- Vegas World Blackjack
- 3:2 Blackjack Vegas 2018 Results
- My Vegas Blackjack Game
- 3:2 Blackjack Vegas 2018 Calendar
- 3:2 Blackjack Vegas 2018 Tickets
The Four Queens is one of only five casinos in Las Vegas to still offer 3 to 2 paying single-deck blackjack. The other casinos are the El Cortez, Poker Palace, Hacienda, and Lucky Club. Believe it or not the riveria and hooters are the only strip or close to the strip casinos that have 3:2 blackjack odds 24/7. All other casinos such as mirage and bellagio and Monte Carlo will have $5 3:2 blackjack tables only a few hours a day I.e. Early mornings before raising the minimum to $10 or $15 and other than downtown stay away from. The D and Golden Gate only offer 3:2 blackjack. Every table at these casinos pays 3:2 for a natural blackjack. When Circa Resort and Casino opens it will also offer 3:2 blackjack since it has the same owner as the other casinos. Best Las Vegas Locals Blackjack. The competition in the off-strip blackjack. March 2nd is a great day! 3:2 is the perfect day to celebrate and play blackjack at your favorite casino. This year has seen a lot of change in the gaming industry with big name disgraces, major new casino openings, more regional options, casino closings, eSports booming, skill games floundering, and Vegas booming yet showing. Try to stay away from blackjack at MGM properties though, as they typically pay 6:5. Cromwell – Probably the classiest place to find a $5 game on the Strip. The craps table is affordable in the morning and early afternoons. Bally's – Will, on occasion, actually run a 3:2 $5 blackjack game. The same can be said for both Paris.
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.
As with most games in a casino, Stadium Blackjack accomplishes a couple of key goals for The Man.
Vegas World Blackjack
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.
No deposit bonus codes for cleos vip room. 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.
Manhattan slots no deposit bonus codes 2016. 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.
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!
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.
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.
3:2 Blackjack Vegas 2018 Results
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!
In 2010, I started collecting blackjack data from the Las Vegas Strip and downtown. As the years passed, I added all locals casinos to the list. These are all the blackjack variants that I found over the years that are still in service. The differences between it and a standard blackjack game are explained, as well as where you can find it now or where it was played in the past.
This is split into two sections. The blackjack variants still found in Las Vegas casinos are listed below. You may find ones from the past that are no longer spread here.
We compiled graphs on the number of blackjack variants found in Las Vegas during the last decade. This data includes the games and number of live tables each year.
Free Bet Blackjack has become the most popular variant in Las Vegas. The game is nearly two out of every three installs of a blackjack variant in the market. The graphs below show the percentages of each game in the market that we found, as well as the historical counts for every Las Vegas blackjack variant over the last decade.
Blackjack variants spread in Las Vegas in 2020
Blackjack Switch
Blackjack Switch was the most popular blackjack variant in Las Vegas through 2017. Free Bet Blackjack passed it in 2018. The number of Blackjack Switch tables has since crashed, dropping from 33 tables in 2014 to just five today.
In Blackjack Switch, a player must make two bets. There is an option of switching a card from one hand to the other. Blackjack pays even money. The dealer pushes players still in the hand when a 22 is drawn.
Blackjack Switch is dealt at Binion's, Encore, Four Queens, Sahara and Wynn.
Bonus Spin
Bonus Spin Blackjack started out as an optional side bet at many casinos. The game is otherwise identical to a traditional blackjack game. In 2018, it appeared at Four Queens and Golden Nugget in a different form. I later popped up at Binion's and Fremont. These games require players to make the $1 side bet. By my calculations, it is the worst blackjack game in the Las Vegas market.
The version at Fremont and Golden Nugget only pays 6:5. On a $10 bet, the typical minimum for this game at these casinos, I estimate the house edge to be 3.9 percent at this table.
The Four Queens and Binion's tables pay 3:2 with signs proudly displaying this fact. However, I estimate the house edge on a $5 bet at this table to be 4.4 percent. It is the second worst blackjack game in Las Vegas.
My Vegas Blackjack Game
It is impossible for someone on the outside to know the house edge of the $1 side bet. My research shows that 23 percent is a good estimate. That is the number I used to determine the house edge in these games.
3:2 Blackjack Vegas 2018 Calendar
Double Exposure
Double Exposure Blackjack is a variant that deals all cards face up, including the dealer's. It was installed at Circus Circus in 2020. It was the first time since 2015 that the game was dealt in the Las Vegas market. It was dealt then at Riviera. It was called Bottoms Up, themed after the ‘Crazy Girls' show.
Blackjack pays even money. The dealer wins pushes, except on blackjack. It is dealt at Circus Circus. The pit there is only open on weekends.
Double Up Blackjack
Double Up Blackjack is offered at Binion's and Four Queens in downtown Las Vegas. Players may double up on any hand that stands on two cards. This includes after splitting. To offset this, the house wins all live hands of 20 and under when making a 16. It may be a soft or hard 16.
Free Bet Blackjack
Free Bet Blackjack is the most popular variant in Las Vegas. It had 61 installs at the start of 2020. That was up from 43 the year before. I first discovered the game in 2013 when it had 12 tables. It overtook Blackjack Switch as the most popular blackjack variant in Las Vegas in 2018.
There are two types of Free Bet Blackjack games in Las Vegas. Most pay 6:5. However, Circa, Plaza, The D, Golden Gate, Silverton Sunset Station and M Resort offer the game with a 3:2 payout.
The house pays for all doubles on 9, 10 and 11. All splits are free, except on ten-value cards. Double down after splitting is free on 9, 10 and 11, except on aces, which must stand. To offset these rules, the dealer pushes lives hands on 22.
Lucky Cat
Lucky Cat Blackjack is at Four Queens. The game plays like a normal one except when the dealer has 22. Four dice are rolled, each containing one cat and five blanks. The player wins based on the number of cats rolled. If all blanks come, the player pushes. Blackjack pays 3:2.
Most Liberal 21
Most Liberal 21 originated in the years of Jackie Gaughan's ownership of Plaza and Las Vegas Club. These are the only two casinos the game has ever been spread in its more than two decades on the market. The game is down to one table at Plaza.
The game originally had the most liberal rules. The rules were changed in the 2000's to what they are today. A player can double down on 2, 3 or 4 cards. Split aces may be hit, doubled or re-split. A six-card charlie is paid. Blackjack pays even money, except suited ones, which pay 2:1.
Quick Pay 21
3:2 Blackjack Vegas 2018 Tickets
I first saw Quick Pay 21 at Planet Hollywood in December 2019. The game has two bets. One is a traditional blackjack wager. The other is a surrender or play bet.
A player can choose to collect even money on a 20 or an amount of half the bet on 19. A player may choose to push on 18. The play or surrender bet pushes if the player takes the guaranteed money. Otherwise, the hand plays on as normal, except that there is a side bet on whether the dealer with make an 18 or better, and the dealer pushes all live hands on any 17. If the player does not take the guaranteed money, called a Quick Pay, the flat bet and surrender or play bet get combined as one and play as a normal blackjack wager.
Spanish 21
Spanish 21 has made two comebacks in Las Vegas. In the first survey in 2011, there were six tables of Spanish 21. There were two at Cosmopolitan and Palazzo, as well as one each at Fitzgeralds and Venetian. The Fitzgeralds Spanish 21 game disappeared when it became The D in 2012. The other casinos dropped it over the next year. Palazzo and Venetian brought the game back off and on until 2017, when it stayed until the present time. Circus Circus added Spanish 21 in 2019.
Spanish 21 uses eight 48-card decks. The tens are missing. The face cards remain. Players may double down on any number of cards. Surrender is available on any number of cards, as well as after a split or double down. The player always wins blackjack, which pays 3:2. A player 21 always wins, with bonus wins for hands that include a 678 or 777, as well as five or more cards. Split aces may be hit or doubled.
Super Fun 21
Super Fun 21 has enjoyed a small following throughout the decade of surveys. It was spread at 14 different casinos during this time. It had 10 in the first survey in 2011. It dropped to 3 the following year. It made a comeback, peaking at 14 in 2018 and 2019. It had nine installations in the 2020 survey.
You will find two tables at Golden Nugget. There is one table at Fremont, Orleans, Sam's Town, Suncoast and The D.
Players may double down on any number of cards in Super Fun 21. Blackjack pays even money, except 2:1 on suited diamonds. A player blackjack always wins. Aces may be re-split, hit and doubled down. Surrender is available at any time, even after hitting any number of cards and after a double down. Any six-card hand automatically wins. A 21 hand with five or more cards pays 2:1.
