Blackjack used to be the king of casino games but it’s given away the crown to baccarat. Even though there are less baccarat tables in Vegas, the game earns much more money than blackjack today. Baccarat is the game of choice for high rollers since it has a miniscule house advantage for the casino at just over 1 percent.
There was a day when blackjack was the game of low rollers, high rollers and all rollers in between. Things have changed over the years and now blackjack is almost untouchable for advantage players in Las Vegas. Almost.
Let’s take a look at what happened to blackjack.
Playing blackjack is simple. It’s the job of the player to get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over. When playing basic strategy, a player used to be able to get the house advantage down to about 0.24 percent on a normal blackjack game. If the rules were kind to the player and there was only one deck, the player could have a small advantage to their side. If a player knew how to count cards they could have a 1-2 percent advantage over the casino. Over time, that small advantage can add up.
These rules of blackjack are what made the game so popular. Over the past few years, casinos have decided that the majority of gamblers today don’t care about that small advantage. Tourists just want to play the game and are OK losing - say the casino operators.
The rules have been augmented to increase the casino house edge. Now dealers will hit on 17 which brings the house advantage for the casino to 0.42 percent in the same game described above. Some games won’t let you double after splitting cards. That brings the house advantage to 0.95 percent.
The worst change to blackjack has been paying 6:5 instead of 3:2 when you’re dealt blackjack. This takes the house edge all the way to 1.96 percent. This change makes many blackjack games unplayable for anyone looking to try a game with a small house edge. You can still find plenty of blackjack games with good rules but you’ll be playing $25 per hand. Unfortunately, that’s out of the price range of many players.
If you do find a good blackjack game and are fine with the limits, you’ll be hard pressed to do any real damage. You’ll be allowed to play as long as you’re not swinging the house edge from the casino to you. Pit bosses can often tell when you’re counting cards but that doesn’t even matter. If you’re beating a casino because of a hot streak they may just ask you to stop.
Let's find good blackjack in Las Vegas
Having said all of this, there are still some playable blackjack games in Las Vegas. One of the best blackjack games you’ll find is actually a low limits game in Downtown Vegas. El Cortez has a $5 single deck game with a 0.16 percent house advantage.
Note, this is a low-limits game and they’ll close the game if your bet spreads make it look as though you're going to win a lot. Heck, they’ll close the game if your friend hits three Lucky Ladies side bets in a row. They’re not looking for serious action as the max bet is $500. This is a great beginning and low-roller game but it's nothing more than that.
If you’re OK playing limits between $50 and $100 per hand, you can find blackjack games with a house advantage under 0.30 percent at Aria, Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Encore, MGM Grand, Mirage, Monte Carlo, New York New York, Palazzo, SLS, Treasure Island, Tropicana Wynn and Venetian on the Vegas Strip.
If you head just off the Vegas Strip, you’ll find similar high limits games at Hard Rock and Palms. If you’re a $15-$25 blackjack player, you’ll find games with a similarly low house advantage at Bellagio, The Mirage and MGM Grand.
Here are some tips if you’re looking for a good blackjack game.
1. Play when the game is 3:2 payout for blackjack. You want to avoid 6:5 blackjack at all costs. That is the largest advantage for the casinos.
2. Look for a game where the dealer stands on soft 17. You’ll mostly find this with the higher-limits games but it’s always preferable to play this game if you can.
3. Try to find a game where you can double after split. This is where players like me make money. I love to double after splits against dealer bust cards.
4. Surrender. Surrender is available mostly for higher-limit players and players with an extensive knowledge of blackjack strategy.
5. Check for decks. The fewer decks the better for the player.
Blackjack has changed for the worse over the years but there are still good games to be found in Las Vegas. Like video poker, you'll just have to search out the best games. You can be in one casino that has almost 10 different blackjack games when you include different rules and variants.
