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Las Vegas has long been one of the most popular places in the world to play blackjack. The reason is because Sin City offers over 100 casinos and a venerable buffet of blackjack tables.
The goal to playing blackjack in Vegas or anywhere else is to give yourself the highest possible chance to win. And the best ways to do this include finding the best tables and getting the largest comps.
Let’s discuss below exactly how to do these things. Also, note that you can apply the general principles listed here to finding good blackjack games anywhere in the world.
The great thing about playing blackjack in Las Vegas is that you have more options than anywhere else. This breeds competition among local casinos, which in turn creates some favorable tables.
The key is knowing what to look for in regard to the top blackjack games. Let’s cover what you need to know about how to find these tables, along with some of the best blackjack casinos in Vegas.
A lot of factors can go into determining a quality blackjack game, including the atmosphere, employee attitudes, and amenities. But the two most important aspects with regard to winning are the stakes and house edge.
The stakes are important because more of your money is exposed to the house advantage when you’re forced to bet $25 or more per hand.
Some players enjoy the thrill of putting more money on the line. But smaller bets mean that you have a better chance of booking a profit.
The house edge is determined by the table rules and your skill level. We’ll discuss improving your blackjack skills later.
As for the other point, you want the casino to offer as many favorable rules as possible.
You won’t find every player-friendly rule imaginable on a single table. Otherwise casinos would quickly go broke, because they’d lose their edge.
But the goal is to search for several beneficial rules in one game. Here are the key things that you want to look for:
Once you have a good understanding of blackjack rules, the next step is to use this knowledge to find quality tables. And the internet is your best tool for doing so.
You can run several Google or Bing searches like “best blackjack games Vegas,” “top Vegas blackjack games,” or “best blackjack house edge Vegas” to find what you’re looking for. After doing this, I found a number of articles that discussed the top blackjack games and rules in Sin City.
Each site has its own opinions on the matter. But you can narrow it down to the best blackjack casinos by looking at enough articles.
Online research can also be applied to any other casino destination, like Atlantic City, Detroit, Florida, Laughlin, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, and Reno.
It’s harder to find great blackjack outside of Vegas because no other city/state has the same casino concentration. In fact, you’ll see a lot of 6-8 deck games with 6:5 blackjack payouts elsewhere.
But you can still find decent games in other casino destinations with enough research.
Here’s my list of Vegas’ top blackjack games based on stakes, house edge, and miscellaneous factors:
1 – El Cortez – This low-roller casino has $5 and $25 tables with a 0.304% house edge. El Cortez is also known for comping blackjack players well.
2 – Treasure Island – Here you’ll find the lowest house edge in Vegas, at 0.26%. The minimum bet is $25, just like most casinos in Sin City.
3 – Silverton – You’ll find a $10 game here with a 0.304% house advantage.
4 – Arizona Charlie’s – This casino is a little out of the way. But Arizona Charlie’s is worth the trip, thanks to its $5 games with a 0.341% house edge.
5 – Bellagio – This lavish venue has a blackjack game with a 0.26% house edge. The only catch is that you’ll need to bet $50 per hand.
How you determine the best blackjack casino is subjective. Some players value the atmosphere and amenities more than just having the best chance to win.
Serious gamblers who only care about lowering the house edge will value table rules above all else. This is why I suggest doing your own research when possible if you’re looking for more than just the highest chance to win.
But the list above should get you started in the right direction when you’re searching for good blackjack.
Comps are another important aspect to finding quality blackjack action.
Most casinos are in the same ballpark with regard to how they comp blackjack players. Oftentimes, you’ll be looking at a comp rate worth between 0.05% and 0.1% of your total betting action.
But some casinos may offer more because they cater to blackjack players and want to keep them coming back. This is especially the case in Vegas, where the competition helps create better offers.
This is another area where it pays to do your research. I googled the “best blackjack comps in Vegas” and found a wealth of information through both websites and forums.
You’ll also have luck by calling casinos and speaking to a casino host, or simply visiting and asking what comp rates they offer.
You may not always get a clear answer on this, because some employees aren’t at liberty to offer their exact comp rate. Other casinos may tell you something like they give “$2 for every hour when you play $25 stakes.”
If you’re able to get several rates from different casinos, you can compare these to determine who’s offering the best comps. Here’s an example:
Provided the rules are the same at each casino, you’d want to choose Casino A based on comps alone.
What’s fun about playing land-based blackjack is that you can receive a variety of freebies. Here are some different rewards that Vegas casinos offer frequent players:
These are only general examples of what you’ll find in the average Vegas casinos. The larger venues offer an even wider variety of perks.
You can also expect more special treatment as your bets and play increase. The biggest blackjack players are assigned a casino host, who arranges things like transportation, show tickets, and special nightclub seating.
The top comp level is room, food, and beverage (RFB), which means that your room, food, and drinks are paid for during your casinos stay.
Obviously, this sounds great. But keep in mind that you often need to bet anywhere from $150 to $300 per hand to get RFB.
The pit boss must rate your play before you receive any blackjack comps. And the problem is that the pit boss doesn’t have time to monitor every $5 and $10 player.
This means that you can’t just make minimum bets at a table and expect the pit boss to shower you with comps. The best way to ensure that you get rated involves signing up for the players club.
You then hand your players club card to the dealer and tell them that you wish to be rated. The dealer will in turn give your card to the pit boss and let them know that you’re interested in comps.
From here, your average bet size and amount of play determines how many rewards you get.
Some players try to trick the pit boss by making a large first bet, or increasing their wagers whenever they come around. The idea is to fool them into thinking that you’re playing much higher stakes than you actually are.
But keep in mind that pit bosses and dealers can work together to ensure that you don’t receive more comps than you deserve.
In any case, join the players club and give your card to the dealer so that you’re eligible to earn freebies.
Some blackjack players get obsessed with comps and play past their means just to earn more rewards. The key thing to understand here, though, is that comps will never be worth your theoretical losses.
Let’s look at an example:
The best thing to do is to enjoy yourself at the blackjack tables and let comps come naturally. And if you do research beforehand, you’ll maximize your amount of rewards.
Up to this point, we’ve discussed what you need to know to find good Vegas blackjack games. But you can’t fully take advantage of a low blackjack house edge until you know the proper strategy.
Let’s cover two different ways that you can learn basic strategy and boost your chances of winning.
A blackjack strategy chart is a guide the shows when you should hit, stand, double down, split, and late surrender (if available).
These tools are great because any novice can look at a chart and quickly get up to speed on the optimal blackjack strategy.
You use these charts by looking at your score total and the dealer’s upcard. You then scan down your chart and look for what action you’re supposed to take.
Here’s an example:
You can find a large variety of strategy charts across the internet. All you have to do is run a Bing or Google search for “blackjack strategy chart” and look in the images section.
From here, you can either use the guide on your smartphone, or print it out from a PC or Mac.
One thing worth adding here is that strategy charts cover different blackjack variations and rules. For example, a chart that covers Atlantic City blackjack rules will have slightly different strategy than one for downtown Vegas rules.
This is why it’s helpful to know the exact rules of the game you’re playing in order to find the appropriate strategy card.
Another thing worth noting is that you should memorize your chart before playing in a land-based blackjack game.
Referring to your chart on every hand will slow down the game. And this annoys the dealer and other players.
One more helpful option for improving your skills is a blackjack trainer.
These programs work just like an online blackjack game in terms of features and gameplay. But the key difference is that a trainer points out when you make mistakes while playing.
Let’s look an example of when the trainer will correct mistakes:
The goal is to keep playing with a trainer until you learn from your mistakes and habitually make the correct plays.
Just like strategy charts, you can find free blackjack trainers at numerous websites. All you have to do is run a search and choose one of the options to get started.
No other place in the world offers as good of blackjack opportunities as Vegas. And you’ll definitely want to take advantage of these opportunities if you live in the area or are taking a trip to Sin City.
The first step is to scout out where you can find a combination of reasonable stakes and good rules. The latter drops the house edge and improves your chances of winning.
Another important aspect is to find the best comps for blackjack players. You can either ask casino employees directly or do online research to get the top comps in Vegas.
The final piece of the puzzle involves improving your blackjack skills to the point where you avoid mistakes. This ensures that you don’t give up any more edge to the casino than the rules dictate.
Also note that the best blackjack casinos in Vegas or anywhere else can change over time. This is why you should update your information every so often in order to keep playing in the top games.
Las Vegas attracted an astounding 42 million visitors in 2018, and when these gamblers got into town, they overwhelmingly hit The Strip.
This iconic stretch of 30 casino properties lining Las Vegas Boulevard – starting with Mandalay Bay on the southern end and stretching 4.6 miles northbound to the Stratosphere tower – has become synonymous with Sin City. In fact, for millions of gamblers worldwide, the idea of playing blackjack games or slots anywhere else in Las Vegas is a nonstarter to say the least.
It wasn’t always this way of course. Up until the 1990s, the beating heart of Las Vegas could be found a few miles north of The Strip in the Downtown district. The historic old gambling halls clustered along Fremont Street were famously frequented by Frank Sinatra and the “Rat Pack” pals, while Elvis Presley’s legendary film “Viva Las Vegas” (1964) featured plenty of scenes filmed on the old Fremont drag.
Eventually though, Las Vegas Boulevard’s seemingly endless space for new construction prompted casino operators to build their modern mega-resorts there. Over the last 30 years or so, glittering monuments to all things gambling like the Bellagio, Caesars Palace, and Wynn emerged from the Mojave Desert sands like flowers after a summer shower.
The Strip’s appeal for tourists is its ability to combine slots, table games, poker, and all the other casino staples with an endless supply of non-gambling entertainment. From the glory days of “Mr. Las Vegas” himself Wayne Newton – to more recent permanent residencies by luminaries like Celine Dion, Britney Spears, and Aerosmith – visitors to The Strip can have fun for weeks on end without ever stepping foot on the gaming floor.
That’s all well and good of course, but if you found your way here, you’re looking to learn more about the Las Vegas Strip’s blackjack selection.
Unfortunately for blackjack players who enjoy The Strip, corporate casino ownership has muddied the waters, so to speak. Companies like MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment have come to dominate the market – these two industry titans collectively control 17 casinos on The Strip – and consolidation is never good for consumers.
To wit, today’s blackjack scene on The Strip is largely defined by diluted 6 to 5 payouts on blackjack rather than the old standard of 3 to 2. Knowing most casual gamblers and tourists looking for a good time won’t know the difference, the casino operators who lord over The Strip have mostly replaced their 3 to 2 tables with the inferior 6 to 5 setup.
In reality, this subtle adjustment balloons the house edge incurred by basic strategy players, swelling the house’s advantage from 0.40 percent to over 2 percent (depending on various house rules).
As a result, many advanced blackjack players who have been around the proverbial block have sworn The Strip off altogether. These thinking players have studied the numbers, and they know that many of the best places to play blackjack in Las Vegas can be found in Off-Strip casinos.
That’s a shame though, because The Strip didn’t become an oasis of glitz, glamour, and gambling for no reason. Even if you’ve already experienced the sights and sounds of The Strip for yourself, and your sole focus is finding the best blackjack odds and house advantage, Las Vegas Boulevard still has a few diamonds in the rough waiting to be discovered.
With that in mind, check out the list below for a full rundown of the best places to play blackjack when you’re on The Strip.
While not as popular as many of The Strip’s more well-known casinos, Treasure Island is home to the very best blackjack game in the area – both in terms of house edge and price point.
You’ll learn about a few other venues where blackjack’s house edge can be reduced to 0.19 percent – one of the lowest rates in all of casino gambling – but only Treasure Island lets you enjoy those odds for just $25 per hand.
That’s the minimum bet limit found on three of the 28 tables at Treasure Island which award 3 to 2 payouts on blackjack. This trio of 3 to 2 tables uses the double-deck system too, so players concerned with the count only have 104 cards to sort through instead of 312 (six-deck shoe) or 416 (eight-deck shoe).
To finish things off, the three best blackjack tables on The Strip require the dealer to stand on soft 17, rather than take a mandatory hit. This rule tweak shaves a full 0.20 percent off any game’s house edge rate, creating the razor-thin 0.19 percent advantage held by Treasure Island on its 3 to 2 double-deck games.
Other venues might be able to match that house edge, but they require minimum wagers of $100 or more, while Treasure Island lets low-rollers live a little thanks to that $25 limit.
And if you want to bet smaller at the standard $5 minimum stakes, Treasure Island has 16 six-deck tables which use the 3 to 2 payout for a house edge of only 0.46 percent.
Sticking with the lowest house edge on The Strip of 0.19 percent, blackjack players with good blackjack bankroll management will enjoy the swanky ARIA Resort & Casino.
And of the 18 blackjack tables at the ARIA which offer 3 to 2 payouts, you’ll find three using the same double-deck, dealer stands dynamic described above. Those rules combine to create the elusive 0.19 percent house edge rate, but the minimum bet of $100 represents a 4x premium on the price paid by Treasure Island players.
If the ARIA is the epitome of modern luxury, the Bellagio is an homage to the utterly unique beauty of antiquity.
Centered around its Old World Italy theme, the Bellagio is famously home to dancing water fountains outside, and art galleries, designer shopping, and even a one-of-a-kind Dale Chiluly handblown glass exhibit.
Those amenities provide the Bellagio’s backdrop, but 14 blackjack tables – four of which offer 3 to 2 payouts and the same 0.19 percent house edge setup for $100 minimum bets – are this casino’s centerpiece.
And if you’re looking to save a few bucks on the room rate, check out MGM Resorts sister properties Mirage (2) and MGM Grand (3) to find a few of the exact same tables.
You’ll find dozens of tables on The Strip which use a six-deck shoe, have dealers stand on soft 17, and pay 3 to 2 on blackjacks.
This structure produces a house edge of 0.26 percent, but while everywhere else asks for minimum wagers of $100, the Tropicana halves that limit to $50 on four tables.
The “Trop” also has four double-deck 3 to 2 tables with a 0.35 percent house edge at $25 minimum bets.
This joint has seen better days, but if you can abide the abundance of children running around the periphery, Circus Circus spreads one of the most affordable 3 to 2 blackjack games on The Strip.
Two tables here come in double-deck format with dealer hits on soft 17 to bring the house edge to 0.40 percent, all for the low price of $15 per hand.
If variety is the name of your game, Caesars Palace has 21 different 3 to 2 blackjack tables on hand.
On the other end of the spectrum, seven tables with a 0.26 percent house can be found at $100 stakes.
Closing out the list is the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, which houses 19 tables using the 3 to 2 payout system. The lowest house edge here is 0.26 percent on seven $100 tables, while 12 other $50 tables offer 0.40 percent hill to climb.
In exchange for betting a bit higher, blackjack sharps can still enjoy all the amenities and attractions found on The Strip – without sacrificing any equity in terms of the house edge along the way. It’d be great if all blackjack tables on Las Vegas Boulevard offered 3 to 2 payouts and liberal house rules, but alas, that ship has sailed.
The Strip will always be a money pit designed to separate suckers from their dollars and cents, but you don’t have to be one of them. Armed with this list of top-rated places to play blackjack on The Strip, you can have your cake and eat it too.