Looking for a video blackjack machine(s) in Vegas that allow splitting, surrender, double down and hitting after you split aces.

Planet Hollywood used to have a few but when Harrahs/Caesars bought them out they all were reprogrammed.

Any thoughts/ideas who has good ones in town?

CD

The primary thing you should be looking for is one that pays 3:2 for a blackjack. Without that, the other niceties shouldn't be enough to entice you to sit down.

That's something I didn't even think about. I just assumed they all did. (duhhh). I will be sure to check the pay outs the next time I'm out and about. Perhaps maybe I should read a book on BJ

ty

When people ask about video blackjack, I get confused on what version they mean. A solo machine that is like a video poker machine and usually only pays even money on blackjack, or the machines with $3 to $5 minimums with the video dealers with nice boobs and ugly faces? If it's the latter, Tom is right, as long as you get 3:2 BJ, it's better than 6:5 BJ, and all the other rules are fairly meaningless.

I don't know where all of these machines are, but I would venture a guess that any downtown casino that has the machines would be more liberal than the strip.

Both types are considered video blackjack. The vbj sometimes found in video poker machines seldom pays 3:2 for bj in most locales. The wording in the rules is designed to fool the unsuspecting by stating "Blackjack pays 2 for 1." Then the next line states "All other wins pay 2 for 1." The primary advantage of these machines, if you can find one with 3:2, is speed. You can play at your own pace and can get in many hands per hour if you have basic strategy down cold. Another frequent advantage is that the player accumulates slot points at the casino's video poker rate.

The big, multiple-seat, console machines with the scantily clad video dealers usually do pay 3:2 IME. However, they can be painstakingly slow as the timer for the next hand resets every time any player places a bet or changes his current bet. Even if you are the only player, you will generate only a fraction of the hph that you could on the other type of vbj machine. However, you may be able to place higher wagers. These machines may also not generate players club at the slot or vp rate, and the casino's calculation for their theoretical win (used for generating and sizing comps and mailers) may be tiny.

This. I'm always amazed that anyone would play BJ -- or any gambling game for real money -- without first studying the game. If you do, you're far ahead of most BJ players.

Not sure about Vegas, Tom, but for CET properties in Tunica at least you get the same Total Rewards comps as video poker (0.1% before mailers).

I don't know of any that allow hitting split aces. The older Shuffle Master games with the human dealer on the TV screen are still at Binions and Vegas Club downtown and Riviera on the strip. Those have split once, double anything, double after split, surrender and H17 (binions stays on all 17s but reshuffles every hand). Riviera, Circus Circus, and Monte Carlo have the newer version that splits to 3 hands and S17. Riviera does not give points on these machines.

Just found a video BJ machine on strip that pays 2 to 1 for blackjack. Allows splitting and double down on Any 10 or 11 total. Insurance pays 3:1 and split aces get one card. It also has automatic 6 card win. This is a bar machine not the ones with the busty girls.

Would this machine be closer to break even then most?

It would be a +EV machine if these rules were true. But those rules don't exist on that machine.

Video blackjack machines that look like video poker machines list payouts on a "for one" basis which means your initial wager is always collected by the machine.

Blackjack: 2 for 1 = 1 to 1 = even money
Insurance: 3 for 1 = 2 to 1.

The even money blackjack rule and not allowing doubles after splits (you don't say if it does) would make the machine have a house edge of about 2.4%.

If you can get comped drinks at the bar for playing this 25c at a time, it might be okay if you pace yourself. (These machines can be played quite fast.) Otherwise pass.

I don't know if Harrah's Cherokee still has blackjack on Pot of Gold machines called Black Gold. If they do, I think it is the only 3-2 BJ machine that lets you hit split aces. It is also S17. The negatives are double down 9-11 only and no DAS. You can also only split to two hands.

I used to live in Asheville and played those machines! I occasionally made money on them. They redid the whole casino and I think they are gone

does boulder hwy have any of those good paying 3-2 VBJ shufflemaster machines? i havent been anywhere on boulder hwy in years, what about in Jean, Primm, or Pahrump? all i know of is vegas and laughlin, the only decent ones left in vegas still giving good cashback on comps are binions and the poker palace. lots of them quit giving out comps other casinos.

Tony, I do not know about Cannery or Arizona Charlies but there are not any in Boulder Station or Sam's Town. The Arizona Charlies on Decatur and Stratosphere do not have any either so I would think it is unilkely that AC Boulder would have them.