The Best Casinos for Blackjack in Las Vegas

Las Vegas has almost 100 casinos and you can play blackjack at almost every one! I’m here to help you narrow that down a bit. I’ve lived and played in Las Vegas for 16 years and counting, and I’ve learned that the city is constantly changing and growing. I’ll try to accommodate everyone’s “best” casino based on what you find most important, so this list considers the best odds for blackjack, the best atmosphere, and the best locations.

The odds in blackjack vary as much by casino as they do by table. Some casinos use 8 decks and a shuffling machine to increase the house odds (or casino’s odds) and to make card counting almost impossible. Other Las Vegas casinos play with just one deck with small bets to attract players. With small decks, you’ll probably be seeing the better odds of 3:2, more and more, you’ll start to see rates of 6:5. This means if you hit a blackjack and your bet is $10 you'll be paid $15 at a table with a 3:2 payout, but you'd win just $12 at a 6:5 paying table.

If you’ve heard of Las Vegas, then I’d bet you’ve heard of the strip. What is the strip? It’s about a 4 mile stretch of a street on Las Vegas Boulevard South. It has one of the highest concentrations of quality casinos and entertainment in the city. Many tourists never leave it during their stay.

Player’s cards are cards offered at many casinos to gamblers who want to earn perks when they play. Depending on how much money you play with, you can earn quite a bit of complimentary gifts and discounts at restaurants, stores and theatres.

The MGM Grand is tied with Treasure Island for the best player odds in blackjack on the strip. Their blackjack tables are played with only two decks, dealer peeks, double on any two cards, double after splitting, and no surrender. The minimum bet changes for blackjack depending on the time of day ($25-$100). Treasure Island is the main competitor of MGM Grand and also has a live show in front of their resort available for free. Life size boats support actors in a more adult comedy which can be viewed throughout the day.

The Wynn is a casino for those who want to play blackjack in style. The sky is the limit here as they have tables where the minimum bet is $100,000. If you want to play big and win big (but more likely lose big), then you should head over to the Wynn. Of course, they offer blackjack tables with a slightly smaller minimum bet. Along with a good atmosphere and decent house edge odds, the Wynn has their own player’s card option called a Red Card. You should be able to ask a dealer about setting up one for yourself.

The Mirage offers decently low house advantages in Vegas along with a player’s card option. The reason they’re able to offer such good odds to the player is because of the rule variants employed at different tables. You’re able to double down on any two cards, double down after splitting, and more. If you’re a more casual player, or you’re going to be drinking and playing, I would recommend an easier venue. If you’re a more experienced player or a little bored with standard blackjack, I’d recommend trying your luck here.

The Red Rock Casino offers their own player’s card as well. The main draw of the Red Rock Casino is that it’s far off from the strip. You can make a quick trip to the Red Rock Canyons after a night of gambling, and nature’s free. Red Rock also sports a variety of blackjack variant rules. They also have quite a few quality restaurants.

The El Cortez boasts one of the best odds for blackjack in all of Las Vegas with a single deck and 0.18 odds in favor of the dealer. However, you can only find these odds at a select few (on average 5) blackjack tables in the El Cortez, so I don’t recommend it unless you’re willing to settle into a good hunt for just the right table and just the right odds. The minimum bet can be as little as $5, so if you’re just looking for a little fun, this is the place. The El Cortez is one of the older casinos with an old west, Las Vegas feel. You can play here if you want to see how the locals play for a more “authentic” experience.