Holland Casino Amsterdam

Introduction

In Amsterdam, you’ll find numerous smaller establishments primarily featuring gaming machines, particularly electronic roulette. However, the city boasts a single large casino called Holland Casino that offers both table games and slot machines. In total, there are 14 Holland Casinos situated across the Netherlands, all operating under a legal monopoly that permits them to provide full casino services.

This blog post details my experience at the Holland Casino in Amsterdam during my visit on July 19, 2017.

Getting In

To gain entry into a casino in the Netherlands, you must be at least 18 years old and pay a fee of five Euros. Interestingly, when I inquired about the casino's location at my hotel’s reception, the clerk went above and beyond by highlighting it on my map and handing me a free entry voucher from a nearby display in the lobby. I’ve learned that many hotels offer these complimentary 'entry' vouchers.

The casino is conveniently located along the outermost ring of the canals. To clarify, the historic canals of Amsterdam are arranged in a circular formation, resembling half a wheel with five concentric semicircles and four spokes (excluding the Amstel River). Fun fact: the city’s name, Amsterdam, originates from the original dam built on the Amstel River (the Amstel dam). The entrance is situated close to the easternmost edge of Vondelpark and is within a pleasant walking distance from the Rijksmuseum, the city’s famous art museum. This part of Amsterdam tends to attract an older demographic, thanks to its theaters, museums, and upscale shopping options. In contrast, younger crowds gather around the train station, Dam Square, and the Red Light District that sit at the center of the canal system.

I planned to visit on the final day of my European trip in 2017, which happened to be an extremely hot and humid day, reminiscent of a stifling July in Baltimore. Although I typically dress more formally for casinos in Europe, the temperature soared in the late afternoon, accompanied by distant rumblings of thunder. After five trips to Europe, I can confidently say that Amsterdam stands out as the most laid-back and casual destination I’ve encountered on the continent, offering a relaxed atmosphere that feels distinctively different from neighboring countries like Belgium and Germany. Hence, I hoped the casino would not enforce a strict dress code this sweltering day.

Fortunately, the staff member checking IDs at the entrance was lenient and didn’t bat an eye at my casual attire of cargo shorts, a t-shirt, and running shoes. After I presented my voucher for free entry, she issued me a player card along with a voucher for a complimentary soft drink or beer at the bar.

Once inside, I found the casino to be spacious, modern, and welcoming. The layout consists of two floors; the ground floor is dedicated to slot machines, while the upper level primarily features table games, though it also includes additional slots along the edges. Both levels were well-designed, but the upper floor felt particularly refined and lively.

Games

Here’s a summary of the available table games, most of which were accessible at the time of my visit:

• Roulette: 12
• Blackjack: 10
• Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em: 3
• Baccarat: 3
• Caribbean Stud Poker: 2
• Diceball: 1

Next, I’ll provide some insights into the rules governing each game. I’ll also refer to the betting amounts in Euros, noting that at that time, one Euro was approximately equivalent to $1.18.

Roulette

The tables adhered to the generous French rules, utilizing a single-zero wheel, which benefits the player by limiting losses on even-money bets to half if the ball stops at zero. This results in a house edge of just 1.35% for even-money bets and 2.70% for all others.

Blackjack.

The rules were:

• Six decks.
• Dealer stands on soft 17.
• No hole card is provided, meaning if the dealer obtains a blackjack, the player loses their entire bet.
• Double on 9 to 11 only.
• Double after split allowed.
• Players are allowed to re-split any hand, including aces, infinitely.

As I remember, a continuous shuffler was in use, which according to my calculations would give a house edge of 0.55% when employing basic strategy, which I will outline. basic strategy calculator The baccarat tables followed an uncommon commission-free rule, where a Banker win with a total of five pays at a rate of 1 to 2. This is a more favorable scenario compared to standard baccarat, reducing the house edge on the Banker bet from 1.06% to 0.93%.

Baccarat

Standard rules were in place. For more details, please visit my website.

Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em

What is referred to in the United States as Caribbean Stud Poker is known as Multi Poker in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, I neglected to note the specifics. Holland Casino does provide information on their website, but it lacks details regarding the paytable and side bets. Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em page for more information.

Caribbean Stud Poker

During my visit, I encountered a novel game that blends elements from craps and baseball. I have documented all the rules and odds in a separate section on my site. Multi Poker I only spotted a single bank of video poker machines, which seemed largely overlooked. Each machine accepted a minimum of 0.1 € and allowed bets ranging from 1 to 100 credits. They were both progressive and required a maximum bet of 100 credits, or 10 Euros, in order to qualify for the progressive jackpot, which at that moment stood at €9,613.21.

Diceball

This particular game has a base return of 98.10%. When betting a full ten Euros, any increase of 1,000 Euros over the threshold of 8,000 enhances the return by 0.22%. Therefore, assuming no strategy adjustments, in comparison to the optimal non-progressive 8-5 Double Joker, the meter would need to hit €16,534.48 to achieve breakeven. Diceball .

Video Poker

This game offers a base return of 97.30%. With a full ten Euro bet, every increase of 1,000 Euros over 8,000 enhances the return by 0.25%. Accordingly, if no changes to strategy are made, relative to the optimal for non-progressive 8-5 Jacks or Better, the meter would need to reach €18,852.12 for breakeven.

One game available was 8/5 Double Joker Poker There were also a few video keno machines located in the smoking area on the first floor, but they were Extra Draw Keno games that only provided two extra balls for the additional wager. Based on the displayed pay tables, I estimated the returns ranging from 90.19% for picking 2 to 97.21% for selecting 6. For more information, please refer to my site, where I note that 'slot machines' typically pay back an average of 92% of all bets made. Though it does not specify what constitutes a 'slot machine', in industry terms, it generally refers to any device that connects to an electrical outlet as opposed to a table game with a live dealer.

The other available game was 8/5 Jacks or Better Having just experienced a rather disappointing visit to a casino in Brussels a few days earlier—an experience I elaborated on in my blog—I was a bit apprehensive about trying my luck again in a casino situated merely 100 miles away. However, Amsterdam felt completely different from Brussels, and this was evident in various aspects, including the casino.

Video Keno

In contrast to my experience in Brussels, finding a seat at an affordable blackjack table was a breeze. I quickly settled into a middle spot at a ten Euro minimum table. I'm not certain whether my fellow players were locals or tourists, but they all seemed to be in good spirits, celebrating together after wins at the table. As in Brussels, back betting was prevalent, but since there were no side bets at stake, it didn’t create any tension. Extra Draw Keno (two extra balls) .

Slot Machines

According to the Holland Casino web site As I expected, the quality of play from the other participants was lacking. Generally, recreational players like these often dismiss basic strategy as a frivolous approach doomed for failure. However, I was pleasantly surprised that no one chastised me for my playing style—positively, there was a complete lack of negativity around the table.

My Visit

Communication posed no issues either. Unlike my encounter with French exclusivity in Brussels, I found that while Dutch was the primary language, the dealers and players were quite accommodating when it came to English, French, and German. The attitude seemed to be one of flexibility, and no one made me feel bad for not speaking Dutch. While it appeared that the other players did not speak English, the dealer and I had a friendly rapport, and they didn’t mind me not joining in on all the conversations. previous blog entry As mentioned earlier, there was another table game, known as Diceball, which was not open at the time of my visit. Instead of disrupting the game by asking many questions, I opted to speak with a supervisor for a copy of the rules. Initially, she explained that she could only provide the rules in Dutch, to which I replied I would manage that (thank goodness for tools like Google Translate!). I didn’t want to rush her, so I suggested she come find me at my blackjack table once she had the rules.

A few minutes later, she exceeded my expectations by not only providing the rules in Dutch but also introducing me to a dealer who sometimes works with that game. I then politely stepped away from my blackjack table as the dealer guided me to the designated area and gave me a thorough explanation of the game. This must have taken at least five minutes, and the dealer was immensely patient as I sought to grasp every aspect of the rules.

Following that, I returned to play some more blackjack before making my way back to the heart of Amsterdam to enjoy my final evening of the trip.

As is often the case in European casinos, or any outside of the U.S., there isn’t a strong linkage between drinking and gambling that is typically found in Las Vegas. It’s my understanding that the policy mandates customers pay for their drinks; while a cocktail waitress might come around occasionally, I wouldn’t rely on that for service. There are bars throughout the casino should you wish to avoid waiting.

Smoking is prohibited except in a designated smoking area on the first floor, which is enclosed by glass walls on all sides. It seems to have its own ventilation system since the air in the main casino was fresh and clean. However, I had to brave the unpleasant air of the smoking room to gather details about the Extra Draw Keno game.

I would like to extend my compliments to Holland Casino for the enjoyable experience I had during my visit. The venue itself was modern and expansive, the staff was friendly and professional, and the atmosphere among players was pleasant and amicable. Overall, I departed feeling impressed and satisfied.

Official website of Holland Casino Amsterdam

Drinking and Smoking

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Conclusion

Holland Casino Amsterdam - A Gambler's Paradise

Links

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Written by: Michael Shackleford