For five long years players of GTA5 sped past the Diamond Casino and Resort only to see the “Opening Soon” sign. Many had already given up any hopes of being able to play the tables or secure one of the resort’s penthouses when there was the shock announcement in July 2019 that it was open for business.
There are a number of theories why it took so very long for Rockstar Games to add this feature to the insanely popular game. But for most players it was just received as great news that the roulette wheels would soon be spinning, and the cards would be being dealt.
When it did eventually open players discovered one of the most extensive and realistic casinos ever to be featured in a video game. Rockstar had obviously taken their time making sure that it was as good as it could possibly be for the moment, but then that’s hardly surprising when you take a look at the way that they work.
The good news for players is that, although it’s an exclusive and classy place, it won’t cost you many of your $GTA to secure a standard membership. This will give you access to most of the casino with the exception of the high roller games. To have a chance of securing the big wins on these, you’ll have to upgrade to VIP membership that costs considerably more.
It might cost more, but this also allows you to get your hands on one of the penthouses in the resort which come with all kinds of perks. Plus, you’ll become eligible to carry out all sorts of missions that can earn you some pretty serious money, not to mention cranking up your status and prestige.
But before you can start thinking about that sort of thing, you’re going to have to start earning some serious $GTA and there are a good number of games that are going to help you do this at the Diamond Casino and Resort.
Slots
Go to any casino in the world and you’ll find row upon row of slots. In fact, they’re the biggest money spinner there is. Well the Diamond is no exception and you’ll find more than enough to keep you playing. With titles like Dangle the Carrot, Fortune and Glory and Vice City PI you can tell that there are a number of themes designed to appeal to different kinds of players.
The games themselves have a real retro feel to them, a far cry from the state of the art video slots that are so popular today. These ones are three-reel mechanical slots, just like you’d find in Vegas. And they also pay out potentially massive jackpots, again like Vegas, with one game in particular paying out $GTA 2.5 million if your luck really is in for the night.
Lucky Wheel
For those who want to kick off a visit to the casino with a variant on the popular Wheel of Fortune then the Lucky Wheel is perfect. You’re allowed one spin of it per visit to the casino per day and it can net you some pretty useful prizes. These range from cash rewards to mystery gifts and you can even win a car.
The model in question changes from week to week and you’ll see which one it is the moment you enter the lobby. That’s because it’s displayed on a rotating podium for all to see. You control the Lucky Wheel by twisting the analogue stick on your game controller. The faster you turn it, the quicker the wheel spins. So, it just takes a little practice to be able to pretty accurately get the wheel to land on the prize that you want.
Roulette
Roulette really is the quintessential casino game. It’s no surprise at all that you’ll find the table’s always busy at the Diamond. Just like the real thing, it’s not so much a strategy for playing that will help as much as a strategy for betting. Broadly, the principle should be to cover as many numbers as possible with the smallest possible stake. Plus, betting on single numbers is never a very good idea as the odds are just too long to make it a practical choice.
Blackjack
On the other hand, strategy is key when it comes to taking on the casino’s dealer at blackjack. As experienced players will know, the objective is to get as close as possible to 21 with your cards. There is an established technique, called the basic strategy, that will tell players whether it’s a statistically good idea to take another card or to stick with their hand. This has been shown to work just as well in this virtual casino as it does in the real one. For real experts, it might also be possible to do some card counting which will further tip the odds in your favour. You’re also unlikely to befall the same fate as actor Ben Affleck suffered when he tried it in a Vegas casino.
3 Card Poker
There has been a little disappointment expressed that the poker available here is the three-card kind while that other Rockstar success Red Dead Redemption 2 offers real Texas Hold’em. Nevertheless, the three-card version is diverting enough even though you’re also only ever playing against the dealer. The objective is to get a pair, three of a kind, a straight or a flush. The speed of the game more than makes up for the lack of complexity as it’s quite easy to win big in a short space of time.
Inside Track
Finally, for those who fancy riding their luck on some horseracing, there’s also the Inside Track with races constantly being held with some big outsiders that quite often win.
There you have it. A quick rundown of the games to play, and how to play them, in the long-awaited Diamond Resort and Casino. Yes, there are improvements that could be made – and no doubt there will be – but for now it’s a great enough addition to the game.
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