I first visited Harrah’s Cherokee in 2002. The casino was a fraction of the size it is now. There was no hotel or parking deck. Diamond parking was mostly a gravel lot. There were no live table games, poker room, or traditional slot machines.
The options were video poker, keno with an option to double the bet after half the balls dropped, and electronic table games. The available electronic table games were baccarat, blackjack, crapless craps, and Let It Ride.
Over the years, the casino expanded its games, while hotel towers, restaurants, and nongaming entertainment were added. The first addition was allowing slot machines that required skill, called Lock n Roll. Slot machines could be entirely luck-based with a bingo element called “Raffle Reels.” Eventually, live table games were added, including a poker room.
Until 2022, Black Gold was available at Harrah’s Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River. This was a video blackjack game with unusual rules. It returned 100.1% with perfect play. I’ve written about it in past Harrah’s Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River trip reports.
Black Gold was on Pot of Gold machines. These are the same devices as Shamrock 7’s and Double Up Keno. The bet range was $2 to $50. The bets were required to be even amounts because the game originally dropped $1 coins. An odd bet would produce a payout ending in $0.50. The original version of the machine only dispensed dollar tokens. The software was never modified when slot tickets were introduced.
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Black Gold rules
Black Gold used one deck that reshuffled after every hand. It paid 3/2 on blackjack. The dealer stood on soft 17. Double down was only allowed on 9, 10, and 11 before splitting. Double down after splitting was not allowed. Pairs could only be split once. However, split aces could be hit. If the player had a six-card hand that did not bust, it automatically won. If the dealer had six cards without busting, it was forced to play the amount, even if it was under 17.
Black Gold strategy changed due to these rules
There were a few strategy changes related to Black Gold when compared to other games. Some had to do with it being a single-deck blackjack game. For example, you stand on a pair of sevens against a ten-valued card. Others had to do with hitting hands you would normally stand on in an attempt to make a six-card Charlie.
For example, if you had a five-card 12 against a 4, 5, or 6, you would hit, as opposed to standing as normal. This was also true of most soft hands.
Was an easy way to make Diamond in Caesars Rewards
When I first found Black Gold in 2002, it paid the same slot and tier points as video poker did in the program now called Caesars Rewards. With a $50 maximum bet, it was easy to make Diamond in a Day. The coin-in requirement for a point went to $20, then $45, then $50. It was still one of the best ways to move up in the Caesars Rewards system.
While Diamond does not have the same value in Caesars Rewards as it once did, the action on Black Gold still generated mailers. This included large ones at the two Harrah’s Cherokee casinos. The offers from these two casinos are separate, so you can get offers from both that are independent.
Black Gold play, just like anything else at these casinos today, generate offers in other markets. In 2003, Kristina and I had a comped trip to Las Vegas based on this play. I see players still discussing how they get offers for Atlantic City, Biloxi, Las Vegas, Laughlin, and Tahoe based on their play at the North Carolina Harrah’s casinos. If you find a game there that you like, it is still a great way to receive free trips.
Today, my top pick at Harrah’s Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River is video Ultimate Texas Hold’em. The minimum bet is only $1. Players earn one Caesars Rewards point for every $20 wagered.
