Visit casinos located in Barcelona, Zurich, and Liechtenstein for an exhilarating experience.

Back in March 2018, I embarked on a two-week journey that took me to Barcelona, Zurich, and Paris. Each place provided a chance for me to check out at least one casino. To spare redundancy, I'll share some similarities I've noticed across numerous European casinos. Most of them have designated areas for both smokers and non-smokers. The drink policy is typically such that alcoholic beverages or bottled drinks come with bar prices, whereas basic drinks like coffee, tea, and sodas may vary based on the establishment.

The rules governing blackjack are generally consistent across Europe, as detailed below:

• Six decks on a continuous shuffler.
• Dealer stands on soft 17.
• Dealers do not hold a hole card. If a player chooses to double or split and the dealer reveals a blackjack, the player forfeits all bets.
• Blackjack pays 3 to 2.
• Player may double on any two cards.
• Double after split allowed.
• Surrender not allowed.
• Players are allowed to re-split any pairs, including aces, up to a maximum of four hands.

My blackjack house edge calculator These rules result in a house edge of approximately 0.47%, provided the fundamental strategy is followed when playing by European standards. .

Roulette is played on a single-zero wheel. Typically, even-money bets will only lose half if the ball lands on zero, although I've encountered instances where players lost their entire wager. Several casinos feature 'American roulette,' which offers a different layout commonly associated with it. It's amusing to note that American roulette typically has two zeros, yet I admire the casinos for providing a better player experience with the European rules.

Here are some specific observations regarding the four casinos I had the opportunity to visit.

Barcelona

In Barcelona, there's a single casino situated conveniently near the beach, in proximity to a couple of tall rectangular buildings, likely the tallest in the city, making it easy to locate.

The ambiance inside this casino was typical for a venue that holds a monopoly in a major urban area—primarily a gambling hub with little else to offer. During my evening visit, the casino was bustling yet remained quiet and lacked energy. There were numerous slot machines, table games, a spacious poker room, and a sports betting kiosk available to patrons. My tally for the table games included:

• Blackjack: 15
• Roulette: 11
• Three Card Poker/Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em combination: 5 tables.
• Caribbean Stud Poker: 3
• Baccarat: 1
• Poker: Approximately 30

Many of the tables were I-tables, featuring live dealers and cards while utilizing fully electronic chips. Each player has a touchscreen to select their bets and manage their cards. Personally, I find this method a blend between a live gaming experience and a slot machine. I do prefer the tactile sensation of physical chips. I'm aware that I-tables result in an increased number of hands per hour for the casino and eliminate errors in payment. The minimum bet for blackjack was 10€ at the I-tables and 25€ at the standard tables with real chips.

All the Three Card Poker/Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em tables were I-tables, with the felt displaying the payout structures for both games. The minimum bet for Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em was set at 2€ for both the Ante and Blind.

Stadium-style baccarat was available. The touchscreens indicated that, in addition to standard bets, they also featured side wagers on the game. Egalities and the Royal Match The proposed payouts for the Egalities followed the usual payout structure:

I discreetly captured some images of the odds offered at the sports betting kiosk. Given its automated nature, the odds varied significantly between games. Based on a sample of five matches, here’s what I noted regarding soccer betting (or football for my European audience):

• To win or tie: The house edge ranged from 5.72% to 9.42%, with an average of 8.51%.
• For the first goal scored or a scoreless game: The house edge ranged from 10.98% to 11.90%, averaging at 11.26%.
• When betting on total goals over or under: The house edge varied from 5.72% to 9.72%, with an average of 7.37%.

My experience involved roughly half an hour with blackjack and Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em, both played on I-tables. There was no interaction with dealers or fellow players; everyone simply focused on their play. However, during Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em, players occasionally revealed their cards to one another, without the dealer commenting.

Liechtenstein

The Admiral Casino is situated in what appears to be an industrial area in the northern part of Liechtenstein. While the country looks tiny on a map, it's actually around 25 kilometers long from north to south. The casino is approximately 15 kilometers north of Vaduz, the main city. Unless you're in need of an auto part or something similar, I can't think of any other compelling reasons to visit the northern edge of Liechtenstein. To be fair, at that time, the casino manager mentioned they were contemplating relocating to a larger space. I forgot to inquire whether the new location would be an improvement.

The casino is separated into smoking and non-smoking sections, divided by a glass wall. The smoking area exclusively features slot machines, while the non-smoking section primarily hosts table games along with some slots lining the wall. Both sections are relatively small. As I recall, the side dedicated to table games had around six tables in total.

The Swiss Franc serves as the national currency in Liechtenstein as well as within the casino. Their policy stipulates that if you exchange Euros for Francs to engage in table games, you can convert them back at the same rate when you finish playing. However, this exchange policy does not apply to machines. From what I remember, the machines accept both Francs and Euros but convert Euros to Francs based on their chosen rate. When cashing out, you are paid in Francs. Please correct me if I've misstated any part of this.

The blackjack and roulette rules adhered to the typical European standards. There were three side bets available at the blackjack tables:

• Colored player blackjack for the initial two cards. Pays out at 19 to 1, but carries a 52.51% house edge (which is quite steep!).
• Suited player blackjack for the initial two cards. Pays out at 77 to 1, with a house edge of 7.40%.
• Dealer busts . Pays 5 to 2. House edge of 1.33%.

There's a striking disparity in the house edges offered. I brought this up with the casino manager on duty who spoke English, but he left my comment unanswered. I've seen this sort of indifference before when addressing absurd rules with casino management.

During an early Saturday afternoon visit to the casino, I found it to be nearly deserted. I would estimate there were around half a dozen people playing slots, while table games were not operational. They typically open in the evening, but I can't recall the exact time.

Bregenz, Austria

While in Liechtenstein, it was a given that I would have to venture across the border into Austria to mark another country off my list. My friend Stephen graciously indulged this request and drove me to the nearby town of Bregenz in western Austria, which proudly sits along a beautiful lake and offers its own casino.

This casino was relatively large in comparison to the town size, featuring two distinct floors—one for smoking and one for non-smoking. Both levels boasted a variety of machines and table games. Generally, patrons are expected to pay bar prices for all beverages, even non-alcoholic ones.

The dress code mandates that men wear a collared shirt and blazer. I complied with the shirt requirement, and they kindly waived the €5.2 charge for the jacket since I was a newcomer.

A number of European casinos impose a membership fee on new players, which they later refund through non-negotiable chips (usable until they’re lost). However, Casino Bregenz charges a €27 fee for every visit but always reciprocates with €30 in non-negotiable chips or slot play. Just between us, the slot play is completely cashable—just insert the voucher and select \"cash out,\" without any betting necessary.

The casino featured a range of table games, including:

• Roulette — Single-zero variant. Players forfeit their entire stake on even-money bets if the ball lands in zero.
• Classic Blackjack — Following typical European regulations (as previously mentioned). I noticed a new side bet called the C3 with a house edge of 10.86%.
• Vegas Blackjack — Similar to Classic Blackjack, but blackjacks pay out 6 to 5.
• Blackjack Party This variant stands out for having the highest house edge of 8.04%.
• Easy Hold 'Em — Essentially the same as Texas Hold \"Em Bonus . There was another new side bet labeled C5, which I've added to my notes. The house edge for C5 is 8.95%.
• Tropical Stud Poker — Same thing as Caribbean Stud Poker .
• Blackjack Exchange — Same thing as Blackjack Switch with the addition of the C4 side bet, which comes with a house edge of 14.32%.

Baccarat likely featured here too, but I neglected to write it down.

When I visit a casino in another country, I often become quite the nuisance for the staff with my myriad of inquiries. In this instance, my friend Stephen, fluent in German, made an ideal partner in my questioning escapades. He assisted me in translating and had a great instinct for what I would inquire about. Stephen was quick to notice that the table felt for Easy Hold 'Em claimed a straight or better was necessary for a win on the Ante bet (following the Las Vegas rule), whereas the rule booklet stated a flush was required (the Atlantic City rule). When we brought this inconsistency to the attention of the casino manager, he seemed unaware of the discrepancy but insisted that the stricter felt rule was accurate and the booklet was outdated. He also mistakenly argued that the game offered better value to players because, with the switch to the stricter Atlantic City rules, they introduced the C5 side bet, which has an 8.95% house edge. I fail to see how two rule changes, both of which make the game less favorable for players, can be argued as improvements. It reminded me of the illogical reasoning behind certain betting systems where negative numbers somehow add up to a positive outcome.

Gambling establishments located in Barcelona, Zurich, Bregenz, and Liechtenstein - Insights from Wizard of Odds

Zurich

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The games offered were:

• Calculator for Lottery Jackpots and Ticket Sales Zurich progressive (my title), bust , and the Swiss Casinos Jack .
• Exciting slot tournaments featuring large prize pools
• Diceball , which I was told was seldom open.

Gambling venues situated in Barcelona, Zurich, and Liechtenstein

In March 2018, I embarked on a two-week journey to Barcelona, Zurich, and Paris with the intention of exploring various casinos during my stay. To share a common observation rather than repeat myself, I noticed that European casinos typically have distinct areas for smokers and non-smokers. Additionally, the policies regarding beverages vary; alcoholic drinks and bottled beverages are usually charged at bar prices, while simpler options like coffee, tea, or soft drinks are treated differently depending on the establishment.

Paris

The rules for Blackjack are quite consistent across Europe, as outlined below:

The dealer does not draw a hole card. If the player chooses to double or split and the dealer reveals a blackjack, the player loses all their bets.

Players are permitted to re-split any pair, including aces, allowing for up to four hands in total. Forbes Under these specific rules, the house edge is calculated at 0.47%, given the

Related Reading

• fundamental strategy applicable to the European format.
• In Roulette, a single-zero wheel is utilized. Generally, even bets will only lose half when the ball lands on zero, although I have encountered instances where players lost their entire bets as well. 'American roulette' is also offered in many casinos, featuring the standard American layout; however, I must respectfully point out that it’s misleading since American roulette typically includes two zeros, yet I commend those establishments for providing players with better odds with the European setup.

Written by: Michael Shackleford