National Blackjack Day isn’t an official holiday but maybe it should be. Every year on March 2, blackjack players celebrate the occasion by playing their favorite game giving props to the most important blackjack rule – being paid 3:2 for a natural blackjack.
This day celebrates more than blackjack. National Blackjack Day is a way to support casinos that offer the preferable 3:2 payout when a player is dealt a natural blackjack. Sadly, many casinos are moving to the less favorable 6:5 blackjack payout.
There was a thought that 6:5 blackjack might have hit its peak. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case. While visiting every casino in Las Vegas for research, the author of an annual survey of table games, John Mehaffey, found that nearly half of the blackjack games in Las Vegas pay 6:5 for a natural blackjack.
According to his research, 45% (712/1585) of the blackjack games in Las Vegas pay 6:5 for a natural blackjack. On the flip side, this means that 55% of the blackjack games in Las Vegas pay 3:2 for a natural blackjack.
Good blackjack still exists in Las Vegas. You’ll just have to search for the game. We’ll continue to share where you can find the best blackjack and worst blackjack in Sin City.
Why is 6:5 Blackjack So Bad?
A standard blackjack game pays 3-2 on a blackjack. A $10 wager would get paid $15 if an ace and a 10 (or face card) is dealt on the first two cards. This is called a natural blackjack.
A 6:5 blackjack game has a 1.39% higher house edge than a 3-2 one. A $10 wager in this game would get paid $12 for a natural blackjack.
The difference is small when playing a $10 blackjack game but it adds up over time. On average, a player will receive 3.5 natural blackjacks every hour.
The two payouts differ by a little more than $10 per hour of blackjack played. Multiply this by hours and sessions and the losses become more noticeable. This is why experienced blackjack players avoid 6:5 blackjack.
You can read more about 6:5 blackjack.
Celebrating 3:2 Blackjack
The amount of 6:5 blackjack games in casinos can be depressing. The best way to influence casinos that spread this version of the game is to avoid them and visit casinos that deal the blackjack game preferred by blackjack players.
Rampart Casino in the Summerlin part of Las Vegas is one of those casinos that has 3:2 blackjack games. The locals casino will be celebrating National Blackjack Day once again in March. Here are some of the promotions for the day:
- Free Blackjack lessons throughout the day: 8 a.m., 10 a.m., Noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m.
- The casino bars will boast the Jack in Black cocktail for $3.20 – a mix of Jack Daniels Old No. 7, coffee liqueur, and cola.
- The 2020 Blackjack Bonus throughout the day (beginning at 10 a.m.), will reward any Blackjack player that hits a $10 Suited Blackjack (minimum $10 bet), a bonus $20 bonus bet. (Must be a Rampart Rewards club member.)
Rampart Casino is about 20-25 minutes from the Vegas Strip and a nice option if you’re looking for a different Vegas casino experience. It’s understandable if someone doesn’t want to trek all the way out to Summerlin for 3:2 blackjack.
There are other options if you’d like to play 3:2 blackjack on or near the Vegas Strip. There are multiple options available just off the Vegas Strip or in downtown Las Vegas. You can even visit Treasure Island on the Vegas Strip for the most 3:2 tables on Las Vegas Boulevard.
