Back
Vegas Strip Blackjack: Complete Guide | LeoVegas

Vegas Strip Blackjack: Complete Guide

Summary:

Vegas Strip Blackjack is a popular blackjack variation found in Las Vegas casinos. The game is played with four decks of cards, and the objective is to beat the dealer without exceeding 21.

  • The rules for Vegas Strip Blackjack include:
  • Blackjack pays 3 to 2.
  • Dealer hits on soft 17.
  • Players can double down before or after splitting.
  • Up to four hands can be split.
  • Aces can only be split once with one card

Las Vegas banks its image on being a free-flowing home for all things gambling. Its ‘Sin City’ moniker has enabled venues on the famed Strip to tweak popular table games to offer a better experience to the millions who visit the city each year. One of these comes in the form of Vegas Strip Blackjack.

Table of Content:

The variant has become popular thanks to its very liberal playstyle and table rules. Not only are the rules for the dealers usually quite favourable, but players get to enjoy options like doubling down on any hand and double down after splitting for up to four hands. There’s a lot to love about Vegas Strip Blackjack, even when compared to the traditional game.

PLAY BLACKJACK

History of Vegas Strip Blackjack

As the name suggests, Vegas Strip Blackjack hails from Sin City itself. It’s unclear exactly when or at which casino the table variant was first created, but we know for sure that it didn’t take long for competitor venues to catch onto its popularity and bring in the unique rules for their croupiers to run.

Blackjack is said to have its origins traced back to the start of the 17th century in Spain, to a game of Veintiuna or Twenty-One. It came to the US in the 18th century, quickly spreading to future gambling hubs like New Orleans and eventually to the Far West and Las Vegas.

In Las Vegas, where casinos were permitted during a time when commercial gambling houses were banned elsewhere in the country, blackjack became a hot favourite. To compete, some venues would leverage different rules and new side bets to become the most appealing place for blackjack players. Now, Vegas Strip Blackjack is very common.

The unique rule set of Vegas Strip Blackjack has rubbed off on a few other popular online blackjack variants. It draws from traditional American blackjack, but some games have taken on the ability to split up to four hands per game. Others have taken in or even based a whole game around its side bets like Perfect Pairs.

livecasinowobanner.gif

Rules of Vegas Strip Blackjack

Almost all games of Vegas Strip Blackjack are played with four decks of cards. Of course, with the format being so popular and competitive now, there may be venues offering single-deck or double-deck tables. Still, the aim of the game is the same: get closer to 21 than the dealer with your hand or hands without going bust (over 21).

The basic gameplay is also very much the same as regular blackjack. At the beginning, you place your bet and wait for the cards to be dealt. You’ll have your two-card hand and will be able to see the dealer’s up card. If it’s an ace, you can take insurance. If you have pairs, you’ll be able to split to get two hands – and maybe split again. At this point, you can also double down on your initial hand or any that you’ve split, unless you’ve split aces.

Next, you’ll decide to hit or stand, taking cards or leaving your hand as it is. Then comes the showdown, where the dealer’s hand is revealed, and the dealer makes their play. Some Vegas Strip Blackjack tables have the dealer stand on soft 17 while others have them hit on soft 17. If your hand is better than the dealer’s (closer than 21 without exceeding 21), you’ll win at odds of 1:1 or 3:2 if you’ve got blackjack.

What makes Vegas Strip Blackjack unique is that you can split your hand up to four times and double down on any hand, be it from a split or your initial hand, with the exception of split aces. Most of the time, you also cannot hit on split aces, and a split-ace 21 doesn’t count as blackjack. Some tables also allow you to split face cards as though a pair even if they’re different faces, such as a hand of a queen and a king.

Vegas Strip Blackjack Odds and Payouts

Being played with a four-deck shoe and offering several player-friendly options at the table, Vegas Strip Blackjack can have a surprisingly low house edge of around 36% if played optimally. While you can find 6:5 tables, skip them, as further back the casino will offer the standard blackjack odds of 3:2 and 1:1 on regular wins. Insurance, if available, will also pay at 2:1 should the dealer reveal 21.

Side bets are also commonplace at the Vegas Strip Blackjack table. Perfect Pairs is a popular one. If you win with this side bet, where the colour, rank, and suit match are considered, you can win between 5:1 to 30:1 depending on the kind of match. With the Bonus Blackjack side bet, a same-suit blackjack pays 5:1; a regular unmatched blackjack jack and ace hand pays 25:1; and a suit-matched jack and ace hand returns 50:1.

Vegas Strip Strategies

Basic strategy is your best bet when playing Vegas Strip Blackjack. Learning the optimum plays for a four-deck game will help you minimize the house edge during your session. As for card counting techniques, you’ll need to account for the four decks as well as the increased split opportunities for you and the other players at the table.

livecasinowobanner.gif

Best Places to Play Vegas Strip Blackjack

Vegas Strip Blackjack has spread across its namesake city, so you can find one of these popular tables at just about any major venue nowadays. Still, some are better than others. You can find double-deck games at the Bellagio, Caesars Palace, the Mirage, and Planet Hollywood, but only the first of those upholds a stand on soft 17 rule. Some, like Paris and Cosmopolitan, have expanded to six-deck games with a stand on soft 17 and allow for re-split aces.

While a whole bunch of Las Vegas games and Vegas-themed games have made it to online casino play, including Vegas Ball Bonanza, Vegas Strip Blackjack is quite difficult to find and play online. Instead, you can find variants with similar rules. There’s BlackJack MH Perfect Pairs, the classy Royale Blackjack, Ruby VIP Blackjack, and Blackjack+.

Vegas Strip Blackjack FAQs

Find answers to a whole bunch of the most commonly asked questions about Vegas Strip Blackjack below.

What is the minimum bet in Vegas Strip Blackjack?

The minimum bet in Vegas Strip Blackjack varies from venue to venue and game to game, but it seems as though the minimum bet right now is $10 per hand at a table. There are also some electronic versions with a minimum bet of $3 per hand.

Can I count cards in online Vegas Strip Blackjack?

It’s rather pointless to attempt to apply card counting to online Vegas Strip Blackjack because all of the digital cards get shuffled into the decks after each round.

How do I increase my chances of winning?

You can optimize your Vegas Strip Blackjack play and possibly enhance your chances of winning by applying the rules of basic strategy. However, don’t forget that blackjack is a game of chance.

What are the odds of getting a blackjack?

Your odds of getting blackjack or a hand valuing 21 in a game of Vegas Strip Blackjack ranges from 19.72/1 (4.827%) in single-deck blackjack games – which are exceedingly rare – to 20.06/1 (4.749%) for a six-deck table. Most Vegas Strip Blackjack tables use four decks, which makes the odds of getting blackjack 20.02/1 (4.757%).

How can I find the best Vegas Strip Blackjack tables?

You can find the best Vegas Strip Blackjack tables by going to Sin City itself! All of the big-name venues boast a Strip Blackjack table, with the best ones depending on your preferences. Many like the double-deck games that pay 3:2 on blackjack and have the dealer stand on soft 17, most casinos which can be found at the Bellagio but are at least a $300 minimum bet.

What are the advantages of playing Vegas Strip Blackjack online?

One of the major advantages to playing Vegas Strip Blackjack online is that you can play at your own pace if it’s an RNG table game. You’ll also have all of your options with each hand highlighted for you. This can be helpful for new casino players who haven’t entirely come to grips with the idea that you split up to four times in this blackjack variant.

Are there any famous movies featuring Vegas Strip Blackjack?

It’s always quite difficult to tell the exact variant of the blackjack in play, because the variant isn’t usually an important part of the story. However, 21, The Hangover, and Rain Man all see the protagonists play blackjack on The Strip in Vegas.

Can you split aces in Vegas Strip Blackjack?

You can split aces in Vegas Strip Blackjack, but you can only do so once. Equally, most tables with this kind of blackjack also stop players from hitting after splitting one card into aces.

What is the surrender option in the game?

For the most part, you can’t use the surrender option in Vegas Strip Blackjack. However, if you do find a table with this option, opting to surrender means that you’ll lose half of your stake and fold your cards. This is instead of risking the whole bet by playing the round to its conclusion.