Chicago Sun-Times: Readers place their bests in casino poll

Just under 200 ballots are in and counted for my second not-quite- annual poll asking Chicago Sun-Times readers for their local casino favorites. There are a few surprises, and one quirk that gave me pause.

As ballot after ballot came in for Harrah's under "Best Players' Club," it dawned on me that since Harrah's casinos share the Total Rewards program, many ballots weren't distinguishing between Harrah's Joliet and Harrah's East Chicago.

That's something to account for next time I take a poll. But with that little explanation aside, let's take a look at the poll results. Next week, I'll pass along some reader comments.

BEST BLACKJACK: Trump Casino in Gary narrowly edged the Horseshoe in Hammond for first place. In most categories, I received far more ballots favoring Illinois casinos, so the Indiana blackjack sweep is a surprise. Among Illinois casinos, Empress and Harrah's Joliet were the leaders.

BEST CRAPS: With its 100x odds and high betting limits, Horseshoe caters to craps players, and this category was a Horseshoe landslide. Empress nudged Aurora's Hollywood Casino for second.

BEST TABLE POKER: Just two area casinos have card rooms for Texas Hold 'Em, seven-card stud and Omaha. Harrah's East Chicago recorded a slim margin over Hollywood.

BEST OVERALL TABLE GAMES: Harrah's Joliet edged out Trump, a strong contender because of its sheer variety at the tables. To me, one of the real shockers of this poll was that Horseshoe, with strong finishes in both blackjack and craps, finished well back in the pack in this category.

BEST SLOTS: In the tightest category of all, Harrah's East Chicago, with its themed slot rooms and eagerness to put new games on the floor, finished a single vote ahead of Hollywood. Harrah's Joliet, Empress, Horseshoe and Majestic Star all were within hailing distance of the leaders.

BEST VIDEO POKER: In a tight three-way race, 10-7 Double Bonus Poker, good variety and a separate video poker room carried Empress to victory, with Majestic Star in Gary second and Harrah's Joliet third. No one else drew significant support. In fact, each of the first three drew more votes than the remaining five combined.

BEST BOAT OR BARGE: Score one for barges over boats. The barge at Harrah's Joliet received nearly half the overall vote, and Hollywood, even with only half its barge up and running, finished an easy second. The only boat with significant support was Harrah's East Chicago.

BEST SERVICE: Harrah's has long had a reputation for good customer service, and voters agreed. Harrah's East Chicago came in first, with Harrah's Joliet second and Empress third.

BEST PLAYERS' CLUB: Total Rewards was the clear winner here. The largest share of ballots just said, "Harrah's," but even without those, Harrah's Joliet was first and Harrah's East Chicago third, just behind Horseshoe.

BEST BUFFET: Grand Victoria in Elgin has long had the best casino buffet in the area. Readers again voted it first, with Horseshoe second and the new, improved Harrah's Joliet buffet third.

BEST RESTAURANT: Readers seemed confused over whether to vote for a specific restaurant or for the casino. One voter said, "The one that used to be on the third floor at Hollywood," which I take to be Seven Fortunes, which is soon to be revived. Among those who voted for casinos, Empress was voted the restaurant leader, followed by Hollywood and Horseshoe. The specific restaurants named most often were Fairbanks Steakhouse at Hollywood; Alexandria at Empress, Jack Binion's Steak House at Horseshoe and Cafe Casablanca at Empress.

BEST PAVILION: Harrah's Joliet was an easy winner over Empress, by the largest margin in this poll. In a surprise, Grand Victoria, whose pavilion has a movie theater and other amenities that make it a favorite of mine, did not draw a single vote.

BEST HOTEL: The two Harrah's properties undoubtedly have the most upscale hotels among area casinos. They ran way with the category, with Harrah's Joliet first and Harrah's East Chicago second.

BEST OVERALL CASINO: From the beginning of tabulation, it was apparent the vote was going to come down to two operations. Harrah's Joliet, perhaps with its new barge the deciding factor, edged out Empress, the winner the last time I took a poll in 2000. Every casino in the area received votes, with Majestic Star barely topping Harrah's East Chicago as the leader in Indiana.