Cache Creek is a popular casino resort located in Northern California within the town of Brooks. It is about an hour and a half drive from the heart of San Francisco as well as Napa Valley, making it a popular destination amongst residents of the Bay Area. They are well known for having some of the best blackjack rules in the state and do not charge a per-hand ante on table games.
All of the blackjack tables at Cache Creek pay 3:2 which is a big plus if you’ll be playing. This helps set them apart from many other California Card Rooms, which often have worse rules while also charging up to a $1 ante per $100 wager. This will help dramatically reduce the house edge compared to the aforementioned properties.
The Cache Creek Casino is both owned and operated by the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation of Native Americans. It was first opened in 1985 as merely a bingo hall and would remain one for many years. It underwent a large renovation in 2002 which was eventually completed two years later in 2004. Since then it has gone through several additional expansion projects, inevitable turning Cache Creek into what it is today; a full fledge casino resort. It is also home to a fairly large poker room, which we outline below.
Casino at Cache Creek
Besides having better blackjack rules than many other gambling halls within the state, the casino floor at Cache Creek is also different from many others in California because it offers both slot machines and table games. If slots are your game, Cache Creek is probably your best bet if you are looking to gamble in Northern California. All in all, the casino floor is home to over 2,400 electronic machines and 120 table games. The slots available here are pretty standard and include all of the usual games. They also have a large selection of video poker machines, most of which are located in their own designated area.
The table game rules are another reason behind Cache Creek’s popularity. The tables here host Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, Casino War, Three Card Poker, Four Card Poker, Let it Ride, Pai Gow Tiles, Lucky Lucky Blackjack and Dragon Baccarat. In addition to these games, they also have a few Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em tables. It is worth mentioning that all blackjack tables pay 3:2 here, which draws in players from around Northern California. This even includes single deck and double deck games.
High Limit Areas
Though the property is over 400,000 square feet in total, just over 90,000 of that is dedicated to gambling. The rest is home to the Cache Creek Hotel & Resort along with a spa, retail shops, restaurants, a banquet hall and other amenities. Though the casino is relatively small, it does manage to fit a ton of games into what space it does have. On the floor you’ll find a variety of both electronic machines and table gams. They have a large high limit table games area with max bets ranging up to $10,000. It includes the following games:
- – 6 Baccarat tables
- – 12 Blackjack tables
- – 2 single deck games (3:2)
- – 7 double deck games (3:2)
- – 7 Blackjack shoe games
- – 1 “Cache Creek” Roulette table
The casino also has a high limit slots area which includes popular games with denominations ranging from $5 to $100. Wheel of Fortune, Top Dollar, Triple Double Diamonds and many other game types are available. It’s worth noting that smoking is permitted on the casino floor, but there is a spacious new non-smoking area which has over 150 slot machines. On my visit here, it seemed like ventilation was good and the floor wasn’t too smoky.
Poker Room at Cache Creek
The poker room at Cache Creek is right in the middle of the spectrum when compared to others in California and close-by Nevada. It was most recently remodeled and expanded in 2006. The Cache Creek poker room has 14 tables in total and is opened to players 24/7. They run cash games every day and tournaments on most Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays. They offer cash games for No Limit Hold ‘Em, Limit Hold ‘Em and Limit Omaha 8/b. You can learn more about both types of games offered at Cache Creek here.
Restaurants and Bars at Cache Creek
Cache Creek actually has a lot to offer when it comes to restaurants and dining. It has many options available, ranging from Chinese and Asian eateries, to American style delis and steakhouses. Within the Cache Creek Resort and across the casino floor you’ll find a C2 Steakhouse, Chang Shou, Sports Page Pub & Grill, The Harvest Buffet, Canyon Cafe, The Deli, Asian Kitchen, Sweets, Etc., and Loco Express. Though it has a nice selection of dining options, it does not have an overwhelming offering of bars, with just one located at the Sports Page Pub & Grill. You can however order drinks on the casino floor, and they are always free for active players.
Hotel and Resort at Cache Creek
The hotel at Cache Creeks has 200 rooms in total, each of which overlook the scenic Capay Valley. Of those, 27 rooms are suites while the rest are made up of deluxe queen/king rooms or valley view/patio rooms. As you probably guessed, the valley view patio rooms have their own private decks with scenic views of the Capay Valley, and are one of the nicer room options.
The hotel and resort here received both a four diamond and four star status for their amenities, making it a top resort destination. Each room; suite or not, comes complete with fine linens, large flat screen televisions, Keurig machines, refrigerators and other top of the line conveniences. Rooms also feature state of the art, updated bathrooms.
Aside from the hotel, the resort at Cache Creek has a variety of additional amenities including a pool and spa. There is even a prestigious golf course here which is one of the top 100 resort courses in the United States. Additionally, there is a mini mart and gift shop where you can buy some basic necessities or gifts.