A Video Poker and Electronic Table Game Playing Guide 

Sarah Swanepoel

This article discusses the best video poker games available in Black Hawk casinos. It also includes a compilation of all of the electronic table games that are currently available on the market. 

The information was gathered in October 2021. It was discovered in our newsletter “Colorado Advantage,” which also includes a list of all the table games and video poker machines found in Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek casinos. The newsletter includes maps that show the exact location of each game. 

You can get a copy of the newsletter for $2 right here. You can get a copy of the newsletter here so that you have all of the information in one place while also contributing to Colorado Advantage. 

Video poker in Black Hawk 

We were able to play nine different types of video poker during our visit to the casinos in Black Hawk, Colorado. The table below shows the theoretical payback percentages assuming that the player is using the perfect strategy and betting five coins. 

Progressive games show the return amount before taking the meters into account. The full house and flush payouts are the two numbers used in games where wildcards are not used. If you’re playing Deuces Wild, it’s for five of a kind or a straight flush. 

  • Bonus Poker Deluxe 9/6 (99.64 percent ) 
  • Triple Double Bonus 9/7 (99.58 percent ) 
  • Jacks or Better 9/6 (99.54 percent ) 
  • Bonus Poker 8/5 (99.17 percent ) 
  • Double Bonus 9/7 (99.11 percent ) 
  • Bonus 9/6 Double Double (98.98 percent ) 
  • Deuces Wild 15/9 (98.91 percent ) 
  • Triple Bonus Plus 8/5 (98.73 percent ) 
  • Eight White Hot Aces out of five (98.5 percent ) 
  • Bonus Poker Deluxe 8/6 (with a progressive, 98.49 percent ) 
  • Jacks or Better 9/5 (98.45 percent ) 
  • Double Double Bonus 9/5 (with a progressive, 97.87 percent ) 

Ameristar 

8/5 Bonus Poker is our favorite video poker game at Ameristar. It is available in the denominations of a quarter, a half-dollar, and a dollar. These slot machines are located near the blackjack table area, against the wall. This bank also includes the 9/7 Double Bonus, the 9/6 Double Double Bonus, and the 15/9 Deuces Wild. There are Jacks or Better games that pay 9/6. The payout for a royal flush, on the other hand, is only 250:1. 

The wagering requirements for the high limit slots are $5 for the 9/6 Double Double Bonus and $8 for the 8/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe, both of which contribute to a progressive. These machines feature games with a $10 denomination that do not have a progressive jackpot. 

Bally’s 

Our top recommendation is the 8/5 Bonus Poker game at Bally’s Black Hawk, where players can wager as little as a quarter or as much as $5. It was previously part of the Golden Mardi Gras property. Bull Durham has a casino and a saloon. This establishment had no noteworthy video poker machines. 

Gilpin 

Gilpin’s quarter 9/5 Double Double Bonus has five progressives and is available to players. The $5 and $10 versions of 8/5 Bonus Poker, as well as the $5 versions of 9/7 Double Bonus, 9/6 Double Double Bonus, and 15/9 Deuces Wild, are also available. The $5 games are located in the bar. 

Casino Isle 

Some of the great Lady Luck machines were transferred from the other casino when the O’Sheas table game area was created in the Isle Casino’s upstairs video poker section. The best games we’ve found include 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe (which can be played for $1 or $5), 9/7 Triple Double Bonus, 9/6 Jacks or Better, and 8/5 Bonus Poker, 9/7 Double Bonus, and 9/6 Double Double Bonus. These table games are nearby the baccarat table. The previous three games, as well as 15/9 Deuces Wild, can be found on machines near the baccarat tables. 

Lady Fortune 

At Lady Luck, you can select from a wide range of high-quality video poker games for $1 or $5. The 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe is our favorite. 9/7 Triple Double Bonus, 9/6 Jacks or Better, 8/5 Bonus Poker, 9/7 Double Bonus, and 9/6 Double Double Bonus are among the other games available. 9/7 Double Bonus and 9/6 Double Double Bonus are two other games. These games can be found on the upper level, in the room dubbed O’Sheas. 

Lodge 

We recommend playing the 9/6 Double Double Bonus game at Lodge Casino. This game costs a half dollar, five dollars, or ten dollars to play on the main floor, and one dollar and five dollars to play at the sportsbook bar. The $ 5-floor game includes a progressive jackpot. 

Monarch 

We looked for the Not-so-ugly-deuces and 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe games during our 2020 trip to Monarch, but we were unsuccessful. Even though it was crowded and some of the machines were possibly in use, we were able to use almost all of the banks. We discovered that $1 9/6 Jacks or Better provided the best odds. 8/5 Triple Bonus Plus, 9/7 Double Bonus, 9/6 Double Double Bonus, 8/5 Bonus Poker, and 9/6 Double Double Bonus are some of the other games that use that denomination. 

Saratoga 

In the video poker section, there are two enjoyable games. A progressive jackpot is available for four aces and a royal flush, as well as a 9/7 Double Bonus. In the 9/6 Double Double, there is a progressive for a royal flush. 9/5 Jacks or Better, which can be played with quarters, half dollars, and dollars, is our favorite game to play in the bar. The value of one dollar rises gradually. 

Sasquatch 

The main bar has a variety of video poker machines. Some casinos have $1 9/6 Double Double Bonus, 15/9 Deuces Wild, and 9/5 Jacks or Better games. 

The Wild Card Saloon is here! 

The casino offers wagering options like $1 9/6 Double Double Bonus and 15/9 Deuces Wild. It’s worth noting that this casino refers to itself as a tobacco shop to justify its policy of allowing customers to smoke inside. Although a few casinos in Black Hawk have smoking patios with slot machines, this is the only casino in Black Hawk that allows smoking inside. 

Casino Z 

We were able to play $1 Jacks or Better 9/6, which had a lower payout for a royal flush, 8/5 Bonus Poker, and 9/6 Double Double Bonus at Z Casino. The information on the video poker pay table displayed earlier was sourced in part from the website The Wizard of Odds. 

Black Hawk created electronic table games

We looked at the various electronic table games that were available during our time in Black Hawk. We discovered primarily three types of electronic games. With heads-up machines, players can have their own unique experience. The outcome is solely determined by the roll of the dice, the cards, or the spin of the wheel. In video table games, multiple players can compete at the same time. 

The stadium table games include video stations, and live dealers are available in some locations. It is possible to play multiple games at the same time. The speed of the other players influences the overall game speed when playing video games or in a stadium setting. 

Baccarat 

Players had access to both a life and a video version of baccarat. They demanded a ten-dollar minimum bet. The maximum wager allowed at Ameristar and Isle was $100, but the maximum at the Lodge was $2000. The Casino Wizard machines at Saratoga and Z Casino both have a heads-up version of the game. These games have a one-dollar minimum wager and a three-hundred-dollar maximum wager. 

The Big Wheel 

Big Wheel (Big Six) was playable in its stadium format with a maximum wager of one hundred dollars. The minimum bet at Ameristar was $1, while the minimum bet at Isle was $3. 

Blackjack 

Depending on the casino, blackjack can be played in either a heads-up or stadium format. The slot machines we discovered at Lady Luck and Isle Casino paid out 6:5 on blackjack with a minimum wager of $5. We discovered heads-up 3:2 machines at Ameristar, Bally’s (within the former Mardi Gras premises), and Monarch, all of which required a $3 minimum wager. The maximum bet at Bally’s was $230, while it was $625 at the other casinos. Stadium 3:2 could be purchased for $5 at the Lodge and $10 at Ameristar. The maximum bet was $4,000, with a maximum payout of $230. Blackjack is available in both the Saratoga and Z Casinos on the heads-up Casino Wizard machines. To play blackjack, you must place a minimum bet of $3. Blackjack paid out at a 6:5 ratio on the machines we discovered. The maximum possible bet is $300. 

Craps 

Both the Ameristar and Monarch casinos had video craps machines on the floor during our visit, but they were not operational. The required minimum bet to play the Heads Up machines at both Z Casino and Bally’s was only $1. (inside the former Mardi Gras). Others required a $5 minimum wager to participate. The maximum wager allowed on Bally’s machines was $2,000, while the maximum wager allowed on the other machines was $1,000. The Saratoga and Z Casino Casino Wizard machines both have a heads-up version, with bets ranging from one dollar to three hundred dollars. 

Roulette 

Roulette with a double zero bet comes in three flavors: heads up, stadium, and video. The Z Casino allows you to bet as little as $0.25. The minimum bet allowed at Ameristar, Bally’s (located inside the building that formerly housed Mardi Gras), and Monarch are $0.50. A $5 minimum bet was required for both the live dealer version of Stadium and the video version found at Isle Casino. Lady Luck’s video 00 roulette game costs ten dollars to play. The maximum bet at Bally’s was $200, while it was $5,000 at Z Casino. The other players’ maximum bet was $10,000. It is also available as a heads-up game on the Casino Wizard machines at Saratoga and Z Casino, with a one-dollar minimum bet and a three-hundred-dollar maximum wager. 

Sic Bo 

Heads up Sic Bo is a one-of-a-kind installation. The item is carried and sold by Monarch. On the heads-up of Sic Bo machines, the minimum bet was one dollar. The maximum permitted was $100. 

Poker with 3 Cards 

Stadium Three Card Poker was another unexpected discovery. We were able to find it at the Lodge Casino. The minimum amount was $5, and the maximum amount was $2000.

Sleeping comes so naturally to me that I can do it with both of my eyes closed.