Way back in February we informed you that the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will allow the new casinos opening in the state to deal 6:5 blackjack. MGM Resorts International is famously known for offering the less popular blackjack payout. In fact, they helped usher 6:5 blackjack games into Maryland casinos when MGM National Harbor opened in 2016.
This week MGM Springfield opened and they are indeed dealing 6:5 blackjack. They’re also dealing some 3:2 blackjack games. Much like Las Vegas casinos, the higher limits games offer the better payout for a natural blackjack. A tweet from Gary Trask of Casino City on opening night showed that the majority of blackjack games at MGM Springfield paid 6:5 for a natural blackjack. However, MGM Springfield has a decent number of 3:2 blackjack games for those who want to pony up the higher wagers.
Unofficially, the tonight there were 54 #blackjack tables at @MGMSpringfield, with 14 of them paying 3-to-2 on blackjack, and dealer standing on all 17s, but they’re $25 min bet. The others are $15 min bet with blackjack paying 6-to-5, dealer hitting soft 17. pic.twitter.com/gNEoTWOaBr
— Gary Trask (@casinocityGT) August 24, 2018
On opening night, more than half of the table games at MGM Springfield were blackjack. For better or worse, the ratio of 3:2 blackjack game to 6:5 blackjack games is similar to other MGM Resorts International casinos in other cities. At least $25 (and higher) players will get a decent blackjack game. The 3:2 blackjack game allows players to split three times. There’s no surrender and the dealer stands on 17. This game should have a modest house edge of 0.46%.
While Massachusetts blackjack rules allow a casino to offer 6:5 blackjack, they limit how bad the games are. All 6:5 blackjack at MGM Springfield are pitch games with a single or double deck. These games may not be dealt from a shoe. This is advantageous to the player.
The house edge for a $15 double deck blackjack game that pays 6:5 is approximately 1.63%. The house edge of a $15 single deck blackjack game that pays 6:5 is approximately 1.37%. Both of these are more than 3 times larger than the $25 game that pays 3:2. However, the house edge on these $15 games would be worse if dealt from an eight deck shoe. In that case, the house edge would be approximately 1.81%.
MGM Springfield blackjack rules aren’t perfect for gamblers but they could be worse. If it wasn’t for the blackjack rules in Massachusetts they probably would be worse. You can see our post from earlier this year on the rules for Massachusetts blackjack.
MGM Springfield Tier Matching
Upon opening, MGM Springfield is matching M Life Rewards players club cards to higher tiers from other players clubs. You can find more information here. Note, this offer may only be temporary so check the official website before visiting.
