Three Strip-Adjacent Las Vegas Casinos Bring Back 3:2 Blackjack

• The Strat joins the Rio and Palms in bringing 3:2 blackjack back their Strip-adjacent casinos
• 6:5 blackjack nearly dominates the Strip because, since it was introduced in 1999, casual players didn’t seem to notice a difference

Last week, the Strat added an unspecified number of additional 3:2 blackjack tables to its casino floor, responding to increased consumer awareness of, and resistance to, the lower-paying 6:5 version that’s now the standard at Strip tables.

That makes the Strat the third Strip-adjacent casino to increase its 3:2 games. (Though the Strat likes to consider itself on the Strip, the iconic landmark is actually a half mile north of Sahara Avenue, where the city of Las Vegas begins and the Strip ends.)

The Rio has been offering both payouts since reopening under new ownership in 2023. And, on Valentine’s Day, the Palms went the furthest of all Strip-adjacent casinios — eliminating all 6:5 blackjack payouts. It now offers 3:2 blackjack across its tables.

The Difference

In the traditional 3:2 payout, a $10 bet returns $15 for a natural blackjack — compared to only $12 in a 6:5 game (in addition to your $10 bet back). A $3 difference may not seem like a big deal, but it increases the house edge by nearly 1.4%.

Assuming perfect play, for every $100 wagered over time, players can expect to lose an average of 50 cents on 3:2 blackjack but $1.40 on 6:5 blackjack. For serious players, a $1,000 bankroll at 100 hands per hour ($10 bets) will last about 2,000 hours in 3:2, but only 714 hours in 6:5.

According to the Las Vegas Advisor, the 6:5 payout was introduced by the Flamingo, to its traditional single-deck games, in 1999. By 2010, it was the rule at 25% of all Strip blackjack tables, especially the lower-limit ones, and had expanded to multi-deck games.

Most casual players, casinos found, didn’t seem to notice the difference.

Today, the Strip casinos that still offer 3:2 blackjack typically do so with $25-$50 minimums or only in high-limit salons.

Downtown still offers some 3:2 blackjack at lower limits, but not on single-deck games. According to vegasadvantage.com, the last single-deck blackjack game, at the El Cortez, folded in April 2024.