Blackjack in Vegas - Where's the best place nowadays?

[denverbill]

About 15 years ago, it used to be the Las Vegas Club downtown. You could resplit aces as long as you wanted to, double down on any three cards, etc. Plus, they had lots of tables and many cheap tables.

I haven't been downtown there in years. Anyone got any recommendations?

[tlmorris]

1. The Learning Channel

I believe The Learning Channel recommends Binion's for blackjack. It's a downtown casino. May be the one you'd gone to before.

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. My husband recommends the Stardust...

He says they have the best dealers in Vegas.

[Systematic Chaos]

3. It's been a while for me too...

but I live here and know how to count cards very well. Just that a lot of financial and other worries have kept me away from the tables, advantage or no.

The last time I played blackjack downtown was about two years ago, before they started pushing all the new gimmicks in the casinos that have almost ruined the game of blackjack. Namely, those would be the Shuffle King machines (that run up to six decks forever and only one hand worth of cards is ever out of the machine at a time), and the new single decks with a payoff of 6:5 on blackjack instead of 3:2 (only gives the house about THREE CENTS on every dollar wagered).

Back then, the Las Vegas Club still had their liberal rules on the multi-deck games as did the Stratosphere, but both houses had tighter rules on double decks and about a 50% shuffle point (not enough cards dealt out). So, my favorite house at that time was the Four Queens because on their double decks you could double after a split and also resplit aces, which is not too common anymore and good for the player.

Let me see if I can find a site that tracks blackjack conditions somewhere and if I do I'll come back with a link. I know there is a newsletter that does this (called Current Blackjack News published by Pi-Yee Press) but I'm not sure about websites.

By the way, best of luck to you!!! :D


On edit: Okay, I managed to find a site that does track the rules for all the major locations in town, but it looks as though the information is just over a year out-of-date so automatic shufflers and 6:5 single decks may not be factored in. I hope this helps.

http://www.customstrategycards.com/rules_lvd_D.htm

[denverbill]

7. I tried counting cards years ago.

Just can't do it. So I pretty much play 'by the book' and hope for a lucky streak. I don't care so much about the big shoes as I do the liberal rules. If I was counting, it might be different, but if not counting, I figure the odds change little with one deck versus six.

Thanks!

[Systematic Chaos]

8. Actually, that's not true

The number of decks in use in a game of blackjack will affect the house edge due to the fact that the proportion of blackjacks dealt out will decrease as the number of decks increases. It is about 20:1 on a single deck but rises to just over 22:1 with eight decks. That longer wait period between naturals favors the house.

[denverbill]

12. Hmm. It doesn't seem like that would be the case.

You still have 4 10's per ace no matter how many decks. I'll take your word for it, but it just doesn't make sense to me logically.

The thing that I really hate about blackjack in Vegas recently is the number of stupid variation games they are throwing out there. Spanish 21 (where they remove some of the tens), the game where the dealer plays 3 hands against your one hand, etc. Seems like those are always the only open tables.

[denverbill]

14. Hey, thanks for the website progrocker69!

So, I noticed on the Las Vegas Club there is a listing for WML (World's Most Liberal). Just wondering if that still exists? It doesn't even give numbers for the house advantage.

[tridim]

4. Am I the only person that has near-panic attacks

when playing on $10 minimum tables? It almost makes me feel sick to gamble that much cash in quick 30 second intervals. Actually $5 tables scare me almost as much, $5 seems to be the bare minimum today.

[denverbill]

5. $10 are ok if I've been playing for a while.

I definitely prefer cheap tables, where I can go even down to $3. However, if I'm doing well I have no problem betting $25 on a hand.

It's just the initial sitting down at a $10 table that I dread.

[eileen from OH]

11. yup, that's me too. . .

that's the main reason I like to play at the Sahara.

eileen from OH

[treefrogjohn]

6. Binions

And they still had single deck blackjack last time I was there.

[Zomby Woof]

9. a friend of mine won $4000 at the Luxor

When the minimum of $10 a bet kicked in. He stayed up all night to get the bucks, but they comped his room, and it was worth it.

[denverbill]

10. I played there a lot last year.

And at the Excalibur. Can't say I had your friend's luck:).

[curlyred]

13. Ah, the Luxor

Where we left a tidy sum of money last year. Most of the dealers were friendly, though, and we did meet a very nice couple from Tennesee.

The funniest thing about Vegas last year was some silly slot machine with a cattle drive theme. Every once in a while, the machine would holler out. "CAAAAAASH COW!" or "It's a staaaaaampede!" At which point we would crack up. :)

[Zomby Woof]

15. I love Vegas cheese!

I have an immunity to cheese except in two areas - bad B-movies (a la the kind MST3K aired) and Vegas.