over the bridge is also cheap and solid, though the area is a little sketchy.

One other thing: The hosts at Atlantis make it tough. You really need to ride them. I ask for everything: resort fees waived, more slot play, etc. It depends on who you get, and they are all looking to say “no.” If you badger them enough and show a good amount of action, they will often waive the resort fees, which aren’t cheap. But they won’t do this unless you ask.

One other thing: If you’re looking for deals on anything, get away from Paradise Island. The coconuts, for instance, are close to $20! If you get a couple of miles up the road, it’s the same size for $5. That’s one example of many, and it’s pretty much the case at any tourist hot spot.

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[mb23Participant]

This is awesome! Thank you so much for the reply.

[Ben RosenthalKeymaster]

Atlantis is all the same. Baha Mar added six Magic Treasures in a primo location. Also added three Magic Treasures Gold. Did pull three Regal Riches, but they were in a lower-traffic area. That’s a definite improvement.

Just smashed a Magic Treasures there about 30 minutes ago (see other post in slot wins).

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