The Las Vegas Table Game Survey started as the Las Vegas Blackjack Survey on OnlineUnitedStatesCasinos.com. The first edition was in 2011. It expanded to table games in 2015. The early issues only covered downtown and the Strip. Today, all 73 Las Vegas casinos with live table games are represented.
The survey will give you a clue as to which casino offers the best or worst opportunities to play a specific casino game.
Blackjack
Blackjack is the most popular Las Vegas table game. It has the most tables. All casinos with table games in the Las Vegas market deal blackjack. It is the only game dealt by three of those gaming establishments.
There are many types of Las Vegas blackjack rules. These range from payouts to different moves players are permitted to make.
3/2 Versus 6/5
The most common payout is 3/2. This means the player wins 50% more than the bet when dealt a blackjack. A $10 bet wins $15 on a 3/2 blackjack table. A 6/5 table only pays 20% more than the bet. This means a $10 bet only pays $12. This increases the house edge by about 1.4% when compared to a 3/2 table.
Most blackjack tables in the local and downtown markets pay 3/2. On the Las Vegas Strip, every casino deals at least some 6/5 blackjack. Many only pay 3/2 in the high-limit salon. All blackjack at Circus Circus, O’Sheas, and Slots A Fun pays 6/5.
Dealer Hits or Stands on Soft 17
One rule affects how a Las Vegas dealer plays a hand. That is whether the house stands or hits on soft 17. A soft 17 is a hand that has an ace with the other card or cards totaling six.
The dealer standing on soft 17 is better for the player. It drops the house edge by about 0.2%. The dealer hits soft 17 on all but one table in Las Vegas pits.
About half of the high-limit blackjack tables stand on soft 17. This includes some double-deck tables and most six-deck ones.
Doubling Down
Doubling down permits a player to double the original bet and receive one card. The player must stand after a double-down. Alamo is the only Las Vegas casino that restricts doubling down before splitting. It may only be done on 10 or 11. This game and double-deck ones at downtown Boyd Gaming and most Caesars Entertainment ones do not allow doubling down after splitting.
Surrendering
The house allows the player to fold and give up half of the bet when surrender is available. It is only permitted on the player’s first two cards. Over half of Las Vegas’s six-deck and eight-deck games allow surrender.
Re-splitting Aces
Some higher-limit blackjack games permit aces to be split up to four times. It is most often available in six-deck games. There are a few double-deck ones that hit soft 17 that allow it. If the house does not permit re-split aces, the player must stand when an ace is dealt on split aces.
Blackjack Variants
There are many Las Vegas blackjack variants. The options are Blackjack Frenzy, Blackjack Switch, Bonus Spin Blackjack, Double Up Blackjack, Free Bet Blackjack, Free Bonus Blackjack (identical to Free Bet), Lucky Cat Blackjack, Most Liberal 21, and Super Fun 21. Over 80% of the Las Vegas blackjack variant tables are Free Bet. Most of these tables pay 6/5. There are a few 3/2 Free Bet tables downtown and in the local market.
Craps
Craps is one of the most popular table games in Las Vegas. It is available in several forms. The most common is the traditional version. Most Las Vegas Strip casinos and a few locals have crapless craps. In this game, the player can’t lose on the come-out roll. The Don’t Pass is unavailable on crapless craps tables. The Pass Line wins if the come-out roll is a 7. All other numbers become points, including the 2, 3, 11, and 12.
Other craps versions are hybrid. This means real dice are used, but bets are handled electronically. The minimum bet and maximum odds are lower on these machines.
Craps odds vary widely. The Las Vegas Table Game Survey has the odds of all 70 casinos with craps. It also has whether the Field pays double or triple on 12.
Roulette
In Las Vegas, four types of live roulette are dealt: European, single zero, double zero, and triple zero.
European Roulette has a single zero-wheel. It has la partage, meaning even money bets receive half back when the pill lands in the zero pocket. The minimum bet for this game is usually $50 or $100. Most European Roulette tables are in high limit salons. Standard single zero roulette tables start at $15 at Plaza in downtown Las Vegas and $50 on the Strip.
The most common Las Vegas roulette tables have two or three zeros. Circus Circus and O’Sheas only deal triple zero games. Treasure Island and Slots A Fun only have double-zero wheels. All other Las Vegas Strip casinos have double and triple-zero roulette. Most downtown casinos have only double-zero games. However, Binion’s, Four Queens, and Golden Nugget have some triple zero tables mixed in with double zero ones.
Baccarat
There are two common types of live baccarat in Las Vegas. The options are commission-free or traditional dealt in mini or midi forms. The commission-free games have a banker push hand like a three-card six. The traditional games charge a 5% commission on banker wins. Baccarat starts at $10 downtown and in the locals market and runs as high as hundreds of dollars per hand in Las Vegas Strip salons.
Pai Gow Poker
Pai gow poker changed substantially over the last few years. In 2016, nearly all Las Vegas pai gow poker tables charged 5% commission on wins and permitted player banking. Today, about 90% of the pai gow poker games are dealt in the face-up format and do not permit player banking. The minimum bet starts at $10 in the locals market and can be as high as $50 or $100 on the Las Vegas Strip.
Other Poker Table Games
There are many Las Vegas poker pit games beyond pai gow poker. The most popular are Three-Card Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. Other available table games include Three-Shot Poker, Asia Poker, Crazy 4 Poker, Crisscross Poker, DJ Wild, Heads-up Hold ’em, High-Card Flush, I Luv Suits, Let It Ride, Mississippi Stud, and Wild Five.
These types of games start at $5 in the downtown, locals, and Strip casinos. Some Las Vegas Strip casinos offer these games with a $25 minimum bet. Note that most of these games require at least two bets to play.
Electronic Table Games
Dealer shortages have caused table game minimum bets to increase since COVID. Electronic table games have taken over some of the smaller action. Some games are on stadiums that use virtual cards or a live dealer. Others are entirely automated and have seats for multiple players or are heads-up.
The minimum bet for these games is usually $1 to $3 in the locals market and $3 to $5 downtown and on the Strip. Available games include baccarat, big 6 wheel, blackjack, craps, roulette, and Three Card Poker.
Table Games Available for All Types of Players
Las Vegas table game players have many options. Low-limit ones should check out electronic table games for the best value. Players who can afford $15 to $25 action will find games at almost all Las Vegas casinos. High-limit players can find $100 or more limits in Las Vegas salons. The Las Vegas Table Game Survey can show you where the best games that fit your style are all available.
John Mehaffey
John Mehaffey is a poker and casino expert who has been playing online games for money since 2001.
His first interest was online poker, where he won a poker freeroll at America’s Cardroom to create a bankroll. In 2002, he became a proposition player at poker rooms and helped get shorthanded games started before the poker boom hit.
You can find John on Twitter under the handle @john_mehaffey, where he is happy to answer any questions that you have about gambling or Las Vegas.
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