Changes at Tag Bar + 100 micro, macro, craft, and imported beers
Caesars recently changed the setup of Tag Bar at The Linq Casino. They removed about half of the cocktail tables and chairs, all of the draft beer tables, and the bubble craps machine near the doorway out to the promenade. This space has been filled with a small blackjack pit that has eight tables. There was a one person go-go dancer stage when I visited but it wasn’t in use.
Related: Hotel Review | Deluxe Room At The Linq Hotel
Related: Casino Review | Let’s Take A Closer Look At The Linq
TAG SPORTS BAR is one of my favorite places to play video poker on the Vegas strip. Despite the crappy pay tables, this bar offers complimentary beer that you won’t find at most casino bars. Tag Bar has over 100 micro, macro, craft, and imported beers available to buy. Many of those beers are complimentary when playing video poker. Some of those beers are now available when playing blackjack.
Blackjack and Brews Pit
The new Blackjack and Brews pit offers a handful of beers from Tag Bar and more gambling with crappy rules. However, the $5 minimum bet on my visits were less than crappy. The unique beer selection isn’t so bad either. I suspect the minimum bet will increase to $10 if it hasn’t already.
All blackjack games at The Linq pay 6:5 when a player is dealt blackjack. The dealer will hit on soft 17. Unlike some of the worst games on the Vegas Strip, this game is dealt from a shoe, a player can double on any two cards, and the player may double after splitting. When played with perfect* basic strategy this game has a house edge of about 1.8%.
Nobody likes 6:5 blackjack. We all prefer 3:2. I get it. I was cranky about the return for blackjack until I realized that the house edge in the video poker games is worse. The Bonus Poker game at Tag Bar has a house edge over 3% and must be played at a pace that will keep the drink monitoring system green so that the bartenders can offer complimentary drinks.
Over time it’s probably less expensive to pay $7-$10 for each beer at Tag Bar than play either game. However, the bad blackjack rules might be a better deal than the bad video poker paytables. If I am at The Linq and someone wants to play low limits blackjack and won’t go to another casino, I’d steer them to the pit that offers better beer. At least I’m getting good suds and more alcohol with each drink than I would in the rest of the casino.
Marc grew up on the mean streets of the South Bronx. He's the rare combination of Yankees and Jets fan which explains his often contrarian point of view. He learned about gambling at a young age working down the street from a bookie who took action on anything from the mainstream sports to the last three digits of the purse for certain horse races. Yeah, that's a thing. Today Marc is a freelance writer and social media consultant which allows him to work anywhere there's a wifi signal. This allows him to work from the sportsbook at Red Rock Resort or the food court at The Venetian where you’ll find fast and free wifi. Writing about steak, booze, gambling and Las Vegas is a tough job but somebody has to do it.
