Two weeks ago I was sent to China for 10 days to work. I got my job done in 8 days and had 2 days to screw around. Since I was an hour north of the Asian Las Vegas (Macau), I made the pilgrimage and stayed there for two nights at the Venetian.
Macau is split up into two islands -- the north island (Macau) is the larger of the two and is home of many of the "native" casinos along with some new ones that are being/were built -- such as the Wynn and MGM Grand. The south island (Taipa/Coloane) has what is known as the "Cotai Strip" -- an upcoming area that currently has the Venetian and will soon have Four Seasons and a few others.
Gambling here is very interesting. It is very similar to United States casinos in that it's a shitload of slot machines with gaming tables in the center. The Venetian, for instance, had 850 tables for games. There were about 30 blackjack tables, 100 Casino War tables, 400 or so Baccarat tables, and assorted Sic Bo and Roulette Tables filled up the rest. There are no Pai Gow tables, oddly enough. Also gone are games like Let It Ride, Craps, Three Card Poker, etc. They do have a few Caribbean Stud Poker games, though.
The resort casinos in Macau are about 97% Asian, 3% other. Also, nobody there drinks. I went 1 1/2 whole days there gambling and did not see a single drink (and therefore assumed it was not allowed) in anyone's hands. On the last night, I sat with an American and he ordered a Gin & Tonic for free and I got pissed knowing that I wasted 1 1/2 nights sober.
Currency is in Hong Kong dollars. Table minimums are $100+ HKD. That's about $13 US. Because Asia is the land of counterfeiting, the casino chips at the newer casinos are space-age like. They're normal chips with hologramed insets. Also, the chips have UV dye on them, so every time you buy-in or cash out, they run a small UV light over each chip to make sure it's valid.
I can't think of anything else to talk about so here is a slideshow of the areas. Feel free to ask any questions or discuss anything in the pictures.
Slideshow here (http://picasaweb.google.com/officersavko/Macau)
Red Dog
12-03-07, 07:12 PM
On the last night, I sat with an American and he ordered a Gin & Tonic for free and I got pissed knowing that I wasted 1 1/2 nights sober.
:lol: Can't hurt to ask.
I'd love to go to Macau some time. I think it's hilarious that they don't have Pai Gow Poker there. How about Pai Gow tiles? The minimums aren't as high as I imagined they would be.
El Scorcho
12-03-07, 07:21 PM
No Pai Gow tiles either. They are hell bent on pissing their time away at coin-flip games like Baccarat or War. I guess they just like to keep it to under 2 cards.
I played War for about 15 minutes. I got excited when I got dealt a 2 and ended up tying the dealer and going to war. He then threw me a 3 and him a 4. :lol:
Let it be known, though, that I was there from Sunday afternoon to Tuesday morning. Even the $100 HKD tables were scarce, as most of the action was at $200 HKD.
If you are going to go to Macau, I suggest waiting 2 years for everything to finish being built. Right now it's very similar to early-1990s Las Vegas -- A handful of casinos that had been around a while and many resort-casinos still in progress.
Oh, Macau was also a portugese colony until 1999 when they gave it back to China, so there is a big time Portugese-Chinese-Western melting pot of culture there. It's very cool.
Gambit
12-04-07, 01:40 AM
I had visited there a while back, when the only had the native casinos and it was crowded as hell. Do they still do the thing where players stand behind you and place their bets on top of yours? Or is it open enough now that they don't need to do that anymore?
El Scorcho
12-04-07, 03:31 AM
That's one thing I forgot to mention -- there are a *lot* of other players betting on your own blackjack hands. It may not be as crowded as it was when you were there, Gambit, but it's crowded enough on a weeknight to routinely have 3-4 people observing the table behind you and putting in bets on your hand(s) whenever they see you running well. There were multiple occasions of me winning 3-4 hands in a row and then suddenly, there are bets from spectators behind my hand.
There were plenty of spaces for the spectators to play, too. However, I think many are somewhat superstitious and prefer to gamble on others' hands and not their own if they sat down.
Red Dog
12-04-07, 10:04 AM
I had visited there a while back, when the only had the native casinos and it was crowded as hell. Do they still do the thing where players stand behind you and place their bets on top of yours? Or is it open enough now that they don't need to do that anymore?
I saw that at Mohegan Sun once several years ago. I didn't really pay attention but how does that work for splits and doubles? I assume the person sitting plays the hand the way they want to play it. If they split, do the spectator players have to put extra money up too?
El Scorcho
12-04-07, 01:02 PM
I saw that at Mohegan Sun once several years ago. I didn't really pay attention but how does that work for splits and doubles? I assume the person sitting plays the hand the way they want to play it. If they split, do the spectator players have to put extra money up too?
Yep, the backer has to match all splits and doubles.
At one point I think I was dealt a marginal hand (16 vs 7) when I had 100 HKD on the table and my backer had 1500. I asked him what he wanted to do. :lol:
He said it was up to me. So I hit and nailed my 26.
Deftones
12-04-07, 01:28 PM
Did you bring back some avian flu?
nevermind
12-04-07, 01:32 PM
He said it was up to me. So I hit and nailed my 26.
:lol: awesome.
atari2600
12-04-07, 01:57 PM
the venetian room looks exactly like a venetian room in vegas. im guessing thats not a coincidence :lol:
Liver&Onions
12-04-07, 02:00 PM
the venetian room looks exactly like a venetian room in vegas. im guessing thats not a coincidence :lol:
That makes me sad :(
atari2600
12-04-07, 02:16 PM
why?
El Scorcho
12-04-07, 04:04 PM
Also, just so you know (and I'm sure you're dying to know) -- In Macau, drivers drive on the left side of the road, since it was a Portugese territory/colony/whatever until 1999.
But what I'm sure you didn't think of is that escalators are reversed too. Up escalators are on the left, down on the right.
Also in the pictures you'll see just how horribly designed the MGM Grand is. Three rectangular boxes, different colors, all stacked on top of one another. WTF?
Deftones
12-04-07, 05:44 PM
the venetian room looks exactly like a venetian room in vegas. im guessing thats not a coincidence :lol:
I won't even repeat the exchange Mr. Scorcho and I had about when he first told me of what the Venetian rooms were like there. :lol:
Deftones
12-04-07, 05:45 PM
But what I'm sure you didn't think of is that escalators are reversed too. Up escalators are on the left, down on the right.
It's like that in any city that drives on the left.
Liver&Onions
12-04-07, 06:13 PM
why?
Because it's Asia, and a Portuguese Asia at that. Why should it look exactly the same as Vegas?
El Scorcho
12-04-07, 07:44 PM
It's like that in any city that drives on the left.
No shit.
Deftones
12-04-07, 09:44 PM
No shit.
Sarcastic? If so, why post that at all? If not, yes. :lol:
Maxwell Smart
12-05-07, 07:43 PM
DO the dealers speak english?
pedagogue
12-05-07, 07:53 PM
Did you bust out the, 'Well in MY country........" ??
-p
El Scorcho
12-05-07, 07:57 PM
DO the dealers speak english?
They do on a limited basis. Some better than others.
One funny part was when I asked one of them where the bathroom was. He looked at me strangely. Then I realized my gaffe and asked where the RESTroom was. He pointed to it.
jadasion
12-05-07, 11:02 PM
Do they have shows like Vegas as well? How was the security in the sense of cameras and stuff like that? That stuff amazes me...
El Scorcho
12-06-07, 12:11 AM
Do they have shows like Vegas as well? How was the security in the sense of cameras and stuff like that? That stuff amazes me...
I didn't see any nightly shows like Cirque Du Soleil but The Venetian does have its own arena (that apparently hosted some huge fight recently) and I'm sure the Wynn does as well. In fact, the Venetian was also advertising a show that apparently is the recarnation of Abba (Bjorn again) :lol:
And for security cameras, it was very similar. Bunch of black half-domes all over the ceiling with cameras inside watching your every move. Very non-intrusive, though -- just like Vegas.
Damfino
12-07-07, 07:05 PM
No Pai Gow tiles either. They are hell bent on pissing their time away at coin-flip games like Baccarat or War.
This is a bigger shock to me than the 400 Baccarat tables. I thought the Pai Gow tile game was as deeply rooted in Chinese culture as Craps and Poker are here. Pai Gow tiles can be found in California card rooms and at most of the major casinos in Las Vegas. I think the house rake cuts too much into the action here, and that might have killed the game in Macau.
It is worth noting that even here in Vegas the majority of Baccarat players are Asian. I just don't understand their love for the game.
El Scorcho
12-09-07, 04:18 AM
There's some pai gow tiles games in Macau but from what I read online, they're mostly confined to the older and larger casinos (like the Grand Lisboa). The newer casinos apparently don't carry this game.
I also think nobody carries Pai Gow Tiles mostly because it's fucking impossible to remember the pair rankings. :lol:
And yes, you're right -- the majority of baccarat players in the US are Asian. In fact, I learned they get really pissed off when you and 4 of your friends get shitfaced and take over a table. :lol:
Deftones
12-09-07, 11:51 AM
And yes, you're right -- the majority of baccarat players in the US are Asian. In fact, I learned they get really pissed off when you and 4 of your friends get shitfaced and take over a table. :lol:
I don't see anything wrong when you are with your friends, drunk, wanting to learn a game that makes no sense. :lol:
El Scorcho
12-09-07, 01:29 PM
It's even more amusing that they meticulously take down notes for the result of each hand as if past history has any effect on the upcoming outcome.
Buy: