Chicago Sun-Times: Get off Strip for best single-deck blackjack

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the sly little trap for the unwary some casinos on the Las Vegas Strip have laid at blackjack tables. They entice players with a single-deck game--a Strip rarity in recent years--but pay only 6-5 on blackjacks instead of the usual 3-2.

And several months ago, I wrote about another single-deck game, Super Fun 21, that has made inroads on the Strip. It gives the player lots of pluses--late surrender, double after split, resplit Aces, player blackjacks always win, blackjacks in diamonds pay 2-1. But blackjacks in clubs, hearts or spades pay only even money.

That leaves games that are tough on the player. The 6-5 blackjack rule leaves a single-deck game with a house edge against a basic strategy player of about 1.4 percent. In Super Fun, the house edge is about 0.9 percent. Compare that with the six-deck game at Empress Joliet, where the dealer stands on all 17s, players may double after split and resplit Aces. The house edge is only 0.33 percent. With rules as bad as in these single-deck games on the Strip, you're better off with a decent six-deck game.

All that has left a reader named Tom at a loss.

"I go to Vegas because I love to play single-deck blackjack," he told me on the phone last week. "Now you're telling me the single- deck games are lousy. If I wanted to play six decks, I'd stay at home and go to the boats. Aren't there any good single-deck games around? I'd settle for double-deck, if you know of any good ones."

Now, there are good single-deck games in Las Vegas. The key is getting off the Strip. If you're willing to play double-deck blackjack, and can take the higher minimum bets that go with playing at Bellagio or Caesars Palace, then you can find some decent two- deckers on the Strip.

Rules and playing conditions can change at a moment's notice, but on last check, these were some of the best single-deck and double- deck blackjack games in Las Vegas:

The Fiesta, a locals casino in northwest Las Vegas, deals a single- deck game in which the dealer hits soft 17. Players may double down after splitting pairs--a rare rule in single-deck blackjack. House edge vs. a basic strategy player: 0.01 percent.

The Horseshoe, downtown, has a single-deck game in which the dealer hits soft 17. Players may resplit Aces. House edge vs. a basic strategy player: 0.12 percent.

The Lady Luck, Four Queens, El Cortez and Golden Gate, all downtown, have games similar to the Horseshoe's except that players may not resplit Aces. House edge vs. a basic strategy player: 0.14 percent.

Caesars Palace, on the Strip, has a two-deck game in which the dealer stands on all 17s, players may double after splits and late surrender is offered. House edge against a basic strategy player: 0.13 percent.

The Stardust, Barbary Coast, Riviera and Bellagio, all on the Strip, have two-deck games with rules similar to those at Caesars Palace, except that late surrender is not permitted. House edge against a basic strategy player: 0.18 percent.

The best single-deck rules on the Strip are at Slots-a-Fun, next to Circus Circus. Dealer stands on all 17s, but double downs are restricted to two-card totals of 10 and 11. House edge against a basic strategy player: 0.23 percent.

HOLLYWOOD TRANSITION: The tentative sale last week of Hollywood Casino Corp. to Penn National Gaming sent me to the computer, seeing if I could find reports on blackjack rules at Penn National's operations in Mississippi and Louisiana.

There's no guarantee that games that prevail in the Southern markets will come to Aurora anytime soon. Market conditions are so different across the jurisdictions that the comparison is imperfect at best.

Nonetheless, just for fun, let's check it out.

In Mississippi, the Casino Magic casinos offer single-deck, double- deck and six-deck blackjack, with the two-deckers being the best games. Dealer stands on all 17s on all the games. The single-deck games restrict double downs to two-card totals of 10 and 11 and do not permit doubles after splits. House edge against a basic strategy player: 0.23 percent. The two-deck and six-deck games permit double downs on any first two cards, including after splits. House edges against a basic strategy player are 0.18 percent on the double-deck game and 0.4 percent on the six-decker.

The report I found on Casino Rouge in Baton Rouge, La., is several years old, but lists an eight-deck game with other rules the same as the Casino Magic two- and six-deckers. House edge against a basic strategy player: 0.43 percent.

Any of these games would be an improvement over Hollywood's eight- deck game in which the dealer hits soft 17, with a house edge against a basic strategy player of 0.7 percent. Will the new owners improve the game? Keep your fingers crossed.