A lot of the big Blazing 7’s blackjack jackpot winners we hear about seem to be on the west coast. However, a blackjack player at Mohegan Sun Pocono in Pennsylvania recently took home a six-figure progressive jackpot.
On March 5, Vincent P. from Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania won a Blazing 7’s progressive jackpot for nearly $200,000. The big win at Mohegan Sun Pocono was technically $199,790.60. Not too shabby for an optional side bet.
Gambling At Mohegan Sun Pocono
Mohegan Sun Pocono features 82,000 square feet of gaming space. Nearly half of the gambling area is devoted to non-smoking guests.
The Mohegan Sun Pocono casino has over 2,300 gaming machines, a high-limit slot room, and a private player’s lounge. There are a total of 90 table games including blackjack, roulette, and craps.
In addition to traditional blackjack games and the Blazing 7’s blackjack progressive Mohegan Sun Pocono offers these variations:
- Spanish 21
- Interlock Electronic Blackjack
- Down Under Blackjack
There’s also a non-smoking eight-table poker room with daily tournaments. The Unibet Sportsbook is the most recent addition to the casino floor.
Mohegan Sun Pocono also has live harness racing during the warmer months of the year in PA. The horses generally run from March through November. Horse bettors can also wager on races that are simulcasted from other tracks.
Pennsylvania Blackjack Rules
Pennsylvania blackjack rules are still among the most player-friendly in the US. The house edge on these games can be as low as 0.35% if a player can make perfect basic strategy moves.
- Blackjack pays 3:2
- Dealer stands on soft 17
- A player may double down on any two cards
- Players may double down after splits
- A player may split most hands up to three times.
- Players can only split Aces once
- Late surrender is allowed
The player-friendly rules in PA make for some of the best blackjack games in the country. It’s refreshing to see casinos that offer fair blackjack games, unlike the majority of Las Vegas casinos.
Blazing 7’s Blackjack Progressive
Blazing 7’s blackjack is among the most popular side bets in the country. The enjoyment of this bet comes from its simplicity as well as numerous jackpot wins – especially in Las Vegas.
The Blazing 7’s blackjack side bet costs $5 per hand regardless of the minimum for the base game. The bet pays based on the number of 7’s a player receives in the first three cards from the dealer.
A player will win by getting at least one 7 in the first two cards from the dealer. The payouts increase when a player receives more 7’s.
The penultimate progressive jackpot pays a player who receives three 7’s of diamonds. Obviously, this bet isn’t available for single or double-deck blackjack games. Here’s a sample of Blazing 7’s blackjack paytable:
- One seven 2-1
- Two sevens 25-1
- Three sevens 200-1
- Three colored sevens: 500-1
- Three suited sevens: 10% of the jackpot
- Three sevens in diamonds: 100% of the jackpot
Blackjack side bets are popular with players because of the potential for a big jackpot win. Casinos like side bets because they increase how much they’ll win from players over time.
According to Wizard of Odds, the house edge for Blazing 7’s blackjack is approximately 5% depending on the paytable.
PA blackjack players who enjoy the thrill of a side bet, regardless of the house edge, are still in a better position than those in other states. The base blackjack games available in PA have among the lowest house edge in the country.
This is sort of a best of both worlds for blackjack players in Pennsylvania since the rules of the base game are so appealing. Casinos that deal the less than stellar 6:5 blackjack game and then add a side bet with a large house edge are just offering players two bad bets.
In PA, a conservative player can stick to the base blackjack game for a low house edge. They can also choose to play the side bet for a little extra action in the game.
