Best Blackjack Odds In Vegas
There was a time where you could find great blackjack games in Las Vegas with ease. Over the last couple of decades, though, the games have gotten tougher… But what does that mean?
Best Double Deck Blackjack in Las Vegas. The best double deck blackjack game is spread at the M Resort. It is located on the far south end of the valley on Las Vegas Blvd. Players may double on any two cards and after splitting. Aces may be resplit. The dealer stays on all 17’s. The game has a $100 minimum bet and $5,000 max. Most of the good $3 blackjack tables are in the Henderson area. Some are in North Las Vegas. All of these casinos pay 3-2 on a dealt blackjack and most offer double down before and after splitting. Whatever the case, where are the cheapest tables in Vegas? Best Cheapest Casino Tables in Las Vegas, NV.
The basic blackjack rules are the same everywhere, but the little details make a big difference to your odds. For example, in some casinos, the dealer stands on soft 17, while in others, the dealer hits a soft 17.
- A 6:5 payout on a blackjack adds 1.39% to the house edge. While some Las Vegas casinos offer terrible rules on blackjack these days, there are still several places where a good game may be found. Some are even on the Las Vegas Strip, although some of the better ones.
- When it comes to blackjack’s house edge, one thing to keep in mind is that the number of decks used will alter the house advantage. Single deck blackjack has the lowest casino edge of 0.16%, which gives the player better odds. Double deck games have a considerably low edge at 0.46%.
It’s much better for the player if the dealer is required to stand on soft 17, but most of the casinos in Vegas have moved away from this rule.
Some casinos even changed the payouts for a blackjack from 3:2 to 6:5. Please do yourself a favor, and refuse to play in one of those games. Some Las Vegas casinos do still offer good blackjack rules, and I’ve listed seven of them here along with why their games are good.
1 – El Cortez
I’ve seen multiple sources refer to El Cortez as the “best blackjack downtown.” So, what makes their blackjack games better than the others?
They usually have a couple of single deck tables and at least one table where they’re only using two decks. They also cater to low rollers, and several of their tables have $5 minimum bets. The max bets range from $500 to $2000 per hand, which makes them suitable for high rollers, too.
They do hit a soft 17, but there are no casinos in Downtown Vegas that stand on a hard 17 anymore, anyway. The house edge on all their games is below 0.7% with perfect basic strategy, but their best games have a house edge of around 0.3%.
If you want to get the best odds downtown, stick with those $5 single deck tables at El Cortez.
El Cortez also offers video blackjack with reasonably good rules.
2 – Treasure Island
Treasure Island is probably the best blackjack casino on the Strip. Most of the time, I suggest trying to find a single deck game, but the six-deck game at Treasure Island has better odds. In fact, even if you play with perfect strategy, the house edge on the single deck game at Treasure Island is almost 1.7%.
Why is that? It’s because it’s a 6:5 blackjack table.
Some people get confused and think that 6:5 blackjack is better than 3:2 blackjack simply because 6 is more than 3. They’re not accounting for the nature of odds; they’re a ratio, not a single number.
If you place a $100 bet a 6:5 blackjack table and get a blackjack, you only win $120. If you were getting 3:2 odds, you’d win $150. The six-deck games with the $25 minimum bet offers the best odds on the Strip, with a house edge of less than 0.3%.
Why is this game so good? It’s one of the only places where the dealer is required to stand on soft 17.
But a lot of my readers can’t afford that level of action, so they’ll probably lean toward the $10 tables, which are also great. The house edge on those games is just under 0.5%.
3 – Any of the Station Casinos
The Station Casinos all cater to the local market in Las Vegas, and they’re well-known for offering great odds on both their blackjack and video poker games.
You can usually find multiple tables offering $5 blackjack. Their two-deck games have a house edge of 0.45%, and they often have plenty of those tables available. At Boulder Station, for example, they have seven of those tables.
Be careful of their single deck games, though, because of the 6:5 payouts. Even though all the other rules for those tables are liberal, the house edge is over 1.5%.
Station Casinos own the following properties, all of which offer good blackjack games:
- Red Rock Casino
- Green Valley Ranch
- Palace Station
- Sunset Station
- Boulder Station
- Santa Fe Station
- Texas Station
4 – M Resort
The best odds for any blackjack game in Vegas are the odds on the two-deck game at the M Resort, but it has a minimum bet of $50. The max bet at those tables is $3,000. This game has all kinds of rules that are favorable to the player.
For one thing, the dealer stands on soft 17, which I’ve already explained is great for the player.
You’re also allowed to double down after splitting, and you’re even allowed to re-split aces. They do not offer surrender, though.
They only have two tables for this game most of the time. The house edge is only 0.2%. That’s the best deal in town as of this writing.
They also have $5 tables, so low rollers needn’t despair. The rules are excellent here, too, with a house edge of under 0.7%.
5 – Downtown Grand
One of the things I like about Downtown Grand is that they don’t have any 6/5 tables. All their games are dealt from a shoe, but they have generous rules. They even allow you to surrender.
The house edge for all their games is under 0.5%, and they have reasonable limits. Most of their tables have a minimum bet of between $5 and $15.
The biggest action they take is $1,000 per hand at their six-deck game with the $10 minimum.
6 – Aria
How To Win Blackjack In Vegas
Aria offers some great blackjack games, but they’re only great if you can afford them. They have a $100 minimum, but the odds are excellent. The house edge is only 0.5% on this game.
They also have a $500 minimum game with a house edge of only 0.25%. In that game, the dealer is required to stand on soft 17, which is an unusual rule for any Strip casino, even ones with such high limits.
Their low limit tables, like their $10 tables, aren’t even worth playing at. There are far better games in town.
7 – MGM Grand
Best Odds To Play Blackjack In Las Vegas
You can find games here with a minimum bet of $25 per hand where the dealer is required to stand on soft 17. The house edge for this game is only 0.46%.
The lowest limit games at the MGM Grand are $10, and I recommend avoiding them . The house edge is just over 2%. Again, that’s mostly because of the 6:5 payout. Please stay away from any 6:5 blackjack games.
If gamblers stop playing these games, the casinos will stop offering them.
Conclusion
Even though a lot of Las Vegas casinos have tightened up their blackjack rules, several good casinos still offer great games. And even though I only have space to list seven of those casinos here, you could find more if you did a little research.
If you’re looking for other options, try searching for information about which Vegas casinos are popular with the locals. Also, focus on casinos that AREN’T located on the Strip. The Strip generally offers the worst return on games. There is also the option to play blackjack online for real money, which is always a great choice.
Keep in mind, too, that all the house edge figures I quoted above assume you’re playing with perfect basic strategy.
Las Vegas Best Gambling Odds
One more thing to remember, game conditions at casinos change all the time, in Las Vegas and elsewhere. Just because you see it listed here doesn’t mean that it will still be available when you get there.