Best Blackjack On The Strip

Which casino is best for blackjack? Circus Circus offers three basic games: single deck, double deck, and a six-deck shoe.

The great game of blackjack isn’t what it used to be, especially if you’re gambling in city of Las Vegas.

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Casinos lining the beloved “Strip” in Sin City have become increasingly dominated by corporate ownership. MGM Resorts operates nine venues on The Strip, while chief rival Caesars Entertainment oversees eight more.

Gone are the glory days of independent gambling halls run by actual players like Benny Binion at the Horseshoe in Downtown Las Vegas. Instead, corporatization of The Strip has managed to turn even blackjack – the ultimate skill-player’s gambling game – into a money-making engine for the house.

Under the original gameplay setup for blackjack, players who were dealt a natural 21 – comprised of any ace paired with any 10-value (10, J, Q, or K) card – earned a premium payout of 3 to 2 on their wager. That meant folks betting the $5 standard minimum collected $7.50 on their blackjacks, while $100 high-rollers pocketed a sweet $150 score.

Eventually though, Las Vegas’ new wave of corporate casino overlords decided to commit the cardinal sin – trying to fix what ain’t broken. Put more accurately, the casinos broke blackjack.

By tweaking the payout on natural blackjacks downward – making it 6 to 5 on your bet instead of 3 to 2 – shrewd casino operators realized that they could squeeze out significant slices of additional equity on the game. With just a single deceptively simple change to the game’s fundamental rules, blackjack suddenly became far less favorable to the player.

Blackjack in Vegas Today

Nowadays, playing blackjack on The Strip for anything other than high-stakes action means you’ll only get 6 to 5 on the game’s best hand. For $5 bettors, that lowers the payout from $7.50 to $6, while $100 per hand players see their premium cut down from $150 to $120.

There is an article by Forbes.com from 2018 that you can read if you’re interested in the subject of the bastardization of blackjack.

As the article makes clear, casinos couldn’t abide blackjack’s 3 to 2 setup, which affords skilled players who wield advanced blackjack methods like basic strategy with a razor thin house edge of 0.40 percent in multiple-deck shoe games.

By overhauling their blackjack inventories to spread mostly 6 to 5 tables, casinos on The Strip multiplied their house edge all the way to 2 percent and higher (depending on other house rules).

Yep, you read that right… even if you play perfectly by applying basic strategy on every decision, 6 to 5 blackjack tables make the house edge against you skyrocketed by a multiple of 5x.

In the aforementioned profile of Las Vegas’ blackjack scene published by Forbes, the link between 6 to 5 payouts and blackjack’s declining popularity is laid out in agonizing detail:

“Proponents of 6:5 and the other edge-padding rule changes argue that the vast majority of customers don’t know the difference.

Walking a casino floor and seeing 6:5 tables packed with smiling players, they might be right. But the numbers tell a different story.

Since 2000, the number of blackjack tables in the state of Nevada has fallen by over 31 percent. Yes, but the amount casinos win from blackjack is still the same, some might argue, so things aren’t that bad.

Factoring in inflation, though, the amount Nevada casinos have won at blackjack has fallen by 46 percent.”

This has been the sad status quo in Las Vegas for the last two decades or so, and today, savvy gamblers who know their stuff largely avoid The Strip. They might visit the area’s glitzy mega-resorts to shop or see a show, but sharp blackjack players wouldn’t be caught dead doubling down in these money pits.

Instead, experienced blackjack players who prefer the game to be played as God intended take their bankrolls to any number of “Off-Strip” casinos. These smaller, more intimate venues cater to locals and grinders who look for the best value, so they’re happy to compete with corporations on The Strip by offering 3 to 2 blackjack tables and liberal house rules.

To help you find an Off-Strip casino during your next blackjack adventure in Sin City, check the list below for seven great options where 3 to 2 blackjack is still available.

1 – El Cortez Hotel & Casino in Downtown

Every year, intrepid gamblers head out into the brutal heat with one mission in mind – to survey Las Vegas’ blackjack scene and identify the very best tables in town.

And every year, these surveys reveal the historic El Cortez Casino to be the very best place to play in the entire city. I’m not limiting that honor to Off-Strip joints only either… there’s no better blackjack game in all of Las Vegas than the 3 to 2 tables at El Cortez.

Located in Downtown Las Vegas on Fremont Street, the El Cortez has been serving value-minded gamblers since 1941. When you sit down to play blackjack there, you’ll feel that sense of history coming through in the traditional house rules.

The 11 tables at El Cortez which pay 3 to 2 also utilize the old single-deck design. That means you won’t be playing with a shoe holding six or eight decks. Instead, the dealer will reshuffle the same 52 cards after a few hands have been dealt.

As you might imagine, single-deck blackjack in and of itself benefits the player immensely. After all, you don’t have to be a savant-like card counter to make a basic judgment on whether more low or high cards have hit the felt.

Even better, you don’t have to bet bigger for the privilege of enjoying those great odds. Low-stakes players can get in on the fun for minimum bets of only $5, another holdover from Las Vegas’ halcyon days where players mattered more than profits.

2 – M Resort in Henderson

El Cortez has the second-lowest house edge on blackjack, but the very lowest in all of Las Vegas can be found at the M Resort in Henderson.

Players at the M enjoy a miniscule 0.14 percent house edge at three different 3 to 2 tables. These are double-deck games rather than single-deck, and the minimum bet stands at $25, so players on a limited bankroll should obviously start their journey at El Cortez instead.

The M also dozens of other 3 to 2 tables using slightly more house-friendly rules, but the house edge always stays at 0.56 percent or lower.

3 – Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Paradise Rd.

It isn’t technically located along Las Vegas Boulevard, so the Hard Rock makes the cut, but it’s only a few blocks from all the neon and nightlife.

You’ll find six 3 to 2 tables in total here, four of which are six-deck games carrying a house edge of just 0.26 percent. That rate is created by having the dealer stand on soft 17, rather than hit, which benefits the player by about 0.2 percent on average.

Be prepared to bet big, however, as the Hard Rock’s best blackjack tables call for a $100 minimum.

4 – The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino on Flamingo Rd.

Best known as the home of World Series of Poker (WSOP) tournaments, the Rio is only a couple minutes westward from the heart of The Strip.

If you make the trip, you’ll find six 3 to 2 tables using the same $100 minimum, dealer stands on soft 17, six-deck shoe, 0.26 percent house edge setup used by the Hard Rock.

5 – Westgate Resort & Casino on Paradise Rd.

The Westgate offers some sweet blackjack value only minutes from The Strip.

Two tables here carry a 0.26 percent house edge with 3 to 2 payouts, dealer stands, and six-deck shoes – all for a $50 minimum.

6 – Aliante Casino, Hotel, and Spa in North Las Vegas

Circling back to the ultimate value of $5 minimum bets, the Aliante is home to a whopping 15 double-deck tables with 3 to 2 payouts and a house edge of 0.35 percent.

If you head down to Aliante, be sure to check out their other tables games, too. As seen below, their website offers a variety of ways to gamble at this casino.

7 – Arizona Charlie’s on Boulder Highway

Double-deck fans will find three tables at 0.35 percent house edge and $10 minimum bets at Arizona Charlie’s along the “Boulder Strip.”

Conclusion

Once you memorize and master basic strategy, game selection becomes the most essential skill used to level the playing field in blackjack. Just like sharp video poker players never waste money on machines that don’t offer a “full pay” table, blackjack enthusiasts should always avoid the inferior 6 to 5 tables.

When you’re gambling on The Strip though, that’s all but impossible, so take full advantage of the list above to guide your exploration of Las Vegas’ invaluable collection of Off-Strip casinos.

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.

Las Vegas’ History with Blackjack

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.

1 – Treasure Island

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.

2 – ARIA Resort & Casino

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.

3 – Bellagio Hotel & Casino (Honorable Mention to Mirage and MGM Grand)

Best Blackjack On The Vegas Strip

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.

4 – Tropicana

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.

5 – Circus Circus Hotel & Resort

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.

6 – Caesars Palace Hotel & Casino

Best Blackjack Game Online

If variety is the name of your game, Caesars Palace has 21 different 3 to 2 blackjack tables on hand.

Best Blackjack On The Strip In Vegas

On the other end of the spectrum, seven tables with a 0.26 percent house can be found at $100 stakes.

7 – Wynn Las Vegas

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.

Conclusion

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.