It was once possible to find excellent blackjack games in Las Vegas. However, the games have become more difficult over the past two decades. But what does this mean?
Although the basic blackjack rules remain the same, the details can significantly affect your chances of winning. In some casinos, the dealer holds a soft 17, while in others, the dealer hits soft 17.
It is better for the player to have the dealer stand on soft 17. However, most casinos in Vegas have abandoned this rule.
Some casinos have even altered the payouts for blackjack from 3 to 2 to 6:5. Do yourself a favor and decline to play in any of these games. There are still Las Vegas casinos that offer blackjack rules. I have listed seven of them, along with reasons why they are great.
1 – El Cortez
Multiple sources have referred to El Cortez in the past as having the best blackjack downtown. So what makes their blackjack games so special?
There are usually a few single-deck tables and one table that only uses two decks. Many tables offer $5 minimum bets and cater to low rollers. They accept high-rollers as well, with max bets ranging from $500 to $2000 per table.
Although they do hit a soft 17, there aren’t any casinos in Downtown Vegas that can stand on a hard 17. Their house edge is 0.7% for all games, with the best strategy. However, their highest games have a house advantage of 0.3%.
You can get the best odds of winning downtown by sticking with $5 single-deck tables at El Cortez.
El Cortez also offers video Blackjack with fairly good rules.
2 – Treasure Island
Treasure Island is the most popular blackjack casino on The Strip. While I recommend that you stick with a single-deck game most of the time, the six-deck Treasure Island game has better odds. Even if you have a perfect strategy, the house edge for Treasure Island’s single-deck game is only 1.7%.
What is the reason for this? It’s a 6 to 5 blackjack table.
People get confused and believe that 6:5 Blackjack is better than 3:2 Blackjack simply because 6 is greater than 3. They are not accounting for the nature and value of the odds.
You will only win $120 if you place $100 on a table of 6:5 blackjack and you get a blackjack. If you were getting 3:2 odds, you’d win $150. With a minimum of $25, the six-deck games offer the best odds with the lowest house edge at 0.3%.
This is why this game is so great. This is the only place where the dealer must stand on soft 17.
However, many of my readers cannot afford this level of action, so they will likely opt for
What Las Vegas Casinos Have the Best Blackjack Games?
Las Vegas is a hotbed for all types of gambling, perhaps the most popular of which is blackjack. Found all across the Las Vegas Strip, casino and resort complexes offer all sorts of variations of the classic game. So what exactly are the best casinos for blackjack in Las Vegas?
The popular MGM Grand offers a wide range of blackjack games. For classic blackjack, there is a six-deck shoe game, or a single-deck game with a minimum bet of only $5 or less. The 8 Deck Proposition Blackjack game offers an alternatives for players looking for multiple bet opportunities.
The Mirage Hotel & Casino, in addition to standard blackjack, offers Blackjack Switch tables with two hands and two bets. Rather than getting your stakes doubled, Blackjack Switch awards two wins for the price of one. The Palms Casino and Resort has one of the most unique blackjack experiences on the Strip. With their high-limit tables, minimum bets range from $25 to an incredible $10,000. If you’re looking for something more extreme, Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio has the highest stakes blackjack game in the entire world, owned by Bob Voulgaris with a maximum bet of $100,000.
The Venetian, located on the north end of the Strip, offers a variety of classic and alternative blackjack games. One of their most popular, Free Bet Blackjack, features an optional ‘Free Double’ and ‘Free Split’ with certain hands, increasing the odds of a player winning the hand.
Blackjack 21 Pro, located inside the El Cortez Hotel & Casino on Fremont Street, is a great spot for those looking for the classic game. With both 3:2 payouts on blackjack and 2:1 on insurance, the odds are slightly more in favor of players. Along with the classic game, the El Cortez also offers several alternative blackjack games, such as Blackjack Plus, Double Attack Blackjack, and Perfect Pairs.
If you’re looking for the ultimate experience in Las Vegas, check out The Cromwell, the only casino on the Strip with Double-Deck Blackjack. With that and a full selection of classic games, they have some of the best blackjack tables in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas is full of casinos and resorts that offer different types of blackjack games, so it’s important to pick the right one to maximize your experience. Whether you’re a fan of the classic game or looking for something more exciting, you’ll be sure to find something for everyone in Las Vegas.
