We visited nine Las Vegas Strip casinos on September 6, 2023. We started at Casino Royale and went down to Planet Hollywood on that side of the Strip. Cosmopolitan was the other stop.
There are no video blackjack games that pay 3:2 at any of the casinos we visited. Most games are Interblock versions that offer Lucky Aces, Lucky Lucky, and 21+3 side bets.
Total Access Club and Vegas Advantage Super Fan members had access to this article before publication. You too can gain early access to Vegas Advantage articles and more through Patreon for as little as $5 per month! Annual subscriptions are now available for a discounted rate.
Vegas Advantage is supported through memberships, sponsors, and advertisements. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Casino Royale
Casino Royale has been slots-only since March 2020. It has a few electronic table games in the front of the casino and a multiplayer 00 roulette machine in the back. The game in the back has a $1 minimum while the Ministar 00 roulette towards the front and heads-up craps are $3. Shoot to Win craps still has a $2 minimum.
Harrah’s
There were two major changes at Harrah’s. The large stadium gaming device near the entrance by Casino Royale is gone. Harrah’s no longer deals pai gow tiles. Otherwise, the games are the same.
Harrah’s deals poker pit games like DJ Wild, Let it Ride, I Luv Suits, Mississippi Stud, Three Card Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. All these games may be $5 during slow times and usually $10 at peak hours. Roll to Win Craps is a hybrid version of the table game. Its minimum is $10 but only has double odds. Live craps is 3-4-5 times odds.
The 6/5 blackjack games start at $10. Live craps, crapless craps, triple zero roulette, and 6/5 Free Bet Blackjack start at $15. The $25 tables are baccarat, double zero roulette, and Face Up Pai Gow Poker.
The Harrah’s high-limit salon has 3/2 blackjack. The options are Free Bet Blackjack, double-deck, and six-deck. The six-deck table stands on soft 17. The minimum bets are $50 or $100, depending on business levels.
There were a couple more heads-up machines and a Golden Ball 00 roulette added since our last visit. These have a $5 minimum. The Big Six wheel is all the remains of the stadium set up. It has a $3 minimum and no longer offers other games. Heads up craps and 00 roulette are available for $3, down from our last visit. Other options include heads-up video blackjack and Shoot to Win craps. Both have a $5 minimum.
Linq
Linq was the next stop. It does not deal any 3/2 blackjack. There is no salon there. Otherwise, the game selection is the same as Harrah’s except there is no Roll to Win Craps, DJ Wild, or I Luv Suits. O’Sheas has $15 table games that include 6/5 blackjack including Free Bet, craps, Three Card Poker, and 000 roulette.
Linq offers a selection of electronic table games, including a stadium. Most games have a $5 minimum bet requirement. The exception is a $3 minimum for heads-up craps. Available games include heads-up video blackjack and multiplayer Golden Ball 00 roulette. Stadium options are baccarat, big six, blackjack, craps, and 00 roulette. Craps pays triple on a field 12 on the stadium only.
Along the wall opposite the bar inside O’Sheas, there are three ETG options. This includes Shoot to Win craps and blackjack that pays 6:5 but stands on a soft 17. Blackjack side bets are Bet the Set and Royal Match. Both games have a $5 minimum. Big Wheel has a $2 minimum.
Flamingo
Flamingo is an almost identical clone to the table game selection at Harrah’s. Any of its poker pit games could be $5 when it is slow. One difference is that it offers $1 7/5 Super Double Double Bonus video poker (98.61%) with a royal flush progressive. These machines are in a bank where the poker room once was.
The electronic table game selection at Flamingo includes heads-up craps and video blackjack, as well as Shoot to Win craps and Ministar 00 roulette. Near Bird Bar, there is a Big Wheel and Shoot to Win Craps. Big Wheel has a $2 minimum, heads-up craps is $3, and all other ETGs have a $5 bet requirement.
Cromwell
Cromwell is the discount version of Harrah’s and Flamingo with some added value. It has all the same poker pit games, except DJ Wild. Craps and 6/5 blackjack start at $10. Face Up Pai Gow Poker and roulette start at $15.
The big news at Cromwell is that the high-limit salon is closed. This was not too surprising as it was rarely open. The tables were moved to the floor. This appears to be good news for players.
Cromwell now offers the first 3/2 blackjack game that stands on soft 17 for $25 that we’ve seen since 2019. I had to show it to Kristina and have her confirm it as I was in disbelief. It was not open, but the sign was on. The standing on soft 17 is right on the felt. The placard does not mention surrender. I would be surprised if the game does not have it. I think all Caesars six and eight-deck blackjack tables in Las Vegas, even 6/5 ones, permit surrender. During a later trip, the tables showed a $100 minimum bet. We saw it for $25 one other time.
There is also 3/2 $25 double-deck blackjack that does not allow double down after splitting. Baccarat is now available for $25. These tables only open during peak hours, but should be available more often than when they were in the salon.
The selection of electronic table games remains the same, but $1 games are now $3. This includes heads-up 00 roulette, blackjack, and craps, as well as Golden Ball 00 roulette. Multiplayer video blackjack is still $3 and it takes at least $5 to play Shoot to Win craps.
Horseshoe
Horseshoe has higher limits than we found during previous visits. The poker pit games start at $10. The 6/5 blackjack games, roulette, and dice tables are $15. There is $25 baccarat, Face Up Pai Gow, and 6/5 double-deck blackjack. The high-limit tables start at $50. This is the only place where there is 3/2 blackjack at Horseshoe. It is only open during peak hours. All the blackjack hits soft 17.
The stadium was missing from Horseshoe since our last visit. This includes the hybrid craps table. Only the Big Six wheel remains, it has a $3 minimum.
Additional multiplayer options include Ministar 00 roulette and Shoot to Win Craps. Both have a $5 minimum. There are two banks each of heads-up craps and video blackjack. These games also have a $5 minimum.
Paris
The limits and games at Paris are mostly identical to Horseshoe. The exceptions are that its salon is open most or all the time. It is the only place to play 3/2 blackjack at Paris. The options are six-deck that stands on soft 17 and double-deck that hits it and doesn’t permit double down after splitting.
Baccarat and pai gow poker start at $15. One of the options is Fortune Pai Gow Poker, which is either $25 or $50.
While the stadiums were removed from Harrah’s and Horseshoe, the stadium remains at Paris. There are also a couple of heads-up and multiplayer options. Stadium options include Big Six and craps for $3. A $5 minimum is needed for 00 roulette, baccarat, and blackjack.
All other ETGs have a $5 bet requirement. Heads-up games include blackjack and craps. Multiplayer options are Ministar 00 roulette and Shoot to Win craps. Heads-up and stadium craps games pay triple on a field 12.
Planet Hollywood
There are two big changes at Planet Hollywood. The hybrid craps game was gone from the floor. The rest of the stadium remains. There is a new game called 3 Dice Baccarat. Dice are rolled to determine the winner, as opposed to cards.
We did not find any $5 games during this visit. The poker pit tables were all $10. The 6/5 blackjack, craps, and roulette games started at $15. There is a $25 3/2 eight-deck blackjack table and a $50 double-deck one that opens during peak hours in the pit near the salon. In high-limit, the 3/2 six-deck blackjack tables stand on soft 17 for $100.
The electronic table game setup was impacted by construction during our visit. Major work was being completed where the hybrid craps table was previously located. Additionally, the stadium and a multiplayer roulette machine were inaccessible. Available heads-up options include blackjack, craps, and 00 roulette. Multiplayer games include video blackjack and dual-wheel 00 roulette. All games have a $5 minimum bet requirement.
Cosmopolitan
There were no changes at Cosmopolitan. Its table games start at $15. The options are Casino War, 6/5 blackjack including Free Bet, craps, crapless craps, 000 roulette, High Card Flush, Three Card Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. It takes $25 to get 3/2 blackjack and Face Up Pai Gow Poker. These tables go to $50 when it is busy. 00 roulette is $25.
The $100 high-limit games are 3/2 six-deck blackjack that stands on soft 17, European Roulette, and baccarat. Re-split aces and surrender are allowed in the salon blackjack games.
The large selection of electronic table games at Cosmopolitan also remains unchanged. Heads-up 00 roulette is available for as little as $0.25. However, straight and split bets are short-paid on this Bally’s upright unless you increase the denomination to $1 or $5. Three multiplayer 00 roulette options vary from $1.50 to $5 minimum bets.
Craps has a $1 minimum for both heads-up and multiplayer options. Video blackjack and Ultimate Texas Hold’em have a $5 minimum. Blackjack offers Blazing 7s and Royal Match 21 side bets.
Casino Wizard machines offer four heads-up games. A $2 bet is required for baccarat, craps, and 00 roulette. Blackjack has a $5 minimum. Side bets include Lucky 99 for baccarat and Lucky Charlie for blackjack.
