National Blackjack Day is celebrated annually on March 2. Get it? We celebrate blackjack on 3/2.
If you don’t get it, 3:2 is the original payout for a player being dealt a natural blackjack. Like any special day on the calendar, this is a good excuse to enjoy the item being celebrated.
Gamblers don’t need many excuses to head to a casino. Sometimes it’s nice to have a specific plan when going to the casino.
Playing one of the casino games with a lower house edge is always a smart move. National blackjack day is a fun day for blackjack players.
Unfortunately, Las Vegas casinos have been reducing the payout for a natural blackjack to 6:5 for a decade or so. On the good side, most casinos around the US still offer the better 3:2 payout for a natural blackjack.
It’s amazing that we have to celebrate a fair blackjack game but here we are. Let’s appreciate the fair games while we have them. We can celebrate National Blackjack Day every day if necessary.
Supporting 3:2 Blackjack
This holiday of sorts is a good excuse to eat, drink and gamble at casinos that offer 3:2 blackjack games. Showing support for the casinos that offer 3:2 blackjack could encourage a casino operator to keep offering games with a fair payout.
Choosing the specific day could spike revenue enough to actually make a change. Corporate beancounters notice large increases and decreases in revenue. They can also see where people are spending money. Increased revenue at 3:2 blackjack could make the accountants notice and tell their bosses.
In turn, casino operators could add more 3:2 tables in a single property. Similarly, companies with multiple properties could offer a better blackjack game in more locations.
Playing 3:2 blackjack games is without a doubt better for the player than a 6:5 game. In addition to a 3:2 payout, players looking for the very best blackjack game should also look for some other rules:
- Dealer stands on 17
- Double after split
- Double on any two cards
- ReSplitting Aces
- Hitting split Aces
- Surrender
Lastly, after finding the games with the best rules, a player should look for the fewest cards. The house edge decreases with the number of cards in play.
Blackjack Is A Mixed Bag In Las Vegas
Sadly, it would be impossible to have celebrated 3:2 blackjack at the last three casinos I visited in Las Vegas.
Being based in Las Vegas makes it somewhat difficult to enjoy National Blackjack Day at some of my favorite casinos. The Vegas Strip casinos I like to visit don’t have many 3:2 blackjack games for under $25 per hand. Many don’t offer 3:2 blackjack for under $100 per hand.
In fact, 6:5 blackjack is the most prominent blackjack game at Vegas Strip casinos. The Vegas Strip just isn’t great for someone looking for cheaper good blackjack games.
Thankfully, there are plenty of casinos around town that offer a decent blackjack game at a lower limit under $25 per hand.
When I want to visit a casino specifically to gamble, I’ll head to one of the off-strip casinos. In addition to 3:2 blackjack, these casinos typically have games (video poker, roulette, craps) with more player-friendly rules and payouts.
Personally, I can embrace the casinos in different locations for what they offer. I’ll visit Vegas Strip casinos if I’m in the mood to eat, drink and hang out with friends visiting. If I’m simply in the mood to gamble, I’ll stay local.
Living in Las Vegas gives me the best of all worlds.
