Las Vegas Blackjack Rules
Blackjack is one of the most popular casino card games. It is played around the globe in live casinos, as well as online. If you are interested in getting in to blackjack put don’t know the rules you will find that it’s easy to learn how to play blackjack. Following are the basic rules of this popular card game.
Blackjack is played one-on-one against the dealer. Although there may be several players sitting at one table, each player is only in competition with the dealer. The objective of the game is to acquire a hand of cards that is worth a higher value than that of the dealer, without breaking a total of 21. Breaking 21 is known as “busting” and results in an immediate loss.
Best Blackjack Casino In Vegas
The value of a hand in blackjack is determined by adding together the values of the cards in the hand. Numbered cards are worth their face value (i.e. the 4 of Spades is worth 4 points); Aces are worth either 1 or 11 depending on the other cards in the hand; and 10s, Jacks, Queens and Kings are worth 10 points. A Jack (or other 10-valued card) and an Ace are worth a total of 21 together and this hand is known as “blackjack”, which is where the game gets its name.
Fortunately for blackjack players, there’s still plenty of opportunity to be found within the resort’s 66,200 square feet of gaming space. The casino floor boasts of “more than 65 Las Vegas table games, including four different kinds of casino blackjack”. But it’s a little more complex than that when it comes to winning. Really, the objective of blackjack is to beat the dealer’s hand in one of these two ways: 1) have a total that exceeds the dealer’s or 2) not exceeding 21 when the dealer does.
Before a game of blackjack begins, players must place bets. If you are playing a free game of blackjack online then you can play with fun money. In a live casino or real money game of blackjack online you will bet real money. Always choose a table with limits that meet your bankroll and never bet more than you can afford to lose.
Once bets are placed the dealer gives each player two cards, face up on the table. The dealer takes two cards as well, but one is placed face down. Based on a player’s hand and the dealer’s face up card, the player has several options. The player may:
- “Stand” with his initial 2-card hand
- “Hit”, asking the dealer for more cards to increase the value of his hand
- “Double Down”, doubling his bet and taking only one more card
- “Split” his hand into two separate hands, provided his initial hand was a pair
It is important to note that rules regarding doubling down and splitting vary from casino to casino, so it’s important to double-check the rules before you begin playing.
Once the players are satisfied with their hands the dealer reveals his face down card. If his hand is worth 16 or less he must hit. Also, some casino blackjack rules require the dealer to hit on “soft 17” as well, which is a card made up of a 6 and an Ace valued at 11 points. Once the dealer has hit, if necessary, hands are compared and winners are determined.
Again, it is important to note that more specific blackjack rules vary from casino to casino and blackjack variation to variation. Familiarize yourself with the particular rules of a specific game before you begin to play for real money.
This year’s National Blackjack Day comes with a special date. It is 3/2/21. This article celebrates the date by noting the minimum bet it takes to get a 3:2 blackjack game at every Las Vegas casino that deals it.
The default blackjack rules are a six or eight-deck game with double down before and after splitting. Any variations to these rules are noted in parenthesis.
The minimum bet shown is what we think it is at the slowest time of the day based on our 2021 Las Vegas Blackjack Survey. The data was collected in late 2020. It may be higher at night or on weekend days.
$3
- Jerry’s Nugget
- Poker Palace (double down on 2 or 3 cards)
$5
- Boulder Station (double deck)
- Cannery (surrender, re-split aces)
- Club Fortune (re-split aces)
- Ellis Island (surrender, re-split aces)
- Downtown Grand (surrender, re-split aces, open Thursday-Sunday)
- Santa Fe Station (double deck or six-deck that adds surrender)
- Silver Sevens (re-split aces)
- Skyline (open Friday and Saturday nights)
- South Point
- Suncoast (double deck)
- Sunset Station (double deck and six-deck that adds surrender)
- Strat (surrender, re-split aces)
Paris Las Vegas Blackjack Rules
$10
- Aliante (surrender)
- Arizona Charlie’s Decatur
- California (double deck, no double down after split)
- El Cortez (two and six-deck with standard rules, single deck with no double down after splitting)
- Fremont (double deck, no double down after split)
- Gold Coast (double or six-deck)
- Golden Gate
- Green Valley Ranch (double deck or six-deck that adds surrender)
- M Resort (re-split aces)
- Orleans
- Oyo
- Palace Station (double deck)
- Plaza
- Railroad Pass
- Rampart (double deck or six deck that add surrender, re-split aces)
- Red Rock (double deck or six-deck that adds surrender)
- Rio (surrender)
- Sam’s Town
- Silverton (two and six-deck, both with re-split aces)
- The D
- Treasure Island (surrender, re-split aces)
$15
- Circa
- Flamingo (surrender)
- Golden Nugget (surrender)
- Harrah’s (surrender)
- Sahara
$25
- Bellagio (surrender, re-split aces)
- Caesars Palace (surrender)
- Cosmopolitan (surrender, re-split aces)
- Cromwell (surrender)
- Encore (surrender, re-split aces, open Thursday to Sunday)
- Excalibur
- Linq (surrender, limited tables Monday to Thursday)
- Mandalay Bay (surrender, re-split aces)
- MGM Grand (surrender, re-split aces)
- New York-New York
- Planet Hollywood (surrender)
- Tropicana
- Westgate
- Wynn (surrender, re-split aces)
$50
- Aria (surrender, re-split aces)
- Palazzo (surrender, re-split aces, limited tables Monday to Thursday)
- Paris (surrender, stand on soft 17)
- Venetian (surrender, re-split aces)
$100
- Luxor (surrender, re-split aces)
- Mirage (surrender, re-split aces, stand soft 17)
- Park MGM (six deck: surrender, re-split aces, double deck: standard rules, both stand on soft 17)
No standard 3:2 blackjack games
- Alamo
- Bally’s
- Binion’s
- Circus Circus
- Four Queens
- Margaritaville
- O’Sheas