We visited every casino in downtown Las Vegas last week. I noticed that the worst blackjack game in Las Vegas had a massive downgrade since the last time I saw it. It is Lucky Cat Blackjack at Golden Nugget.
This Fremont Street blackjack game requires a Bonus Spin side bet. When we surveyed it six months ago, the side bet was $1. It is now $2.
When this game first appeared, I estimated that the side bet had a 23% house edge. It only pays when the player is dealt a blackjack at Golden Nugget and other casinos with this game.
The standard Bonus Spin side bet pushes when a player is dealt an ace. The side bet loses at tables with a mandatory side bet on an ace.
The standard blackjack bet at this game has a house edge of 3.33% with perfect play. A $5 minimum bet theoretically loses $0.167. The $2 side bet has an estimated expected loss of $0.46. I computed the house edge on the $7 minimum bet to be 8.95%.
There are better Golden Nugget blackjack games available
Golden Nugget has two $50 blackjack games in its high limit room that have an expected loss per hand that is less than half that of the $7 6:5 Lucky Cat Blackjack game with a mandatory side bet. There is a six-deck game with a house edge of about 0.55%. A player wagering $50 loses an average of $0.275 per hand.
The $50 double deck has a house edge of about 0.4%. This player only loses about $0.20 per hand at the minimum bet. The double deck blackjack minimum bet would need to be $160 for the $7 6:5 Lucky Cat Blackjack game to have a lower expected loss per hand.
Vegas Advantage Newsletter: We just released the Spring 2021 Las Vegas Blackjack and Table Game Survey. It covers every Las Vegas Strip and downtown Las Vegas live and electronic table game that we found. More details are available here.
Playing any other table game is better than 6:5 Lucky Cat Blackjack
A triple zero roulette table has a house edge of 7.69%. I never thought that I would see a blackjack game worse than triple zero roulette, but that now exists. Below is a comparison of how much slower a player will lose at triple zero roulette over Golden Nugget’s Lucky Cat Blackjack.
Triple zero roulette versus 6:5 Lucky Cat Blackjack with $2 side bet
According to the Wizard of Odds, a roulette table plays at a speed of about 45% slower than a blackjack table with the same number of players. Golden Nugget deals $5 triple zero roulette in the same pit as Lucky Cat Blackjack.
Here is the expected loss per hour at $5 triple zero roulette based on the number of players at the table:
- One player: $43.06
- Two players: $29.22
- Three players: $23.07
- Four players: $21.15
Expected loss per hour at $5 6:5 Lucky Cat Blackjack with $2 mandatory side bet:
- One player: $131.04
- Two players: $87.15
- Three players: $65.84
- Four players: $52.67
The minimum bet at triple zero roulette would need to be $15 for the 6:5 Lucky Cat Blackjack game to have a smaller expected loss per hour and per outcome.
All is not lost at Golden Nugget. It has many $5 poker pit games. This minimum is still often available during peak hours. If you enjoy playing at Golden Nugget, I recommend learning the best strategy for one of those games. That will give you a better chance of winning during your Las Vegas vacation.
