Casino 101
Blackjack in Sin City
The Good, The Bad and
The Very Ugly
by Henry Tamburin
 There are 2,521 blackjack tables in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, the blackjack games played on these tables are not all the same (even the way the cards are shuffled can vary). So it’s not surprising to find some blackjack games with an astonishingly low house edge (0.18 percent) and others with a preposterously high house edge (two percent). Believe me, casino executives are not going to take you by the hand and lead you to the tables that have the better odds. It’s up to you to find the excellent games from the dreadful. But fear not! By the time you finish reading this article, you will know where the best (and worst) blackjack games are in Sin City.
I assume you are not a blackjack card counter (they use different criteria for game selection) but rather a basic strategy player. If you need a primer on basic strategy, see my feature article in this issue. I use abbreviations when discussing the playing rules – see Table 1. The percentages in parenthesis below are the house edge against a basic strategy player. You can expect to lose in the long run the total amount that you bet times the house edge. The lower the house edge, the better the game (half a percent or lower is best). I’m also announcing my Shame Shame Award to casinos that offer the worst blackjack games in town. Avoid these games like the plague.
Single-Deck Game
There are not many good single-deck games left in Vegas. Most only pay 6 to 5 on blackjack, which increases the house edge a shameful 700 percent. In dollars and cents, if you play a $10 6:5 single deck game you will be unknowingly forking over to the casinos an extra $15 per hour. Table game managers also set the minimum betting limits on 6:5 games at a low level to attract clueless players, while on the better blackjack games the betting limits are usually higher.
If you want a good old fashion, low limit, single deck pitch game, where blackjack hands pay 3 to 2, head downtown to these casinos: Binion’s, El Cortez, Four Queens, Vegas Club, and Western. The house edge with h17 and 3:2 is a measly 0.18 percent.
You might run across a single-deck game called SuperFun 21. The game has a lot of liberal rules but most blackjack hands are only paid at even money. The result is a house edge around 0.9 percent if you use a specific basic playing strategy for this game. My advice: pass on this game.
There are plenty of casinos deserving of my Shame Shame Award for the worst single deck games in town. For starters, all the Strip casinos that offer the despicable 6:5 games. Next is Poker Palace, that offers a horrendous single-deck game where blackjacks are paid at even money (a mind-boggling house edge of 2.5 percent). Last, but not least, are Hooters, Excalibur, and O’Sheas for offering 6:5 with—are you ready for this gem—doubling restricted to 10 and11 and no doubling after pair splitting (1.8 percent). Also, watch out for the foolish bet spread rules at Binion’s that have ticked off loyal customers.
 Double-Deck (DD) Game
As a general rule a DD game with s17 is preferred to one with h17. However, a h17 game becomes palatable if the rules allow das and also ls. The best double-deck games have s17 and das (0.19 percent) and many high-end Strip casinos offer the game, but the betting limits are pricey (usually $100 minimum bets). If you can afford those stakes, you should also consider the Las Vegas Hilton, because they offer the same game with ls (0.14 percent). If betting $100 a hand is too rich for your blood, your best DD game for $5/$10 is at the Vegas Club (downtown), where they offer h17, das, and rsa (0.35 percent) and the Plaza with s17 (0.32 percent). Many casinos in town offer DD games with h17 and das (0.40 percent). Avoid any DD game with only h17 (0.53 percent).
The DD Shame Shame Award goes to O’Sheas and Golden Nugget casinos. They have the kahunas to offer a DD game that pays only 6:5 on a blackjack (house edge a stratospheric 1.8 percent). Yikes!
Six-Deck Game
You’ll find mucho six-deck games with a myriad of different rules and house edges that range from a respectable 0.26 percent to a horrendous 0.8 percent. As a general rule the best six-deck games in town have s17, das, ls and rsa (0.26 percent). At least a dozen or so Strip casinos offer this game albeit for high stakes ($25, $50 and $100). For quarter players, play the s17, das, with either ls or rsa (0.33 percent) at Las Vegas Hilton, Golden Nugget, and Tropicana and for higher stakes head over to Green Valley Ranch ($50) or Paris ($100). The next best six-deck game has s17 and das (0.41 percent). You’ll find this game for low stakes at Slots A Fun and for high stakes at Harrah’s and the Rio ($100). If you must play a six-deck game with h17, then make sure it also offers das, ls and rsa (0.46 percent). Plenty of casinos in town offer this game at low and high stakes. Do not waste your time and money playing the many six-deck games with h17, das and only rsa or ls (0.56 percent) or worse, only h17 and das (0.63 percent).
The Shame Shame Award for six-deck debauchery goes to Hooters “Party Pit”, where female dealers dressed in the familiar Hooters T-shirt deal a six-deck game from a CSM that only pays 6:5 (2.2 percent—Double Yikes!). Sorry guys.
Eight-Deck Games
The best eight-deck game is at the Plaza where they have s17, das, and rsa (0.36 percent) for low stakes. Next best is h17, das, ls, rsa (0.49 percent) available at The Mirage, Monte Carlo, and Luxor. All the other eight-deck games in town have a house edge greater than half a percent. Avoid them.
Final playing tip: Play s-l-o-w-l-y to reduce your exposure to the house edge by playing on crowded tables, rather than heads up, and absolutely avoid playing at any table that uses a CSM (see Table 1).
One final caveat. Blackjack playing conditions can change. To stay current, consider subscribing to Current Blackjack News (www.bj21.com) or Trackjack (www.trackjack.com). My Blackjack Insider e-Newsleter also reports on the blackjack playing conditions in Las Vegas and Casino Player readers can get a free 3 month membership at www.bjinsider.com/free.
s17 |
Dealer must stand on all hands that total 17 -21 |
h17 |
Same as above except when the dealer has a soft 17 he must hit (like ace-6 or ace-4-2) |
das |
Player may double down after pair splitting |
rsa |
If a player splits aces and receives another ace to either or both split hands he may resplit |
ls |
A player is allowed to surrender his hand after the dealer determines that she does not a have a blackjack. |
6:5 |
A blackjack game which pays 6 to 5 for a blackjack |
3:2 |
A blackjack game which pays 3 to 2 for a blackjack. |
CSM |
An automatic shuffling device where the dealer inserts the discards after each round and the cards are randomly mixed with the unplayed cards. Playing with a CSM is like playing with a freshly shuffled deck on each hand. Casinos can deal about 20 percent more hands per hour with a CSM. |
Dr. Henry Tamburin is an authority on casino gambling. For details on his Golden Touch Blackjack course featuring “Speed Count” call 866/WINBJ-21. To order copies of his books and tapes at 30-percent discount, visit www.smartgaming.com. To receive a free 3-month membership to his Blackjack Insider e-Newsletter, visit www.bjinsider.com/free. For a free copy of his Casino Gambling Catalog or to schedule him as a speaker or for private lessons, call 888/353-3234.
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