Las Vegas Blackjack
Las Vegas blackjack and the games under its umbrella make up a large percentage of both online and land-based variants you will to play in 2019. If you are a beginner read our overview of how to play blackjack or if you are looking for information specific to Las Vegas blackjack read on.
Most of the major types of blackjack follow Las Vegas blackjack rules or have slight variations, from casino to casino. The online world means there are more variants of Las Vegas blackjack than ever before with most live casinos featuring its version of the game. You will also find many random number generated titles that follow Las Vegas rules.
Best online casinos with Las Vegas Blackjack
Many of the best casino sites feature Las Vegas Blackjack rules as their stock live games, with many of the biggest operators featuring more than one version of the game. Other highlights of the online options to play Las Vegas rules include many RNG games with this theme from software giants such as Microgaming, Betsoft and Playtech.
If you are new to online casinos a great place to start is our guide to choosing an online casino which will help you make it through your first experience unscathed.
Overview of Las Vegas Blackjack
Las Vegas rules is so named because the blackjack played under these rules is what is played in Downtown Las Vegas. This is the home of the modern land-based casino and if you are a regular at online casinos you will see that Las Vegas is one of the most popular themes.
Las Vegas has always had a way of capturing the imagination, with its bright lights, plush hotels and high stakes. It therefore makes sense that one of the most popular casino games would model its rules on how they play it in “Sin City”.
There are several ways to tell whether the type of blackjack you are playing falls under the Las Vegas rules, with the ability to double down one unique feature, while the dealer must always hit on a soft 17.
Las Vegas Blackjack rules
If you have played blackjack at a casino you are probably familiar with this version of the game. The ability to double down is probably the most notable thing about Las Vegas Blackjack, other than it being the most popular version found at online casinos, although this has changed as more regulation comes in surrounding the industry.
Key Las Vegas Blackjack rules:
- After you are dealt your first two cards face-up, you will be allowed the option of “doubling down” if you so wish.
- The dealer has to hit another card on a soft 17 meaning that the dealer’s total of 17 has an Ace in it that counts as 11.
- You will be allowed to re-split – this means that if you decide to split a pair of cards and you hit another card of the same face value then you are allowed to split yet again.
- You are able to take insurance on your cards, meaning that you can place a side bet (equal to half your bet) if the dealer has an Ace which pays out 2:1 if the dealer’s second card is K/Q/J/10.
- You will not be allowed to split a pair of Aces.
- You will also not be allowed to double your bet after splitting.
* Many online casinos follow these rules as these are the most popular and most basic rules. If you are familiar with these rules then you should have no problem in adapting your blackjack style to any of the other variations of the game.
Las Vegas Strip rules
Another slight variation of Las Vegas rules is the Las Vegas “strip” rules. These rules make the dealer stand on 17, irrespective if it is a hard 17 or a soft 17. This increases your odds of winning ever so slightly. However, this does not always work in your favour because there are times, for example, when you stand on 16. You would still have the chance of the dealer going bust if he/she has to hit on a soft 17.