Las Vegas Blackjack Rules

There are dozens of blackjack options in Las Vegas. The choices range from the number of decks dealt, whether double down after splitting, surrender and re-split aces are permitted, blackjack paying 3-2 or 6-5, as well as video blackjack and variants. We took to the Las Vegas Strip, downtown, and the entire locals market to find the best and worst games available.

Fortunately for blackjack players, there’s still plenty of opportunity to be found within the resort’s 66,200 square feet of gaming space. The casino floor boasts of “more than 65 Las Vegas table games, including four different kinds of casino blackjack”. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with insuring your original bet and can be viewed as a side bet. If the dealer actually has a blackjack (Ace + 10), you win the bet and it pays 2-to-1. If the dealer does not have blackjack, you lose your side bet. Up to 50% of your original wager can be made on insurance.

1. Las Vegas Strip Rules: Dealer must draw to all totals of 16 or less and stand on all totals of 17 to 21. Players may double down on any initial hand and split any pair. All pairs may be split and drawn to like an initial hand, except for Aces.
2. This terrible rule started paying players 6:5 on a blackjack, as opposed to 3:2. This means that a $10 blackjack would pay $12 instead of $15. Once the casinos got away with this at single deck games, the 6:5 rule started infecting double deck and shoe games. Most single deck blackjack tables have disappeared from the Las Vegas Strip because of this.
3. We also have a section of blackjack variants dealt in Las Vegas, and another with ones that have left the market in the last decade. Las Vegas Blackjack Survey Blog Posts. Best Las Vegas Blackjack Games. Worst Las Vegas Blackjack Games. Where to Play Stand on all 17 Blackjack Games in Las Vegas. Where to Play $3, $5 and $10 3:2 Blackjack in Las.

The OnlineUnitedStatesCasinos complete list below will help you find the game you’re looking for and which tables to avoid. These include sections related to location and type of game.

Blackjack Casino & Table Locations

North Las Vegas Strip

Our Las Vegas blackjack surveys break the Strip into three sections. The North Strip blackjack survey includes all casinos from Treasure Island up to Stratosphere. The North end of the Las Vegas Strip houses a modest amount of blackjack tables, with roughly five tables at each casino, some with better rules than others.

Central Las Vegas Strip

The Central Strip survey includes all blackjack casinos from Planet Hollywood and Cosmopolitan up to Harrah’s and Mirage. These casinos tend to offer higher limit tables with much better player rules. With Eleven casinos to choose from, they all offer a variety of good and bad blackjack tables.

South Las Vegas Strip

Our South Strip blackjack survey includes all casinos south of Harmon. This runs from Aria down to Mandalay Bay. These are some of the more popular casinos on the strip, offering blackjack players a lot more than just the gaming tables. The majority of blackjack games are 6 and 8 decks, with a few 2-deck high-roller tables available.

Downtown Las Vegas

Our downtown Las Vegas section lists all blackjack casinos on Fremont Street and anything within walking distance of it. This includes Downtown Grand, California, and Main Street Station. This is the “old” part of Las Vegas, but you can often find some great action at the blackjack tables when downtown.

Locals / Off Strip Blackjack

The local blackjack survey includes any casino in the Las Vegas market that is not considered to be on the Strip or downtown. This ranges from Boulder Highway to Red Rock, and to properties that are within walking distance of Las Vegas Blvd. If you plan on playing blackjack at these casinos, be prepared to stay at the hotel overnight.

Blackjack In Las Vegas

Las Vegas Blackjack Games

Single Deck Blackjack

There are only two single deck blackjack games in Las Vegas that pay 3-2. El Cortez offers a $5 game that permits double down on any two cards. Silverton has a single deck game that only has double down on 10 and 11. Neither permits double down after splitting. All other Las Vegas single deck blackjack games pay 6-5.

Double Deck Blackjack

The best blackjack games in Las Vegas casinos tend to be double deck. The best is at M Resort. It has a $50 minimum bet and stands on all 17s. Players may double down on any two cards and after splitting. This game also permits re-split aces. There are several casinos on the Las Vegas Strip that offer this game without re-split aces.

Six-Deck Blackjack

The best six-deck blackjack games in Las Vegas stand on all 17s. These great tables also have double down before and after splitting, surrender, and re-split aces. Treasure Island offers these tables for $25. For $50, players will find it at M Resort MGM Grand. Higher-end MGM properties have the game for $100.

Video Blackjack in Las Vegas

Vegas video blackjack was once a great way to get favorable rules for lower limits. Those days are over in Las Vegas. Most video blackjack machines pay 6-5 and you won’t find much better odds around town. The exceptions are at The D and Venetian, where you can still find video blackjack games that pay 3-2.

Blackjack Variants

Get a complete list of all blackjack variants dealt in Las Vegas. Games include Blackjack Switch, Free Bet Blackjack, and Super Fun 21. There are some interesting blackjack games that should be tried at least once, even if their rules and odds are not favorable, they may be entertaining to play.

Contact the Vegas Survey Team

If you have updates about Las Vegas casino blackjack games, online blackjack for real money or any comments regarding the exclusive survey contact us at @OUSC_Official or send us an email at [email protected].

Some house edge information in the blackjack survey was determined by using the Wizard of Odds Blackjack Calculator.

Stadium gambling is now a thing in Las Vegas casinos, and we figured it was time to check out Stadium Blackjack at Venetian.

In Stadium Blackjack, up to 44 players compete with one of two live dealers in, wait for it, stadium-style seating.

Oh, all right, it’s nothing like a stadium. Just play along.

Vegas Free Blackjack Games

As with most games in a casino, Stadium Blackjack accomplishes a couple of key goals for The Man.

Casinos make more money when labor costs are lowered, and when there are more hands dealt. Since casino games have a built-in advantage for the house, more hands means more profit.

Here’s how Stadium Blackjack works at Venetian Las Vegas.

There are 44 seats for players. Each player has their own terminal, and selects which of the two dealers they want to play against, blue or red.

Once a dealer is selected, the player has 30 seconds between hands to place a bet. A big benefit of Stadium Blackjack is the $5 minimum. Most standard games at Venetian have $15 minimums.

Get ready to play blackjack with 43 of your new best friends.

Once bets are made, each screen reads “No More Bets.”

Then, three cards are dealt from a six-deck, continuous “smart shuffle” machine.

Two cards go to the players, one to the dealer. One of the intriguing aspects of Stadium Blackjack is all the players get the same two cards. (That is, all the players who chose the red dealer get the same two cards. All those who chose the blue dealer get different cards.)

Now, each player makes their own decision about what to do next. Players can hit, stand, double down or split.

Here’s where the game veers into new territory. Since everyone has the same two cards, and can make their own decisions about what happens next, additional “Community” cards are needed. Community cards go to players until all the players have chosen to stand (or have been eliminated because they busted). After all the players’ hands are locked, additional community cards go to the dealer until the hand has a result.

The “Community” cards (upper left) are really the only perplexing part, but just let the dealer do their thing.

Example time!

Say the first cards are dealt and all the players get a queen and a king, the dealer gets a five. That’s 20 for the players, so everyone’s going to stand. (Feel free to split them, though, that’s part of what makes Stadium Blackjack so fun, no peer pressure.) The dealer takes additional cards and busts. Everyone wins, cheering ensues, annoying all the players in the nearby poker room in the best possible way.

Here’s a more complicated example.

Players get a king and six, dealer gets a queen. Some players stand on 16, some hit, right? (You’re supposed to hit.) The players who choose “Hit” on their display get another card (a “Community” card). Again, those who “Stand” don’t get another card. Each player is doing their own thing. Say, that next player card is a two. Everybody stands with 18. But the fun part is you don’t have to! You can “Hit” again. Only after all the players have finished does the dealer then complete their hand and a result is shown.

If Stadium Blackjack isn’t your thing, there’s stadium baccarat nearby. Again, $5 minimums are hard to pass up on The Strip.

A lot of this happens on the dealer’s display. Players just see their own hand and how it’s stacking up against the dealer.

Once the hand is done, all the cards go back into the shuffler and the fun begins again.

So, that’s a long-winded way of saying, “It’s just like regular blackjack.” The fact others have the same two opening cards, or how dealers decide which cards are communal, is rather irrelevant. It’s you against the dealer.

Let’s get into what’s really important about Stadium Blackjack, the pros and cons.

First, the pros. Stadium Blackjack is great for groups and couples! Where else in Las Vegas can you and 43 friends all play blackjack at once? During our visit, the majority of players were couples.

Again, low table minimums. That $5 minimum is tempting and it never gets raised, even if the game is busy.

Also, no glares from other players if you do something stupid. Stadium Blackjack is anonymous, and players make their own decisions.

Another pro for us is the machine adds up your cards. We hate math, so this is a great aspect of the game.

We also like that you can take a break between hands, sitting out then jumping back in at any time.

There are some drawbacks to Stadium Blackjack, but opinions vary about how important these cons are.

The rate of play, if you play every hand, is fast. After you get your cards, you have 10 seconds to decide whether you’d like to hit or stand. That’s a lot of pressure! If you do nothing, the machine automatically stands. It won’t hit or double or split for you, though. More hands means you can lose more quickly, but it also means you’ll win more quickly when you’re on a lucky streak.

It’s interesting to note that while the game is called “Stadium Blackjack” on the player terminals, it’s called “Rapid Blackjack” on the dealer’s screen.

Las Vegas Blackjack Rules

Another potential downside is Stadium Blackjack pays 6-to-5, rather than 3-to-2. Then again, that’s true of the majority of blackjack games on the Las Vegas Strip.

Also, serious blackjack players dislike six deck, continuous shuffling machines. Card counting is impossible with such machines.

Another look at the layout. Make a bet, hit or stand, rake in the big bucks.

That’s about it. Each display has a bunch of other buttons, but probably the most important for first-time players is “Help.” Beyond the two people dealing the cards, there’s another dealer that roams the floor and helps players with questions.

There’s a button for dealer tips, another to call for service, one to “Re-Bet” and others. There’s also a button so players can see the game in Chinese.

There are a couple of side bets as well, Royal Match 21 and Bet the Set 21. Blackjack side bets tend to be sucker bets, but only if they don’t hit!

Downtown Las Vegas Blackjack Rules

Side bets are for entertainment value only. Don’t go nuts.

Overall, Stadium Blackjack is a fun new twist on blackjack, and its social component could make it a draw for groups seeking to gamble together.

Las Vegas Blackjack Rules And Odds

If you’d like to know more about Stadium Blackjack, check out these stories from VegasFanboy.com and our bud Marc Meltzer. We also talked about Stadium Blackjack on the Vital Vegas Podcast, if you’re into that kind of thing.

Our first story about stadium gambling (at Palazzo) was way back in 2013, and we didn’t have the best time. While we didn’t win playing Stadium Blackjack, it wasn’t a bad experience.

Let us know what you think of Stadium Blackjack. Some believe it’s the future of casino gambling. For us, interacting with the dealer is often half the fun of playing, so unless we were with a group of friends, we’d probably bite the bullet and find a traditional, higher limit table.

Got questions? Ask away!