It is no secret that blackjack in Las Vegas is not what it used to be. The proliferation of 6-5 games combined with the dealer hitting soft 17 at most tables has increased the house edge on the Las Vegas Strip. These bad rules have expanded into downtown.

Single deck blackjack has the lowest house edge, everything else being equal. You can find $5 blackjack at a host of locals casinos, especially in Downtown. Some of the casinos offering $5 blackjack include Boulder Station, El Cortez, and the Orleans. In fact, any of the Stations casinos offer good rules for low stakes blackjack players. A lot of the casinos have electronic blackjack (looks like a slot) with a real dealer, it's $5 and super fun! Everyone makes bets but there's a real dealer and cards and everyone bets how they want, it doesn't affect other players cause the cards come out in order and are used however you bet on them.

Blackjack Online visits Las Vegas casinos on a regular basis to survey the games offered. Our latest trip to the Strip showed more casinos have replaced 3-2 blackjack tables with 6-5 ones.

Excalibur was one of the best casinos in Las Vegas for $5 and $10 blackjack going into 2015. There were no 6-5 games in the entire house. That changed since our last visit. Excalibur spreads 6-5 games at the $10 limit, accounting for more than half the open tables on a recent night. Players had to move up to $15 tables to get 3-2 games. The 6-5 disclosure is not on the felt. Excalibur uses portable placards to notify players so there is no way to know the total number or percentage of tables that short pay. It could change from one day to the next.

Bally’s was another casino that started paying 6-5 on blackjack since our last visit. The party pit returned and now all tables within it pay 6-5. That is more than 10 tables. The great $25 high limit shoe game that stands on all 17s and allows surrender and double down after splitting is still offered. There are some 3-2 blackjack tables that hit soft 17 that are spread closer to the rear of the table game pit.

Caesars Palace expanded its number of 6-5 tables. These are the worst imaginable. Not only do players get short paid on blackjack, but double down is only available on 10 or 11 and not after splitting. Players can find 3-2 games near the craps tables with a minimum of $15 during the day and $25 at night. Some are spread past the poker room among the 6-5 tables. Players can get a blackjack game that stands on all 17s in the high limit salon.

SLS Las Vegas rolled out two entire pits of 6-5 games during its recent reconfiguration. Tables by the sportsbook and closest to the front door now all pay 6-5. There are still plenty of 3-2 games for players that continue towards the rear of the casino by the hotel entrance.

Wynn converted the pit closest to the sportsbook into 6-5 tables. These are only open during peak periods. There are still dozens of tables at Wynn with great rules that pay 3-2 on a natural. These are available with limits as low as $10, depending on the time of day.

Downtown Grand is located just north of the Fremont Street Experience. It recently refelted several tables with a 6-5 blackjack disclosure. Some are double deck, while others are shoes. Luckily, most of these tables are idle. Players looking to bet at least $15 will get a 3-2 game.

Every one of these casinos offers 3-2 tables if you are willing to walk past the 6-5 ones. Make sure to always check the felt to see if the table pays 3-2 on a blackjack before sitting down. It never hurts to confirm it with the dealer before finding out the hard way.

We set out to find the best place to find cheap blackjack in Las Vegas for $5.00. After arriving in Vegas one Saturday evening in January and filling our bellies with the Rio Buffet, we set out on our mission. We searched high and low and some places we cannot mention.

Let me mention that I am luckier gambler during the daytime hours. At night I am good on quick in and out games.

After the buffet we meandered about the Rio Hotel, dropping in some loose change into our favorite slot machines and could not find a $5.00 Blackjack table or even get near a $10.00 table. It was a peak time, so we do not fault the Rio for making money it is called supply and demand. We never found an open $5 Blackjack table, but we did however find $10 – $25 and up tables, waiting for us after all the short-timers lost their bankroll for the evening. We did find in the evening on Sunday and weekdays the Rio, had one table of $5 Blackjack open. Even during the day we were hard pressed to find any $5 tables at the Rio. Alas, we never did play the $5 tables at the Rio Hotel, for many reasons. Most of the higher end casinos or Mega Resorts are about the same as the Rio, some casinos are bigger than others and have the crowd to fill in any open slots at the table. These include: The Luxor, Mandalay Bay, Wynn, Venetian, Paris, Bellagio, Monte Carlo, Mirage and the MGM Grand. The other Casinos that had their fair amount of $5 and sometimes $2 and $3 Blackjack tables include: Excalibur (we had a long session here this trip), Stratosphere, Sahara, Riviera, Circus Circus, Casino Royale, Imperial Palace and Slots-A-Fun. Harrahs, Ballys and the Flamingo had a decent showing.

During the day all the low-rolling you want, but just around dinner time the prices go up. If you are planning on playing $5 Blackjack find a table early and sit there, because when day rolls into night those tables are quickly saturated. We found this to be true at the Flamingo and Harrahs. Mark and I went to the Pink Pit at the Flamingo and were hard pressed to find a seat together, so we opted to play at a $10 table. We found a dealer that would fit our bill and began to play, rather well I might add then it hit “Dealer change. What a blow to the bankroll, this lady was like a stone. I finally made her laugh, with the phrase “Are you sure you shuffled these cards, after four 2s were dealt in the same set. We should have gotten up a lot sooner!

Excalibur 5 Dollar Blackjack

We did find the Excalibur enjoyable and at $5 a hand with a 6 deck shoe, who is complaining. One of our rules is the dealer has to be fun or entertaining. If we cannot make them laugh or have a good time we will not play, no matter what denomination. We have been known to follow dealers around or sulk when they leave. One of the only reasons we play at the Circus Circus is because of George a 7 foot tall dry humored fellow and Grandpa Harvey a oriental man who had us crying we were laughing so hard. I believe we all came out ahead except DV8R who Harvey after stopping all play at the table made him go buy a basic Blackjack strategy card before he would let him play again at his table. It is times like these you will remember a lifetime.

Excalibur $5 Blackjack Game

Ellis Island, before you say anything, we know it is not on the strip but only one street behind Bally’s. They had single deck $5 Blackjack and pretty entertaining dealers. I put a $100 on the table and almost immediately I was comped with free full size drinks from the bar, not bad and I was not going to play the full $100, we were passing time before dinner. The pit boss was courteous and not intimidating the dealer we had was an good guy and was easy to get along with. I cannot remember his name, but he is around 6′ and skinny with black hair. (Sorry for forgetting your name). Ellis Island has very lenient Blackjack rules, letting you split until you hearts content and doubling down after your third card, I was amazed to say the least. The single deck was shuffled a little too quickly sometimes, but over-all not a bad time. The main reason we went to Ellis Island was the BBQ. Some of the best tasting Baby Backs we have had in a while and yes we know our Ribs. For $9.95 you got a full slab, two small ears of corn, baked beans and coleslaw. The sides were adequate tasting but you are there for the ribs. While you are there get the Homemade Root Beer it is great! They brew their own beer their, which we did not sample, so making Root Beer would come naturally and it was inexpensive too. Ellis Island is a locals place and it is a locals hangout. The dealers and workers know everyone’s names. Be prepared the bathrooms are not spectacular. I will have a separate article about Ellis Island later.

Most often during the latter part of Sunday and through Thursday afternoon you are more likely to find the ever elusive $5 Blackjack table. Something to remember about Blackjack in Vegas, stay away from any table that has an auto shuffler. It is a big black box that sits next to the dealer and it counts cards! It knows when the table is leaning towards being favorable for the player and then reshuffles. Never sit at one of these tables unless you have money to burn.

A word to the wise always set your daily limits of spending that way you can have enough money to get back to the hotel room to lick your wounds. I would suggest putting the bulk of your money into the hotel safe in you room and only take a little bit above your limit with you, in case you get a little crazy or you accidentally lose your money.

Many veterans of Las Vegas will be scoffing at this article, saying you should know better and that there are no great places to play Blackjack for $5 on the Vegas Strip, which in turn they are mostly right. But, if you know where to go and do not mind the crowds or sometimes smoke, you can find that needle in the haystack.

Excalibur $5 Blackjack Poker

Let me just remind everyone a cold weekday in January, there are not a lot of people in Vegas, so if you are looking for some action, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are not your nights. The casinos are somewhat busy but the strip could be closed off for a drag race, but this could be a whole other article.