Casino Party - FAQ's
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Craps is complicated and intimidating to first time players! How do you ensure that we'll have fun?
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Can you simplify Craps for me? Compare it to Monopoly so I can understand the game.>
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What if I don’t like the quality of your casino party tables when you set up?>
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What about the prizes? What type and how many should we give away?
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Drum for vouchers vs. Chinese Auction…what’s the difference?
What is a "Casino Party"?
Walk into a casino with luxurious gaming tables waiting to be played. Can you see the friendly dealers dressed in tuxedo shirts, vests, bow ties, name tags, studs and cufflinks?
Now step up to these tables and watch the dealers push $1,000.00 in chips to you and your friends. Go ahead and place your bets. Can you feel the excitement?
Here’s the best part…you don’t risk a dime of your own money while playing these games. Craps, Roulette, Black Jack and other games are in play just for fun. It’s “no gamble”.
These events are actually more fun than real casinos because there are no cameras in the ceiling watching your every move. The atmosphere is much more relaxed because winning $20,000.00 is a riot…and losing $1,000.00 is no big deal.
Our knowledgeable dealers guide the players through a night of fantasy and entertainment. Even those who have never played before quickly find themselves caught up in the excitement. The sound of cheers and clapping are almost deafening when the dealers bust.
Just tell us the date, the time and the venue. We’ll bring the casino to you, and your guests will have the time of their life! This event is sure to be the best your guests have ever attended.Top
Are casino parties legal?
The simple answer is YES, because we adhere to the guidelines provided by Utah State law. Casino Night events ARE legal because no money is wagered.
The Utah Attorney General’s office has advised us that this activity is not considered gambling UNLESS prizes are awarded as a direct result of gaming activity. A player, for example, MAY NOT be awarded a prize for winning the most chips.
When “Last Hand” is called and played out at our events, guests exchange their chips for vouchers. A drawing takes place, and the lucky recipients win the employer-provided prizes. Prizes are awarded by way of a random drawing, not as a direct result of the outcome on any casino table. No money is ever wagered at our events
We ensure that all guests receive vouchers whether they play the games or not, so everyone has a chance to win a prize. This method of awarding prizes is very common in Utah, and is not construed as gambling.
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How does a typical casino party unfold?
As the guests arrive, they are greeted by the party host who hands them customized “Admission” tickets. Happy hour commences, and then dinner is usually served.
When the casino opens, guests exchange their Admission tickets for chips at any casino table. Guests may move from table to table and mingle as they test “Lady Luck”. When “Last Hand” is eventually called, players exchange their “winnings” for vouchers right at the tables.
All of our dealers are involved in the exchange process, so it takes place very quickly. Guests who choose not to play the games may cash their Admission tickets in for vouchers. A drawing follows and prizes are awarded to the lucky winners. Everyone has a chance to win prizes whether they play the games or not.
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Why choose Common Cents Casino Parties?
We have the most authentic, luxurious portable tables in this business. Our money-back guarantee ensures your peace of mind. (See “What if I don’t like the quality of your tables when you set up?”)
We have more than 200 parties under our belt; with 100% total client satisfaction on every event. Many of our clients are “Fortune 500” companies. Some require up to 65 tables…and as many as 80 dealers at one event. We’re up to the task! (See our “Testimonials” page)
Our friendly dealers dress to the 9s; to include tuxedo shirts, vests, bow ties, name tags, studs and cufflinks. (See our “Dealers” page)
We hold ongoing dealer workshops so our dealers stay sharp for your event, and our absolute #1 commitment is your total satisfaction.
We thrive on repeat business. Many of our clients reserve their dates 9, 10 or even 11 months in advance year after year just to be sure we are available.
We can handle parties of all sizes: from 10 guests to 1000. Whether you need one table or 100 tables, 1 dealer or 120 dealers…we deliver, with a ton of fun to go with it!
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Is there an age limit for playing these games?
That’s entirely up to you. Some of the liveliest parties we’ve seen are Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. At one event a 5 year old boy was rolling the dice at the Craps table. He was on fire, and the table was going nuts! The sound decibel was over the top! We also offer Bingo, and the kids love it!
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Are your payouts the same as casino payouts?
Not quite. Casinos want the “house edge”. That’s how they build those tall buildings. We are all about having fun. That means we want your guests to be “in the chips” at the end of the evening so they can exchange them for several vouchers. More vouchers mean greater chances to win prizes, especially with Chinese Auctions.
We loosen our 21 tables up by paying 2 to 1 on a “Black Jack”. Casinos pay 3 to 2. We also deal the players’ cards face up in order to help everyone beat the dealers. If your guests have never played table games before, don’t fret. They’ll be playing with gusto in no time!
Craps tables can take your chips in a hurry when the dice are cold. We compensate by calling “do-overs” when the dreaded # 7 is rolled too often. We simply won’t allow the dice to get so cold that they tend to take everyone’s chips. Unlike casinos, we don’t need that “house edge” to stay in business
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Craps is so complicated & intimidating to first-time players! How do you ensure that we’ll have fun?
We purposely staff all of our Craps tables with three dealers (not one or two) so each dealer can take the players under their wings and coach them effectively through the betting process. Tables with less than three dealers will surely have players who feel “out of the loop”. At the end of the party, these players will tell you that they still don’t understand the game. A three-dealer table solves this issue.
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Can you simplify Craps for me? Compare it to Monopoly so I can understand the game.
Your mission in Monopoly is to strategically buy up properties in order to collect revenue. In Craps, you’re buying numbers instead of properties.
Like Monopoly, a player is chosen to roll the dice. This person is called the “shooter”. After each round of play, a new “shooter” rolls the dice. All the players get a chance to “shoot” the dice. Unlike Monopoly, all the players are rooting for the shooter to win...not lose. Everyone wants the shooter to roll the right numbers. The longer the shooter rolls, the more exciting the game becomes.
In every round of play, the first roll of the dice is the “come out” roll. With some exceptions, this roll establishes the number for that round. Let’s say the first roll is a 10. The object of the game now is to roll another 10 before you roll a 7. If a 7 is rolled before another 10 is rolled, the round ends…and (with some exceptions) players lose their bets.
Now in addition to the established 10 bet, players may also make various other types of wagers during that round of play. Many of these other bets can be complicated, so each dealer coaches their respective players through this process.
In Monopoly, a player doesn’t get too excited when another player lands on his undeveloped property. Of course, a fee is paid, but it is nominal. A player with a hotel on his property, however, will hoot and holler when someone lands there! Now the payout is exciting!
The same thing happens in Craps. Rolling the “come out” number before rolling a 7 is similar to someone landing on your undeveloped Monopoly property. You get something for it, but the game isn’t very exciting…yet. So our dealers will go to work doing what they do best…they’ll coach you into placing the exciting bets. The banter sounds something like this…
”Let’s compound the winnings and get paid the big bucks! Here we go! Buy that bet! Back this bet! Press your bet! Parlay your winnings! Get some hopping bets out there! Who wants the hard ways? There’s nobody on the horn bet; come get the horn bet! Who wants the C & E? Don’t forget your field bets!” NOW this table is about to come alive with excitement!
The crowd explodes when these exponential bets are paid out. And the longer the dice roll, the bigger the exponential bets become. “Hot” shooters set the Craps table on fire, but it only happens when exponential bets are being played. Hopping, pressing, buying, placing, backing, laying & parlaying your bets will greatly enhance your payouts. These bets are similar to buying houses and hotels in Monopoly.
Our dealers commit dozens of hours in our dealer workshops in order to learn how to keep your bets “turned on and tuned up” for every round of play. It’s hard work, and it takes a lot of concentration. We’re very proud of our dealers for stepping up and going the extra mile for you! This is our way of doing business. We keep it real. It’s what we do…because your business is worth it to us!Top
What if I don’t like the quality of your tables when you set up?
Let’s re-phrase this question: “What if your tables look cheesy, old or shoddy?”
Our elegant tables are by far the finest portable tables in this business! All of our tables come with a money-back guarantee. If it is the consensus of your group that a particular table does not measure up to expectations, we will gladly refund the money you paid to have it at your event.
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What about chairs for the gaming tables?
The Texas Hold’em tables require chairs. All of our tables (except Craps) lower in height to accommodate chairs. We will gladly furnish chairs. We find, however, that most venues already have chairs available for free (or for a nominal charge, depending on the venue).
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What about the prizes? What type and how many should we give away?
A good ratio is one prize for every 10 guests. Prizes don’t have to be extravagant. People just like to win. Consider purchasing gift certificates from great restaurants like Sizzler or Rumbi’s Island Grill. Movie tickets and video rental coupons are easy on a pocketbook. If your budget allows, go for the IPod, $1,000.00 travel voucher or even the wide screen television as the grand prize
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How are prizes awarded?
At the end of the evening, chips are traded for vouchers at every casino table. We recommend an exchange rate of one voucher for every $100.00
The guests who choose not to play the games may exchange their Admission tickets for 10 vouchers at the end of the evening. Everyone at your event has a chance to win a prize whether they play the games or not.Top
Do you furnish the voucher tickets and drum?
Yes! We furnish the two-part vouchers and a drum at no additional charge. You provide the prizes. You’ll draw the winning vouchers, and you’ll award the prizes to the lucky winners.
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Drum for vouchers vs. Chinese Auction…what’s the difference?
Prize drawings must be carried out in a very short amount of time. Your guests have had a fantastic time to this point, but they are ready to move on. The worst thing you can do is drag out the prize drawing. Get this drawing over in 5 minutes or less. Here’s our suggestion:
Drums are great if there are less than 5 prizes to give away. Spend no more than 1 minute advertising each prize, drawing the voucher and reading the winning number. Have someone assist you by handing the prize to the winner while you’re advertising the next prize. (1 minute per prize x 5 prizes = 5 minutes). Otherwise, go for the Chinese Auction.
Before your guests arrive, display all the prizes in an area away from the gaming tables. Then position decorated cardboard boxes or fish bowls by each prize. When “last hand” is called and played out, your guests exchange their chips for two-part vouchers. Then they gather near the prizes and place one part of their vouchers in the containers of their choice, and retain the other part for validation. Guests may drop their vouchers in various containers, hoping to win more than one prize…or they may commit all their vouchers to the prize they want to win most.
Here we go! Draw a voucher from the first container and read the number. As the winner steps forward, draw a voucher from the next container and read the number. That number should be read before the first winner gets to his/her prize. Continue in this manner until all prizes have been awarded, and then say “Good Night”. The “award winning” rule is…5 minutes or less.
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How do you ensure lively table action?
We go the extra mile to keep our tables hopping with excitement by overstaffing our tables. Our Craps tables are staffed with 3 dealers, just like Vegas. Our dealers can personally coach your guests this way.
Our Roulette tables are staffed with 2 dealers to ensure that your guests won’t get bored waiting for all the chips to be cleared before the next roll. One dealer spins the ball & says “Place Your Bets” while the other dealer is still sorting the chips. With 2 dealers, many more spins occur per hour. That equates to much more excitement!
We provide Floor Managers (Pit Bosses) to assist all the dealers. If a dealer must step away from a table for a restroom break, the Floor Manager steps in to keep the table going.
Strategy cards are made available to the players at the Black Jack tables. These cards suggest when to hit, stand, split or double down. Of course, our dealers can advise you as well.
Strategy cards are also placed on the Roulette tables. These cards list the type of wagers available on Roulette…such as Street Bets, Column Bets, Line Bets, etc. These cards also list the payouts for all the betting options.
We can also provide “Player’s Cards” to your guests, much like casinos do. As your guests clock time on the various tables, they receive “credits”, which are redeemed for additional vouchers. Of course, we’ll facilitate this for you.
Best of all, we keep it hassle free so you can enjoy the very party you are hosting. As the host, feel free to jump in and play the games. Go ahead! We’ll keep your guests entertained for you.
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Do we need to tip the dealers?
Tipping our dealers is not expected. Dealers do occasionally receive tips from players who have a fantastic time and want to show their appreciation monetarily. We don’t allow “tip jars” on our tables and we do not solicit tips.
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How long does a casino party last?
The typical dealing time is 3 hours. When this time frame nears the end, your guests may be having such a great time that they won’t want to stop. If this is the case (and it often is) you may choose to extend the party another hour.
We charge $20.00 per dealer for the fourth hour. We can add this cost on to your bill or you can pay the dealers yourself. The decision to extend the fun can be made as you monitor the party.
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What areas do you serve?
Most of our events are played out in the Salt Lake valley. We have travelled as far as Pocatello, Jackson Hole and St. George. Call us and we’ll bring the casino to you.
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Why don’t you post your prices on your website?
Every casino party is unique. A few clients want their managers to deal some of the tables so their employees can heckle them while playing the games. That’s a cost savings because we don’t provide as many dealers.
Some venues have very poor load/unload access. Others have an undersized elevator, which means more manpower to lug the tables up and down the steps. That’s going to cost more.
We are very good about responding to quote requests when we receive them. Call us or fill out our form with as much information as you can. We’ll have the quote to you the following day.
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When you choose Common Cents Casino Parties it's just "No Gamble"!
