• What To Do At Winstar World Casino
• How Old To Gamble In Winstar Oklahoma
• How To Gamble At Casino

On Sunday night, I took a date to the Winstar Casino in Oklahoma to do some gambling. I’ve never really done much gambling there besides playing poker. We didn’t have much fun at the slots, which seemed tight, so we decided to try the table games.

We started with roulette and went on to play blackjack. I knew in a vague way that the Winstar (like other Oklahoma casinos) charges an ante when you place a bet. But this was the first time I’d spent much time at the tables paying that ante on every hand of blackjack and every spin of the roulette wheel.

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Being a gambling writer who’s especially interested in the math behind the games, I started thinking about how to quantify what this ante does to the house edge.

I had a math teacher in high school who insisted that I “show my work.”

That’s what I intend to do in this post. Calculate the house edge for the table games I played at the Winstar Casino, accounting for the antes.

What’s an Ante?

An ante is a forced bet, usually in poker, that drives action to the game. In the Native American casinos in Oklahoma, it’s an amount you put up in addition to your bet that the house keeps whether you win, lose, or push.

It would be more accurate to describe this so-called “ante” as a fee for playing a hand of blackjack or for betting on a spin of the roulette wheel. The casinos love to use euphemisms to make a bad deal seem slightly better, and using the word “ante” instead of “fee” is just an example of this.

This has the obvious effect of costing you the amount of the fee multiplied by the number of bets you make. Even if you’re winning, the fees add up. They could easily be the difference between a winning session and a losing session.

How the Roulette Ante Affects the House Edge

The first weird thing about playing roulette at the Winstar Casino is that they don’t have an actual roulette wheel. There’s an animated roulette wheel that drives the results. That wasn’t THAT weird for me; I’ve played at plenty of online casinos that did the same thing.

But the online casinos use a random number generator program to produce their roulette results. That’s a computer program that generates thousands of numbers per second. When you hit the “spin” or “bet” button at an online casino, the RNG stops on whatever number it’s “thinking of” at that millisecond.

The roulette games at the Winstar Casino don’t work that way. They have a dealer with a deck of cards. The dealer scans the playing card into a machine, then the animated roulette wheel spins and lands on the space that corresponds to the card that was dealt.

I have no reason to think that the probability of the underlying game had changed. It was a standard American roulette wheel on the giant TV screen above the table. It had 38 possible results, 2 of which were green (the 0 and the 00). 18 of those results were black, while the other 18 were red, and so on.

The table limits weren’t unusual, either. $5 minimum on the outside bets, with a $500 maximum bet.

But I had to pay a $1 fee (the so-called “ante”) every time they spun the wheel.

I didn’t even realize that was the case until the dealer told me to put up the extra dollar.

How did that affect the house edge?

Let’s start by assuming that we’re going to “spin the wheel” 38 times, and we’re going to get statistically perfect results. We’ll also assume that I bet on black every time.

This means that I’ll win $5 on 18 spins, and I’ll lose $5 on 20 spins.

On top of that, I’m going to lose $1 on each of the 38 spins.

I have $90 in winnings, and $100 in losses on the spins. Add $38 to my losses, and I wind up with a net loss of $48 over 38 spins.

That’s an average loss of about $1.26 per spin.

Since I’m basically putting $6 into action on every spin, an average loss of $1.26 per spin equates to an average loss of 21% of my bet.

That’s a lot higher than a 5.26% loss per spin.

In fact, that’s TERRIBLE.

Can You Do Anything to Lower the House Edge on the Roulette Games at the Winstar?

Here’s the thing:

I’m a low roller. (As you can imagine, gambling writers don’t make that much money.)

But if you have a bigger bankroll than I do, you can lower the house edge by betting more each time they spin the wheel.

The fee for the roulette games (and the craps games, for that matter) at the Winstar Casino remains $1 regardless of whether you’re betting $5 per spin or $500 per spin.

What does that change the house edge to?

You do the math the same way, but the average losses as a percentage of the money you’re putting into action drop as you raise the size of your bets, as follows:

• If you’re betting $5 per spin, your average loss per spin is $1.26.
• If you’re betting $100 per spin, your average loss per spin is $6.26.
• If you’re betting $500 per spin, your average loss per spin is $27.32.

This means the house edge at each of these levels is:

• At $5, the house edge is 21%.
• At $100, the house edge is 6.2%
• At $500, the house edge is 5.45%.

Notice how at $500 per spin, the house edge is almost normal–normal being 5.26%.

But your sole goal shouldn’t be to get the house edge as low as possible. You should also consider your average cost of playing per hour.

The roulette games moved along at the Winstar at a good clip–about 50 spins per hour.

To calculate your average loss per hour, you multiply the number of bets per hour by the average size of your bet, and then you multiply that by the house edge.

For a $5 bettor, this means you’re putting $6 into action 50 times per hour, for $300 per hour in total action. With a house edge of 21%, you can expect to lose $63/hour.

For a $100 bettor, you’re putting $101 into action 50 times per hour, for $5050 in total action. With a house edge of 6.2%, you can expect to lose $313.10/hour.

For a $500 bettor, you’re putting $501 into action 50 times per hour, for $25,050 in total action. With a house edge of 5.45%, you can expect to lose $1365.23/hour.

The big difference is between the $5 and $100 mark–you’re betting 20 times as much per hand, but the difference in the house edge is so great that your expected losses only go up by a factor of 5.

You’ll need to decide for yourself how much an hour of roulette is worth to you, but keep in mind, too, that these are long term averages anyway. Even if you’re betting $5/hand, you could come out a winner in the short term.

In fact, even though a lot of gambling experts eschew the Martingale System, Michael Bluejay wrote an excellent page about how the system does increase your probability of having a small winning session in the short run. This will, of course, over time, be balanced out by some large losing sessions.

What To Do At Winstar World Casino

(The Martingale System worked well enough for me Sunday night that I broke even at the roulette tables.)

What about the Blackjack Ante?

I’m going to look at the blackjack math a little differently, but I also should point out that the ante rules for the blackjack games are different. The fee changes based on how much you’re betting, as follows:

• If you’re betting $5 to $99 per hand, the ante is 50 cents.
• If you’re betting $100 to $999 per hand, the ante is $1.
• If you’re betting $1000 to $1999, the ante is $2.
• If you’re betting $2000+, the ante is $3.

The first thing I’m going to do when calculating the house edge for the blackjack (including the fee) is to look at the game’s edge based on the rules in place. This also assumes you’re playing with perfect basic strategy.

As it turns out, the rules at the Winstar blackjack tables are excellent:

• They deal from 6 decks.
• The dealer stands on soft 17.
• No doubling after splitting.
• No surrender.
• You can double on any 2 cards.

With these rules in place, if you use perfect basic strategy, the house edge is only 0.56%.

But that’s not taking into account the 50 cent fee.

Here’s how we’re going to get to that number:

Let’s start with an expected hourly loss figure that doesn’t account for the ante.

When I was there, we only had an average of 3 players at the table–me, my lady friend, and usually one other person. (That person kept changing, but we hung in there for quite a while.)

According to the Wizard of Odds, I can expect 105 hands per hour at such a table. At $5 per hand, I’m putting $525 per hour into action.

How Old To Gamble In Winstar Oklahoma

Since I’m playing according to perfect basic strategy, my expected loss per hour just on the blackjack action (without the fee) is 0.56% of that, or $2.94/hour.

But I’m also losing 50 cents per hand to the fee. With 105 hands/hour, that’s another $52.50 in hourly losses. (I also get to add that to the hourly action.)

So with the fee, I’m wagering $577.50 and losing $55.40 of that.

That’s an effective house edge of 9.59%.

I don’t need to tell you that this has a terrible effect on what would otherwise be a great blackjack game.

What If You Increase Your Bet Sizes?

If you were paying attention during the roulette section, you probably already realize that if you raise the size of your bets, you can lower that house edge.

Let’s say you’re betting $99/hand instead. Now you’re putting $99 X 105 into action per hour, or $10,395. Your expected loss on that is $58.21.

You’re still paying $52.50 in fees, though, so your expected loss goes up to $110.71.

On total action of $10,447.50 in action, that’s a house edge of 1.1%.

Now that’s more like it. If you have the bankroll to afford this kind of action, it makes a lot of sense to bet $99/hand instead.

But here’s something interesting:

Watch what happens when you start betting $100/hand instead of $99/hand:

Your fee doubles. It’s now a dollar instead of 50 cents, which means that you now have $105 in hourly fees.

Your expected hourly loss besides that doesn’t change much. You’re putting $10,500 into action each hour instead of $10,447.50. Your expected loss on that is $58.80 instead of $58.21.

Add those together, and your hourly loss is $163.80 instead of $110.71.

So the house edge when you’re betting $99 is only 1.1%, but when you’re betting $100, it’s 1.54%.

If you really want to drop the house edge, though, just raise the size of your bets to $999.

$999 X 105 = $104,895

0.56% X $104,895 = $587.41

$587.41 + $105 = $692.41

$692.41/$105,000 = 0.65%

If you have the bankroll to afford that kind of action, it’s worth doing. You’ll find plenty of casinos in Las Vegas which don’t offer a house edge that low.

Cash out ignition casino poker. You might even be able to get an edge at this kind of game with a card counting strategy, although I suspect most people don’t have the bankroll for that. Also, I have a feeling–and I’ve read forum posts suggesting–that the security at the casinos in Oklahoma frown even more on blackjack advantage players than the casinos in Las Vegas do.

Conclusion

The fees (or so-called “antes”) for the roulette games and the blackjack games at the Winstar Casino in Oklahoma have a significant effect on the house edge.

In fact, if you’re a low roller, the best thing you can do is to avoid the roulette game altogether. If you do play roulette, try to avoid betting the minimum. Bet as much as you can comfortably afford, and remember that the house always wins in the long run anyway.

With the blackjack games, be careful with the amount you bet. The house edge can change dramatically between $99 and $100 per bet just because of the rising size of the fee.

You’ll find other posts in forums complaining about the antes at the casinos in Oklahoma. I’ll refrain from any histrionics here. You know what the deal is now, so if you want to play, that’s your business.

It does remind me of the old joke about the guy who plays in this lousy poker game. One of his buddies asks him, if the game’s so bad, why do you keep playing?

Because it’s the only game in town, he replies.

WinStar World Casino and Resort is an American tribal casino and hotel located in Thackerville, Oklahoma, near the Oklahoma–Texas state line. It is owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation. The casino opened as the WinStar Casinos in 2004, and was expanded (with a 395-room hotel tower) and renamed WinStar World Casino in 2009; its 600,000 square feet (56,000 m²) of casino floor made it the world's largest casino.^[2] In August 2013, WinStar Resorts completed a major expansion project, which added a new 1000-room second hotel tower that was divided into two phases; this also added a new casino that is attached to the tower. As a result of the completion of this expansion, the casino overtook Foxwoods Resort Casino to become the largest casino in the United States and one of the largest in the world based on gaming floor space. WinStar has over 8,400 electronic games, a 55-table poker room, 100 total table games, Racer's off-track betting,^[3] high limit room, keno, and bingo.^[4]

• 4Offsite areas

Location and history[edit]

WinStar World Casino and Resort is located about 120 miles south from the Oklahoma City metropolitan area and one hour north of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and attracts many people from the North Texas region as well as Oklahoma residents. The casino’s 3,500 seat Global Event Center has been home to some popular entertainment attractions including Jay Leno, Vince Gill, Adam Lambert, Weezer, Lil Wayne, ZZ Top, Maroon 5, Kid Rock, Tony Bennett, and Davy Jones, who gave his final concert at WinStar on February 19, 2012.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]}

In September 2018, WinStar became an official corporate sponsor of the Dallas Cowboys, the first partnership ever between a casino and an NFL team.^[22]

Design[edit]

WinStar was conceived by noted designer Larry E. Seitz whose work includes Sands Casinos, Trump Taj Mahal, Grand Casinos in Mississippi, Barona Casino, Buffalo Run, Chisholm Trail, Grand Princess, SS Norway, Casino Panama, Costa Rica Casino, Stellaris Casino Aruba, and the Paradise Island Casino among others. Additionally Hotels created for the brands Hilton, Hyatt, Sheraton, Marriott, Crown Plaza, Melina, Loews, Holiday, Ramada, InterContinental, and independents worldwide. Restaurants and Clubs have been produced internationally.Special effects, commissioned art, and sculptures were constructed and implemented by Dallas-based ValueWorks and produced by their suppliers in the U.S. and around the world.The exterior of the building was detailed by Lyndon Stromberg, who also worked on The Venetian and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas as well as the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in the Bahamas and Planet Hollywood in New York City. The long façade exterior of WinStar World Casino features replicas of London's Parliament Building, Rome's Coliseum and the Arc de Triomphe from Paris.^[23]

Hotel information[edit]

WinStar World Casino and Resort is home to the 12-story, 395-room WinStar World Casino Hotel that’s adjacent to the gaming floor. On August 6, 2009, the 395-room hotel tower held a grand opening celebration that featured performances by American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson and American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Meeting rooms that have varied capacities of 10-200 people, a resort-style pool with a custom-built waterfall grotto, the Spa Habitat, and the Cloverleaf Boutique gift shop also opened on this date. WinStar World Casino and Resort also offers a variety of restaurants, many of which are open until late night hours, including Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill.^[24] The second hotel tower, the Pool Tower North, opened in August 2013, while the third hotel tower, the Pool Tower South, opened in early 2014. Both towers have a capacity of 500 rooms each and are adjacent to each other. The Inn at WinStar has 101 rooms, and is accessed from the casino and the RV park by a 24-hour shuttle service. There are around 100 table games at the WinStar World Casino. Table games include blackjack, Mississippi stud, midi baccarat, poker, ultimate Texas hold'em etc. The 19000 sq ft poker room has 55 poker tables. There is a restaurant Red River Grill inside the poker room.^[25]

Offsite areas[edit]

WinStar Golf Club[edit]

The WinStar Golf Club features two 18-hole golf courses designed by former PGA Tour Pro, D.A. Weibring which holds golf tournaments each year. In addition, the WinStar Golf Academy, a 4,850-square-foot (451 m²) facility, offers private golf lessons.^[26]

WinStar RV Park[edit]

WinStar RV park is a 200-space RV Park that is available to people visiting the casino. A shuttle service to the casino is available to guests in the RV Park.

Bull riding[edit]

In 2011, the Professional Bull Riders brought their Built Ford Tough Seriesbull riding tour to the WinStar World Casino with an event at an outdoor arena constructed near the casino itself. The event was sponsored by WinStar World Casino and was held annually from 2011 to 2017 under the name 'WinStar World Casino Invitational'. The 2011 event was the first outdoor event on the BFTS since 2005.

References[edit]

How To Gamble At Casino

1. ^[1]Archived August 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
2. ^Lassek, P.J., 'What were the odds?', Oklahoma Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff, p 30
3. ^'Casino City: WinStar World Casino'. Oklahoma.casinocity.com.
4. ^'Eyes on Texas and Oklahoma: WinStar World Casino'. Durangotexas.com.
5. ^'Davy Jones gives final interview to a Texoma radio personality'. Kxii.com. 2012-03-02. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
6. ^'WinStar World Casino Global Event Center in Thackerville, OK Convention / Conference Center 73459 - Dallas Morning News'. Listings.dallasnews.com. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
7. ^'The Official Site of the Chickasaw Nation WinStar World Casino and Resort opens new hotel tower, other expansion projects'. Chickasaw.net. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
8. ^'WinStar Global Event Center Oklahoma'. ChickasawCountry.com. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
9. ^'Rainmaker Implements GuestREV Revenue Management System at Chickasaw Nation Properties in Oklahoma'. Letitrain.com. 2013-11-04. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
10. ^'WinStar World Casino and Resort Opens new Hotel Tower, Other Expansion Projects - WFLA News Channel 8'. Wfla.com. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
11. ^GENE TRIPLETT (2011-10-07). 'Weezer will play casino date in Thackerville'. News OK. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
12. ^'Bellator MMA & WinStar World Casino Announce 2013 Event Partnership - Bellator MMA'. Bellator.com. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
13. ^@MMAjunkie (2012-12-18). 'Bellator plans three events for Oklahoma's WinStar World Casino in 2013'. MMAjunkie. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
14. ^'Area Attractions Fort Worth Chamber Chamber of Commerce'. Fort Worth Chamber. 2000-04-22. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
15. ^'Oklahoma: Casino resorts prove good gamble'. Smallmarketmeetings.com. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
16. ^'Casino resorts are on an expansion roll throughout the South'. Meetingsfocus.com. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
17. ^'Academy of Country Music :: Nominees'. Acmcountry.com. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
18. ^'World's Fifth Largest Casino, WinStar World, Opens New Hotel'. Prweb.com. 2009-08-06. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
19. ^'WinStar World Casino and Resort : Entertainment'. Winstarworldcasino.com. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
20. ^'WinStar Casino opens new hotel'. 500nations.com. 2009-08-06. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
21. ^'Winstar World Opens New Hotel, and Remodels Gaming Plaza'. Prweb.com. 2009-09-03. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
22. ^'Dallas Cowboys And Winstar Make History With First Official NFL Casino Partnership'. Play USA. 2018-09-08. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
23. ^'Stromberg Architectural Project Profile: WinStar World Casino'. Strombergarchitectural.com.
24. ^'TripAdvisor:WinStar World Casino Hotel, Thackerville'. Tripadvisor.com.
25. ^'Some of the Biggest Casinos in America - Refund Management Services'. Refundmanagement.com. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
26. ^'Facilities - Winstar Golf Club'. Winstar.rexacademies.com. Retrieved 2013-11-23.

External links[edit]