So games like poker and blackjack where players need to make decisions during play are considered games of skill. Gambling in Los Angeles is illegal on 'games of chance' but not on games of skill. After some research, I think I figured out why the gambling here is so funky. There are also no slot machines, roulette or craps. At first I though this person was some huge gambler but rather they are part of the operations here. Also, every table game has a person who sits at either first or third base with a huge pile of gaming chips who collects or pays the players after every hand.
So yes, every hand you play in black jack, baccarat, 3 card poker etc costs $1. First off, every bet you place requires at least $1 as a 'fee' to gamble here. This review is about the casino experience only.