Best Places To Gamble In Las Vegas Strip
I walked the Las Vegas Strip on June 5, 2020. I went in all 16 casinos that were open. The information below describes the table games that I saw, the best video poker paytables available at denominations of $5 and below at each casino, and any interesting observations. Video poker information was confirmed through VPFree2.
Where To Gamble In Vegas
The first section shows the minimum bet and availability for each table game. The second section is a list of table games by casino. There is no guarantee that you will find the same games at different times. However, this gives a good idea of what is out there and being opened by casinos.
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Casino Royale and Circus Circus will not be on the list. Casino Royale removed all its table games. Circus Circus installed a $5 stadium 6:5 blackjack and roulette game in its pit. The live tables will not open until business conditions improve.
See also: Downtown Las Vegas reopening gambling guide – Follow Vegas Advantage on Twitter
Las Vegas Strip minimum bet for 3:2 blackjack
The list below shows what the minimum bet is for a 3:2 blackjack game. All games are six or eight-deck shoes with double down before and after splitting. Any variations to that are noted in parenthesis.
$10
- The Strat (surrender, re-split aces)
$15
- Harrah’s (surrender)
- MGM Grand (surrender, re-split aces)
- Sahara
$25
- Bellagio (surrender, re-split aces)
- Caesars Palace (surrender)
- Cosmopolitan (surrender, re-split aces)
- Encore (surrender, re-split aces)
- Excalibur (surrender, re-split aces)
- Flamingo (surrender)
- Linq (surrender)
- New York-New York (surrender, re-split aces)
- Treasure Island (double deck and six-deck, surrender and re-split aces on six-deck)
- Wynn (surrender, re-split aces)
$50
- Palazzo (double deck)
- Venetian (double deck)
Las Vegas craps minimum bets and odds
Below is the minimum bet for craps that I found at Las Vegas Strip casinos on June 5, 2020. The odds for each game are 3-4-5 times unless otherwise noted. Treasure Island offers craps at night. Its minimum is unknown but expected to be $15 or $25.
$5
- Sahara
$10
- Cosmopolitan
- Encore
- Excalibur
- Harrah’s
- MGM Grand
- Palazzo
- The Strat (10x odds, also offers crapsless craps)
- Venetian
- Wynn
$15
- Linq
- O’Sheas
$25
- Bellagio
- Caesars Palace
- Flamingo
- New York-New York
00 roulette minimum bet
Each casino on the list offered 00 roulette. The list shows the minimum bet at each casino that was found on June 5, 2020. Treasure Island did not have a live game open. It had $1 stadium roulette.
$5
- Sahara
$10
- The Strat
- Bellagio
- Flamingo
- Harrah’s
- New York-New York
$15
- Caesars Palace
- Cosmopolitan
- Encore
- Linq
- Palazzo
- Venetian
- Wynn
$25
- MGM Grand
Other Las Vegas table games
Baccarat
$10
- Flamingo
$15
- Harrah’s
$25
- Caesars Palace
- Palazzo
- The Strat
- Venetian
$50
- Cosmopolitan
- Encore
- Sahara
- Wynn
$100
- Bellagio
Casino War
$10
- Cosmopolitan
Crazy4Poker
$10
- Bellagio
- Caesars Palace
- Encore
- Harrah’s
- Palazzo
- Venetian
- Wynn
DJ Wild
$5
- Harrah’s
High Card Flush
$5
- Flamingo
- Linq
$10
- Caesars Palace
- Cosmopolitan
- Encore
- Harrah’s
- Wynn
Let it Ride
$5
- Flamingo
- Harrah’s
$10
- Caesars Palace
- Encore
- Wynn
Mississippi Stud
$5
- Flamingo
$10
- Caesars Palace
$15
- Linq
Pai Gow Poker
$10
- Flamingo
$15
- Harrah’s
- Linq
$25
- Bellagio
- Caesars Palace
- Cosmopolitan
- MGM Grand
- Palazzo
- Venetian
- Wynn
Pai Gow Tiles
$25
- Harrah’s
- Wynn
Texas Hold’em Bonus
$5
- Flamingo
Three Card Poker
$5
- Flamingo
- Linq
$10
- Caesars Palace
- Cosmopolitan
- Encore
- Harrah’s
- MGM Grand
- New York-New York
- Wynn
$15
- Treasure Island
Ultimate Texas Hold’em
$5
- Excalibur
- Flamingo
- Harrah’s
$10
- Bellagio
- Linq
- New York-New York
$15
- Caesars Palace
- Encore
- Wynn
$25
- Cosmopolitan
Las Vegas Strip reopening table game limits and best video poker by casino
I noticed lower minimum bets for many games with a few that were higher. There was no pattern to it. The most notable observations were that Circus Circus is not opening table games for at least a few weeks and Casino Royale removed live tables entirely.
The list for each casino shows what I found open during my June 5, 2020 visit. A blackjack game with “S17” notes when the dealer stands on all 17s. All blackjack games without this hit soft 17. A game without a notation of number of decks is a six or eight-deck shoe. All blackjack games are assumed to have double down before and after splitting. Any changes from those rules are noted.
Bellagio
Bellagio moved some tables around. It put plexiglass partitions on all. The limits on some games were a bit lower than usual. Otherwise, there was little difference.
$10
- 00 roulette
- 000 roulette
- 6:5 blackjack
- Crazy4Poker
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em
$25
- 3:2 6-deck blackjack (surrender, re-split aces)
- Craps
- Pai Gow Poker
$100
- Baccarat
- 3:2 S17 6-deck blackjack (surrender, re-split aces)
$300
- 3:2 S17 double deck blackjack
Best video poker games: Bonus Poker (99.17% and 98.01%)
Caesars Palace
The main pit at Caesars Palace and the high limit salon were the only places to play table games at Caesars Palace. For the first time since I surveyed Las Vegas casinos, all blackjacks paid 3:2 at Caesars Palace. All the 6:5 tables were closed, as well as 000 roulette.
$10
- Crazy4Poker
- Let it Ride
- Mississippi Stud
- High Card Flush
- Three Card Poker
$15
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em
- 00 roulette
$25
- 3:2 blackjack (surrender)
- Baccarat
- Pai Gow Poker
$100
- 3:2 S17 blackjack (surrender)
- 0 roulette
Best video poker game: Bonus Poker (98.01%)
Cosmopolitan
Beyond the spacing, there were no changes at Cosmopolitan. It seemed like a normal day with typical table game limits.
$10
- 6:5 blackjack
- 000 roulette
- Casino War
- Craps
- High Card Flush
- Three Card Poker
$15
- 00 roulette
$25
- 3:2 blackjack (surrender, re-split aces)
- 6:5 Free Bet Blackjack
- Pai Gow Poker
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em
Best Places To Gamble In Las Vegas Strip
$50
- Baccarat
$100
- 3:2 S17 blackjack (surrender, re-split aces)
- 0 roulette
Best video poker games: Bonus Poker (99.17%) and Double Double Bonus (98.98%)
Excalibur
Las Vegas Strip To Do
I was at Excalibur as it opened on June 11. Its table game selection was limited but expected to expand over the weekend. This is what I found live:
$5
- 6:5 blackjack
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em
$10
- 000 roulette
$25
- 3:2 blackjack (surrender, re-split aces)
Best video poker games: Jacks or Better (98.45%) and Bonus Poker (98.01%)
Flamingo
The only differences I found at Flamingo was the expansion of video table games and the required spacing at tables. The minimum bet on the electronic table games is $5.
$5
- High Card Flush
- Let it Ride
- Mississippi Stud
- Texas Hold’em Bonus
- Three Card Poker
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em
$10
- 6:5 Free Bet Blackjack
- Baccarat
- Pai Gow Poker
$15
- 6:5 blackjack
$25
- 3:2 blackjack (surrender)
- Craps
$50
- Double deck blackjack (dealt as a pitch, no double down after split)
Best video poker games: Super Double Double Bonus (98.69%) and Bonus Poker (98.01%)
Harrah’s
There were no differences at Harrah’s from before the closure beyond the required spacing.
$5
- Crazy4Poker
- DJ Wild
- Let it Ride
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em
$10
- 00 roulette
- 6:5 blackjack
- Craps
- High Card Flush
- Three Card Poker
$15
- 3:2 blackjack (surrender)
- 6:5 Free Bet Blackjack
- Baccarat
- Pai Gow Poker
$25
- 3:2 double deck blackjack (dealt as pitch, no double down after splitting)
- Pai Gow Tiles
Best video poker: Bonus Poker (98.01%) and Jacks or Better (97.3%)
Linq
Linq and its sister casino O’Sheas opened on June 12. It had the typical Caesars Entertainment game selection.
$5
- High Card Flush
$10
- 000 roulette
- 6:5 Free Bet Blackjack
$15
- 00 roulette
- Craps
- Pai Gow Poker
$25
- 8-deck blackjack (surrender)
$50
- Double deck blackjack (no double down after split)
MGM Grand
MGM Grand was nearly empty. The table limits were the lowest I have seen there in many years in most circumstances.
$10
- 6:5 blackjack
- Craps
- Three Card Poker
$15
- 6:5 Free Bet Blackjack
- 3:2 blackjack (surrender, re-split aces)
$25
- 00 roulette
- Pai Gow Poker
$100
- European roulette
- 3:2 S17 blackjack (surrender, re-split aces)
$300
- 3:2 S17 double deck blackjack
Best video poker: Jacks or Better (99.54%) and Bonus Poker (99.17%)
New York-New York
Like MGM Grand, New York-New York was deserted. The table limits were standard and in some cases a bit higher than normal. The high limit salon was closed.
$10
- 00 roulette
- 000 roulette
- 6:5 blackjack
- Three Card Poker
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em
$25
- 3:2 blackjack (surrender, re-split aces)
- Craps
Best video poker games: Jacks or Better (99.54%) and Double Bonus (99.11%)
Sahara
Sahara only had its main pit and high limit salon open.
$5
- 00 roulette
- 6:5 blackjack
- Blackjack Switch
- Craps
$10
- 6:5 Free Bet Blackjack
$15
- 3:2 blackjack
$50
- 3:2 S17 blackjack (surrender, re-split aces)
- Baccarat
Best video poker games: Bonus Poker (99.17%) and Double Bonus (99.11%)
The Strat
The main pit was open. The secondary pit was closed and partially replaced with a stadium gaming system that was not yet live. The high limit table games were closed along with that entire section of the casino.
The carnival game pit was not open during my visit. When I asked about it, I was told the games were expected to be dealt soon, maybe by that evening.
$5
- 6:5 blackjack
$10
- 3:2 blackjack (surrender, re-split aces)
- 00 roulette
- Craps and crapsless craps
$25
- Baccarat
Best video poker games: Bonus Poker (98.48%) and Jacks or Better (98.45%)
Treasure Island
The high limit salon is closed indefinitely. One pit was replaced with a second stadium gaming machine. It was not live yet. The original stadium gaming was live. It has $1 3:2 blackjack Monday through Thursday and $3 on weekend. There is $1 00 roulette daily.
$10
- Craps
$15
- Three Card Poker
$25
- 6:5 single deck blackjack
- 3:2 double deck blackjack
- 3:2 six-deck blackjack (surrender, re-split aces)
Best video poker games: Jacks or Better (99.54%) and Bonus Poker (99.17%)
Venetian and Palazzo
The only difference I noticed at Venetian is that the pit by the sportsbook was removed. Otherwise, the table limits were typically lower. Palazzo offered the same games and limits.
The poker room at Venetian is open. Cash games are five-handed. There is a winner-take-all $100 single table tournament. First place pays $425.
$10
- 000 roulette
- Craps
- Crazy4Poker
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em
$15
- 6:5 blackjack
- 6:5 Free Bet Blackjack
- 00 roulette
- Spanish 21
$25
- Baccarat
- Pai Gow Poker
$50
- 3:2 double deck blackjack
- 0 roulette
$100
- 3:2 S17 blackjack (surrender, re-split aces)
Best video poker games: Bonus Poker (98.01%) and Jacks or Better (97.3%)
Wynn and Encore
Wynn and Encore had lower limits than normal. There was ample spacing at both, to say the least. This is a great time to get the Wynn experience with no crowds and low table limits.
$10
- Craps
- Crazy4Poker
- High Card Flush
- Let it Ride
- Three Card Poker
$15
- 00 roulette
- 6:5 blackjack
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em
$25
- 3:2 blackjack (surrender, re-split aces)
- Pai Gow Poker
- Pai Gow Tiles
$50
- Baccarat
- 3:2 double deck blackjack
$100
- European roulette
- 3:2 S17 blackjack (surrender, re-split aces)
Best video poker games: Jacks or Better (99.54%) and Bonus Poker (99.17%)
Updates
- Excallibur information added on June 11.
The quality of blackjack games in Las Vegas has declined over the past 15-20 years. The availability of strategy information over the internet has forced casinos to drop some of the more liberal rules. Casinos first started hitting on soft 17. Some stopped offering surrender or re-splitting aces in shoe games.
The biggest rule change that goes against players was rolled out first at single deck games. This terrible rule started paying players 6:5 on a blackjack, as opposed to 3:2. This means that a $10 blackjack would pay $12 instead of $15. Once the casinos got away with this at single deck games, the 6:5 rule started infecting double deck and shoe games. Most single deck blackjack tables have disappeared from the Las Vegas Strip because of this. A 6:5 payout on a blackjack adds 1.39% to the house edge.
While some Las Vegas casinos offer terrible rules on blackjack these days, there are still several places where a good game may be found. Some are even on the Las Vegas Strip, although some of the better ones are located downtown and in the locals market. All of the games mentioned below pay 3:2 on a blackjack.
Best Las Vegas Strip Blackjack
The Strat is the best Las Vegas Strip casino for blackjack. It offers $5 3:2 blackjack during the day that goes to $10 during busier hours. These shoe games offer double down before and after splitting with surrender and re-split aces. A double deck with double down before and after splitting starts at $15. These games hit soft 17.
A $100 six-deck table in high limit has the same rules as the $5 game but stands on soft 17. This game may require reservations with a host to ensure it is open.
Treasure Island is another great Las Vegas Strip casino for blackjack. Players will find $10 games with great rules at Treasure Island. The shoe games offer surrender, re-split aces, and double down after splitting. These tables start at $10. Double deck starts at $15. Those tables allow double down after splitting. These low limit games hit soft 17.
Players willing to bet $50 can move to the high limit salon. They will get a shoe game with double down after splitting, re-split aces, and surrender. The high limit double deck starts at $50 and allows double down after splitting. The dealer stands on all 17’s at both games. The high limit salon is only open on weekend nights.
Sahara spreads good $15 3:2 blackjack. Players can double down on any two cards and after splitting in the blackjack pit at Sahara. The dealer hits soft 17. This game is offered in the high limit salon for $50 where the dealer stands on all 17’s. This game adds surrender and re-split aces to the rules.
Caesars properties that spread 3:2 blackjack under $25. Bally’s, The Cromwell, Paris and Rio deal $10 or $15 3:2 eight-deck blackjack during slower hours. This game allows double down after splitting and surrender. The Cromwell and Rio also have $15 3:2 double deck game. Double down before but not after splitting is allowed. Otherwise, all other Caesars Entertainment 3:2 blackjack tables start at $25. It takes $100 to get a stand on all 17 game.
Best Downtown Las Vegas Blackjack
El Cortez offers the best blackjack game in downtown Las Vegas. It is a single deck that pays 3:2 on a blackjack. Players can double down on any two cards and the dealer hits soft 17. The minimum bet is usually $10. Be careful in this game as the pit bosses will sweat large action or bet spreads. El Cortez also has $10 double deck and six-deck games for $10. These tables allow double down before and after splitting.
Downtown Grand offers the best shoe games downtown. For a $5 minimum, players can double down after splitting, re-split aces and surrender. The double deck game with double down before and after splitting starts at $10. Low rollers will find an even money $1 blackjack table at Downtown Grand. The pit is open Thursday through Sunday.
Circa, The D and Golden Gate only offer 3:2 blackjack. The minimum bet is typically $10 or $15 at The D and Golden Gate and $15 or $25 at Circa. There is also a $100 stand on all 17 six-deck game in the high limit salon at Circa. Double down before and after splitting is available at these casinos.
All regular blackjacks pay 3:2 at Plaza. Plaza deals a $5 or $10 six-deck game with double down before and after splitting. The double deck game gas the same rules. It has a $25 minimum bet.
Best Las Vegas Locals Blackjack
The competition in the off-strip blackjack market is fierce. Players will be able to find shoe games that start at $5 where double down after splitting, surrender and re-split aces are allowed at Cannery andEllis Island.
Aliante and Station Casinos have $5 or $10 3:2 blackjack games with surrender but not re-split aces. Club Fortune, Silverton and Tuscany have re-split aces instead of surrender for $10. South Point has $5 3:2 six-deck tables with double down before and after splitting. A $3 table with a continuous shuffle machine at Jerry’s Nugget has the same rules.
Station Casinos properties offer double deck blackjack where players can double down after splitting. It is $5 at Boulder Station and Santa Fe Station and $10 at the others. M Resort offers the same game with a $15 minimum. The dealer hits soft 17. Suncoast, The Orleans, Gold Coast, South Point and Silverton also spread this game. The minimum bet is usually $10 at these tables. A $5 version of this game is dealt at Jerry’s Nugget.
Some locals casinos have a high limit salon with stand on all 17 blackjack tables. M Resort has a $50 minimum with double down before and after splitting, surrender and re-split aces. Green Valley Ranch, Palace Station, Red Rock and Rio have the game for $100 with surrender but no re-split aces.