Playing blackjack in Las Vegas isn’t as simple as you might think. You can’t just walk up to any blackjack table and expect that you’ll find the same rules. Even blackjack games available with the same minimum wager in the same casino may have different rules. At best, the state of blackjack in Las Vegas can be confusing.
There’s one thing for sure about Las Vegas blackjack. There aren’t many games with a minimum wager less than a $25 that many serious blackjack players will play on the Vegas Strip. A serious blackjack player may not be professional gamblers but they care about rules, odds and house edge. Many of these players consider the 6:5 rule on natural blackjack as a non-starter. Unfortunately, this game is prevalent in almost every casino on the Vegas Strip today.
Whether you’re serious about blackjack, craps, or another casino game you’ll probably be looking at casinos away from the Vegas Strip to spend your gambling dollar. The Vegas Strip is by far the most popular place for tourists visiting Las Vegas. These casinos, which offer worse blackjack games, generate more revenue from non-gambling parts of the casino.
However, the second area of Las Vegas that’s popular with visitors to Las Vegas is downtown Las Vegas. That’s a good thing as “old Vegas” casinos still make the majority of revenue from gambling. Perhaps it’s a coincidence that the casinos in downtown Las Vegas offer better rules and odds than their counterparts on the Vegas Strip.
The casinos located in downtown Las Vegas are smaller and older and offer fewer amenities than the massive casino-resorts on the Vegas Strip. Instead, among a few other things, these casino operators offer better gambling rules and odds to lure visitors. Blackjack players can easily find blackjack games that pay 3:2 when they’re dealt a natural blackjack. In fact, blackjack players will find plenty of playable games in downtown Las Vegas.
I really want to put a spotlight on some of the casinos where you can find good, fun, and entertaining blackjack games. Like all blackjack games in Las Vegas today, these are good games for your entertainment. If you’re a card counter there’s a good chance you’ll be backed off from these games if you’re suspected of counting.
Playing blackjack games with a small house edge should allow you to play for a longer period of time and possibly catch a good string of cards and make some money. Even playing with perfect basic strategy the casino still has a house edge, however small might it might be.
I recently told you about the blackjack game at El Cortez in downtown Las Vegas with the minuscule 0.30346% house edge. Today I’ll look at that, and other good blackjack games you’ll find in downtown Las Vegas.
Casino: El Cortez
House Edge: 0.30346
Minimum Bet: $5 (may be higher on weekends)
Decks: 1
Blackjack Payout: 3:2
Soft 17: Dealer hits
Double: Yes (double after any first 2 cards)
Double After Split: No
Resplit Aces: No
Surrender: No
Casino: Downtown Grand and Golden Nugget
House Edge: 0.45688
Minimum Bet: $25
Decks:2
Blackjack Payout: 3:2
Soft 17: Dealer hits
Double: Yes (double after any first 2 cards)
Double After Split: No
Resplit Aces: No
Surrender: No
Casino: Plaza
House Edge: 0.45688
Minimum Bet: $10
Decks: 2
Blackjack Payout: 3:2
Soft 17: Dealer hits
Double: Yes (double after any first 2 cards)
Double After Split: No
Resplit Aces: No
Surrender: No
Casino: The D
House Edge: 0.45688
Minimum Bet: $5 (may be higher on weekends)
Decks:2
Blackjack Payout: 3:2
Soft 17: Dealer hits
Double: Yes (double after any first 2 cards)
Double After Split: No
Resplit Aces: No
Surrender: No
Casino: Golden Nugget
House Edge: 0.48263
Minimum Bet: $10 and $25
Decks: 6
Blackjack Payout: 3:2
Soft 17: Dealer hits
Double: Yes (double after any first 2 cards)
Double After Split: Yes
Resplit Aces: Yes
Surrender: Yes
These aren’t the only good blackjack games in Las Vegas. However, they are some of the best that you’ll find in downtown Las Vegas. I don’t visit every casino in Las Vegas to find the different rules and information. The Wizard of Vegas Blackjack Survey is a great way to find both good and bad blackjack games in Las Vegas. This is one of the best and easiest to use lists of blackjack games in Las Vegas. You’ll probably notice that this is a resource that I reference regularly. You can find more information on blackjack games in downtown Las Vegas here.
