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According to one study, the average advantage to the House at the El Cortez on all of its blackjack games combined is just 0.24%, which rates it better than all downtown casinos, all Strip casinos and all off-Strip hotels and casinos combined—the undisputed #1. The only drawback is that wagering is limited to $500. Here are the three reasons why I believe that El Cortez blackjack is the best of any online or land-based casinos: They have low stakes. They have the lowest house edge. You can still get nice comps. El Cortez offers single deck blackjack tables with a $5 minimum bet and 30.4% house edge. Here are the rules on this game: Single deck.
There is constant discussion about the poor quality of Las Vegas blackjack games.
Most casinos in tourist areas have 6:5 payouts on many of their low-limit games.
However, it is still possible to find some of the best blackjack games in the world, even around the Las Vegas Strip.
The list below shows the best games in town.
M Resort once again wins the best blackjack award.
Its double-deck game in the high-limit room stands on all 17s. It permits double down before and after splitting. Aces may be re-split up to three times. The re-split aces rule is the only one ofits kind for stand on 17 double-deck games in Las Vegas.
Bighorn and Longhorn Casino
There is a $5 blackjack game in the locals market that rivals the return of high-limit games.
It has a special rule that allows players to double down on three cards. The dealer hits soft 17. Double down after splitting, re-split aces, and surrender are also allowed.
All Other Stand on 17 Double-Deck Tables
If you prefer to stay on the Strip, there are several options for double-deck blackjack that stands on all 17s with double down before and after splitting.
This game is spread at Treasure Island for $50. Aria, Bellagio, Mirage, and MGM Grand have it for $100. Mandalay Bay requires $200 for this game.
High-Limit Six-Deck Games
There are many high-limit six-deck games that stand on all 17s. All offer double down before and after splitting, as well as surrender. The ones listed here also have re-split aces. This puts thehouse edge at 0.29%.
You may find this game during slow periods for $25 at MGM Grand, though it is often at least $50. Bellagio, M Resort and Treasure Island have it for $50. Aria, Mirage, Green Valley Ranch, RedRock Resort, and Palms spread it for $100. Mandalay Bay requires $200 for this game.
El Cortez is one of two casinos that spread 3:2 single-deck games in Las Vegas. Silverton is the other. El Cortez has an advantage as it permits double down on any two cards before a split. Thegame has a $5 minimum during most hours of the day, though you may see it for $10 when it’s busy. The house advantage is 0.3% at these tables.
Most Caesars properties in Las Vegas spread a six-deck game in the high-limit salon.
The minimum bet is $50 at Bally’s and $100 at the others, including Caesars Palace, Flamingo, Harrah’s, Paris, Planet Hollywood, and Rio.
Double-Deck Games in Locals Market with Re-Split Aces
There are several locals casinos that offer 3:2 double-deck games with re-split aces. The minimum bet is usually $5. Locations include Aliante Casino, Arizona Charlie’s, Cannery, EastsideCannery, Rampart, and Silverton.
Station Casinos high-limit salons also offer this game. These include Green Valley Ranch, Palms, and Red Rock Resort. The minimum bet is usually $100 but can be as low as $50 at Green ValleyRanch and Red Rock Resort. It is $200 at Palms. The dealer hits soft 17 here.
As noted in the top spot of this best Las Vegas blackjack list, M Resort offers this game for $50 with the dealer standing on all 17s.
Other 3:2 Double-Deck Games in Las Vegas
There are dozens of Las Vegas casinos that offer 3:2 double-deck blackjack games with double down before and after splitting but not re-split aces.
The dealer hits soft 17. Locations with the game for $5 include El Cortez, Fiesta, Gold Coast, Jerry’s Nugget, Jokers Wild, M Resort, Orleans, Palace Station, Railroad Pass, Santa Fe Station,Suncoast, and Texas Station.
Casinos with this game for $10 include Palms, Green Valley Ranch, Red Rock Resort, and Treasure Island. For $25, it’s found at many tourist casinos.
The 2019 Las Vegas Table Game Survey
I was able to prepare this report on the best Las Vegas blackjack games in 2019 from data compiled as part of an annual survey.
Every year, I carry out the Las Vegas Table Game Survey and visit every casino in Vegas. I note details of their blackjackgames along with all other table games. These details are organized and then published to help people find the best venues for the preferred games and rules.
You can find full details of the survey on the page just linked. If you’re interested in blackjack specifically, check out Vegasblackjack in 2019.
The Las Vegas Blackjack Survey says the house edge is 0.18%.
1) Number of decks of cards used: 1
2) Dealer hits or stands on a soft 17: hits
3) Player can double after a split: no
4) Player can double on: any first two cards
5) Player can resplit to: The survey does not specify but assume4 hands
6) Player can resplit aces: no
7) Player can hit split aces: The survey does not specify but assumeyes
8) Player loses only original bet against dealer BJ: The survey does not specify but assumeyes
9) Late surrender allowed: no
10) Blackjack pays: 3 to 2
But using the Blackjack House Edge Calculator as follows you get:
1) Number of decks of cards used: 1
2) Dealer hits or stands on a soft 17: hits
3) Player can double after a split: no
4) Player can double on: any first two cards
5) Player can resplit to: 4 hands
6) Player can resplit aces: no
7) Player can hit split aces: yes
8) Player loses only original bet against dealer BJ: yes
9) Late surrender allowed: no
10) Blackjack pays: 3 to 2
Optimal results:0.02166%
Realistic results: 0.17336%
---------------
= The optimal results are based on perfect composition dependent strategy and the dealer shuffling after every hand, which benefits the player.
= The realistic resuts are based on total dependent basic strategy, like the tables on this site, and the use of a cut card, which favors the dealer.
---------------
Their is a discrepancy between 0.17336% and 0.18%. The wizard cautions The Current Blackjack Newsletter is the source, [for the house edge in the survey] and may differ slightly from my Blackjack House Edge Calculator. It is not that one of us is right or wrong, but that blackjack is a difficult game to analyze, and differences in methodology can play a minor effect on the results.
I think that these are the same rules that go back to when Jackie Gaughan purchased the El Cortez in 1963. If the dealer had to stand on a soft 17, or was permitted to double after split the house edge would pretty much go to zero. Most other casinos that have single deck games have many more rules that hurt the player so that the edge is actually worse for the player than the multi-deck games.
----------------------------
In fact, the best 21 game for the 'realistic' blackjack player (one who uses basic, total-dependent strategy and doesn't count) is at the Longhorn/Bighorn casinos with an edge of .25%
Blackjack House Edge Calculator has 10 different rules.
-------------
I believe that two of them are relatively common defaults
Player can resplit to: 4 hands seems to be the default rule
Player loses only original bet against dealer BJ: yes seems to be the default rule
But if the answer to third is
Player can hit split aces: no
then the final expected value in the Las Vegas Blackjack Survey seems like it is way too low (as teddys pointed out).
I am questioning the accuracy of the survey. There is also what looks like transcription errors (for instance one Wynn game is listed as 0.16% which seems to make no sense).
If the Wizard sees this post could he comment?
Can you re split 3 or 4 times? (non Aces) negligible. I didn't ask.
No RSA No HSA .
Last I played there they had a three dollar two deck table as well. I think it was last November. I won on that. Am I to understand they only have $5 dollar single deck there now?
see the house edge calculator click link in above post
http://wizardofodds.com/blackjack/house-edge-calculator.html
The expected values in the Las Vegas Blackjack Survey seems to be wrong.
The expected values in the Las Vegas Blackjack Survey seems to be wrong.
I wrote my own simulator in C++ a few years back to do blackjack analysis. My most recent simulation of 1 deck, NDAS, NRSA, H17, DOA (standard game at El Cortez) was for 451,200,000 hands (dated 10-28-2009). For this number of hands, my simulation gave a house edge of 0.1802%.
Regarding the house edge, the Wizard states this disclaimer in his survey:
The Current Blackjack Newsletter is the source, and may differ slightly from my Blackjack House Edge Calculator. It is not that one of us is right or wrong, but that blackjack is a difficult game to analyze, and differences in methodology can play a minor effect on the results. Both sets of figures are good enough, in my opinion.
I personally feel that a simulation of sufficiently many rounds, using basic strategy, is the most accurate method.
--Dorothy
The expected values in the Las Vegas Blackjack Survey seems to be wrong.
I wrote my own simulator in C++ a few years back to do blackjack analysis. My most recent simulation of 1 deck, NDAS, NRSA, H17, DOA (standard game at El Cortez) was for 451,200,000 hands (dated 10-28-2009). For this number of hands, my simulation gave a house edge of 0.1802%.
Regarding the house edge, the Wizard states this disclaimer in his survey:
The Current Blackjack Newsletter is the source, and may differ slightly from my Blackjack House Edge Calculator. It is not that one of us is right or wrong, but that blackjack is a difficult game to analyze, and differences in methodology can play a minor effect on the results. Both sets of figures are good enough, in my opinion.
I personally feel that a simulation of sufficiently many rounds, using basic strategy, is the most accurate method.
--Dorothy
Don't Quibble, just play and have fun.
House Edge In Blackjack
The Wizard of Odds is the ultimate authority on gambling.<-Don't Quibble, just play and have fun.
It seems that a great many gamblers do want to carry things out to four decimal places and always try to gamble under optimal mathematics. I would more be interested in just knowing the approximate house edge so as to avoid situations wherein I might play roulette at 5.26 percent house edge when a 2.7 percent house edge wheel was also available a few feet away or across the street. I would truly hate to be playing at a 6:5 table in a casino that also offered 3:2.
El Cortez Blackjack Rules
ElCortez is downtown and if you are already downtown, I imagine its worth it to go to the El Cortez for the better edge.I assume that fatigue, alcohol and mistakes will alter the four decimal place figures anyway.
I might sometimes like to do BigRed at 11.67 percent. The critical factor is that I know what I am doing. And I make an informed choice about it. Passline is 1.414 percent. It gives me enough information to know that its 1.4. The extra decimal places are fun to know and will never hurt to know, but for me it won't be a deal-breaker. If the field bet pays extra, I'd like to know about it, but its probably not going to be a deciding factor and I'm not going to trek all over town for some digit all the way off to the right of the decimal point.
Best Blackjack House Edge
For those who truly enjoy carrying things out to four decimal places... good luck. Maybe I'll be there at the El Cortez with you some day.- Page 1 of 2