Best Blackjack Casinos

Posted on
  1. Best Blackjack Casinos In Las Vegas
  2. Best Blackjack Rules Casinos
  3. Best Blackjack Casinos In Vegas
  4. How To Deal Blackjack In Vegas
  5. Best Live Blackjack Casinos
  6. Best Blackjack Casinos Vegas
  7. Best Blackjack Casinos In United States

Mobile Blackjack Games. If you want to play the best mobile casino blackjack games look no further as we have some of the best blackjack mobile games online including Live Mobile Blackjack and mobile multi player blackjack. You may play our mobile blackjack games using any smartphone, tablet or mobile device online at our live mobile casino.

Atlantic City is known for plenty of things, including the Boardwalk, Steel Pier, and its large casino resorts. One thing that this town doesn’t get a lot of attention for, though, is its blackjack scene.

Casinos

Sure, Atlantic City is the one place where casinos can’t ban card counters. What if you’re not a card counter, though?

I’m going to discuss what, if any, AC casinos offer great blackjack games. But first, I’ll discuss what exactly makes for quality blackjack.

What Constitutes the Best Blackjack Games?

  1. With blackjack being one of the most popular card games in the world, every online casino will offer some variation of the game. To find the best casinos to play blackjack, our real money casinos guide offers a recommended list of safe and secure casinos with generous welcome bonuses.
  2. Select a Good Blackjack Casino. Choose one of the best blackjack casinos and register your account. Casino Bloke has a list of the most reputable casino sites that offer the largest and most extensive blackjack lobbies around. Simply choose one and go through a straightforward registration procedure to open your casino account and start playing.
  3. Best Casinos; Sign Up; Blackjack Strategy; Blackjack Tools; Gambling Articles; Blackjack Rules; Home Is Roulette really a Satanic Game? Is Roulette really a Satanic Game? Category: casino; Our Recommended Casinos # Bonus Match Review; 1: 100%: $250: Get Bonus Read Review: 2: £50: 100%: Get Bonus Read Review: 3: $1,500: 200%: Get Bonus Read.

Gamblers typically determine the top blackjack games by their odds alone. As you’ll see below, though, this is just one important aspect in the matter.

Low House Edge

The blackjack house edge directly impacts your chances of winning. A lower house advantage boosts your odds of making money.

The typical Atlantic City blackjack table carries between a 1% and 2% house edge. Such games feature six or eight decks and only pay 6:5 on natural blackjacks.

The latter condition raises the house advantage by 1.39% compared to 3:2 payouts. Therefore, your first step should be finding a table that offers 3:2 payouts on naturals.

Single-deck blackjack isn’t abundant in this town. Some games feature 6:5 natural payouts, which makes them unplayable even with the single deck involved.

Other rules also play a significant role in the house advantage. Here are notable ones to watch out for:

  • Double down on any two cards:+0.25% for player
  • Dealer stands on a soft 17: +0.20% for player
  • Double after splitting (DAS): +0.17% for player
  • Re-splitting ace: +0.08% for player
  • Late surrender: +0.07% for player

If these rules are reversed, they increase the house advantage by the matching amount. Assuming the dealer hits on a soft 17, then the house edge increases by 0.20%.

Flexible Stakes

Best Blackjack Casinos In Las Vegas

Atlantic City offers a few tables that give you a strong chance to win. However, you also must be wary about the required stakes in these games.

The best Atlantic City blackjack tables can charge upwards of $50 per hand. In this case, you’re better off at a $5 or $10 table with a 2.0% house edge in terms of theoretical losses.

Here’s the math:

  • You play at a $10 blackjack table with a 2.0% house edge.
  • The table sees 70 hands per hour.
  • 70 x 10 x 0.02 = $14 in theoretical losses
  • You play at a $50 blackjack table with a 0.5% house edge.
  • The table sees 70 hands per hour.
  • 70 x 50 x 0.005 = $17.50 in theoretical losses

If you want to play for high stakes, then you should definitely look for the lowest house advantages. However, stakes are just as important as the house edge if you’re dealing with a smaller bankroll.

Good VIP Rewards

Most Atlantic City casinos are competitive with each other in terms of VIP benefits. However, certain establishments stand out in this regard.

Ocean Casino Resort has established itself as the premiere spot for top-notch loyalty rewards. It comps you well on blackjack play and offers flexible options for rewards points.

The Tropicana also features a solid VIP program. Just like Ocean Casino, it features plentiful rewards on your blackjack bets.

Of course, loyalty perks don’t quite make up for the house edge. But you can’t go wrong by getting a few more freebies for your play.

The Best of Atlantic City Blackjack in Different Categories

As you can see, blackjack tables can excel in different areas. That said, here are the top AC casinos with regard to the blackjack house edge, stakes, and rewards.

Best Blackjack with a Low House Edge

Best Blackjack Rules Casinos

Golden Nugget offers the best blackjack odds in Atlantic City at the moment. They feature certain six-deck tables that pay 3:2 on naturals, see the dealer stand on soft 17, and allow late surrender.

The latter is especially notable, because late surrender isn’t available at many casinos around the world. This rule lets you surrender half of your stake to get out of a hand after the dealer checks for a natural.

These rules result in a 0.34% house advantage. Golden Nugget’s odds are as good as any you’ll find versus Las Vegas and beyond.

The only problem, though, is that you need to bet $50 or more to play. If you’re not willing to do this, then you might consider heading to Bally’s Hotel & Casino.

Bally’s has a game with almost the same rules as Golden Nugget. The lone difference is that you can’t use late surrender, which results in a 0.42% house edge.

The benefit, though, is that only need to wager $25 per hand. This minimum bet is more in line with the rest of Atlantic City.

AC offers some other blackjack tables that feature a 0.68% house edge. They include eight decks, 3:2 natural payouts, the dealer hitting on soft 17, doubling on any two cards, and DAS.

Best Low Stakes Blackjack

Assuming you’re a low roller, then you’ll be looking for great odds combined with reasonable stakes. The catch: you’ll be dealing with anywhere from a 1% to 2% house advantage with most of these games.

Earlier, I showed the math on how you’ll still be getting a better deal with low bets and a higher house edge. But usually, you don’t get to enjoy the best of both worlds.

Fortunately, some exceptions do exist. The Borgata offers a few $10 tables with 3:2 payouts, the dealer standing on soft 17, and eight decks.

These rules lead to a 0.44% house advantage. Combined with the $10 minimum stakes, you won’t find anything better regarding blackjack value in Atlantic City.

Of course, low stakes don’t always mean a good game. AC features $1 and $2 tables that seem like a cheap way to play. However, they also feature terrible rules (eight decks, 6:5 payouts, dealer standing on soft 17) and $0.25 commissions.

The latter force you to pay an extra $0.25 just to play each hand. You’re better off playing slot machines at this rate!

Best Blackjack Rewards in Atlantic City

Again, Ocean Casino Resort offers the best VIP program in the city. Ocean Wow Rewards features five levels and a host of options.

You can attain higher statues and rewards as you continue placing blackjack bets and spending more at Ocean Casino.

Some of the things that you can do with your points include dining, getting free hotel stays, and shopping for free. Other casino comps include VIP Lounge access, free play, and free parking.

What Atlantic City Blackjack Games Should You Avoid?

No one casino in Atlantic City offers the “worst” blackjack. Instead, you should individually judge each table by a combination of its rules and stakes.

I covered how you can’t just look at a $1 to $5 table and automatically assume that it’s a cheap game. Some of these tables include 6:5 payouts to jack up the house advantage over 2%.

Aside from ultra-low stakes, you need to be on guard with single-deck games. Many of these tables are merely used to disguise 6:5 payouts.

Blackjack

Some exceptions apply, including certain games at the Borgata, Bally’s, and Golden Nugget. Overall, though, you should always read the felt of single-deck tables to see if they pay 3:2 or 6:5.

What about the Best New Jersey Online Blackjack Games?

New Jersey is one of the few states that currently offer real money blackjack online. You can play these games as long as you’re physically present in the state and 21 years of age.

NJ online blackjack clearly offers the best odds and lowest stakes. The market is overlooked, though, because many gamblers would rather have the experience of playing live in Atlantic City.

Assuming you’re okay with virtual blackjack, though, then you’ll be happy to know that there are some outstanding games in New Jersey.

PokerStars Casino, Tropicana, Pala, and Virgin all feature single-deck games with house edges ranging from 0.24% to 0.27%. What’s more: you only need to bet $1 per hand.

Even the worst odds, including multi-hand and micro stakes ($0.10 per hand) versions, only feature a 0.7% house advantage.

Best Blackjack Casinos

You may ultimately still opt for playing live blackjack in AC casinos. But the online version clearly features the best value in the Garden State.

Is Atlantic City a Good Place to Play Blackjack Overall?

Atlantic City will never get the same publicity as Las Vegas when it comes to blackjack. However, its blackjack scene can stand on its own merits.

A few land-based casinos feature quality single-deck games with a house edge under 0.5%. The catch, though, is that you must wager between $25 and $50 per hand.

The Borgata offers the top value-based game with a 0.44% house advantage and $10 minimum bets. But you’ll have a tough time finding open seats.

Assuming none of the best Atlantic City blackjack tables are available, you can always grab your smartphone and play blackjack online. NJ gaming sites feature $1 blackjack stakes and house edges ranging from 0.24% and 0.7%.

Conclusion

Atlantic City already offers you plenty of reasons to visit with its ocean views and lavish resorts. Now, you can add quality blackjack games to this list.

I suggest stopping by the Borgata or Bally’s to find the combination of great odds and moderate stakes ($10 to $25). Assuming you can stomach $50 bets, then Golden Nugget features the absolute-best odds (0.34% house edge) in town.

Beware of most single-deck and low-stakes tables, though. Both types of games are used to mask poor rules that drive the house advantage over 2%.

Where to cash in on player-friendly blackjack games, and how to avoid the bad ones

by Henry Tamburin

The 6-5 payoff rule increases the house edge by almost 1.4 percent. If you’re a $10 bettor, playing a 6-5 game will cost you $3 each time you get a blackjack (and you’ll average roughly four blackjacks per hour), which comes to $12 that you are forking over to the casino bosses every hour.

This month, my column is going to accomplish four things:

  1. Provide you with a convenient list of casinos that offer a single-deck blackjack game that pays 3-2 for a blackjack (also known as a “natural”)
  2. Give you an accurate single-deck basic playing strategy that you can use to play this terrific game
  3. Summarize the casinos in and around Las Vegas that offer the abominable 6-5 single-deck games (so you can avoid them)
  4. Give you some advice on how you can help eradicate the awful 6-5 games, which have been spreading like a cancer in casinos throughout the U.S.

Best Blackjack Casinos In Vegas

Note: The information on which casinos offer single-deck games and the corresponding rules and house edges mentioned in this article were obtained from Current Blackjack News (CBJN), with their permission (www.bj21.com). Casinos can change the rules at any time, so check CBJN for the latest rules and playing conditions in casinos across the country.

In the March 2008 issue of Casino Player magazine, I wrote a detailed column about why the 6-5 single-deck game is bad news for players. Without rehashing all the points that I made back then, let me briefly summarize why this game should be avoided like the plague. The 6-5 payoff rule increases the house edge by almost 1.4 percent (no, that’s not a typo). If you’re a $10 bettor, playing a 6-5 game will cost you $3 each time you get a blackjack (and you’ll average roughly four blackjacks per hour), which comes to $12 that you are forking over to the casino bosses every hour.

That is an atrocity, which is why a smart blackjack player would never play this game.

If you talk to casino bosses about their 6-5 games (which I‘ve done), you get this sort of universal response from them: we know players don’t like the 6-5 games, but as long as they keep playing them, we’d be crazy not to offer them. In a moment, I will give you some tips on how you can help us eradicate the 6-5 games from casinos everywhere. But first, let me discuss the single-deck game that I am encouraging you to play; namely, the game that pays the traditional 3-2 for a natural. It’s available, and I’ll show you where.

The house edge against a basic strategy player in a 3-2 single-deck game is a function of the mix of playing rules. The best single-deck games have h17 (dealer hits soft 17), and allow players to resplit aces. The house edge in this game is a meager 0.13%. Second best is an h17 game without resplit aces (house edge: only 0.18%).

The following chart summarizes the relationship of the rules and the house edge for a basic strategy player in a 3-2 single-deck game. You’d be hard-pressed to find a multi-deck game with these low house edges.

How To Deal Blackjack In Vegas

Playing Rules

House Edge (%)
h17, rsa0.13
h170.18
s17, d100.29
h17, d90.32
h17, d100.44

Where would you guess is the most likely place to find a 3-2 single-deck game? If you said Las Vegas, you’d be dead wrong. According to CBJN, there are only four casinos that offer a 3-2 single-deck game in Las Vegas (and unfortunately, 44 casinos in and around Vegas that offer the dastardly 6-5 single-deck games, making Las Vegas the #1 gambling destination with the most 6-5 games).

Table 1 lists the casinos in Las Vegas that offer 3-2 single-deck games. Table 2 is the list of Las Vegas casinos that offer the 6-5 game. Be smart—on your next trip to Vegas, play the juicy 3-2 single-deck game and avoid the terrible 6-5 game in the casinos listed in Table 2.

The areas of the country where the concentration of 3-2 single-deck games is the greatest are Tunica and Vicksburg, MS, and Reno/Lake Tahoe/Wendover, in Nevada. You’ll be delighted to find many casinos in these cities that offer the fair 3-2 single-deck game. (See Table 3 for the list of these casinos.)

Now that you know where to find 3-2 single-deck games, you need to learn the basic playing strategy for them. Table 4 summarizes the strategy where the dealer hits soft 17 (which is the case in the majority of casinos that offer a single-deck game). You should become familiar with this playing strategy, because it’s slightly different than the basic strategy for multi-deck games. If this is your first time playing a single-deck game, I would also recommend that you bring a strategy card with you to avoid making playing mistakes. It’s perfectly legal to refer to a card before you play your hand.

Table 1

Las Vegas Casinos That Offer

3-2 Single-Deck Games

Best Live Blackjack Casinos

h17 = dealer hits soft 17

d10 = double down only on two-card ten or eleven

rsa = aces may be resplit

CasinoRulesHouse Edge
Binion’sh17, d100.44%
El Cortezh17 (dealt from a shoe)0.18%
Four Queensh17, d100.44%
Hootersh17, d100.44%
Silvertonh17, d100.44%

Note: I’ve had friends in the past play the single-deck games at Binion’s and Four Queens, and they claimed they had a good time. However, Al Rogers, manager at bj21.com, had this to say about the single-deck games at both casinos: “Anyone showing the slightest degree of brain usage at reasonable stakes will not be allowed to play the 3-2 single-deck games at either casino.”

Table 2

The Hall Of Shame:

Las Vegas Area Casinos That Offer

Best Blackjack Casinos

6-5 Single-Deck Games

AlianteExcaliburMain Street StationRed Rock
Bally’sFiesta HendersonMandalay BayRio
Bill’s Gambling HallFiesta RanchoMGM GrandRiviera
Binion’s*FitzgeraldsMirageSanta Fe Station
Boulder StationFlamingoMonte CarloStratosphere
Caesars PalaceFour Queens*OrleansSun Coast
CaliforniaFremontPalmsSunset Station
Casino RoyalHard RockParisTexas Station
Circus CircusHarrah’sPlanet HollywoodTI
CosmopolitanImperial PalacePlazaWild Wild West
EncoreLas Vegas HiltonRailroad PassWynn

*Binion’s and Four Queens offer 3-2 and 6-5 single-deck games, which is why they appear in both Tables 1 and 2.

Table 3

MS and Laughlin/Reno/Wendover, NV Casinos

With 3-2 Single-Deck Games

Tunica

Reno

Laughlin

Fitz

Alamo

Pioneer

Gold Strike

Atlantis

Riverside

Harrah’s

Bonanza

Horseshoe

Cal-Neva

Lake Tahoe

Sam’s Town

Circus Circus

Harrah’s

Tunica Roadhouse

Diamond’s

Harveys

Eldorado

Lakeside Inn

Vicksburg

Grand Sierra

Mont Bleu

Ameristar

Harrah’s

Grand Station

John Ascuaga’s Nugget

Wendover

Rainbow

Peppermill

Montego Bay

Riverwalk

Siena

Peppermill

Silver Legacy

Rainbow

Sands Regency

Red Garter

Crystal Bay

Nugget

Western Village

Note: The Isle Casino in Biloxi, MS, and L’Auberge du Lac casino in Lake Charles, LA also offer 3-2 single-deck blackjack games.

Table 4

Single-Deck Basic Strategy

Dealer Hits Soft 17, No DAS

Best Blackjack Casinos Vegas

Note: Hard hands are hands that either don’t contain an ace, or if one (or more) aces are present in the hand, they count as 1 (e.g., 10-7; 8-4-Ace-4; 3-Ace-Ace-10).

Soft hands are hands that contain an ace counted as 11 (e.g., Ace-7; 3-4-Ace; Ace-7-Ace).

If the rules do not allow doubling on soft hands, then you should always hit soft hands from 13 through 17, and always stand with soft 19 through 21. Likewise, if you are not allowed to double down on hard 8 through 11, then hit.

Hard HandsPlaying Strategy
8Double if dealer has 5 or 6; otherwise hit
9Double if dealer has 2 through 6; otherwise, hit
10Double if dealer has 9 or less; otherwise hit
11Always double
12Stand if dealer has 4, 5, or 6; otherwise hit
13-16Stand if dealer has 2 through 6; otherwise hit
17-21Always stand
Soft Hands
A-2; A-3; A-4; A-5Double if dealer has 4, 5, or 6; otherwise, hit
A-6Double if dealer has 2 through 6; otherwise, hit
A-7Double if dealer has 3 through 6; hit if dealer has 9, 10, or ace;

stand if dealer has 2, 7, or 8A-8Double if dealer has 6; otherwise standA-9; A-10Always stand Pairs 2sSplit if dealer has 3 through 7; otherwise hit3sSplit if dealer has 4 through 7; otherwise hit4sNever split; double if dealer has 5 or 6; otherwise hit5sNever split; double if dealer has 9 or less; otherwise hit6sSplit if dealer has 2 through 6; otherwise hit7sSplit if dealer has 2 through 7; stand if dealer has a 10; hit if dealer has 8, 9, or ace8sAlways split9sSplit if dealer has 2 through 6, and 8 or 9; stand if dealer has 7, 10, or ace.10sNever split; always standAcesAlways split

If the 6-5 game continues to proliferate, it will ultimately ruin blackjack. Here’s what you can do to help eradicate this game.

  1. Refuse to play any 6-5 blackjack games. Instead, only play blackjack games that pay 3-2 for a natural.
  2. If you come across a 6-5 game, voice your displeasure to a casino supervisor, your casino host, and even the casino manager (better yet, email the casino manager). Be sure to also tell them you are taking your business to casinos that don’t offer this wretched game.
  3. Warn your friends and family members who play blackjack about this outrageous game, and do not play it.

I can promise you this: If enough players say NO to 6-5 blackjack games, casinos will eliminate them. Collectively, we can make a difference.

Tamburin’s Tip of the Month

The 6-5 rule isn’t just confined to single-deck games. For example, as I was writing this article, the Las Vegas Advisor reported that the new Margaritaville casino (located inside the Flamingo casino in Las Vegas) opened with eight-deck games with h17, and almost all of them pay 6-5 for a natural. Even though the rules allow you to double down after pair splitting, resplit aces, and surrender, collectively these player-friendly rules are not nearly enough to offset the dreaded 6-5 rule, resulting in a ridiculously high house edge of 1.85% against a basic strategy player. Therefore, even if you play a multi-deck game, it pays to double-check the payout for a natural to be sure it’s 3-2.

—————————————————————————————————————————–

Best Blackjack Casinos In United States

Henry Tamburin is the editor of Blackjack Insider Newsletter (www.bjinsider.com), Lead Instructor for the Golden Touch Blackjack Course (www.goldentouchblackjack.com), and host of www.smartgaming.com. For a free three-month subscription to his blackjack newsletter, go to www.bjinsider.com/freetrial.com. To receive his free Casino Gambling Catalog, call 1-888-353-3234 or visit www.smartgaming.com.