Vegas Advantage visited downtown Las Vegas on October 6, 2024, to find the latest game conditions for our newsletter members. We found a new game at Golden Nugget called Face Up Blackjack.
Versions of this game have come and gone from Las Vegas over the years. Riviera had it until it closed in 2015. Circus Circus offered it for a few years before removing it in 2023. All three Primm casinos had this game last decade.
Golden Nugget’s version has a few differences from previous versions. In all versions, both dealer cards are face up. The player can see what the dealer has and adjust the action accordingly. Most of the Golden Nugget rules stop there.
Golden Nugget Face Up Blackjack Rules
- Six decks
- $2 Bonus Spin side bet required
- Blackjack pays 6/5
- All ties lose, including blackjack
- Dealer hits soft 17
- Double only on 10 and 11 before and after a split
- Split all pairs up to four hands, including aces
Previous versions dealt at Circus Circus and Riviera only paid even money on blackjack, did not require a side bet, blackjack automatically won, and pairs could only be split once.
Wizard of Odds has the Face Up Blackjack strategy here. Note all the strategy differences from a standard game. For example, don’t split aces against 11 or 17 and higher. A player 16 is a hit against a 7. Soft hands have many different strategies.
Wizard of Odds has the house edge at 1.06%. However, his list of rules does not consider re-splits. That brings the house edge down to around 0.95%. At the $10 minimum bet, the expected loss is $0.095.
It also does not include that the player must make a $2 Bonus Spin side bet. The estimated house edge on the side bet is $0.46. That gives the game an estimated house edge of 4.63% at the $12 minimum bet.
While Face Up Blackjack’s house edge is worse than a standard 6/5 blackjack game, it is the best Golden Nugget option for players in the $5 to $15 minimum bet range. That is because low-limit blackjack games there are among the worst in Las Vegas.
Two blackjack games are worse
Lucky Cat is the worst Las Vegas blackjack game. Golden Nugget pays 6/5 and requires a $2 Bonus Spin side bet. At the $7 minimum, Vegas Advantage estimates the house edge to be 8.95%. That is worse than triple zero roulette. This game is only found at Golden Nugget.
Golden Nugget also deals the second-worst Las Vegas blackjack game. Those tables are traditional 6/5 tables with the mandatory $2 Bonus Spin side bet. At the $12 minimum bet, the house edge is approximately 5.5%. When Lucky Cat is closed, some of these tables may be $5 plus a $2 mandatory side bet. At that bet, the house edge is about 8%.
Golden Nugget blackjack options improve drastically at $25
Two $25 3/2 six-deck tables sit in the back of the main pit near the dice games. Players may double down before and after splitting. This game holds 0.64% with perfect play.
Two high-limit $50 games have even lower house edges. The first option is six decks with surrender. The house edge is 0.55%. The double-deck game has standard double down rules. It holds 0.4% with perfect play.
Theoretical loss per hand at Golden Nugget blackjack games
The list below shows the expected loss per hand at all Golden Nugget blackjack games at the typical minimum bet. Note that the games with smaller bets hold more per hand.
- $7 6/5 Lucky Cat Blackjack: $0.63
- $7 6/5 Bonus Spin: $0.56
- $12 6/5 Bonus Spin: $0.66
- $25 3/2 six-deck: $0.16
- $50 3/2 six-deck: $0.28
- $50 3/2 double-deck: $0.20
If your bankroll can handle the swings, choose the 3/2 games. If you prefer lower-limit games, Circa, Golden Gate, and Fremont deal $10 and $15 3/2 games. Each casino is a short walk from Golden Nugget.
