All Black Hawk casinos offer video poker games. This covers the best video poker that we found in Black Hawk casinos. There is also a section featuring all the electronic table games available in the market. The information here was collected in August 2024.
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Black Hawk video poker
There are nine types of video poker that we found playable during our visit to Black Hawk casinos. The theoretical payback percentages shown in the following list assume that the player bets five coins and uses perfect strategy.
Games with progressives show the return before accounting for the meters. The two numbers used are the full house/flush payouts in games without wild cards. For Deuces Wild, it is for five of a kind/straight flush.
- 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe (99.64%)
- 9/7 Triple Double Bonus (99.58%)
- 9/6 Jacks or Better (99.54%)
- 8/5 Bonus Poker (99.17%)
- 9/7 Double Bonus (99.11%)
- 9/6 Double Double Bonus (98.98%)
- 15/9 Deuces Wild (98.91%)
- 8/5 Triple Bonus Plus (98.73%)
- 8/5 White Hot Aces (98.5%)
- 8/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe (with a progressive, 98.49%)
- 9/5 Jacks or Better (98.45%)
- 9/5 Double Double Bonus (with a progressive, 97.87%)
Ameristar
Our favorite video poker game at Ameristar is 8/5 Bonus Poker. It is available in quarter, half-dollar, and dollar denominations. These machines are along the wall by the blackjack pit. Other games in this bank include 9/7 Double Bonus, 9/6 Double Double Bonus, and 15/9 Deuces Wild. There are 9/6 Jacks or Better games. However, the royal flush only pays 250:1.
The high-limit slots offer $5 9/6 Double Double Bonus and 8/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe with a progressive. These machines offer those games without a progressive on the $10 denomination.
Bally’s
All of the quality video poker at Bally’s Black Hawk was removed since our last visit.
Bull Durham Saloon & Casino
We did not find any notable video poker here.
Gilpin
Gilpin offers a quarter 9/5 Double Double Bonus with five progressives. Other games include $5 and $10 8/5 Bonus Poker and $5 9/7 Double Bonus, 9/6 Double Double Bonus, and 15/9 Deuces Wild. The $5 games are at the bar.
Horseshoe
Some of the great Lady Luck machines were moved to Horseshoe when the O’Sheas table game area was created in the upstairs video poker section. Our best find is $1 and $5 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe, as well as 9/7 Triple Double Bonus, 9/6 Jacks or Better, 8/5 Bonus Poker, 9/7 Double Bonus, and 9/6 Double Double Bonus. These games are near the baccarat pit. The last three games and 15/9 Deuces Wild are found on different machines near the baccarat tables. There are a few bar machines with 9/6 Jacks or Better.
Lady Luck
All the good video poker at Lady Luck was moved to Horseshoe. We found a few 98% paytables with progressives at the $ denomination near the bar.
Lodge
Our top pick at Lodge Casino is 9/6 Double Double Bonus. This game is available for half-dollar, $5 and $10 on the floor, and $1 and $5 at the sportsbook bar. The $5 game on the floor offers a progressive.
Monarch
Monarch had significant downgrades since our last visit. All the machines on the floor return around 97%. In the high-limit slots room, two $10 machines have 9/6 Double Double Bonus and 15/9 Deuces Wild.
Red Dolly
We did not find any notable video poker at Red Dolly.
Saratoga
The video poker area at Saratoga Casino offers two good games. There is 9/7 Double Bonus with progressives for four aces and a royal flush. The 9/6 Double Double has a royal flush progressive. These machines are behind the pit. The bar has 8/5 Bonus Poker with straight flush and royal flush progressives starting at the $0.25 denomination.
Sasquatch
Sasquatch removed its good video poker machines and closed one of the rooms with it.
Wild Card Saloon
The bar offers $1 9/6 Double Double Bonus and 15/9 Deuces Wild. Note that this casino calls itself a tobacco shop so it permits smoking. It is the only casino where smoking is allowed indoors, though a handful of Black Hawk casinos have some machines on smoking patios.
Z Casino
We found $1 9/6 Jacks or Better with a short royal flush payout, 8/5 Bonus Poker, and 9/6 Double Double Bonus at Z Casino. A nickel four-way progressive offers 15/9 Deuces Wild, 9/5 Double Double Bonus, 9/6/5 Double Bonus, 8/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe, and 8/6 Jacks or Better.
Some of the video poker pay table information shown above was found at Wizard of Odds.
Black Hawk electronic table games
During our trip through Black Hawk, we looked at the available electronic table games. There were three main types of electronic gaming we found. Heads-up machines allow players an individual experience. The dice, cards, or spin only affect an individual’s outcome. Multiplayer electronic table games have multiple player stations.
Stadium table games have video stations with live dealers also available at some locations. Multiple games may be played at the same time. The speed of other players affects the overall game speed for multiplayer and stadium gaming.
Stadium and electronic table games we found in Black Hawk
We noticed the selection of electronic table games changed significantly since our 2021 visit to Black Hawk. Major changes include the removal of Casino Wizard machines and stadiums. Casino Wizards were previously found in Saratoga and Z Casino. Stadiums were inside Horseshoe, still named Isle during that visit, and the Lodge. Now the only table game stadium in Black Hawk remains inside Ameristar.
Baccarat
In video form, baccarat is now available at only two casinos in Black Hawk. In both cases, the game is offered in multiplayer form. Previously offered on a Casino Wizard machine, baccarat still has a $1 minimum at Z Casino. It offers Lucky Nines and Super 6 side bets. Now available at Monarch, video baccarat has a $3 minimum and a Super 6 side bet.
The game was previously offered on stadiums at Ameristar, Horseshoe, and Lodge for a $10 minimum. While the stadium remains at Ameristar, baccarat is no longer an option. It was an option on the Casino Wizard machines previously found in Saratoga Casino.
Big Wheel
Big Wheel, also called Big Six, is only offered as a heads-up electronic table game in Black Hawk. Part of Z Casino’s electronic table game pit, the game has a $1 minimum.
The Big Six Wheel was also removed as an option from the stadium at Ameristar. It had a $1 minimum. The game was also an option on the stadium at Horseshoe for $3.
Blackjack
In Black Hawk, video blackjack is mostly found in heads-up form. It is also an option on Ameristar’s stadium and as a multiplayer machine at Z Casino. Optional side bets on blackjack ETGs are Lucky Lucky and 21+3. The dealer hits a soft 17.
While most options pay 6:5 on blackjack, a few games pay 3:2 including ETGs at Ameristar, Bally’s, and Monarch. The game has a $5 minimum at Ameristar and $3 at the other two. The remaining blackjack options pay 6:5. Z Casino has a multiplayer machine and heads-up game with a $1 minimum. It has a $3 minimum at the Lodge and is $5 at Horseshoe and Lady Luck.
Craps
All heads-up craps games in Black Hawk pay double on a field 12. No side bets are offered on these machines. Games have a $1 minimum at Bally’s, Monarch, and Z Casino; $3 at Horseshoe; and $5 at Ameristar and the Lodge.
The stadium option at Ameristar pays triple on a field 12. It has a $5 minimum. The multiplayer machine at Z Casino is the only craps ETG with a side bet: Lucky Shooter. The game has a $1 minimum.
Crapless craps
Heads-up crapless craps is a unique installation. It is available at Monarch. These heads-up crapless craps machines have a minimum bet of $3. A Lucky Roller side bet is also available.
Roulette
Double-zero roulette was most commonly found in multiplayer form. Chips values are typically $0.25 or $0.50. The heads-up version at Z Casino has a $0.50 minimum, one multiplayer machine is only $0.25, and the Golden Ball roulette machine has a $1 minimum. Golden Ball roulette can also be found at Ameristar for $3 and at Horseshoe and Monarch for $5. These games offer an optional Mystery Golden Ball side bet.
Roulette has a $5 minimum on the stadium at Ameristar. The remaining roulette options are multiplayer machines with no side bet. These games have a $3 minimum at Bally’s North, and a $5 minimum at Ameristar, Horseshoe, Lady Lucky, Lodge, and Monarch.
Last Updated on January 3, 2025 by John Mehaffey