Rio has opened their Bikini Blackjack Pit with single deck blackjack games that offer double downs on 10 or 11 only, no double down after splits, and they only pay even money on blackjack's. I have a strong feeling no one from this or any other blackjack site will be playing there. That game makes 6 to 5 look good.
Rio Blackjack In Dec. issue of BJInsider.com Tournament Pro a columnist for that site called the RIO the "WORST PLACE IN THE WORLD TO PLAY BLACKJACK".
It's a shame! The Rio is such a nice place to stay, it's a shame their blackjack games are so bad. What is even worst is they still have people playing the games.
One other thing about the Bikini Pit. When I was there last, the minimums were $25. They certainly make you pay for all that eyecandy.
Tempted by the candy aisle? When I was last at the RIO you know I took the time to check out their infamous "Bikini BJ pit" but didn't play a hand. The minimums on 3 of the tables were at $25 and the others were $50 and up!! Granted they had some of the most insanely awesome looking "blackjack dealers" I've ever seen, but this is one candy you should definitely leave on the shelf. The people playing on these tables didn't seem to care about anything going on blackjack-wise, and several times I saw these "dealers" make mistakes that would've been caught & corrected easily on any other table, but the players just ignored them/didn't notice them, and the play continued. I'm talking about stuff like the dealer busting with 22 but still scooping up any players hand who didn't have 21...! It was unreal...almost like something on several of these "dealers"! And yes, I enjoyed looking--- until my female companion bopped me on the noggin and ended my deep pondering of how could such a tiny string hold up under all that strenous dealing??? Seriously though, this game is a joke.