How to Play $1 Blackjack in Vegas

At a time when most land-based casinos require between $10 and $25 minimum bets, $1 blackjack seems like a fantasy.

Casinos have a difficult time making anything on $5 tables, let alone dollar games. Therefore, you might think that $1 blackjack doesn’t exist in brick-and-mortar casinos.

The truth, though, is that you can enjoy dollar tables in Las Vegas. Sin City features a few different casinos with these extremely low stakes.

The following guide discusses what steps you must take to play blackjack for just $1. It also covers the pros and cons of playing so cheaply.

Step 1: Know Which Vegas Casinos Offer $1 Blackjack

The first and most important step to playing dollar blackjack involves knowing which casinos feature this game. Luckily, Las Vegas has multiple casinos that offer these stakes.

You can play for just $1 at the following casinos:

• Lucky Club – 3227 Civic Center Dr, North Las Vegas, NV 89030. Lucky Club is definitely the best place to play dollar blackjack. It features four different tables with player-friendly rules. You’ll be able to play for $1 and also face a low 0.64% house edge.
• OYO – 115 E Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89109. OYO is the next-best spot to play in terms of house edge. It carries a 2.0% house advantage, which, although not overly impressive, is at least better than what Poker Palace offers. The big catch to OYO, though, is that it only has a single $1 table.
• Poker Palace – 2757 Las Vegas Blvd N, North Las Vegas, NV 89030. The Poker Palace dollar game has really poor rules and a 2.79% house advantage. Nevertheless, you still get to play for just $1 per hand. Also, Poker Palace features a couple of $2 blackjack tables. The $2 game carries a 0.41% house edge, thus making it more favorable than the dollar game.

Step 2: Show Up Early

The problem with $1 blackjack is that it’s extremely popular. Even a casino like Poker Palace will see its unfavorable dollar game fill up rather quickly.

With that said, you want to be early to the party. You should show up shortly after a casino opens to ensure that you get a seat.

Ideally, you’ll visit on a weekday. The weekdays are much less crowded in Vegas, especially when you arrive in the morning.

Step 3: Don’t Give Up Your Seat Too Soon

Just because you get a seat at a dollar table, it doesn’t mean that you own it. After giving up one of these seats, you have no guarantees of getting it back any time soon.

Of course, casinos do allow you to take brief breaks when playing blackjack. However, you don’t want to go eat and expect an open seat upon returning.

The best route is to plan on playing a lengthy session. Once you’ve had enough blackjack, you can leave your dollar seat and go do something else.

Why Play Dollar Blackjack in Vegas?

$1 stakes offer a variety of benefits. Below, you can see the main advantages to playing dollar blackjack in Las Vegas.

Low Theoretical Losses

You won’t lose much money when playing for a $1 versus other stakes. This is even true when playing at casinos with a higher house edge.

Here are some examples on your theoretical losses with $1 blackjack versus other games:

Lucky Club $1 Blackjack

• You play 70 hands an hour.
• You stick with $1 minimum bets.
• 70 x 1 = $70 wagered per hour.
• 70 x 0.0064 = 0.448
• You’ll theoretically lose $0.45 an hour.

Oyo $1 Blackjack

• You play 70 hands an hour.
• You stick with $1 minimum wagers.
• 70 x 1 = $70 bet per hour.
• 70 x 0.02 = 1.4
• You’ll theoretically lose $1.40 an hour.

Poker Palace $1 Blackjack

• You play 70 hands an hour.
• You stick with $1 minimum bets.
• 70 x 1 = $70 wagered per hour.
• 70 x 0.0279 = 1.95
• You’ll theoretically lose $1.95 an hour.

Common Vegas $5 Blackjack

• You play 70 hands an hour.
• You stick with $5 minimum wagers.
• 70 x 5 = $350 wagered per hour.
• 350 x 0.006 = 2.1
• You’ll theoretically lose $2.10 an hour.

Common Vegas $10 Blackjack

• You play 70 hands an hour.
• You stick with $1 minimum bets.
• 70 x 10 = $700 wagered per hour.
• 700 x 0.005 = 3.5
• You’ll theoretically lose $3.50 an hour.

Play With a Small Bankroll

Unlike with higher stakes, you don’t need much money to enjoy dollar blackjack. In fact, you might last at the tables for quite a while with just $20.

Here’s an example to show how long you’ll theoretically survive at these tables with a small bankroll:

• You play at OYO (2.0% house edge).
• You play 70 hands an hour.
• 70 x 0.02 = 1.4 (hourly losses)
• You have $20.
• 20 / 1.4 = 14.29
• Your bankroll will theoretically last for 14.29 hours.

You might plan on playing with more or less money. In this case, you can simply plug your variables into the example above to see how long your funds will stretch.

Of course, any answer will be purely theoretical. Nevertheless, it’s nice to have an idea of how long you’ll be able to play for.

Enjoy the Live Blackjack Scene

Blackjack comes in three main forms, including the online, live dealer, and live (land-based) version. The latter typically offers the most exciting atmosphere.

After all, a brick and mortar casino lets you play amongst other people. You get to chat with other players and the dealer.

Of course, live blackjack is usually more expensive than online and live dealer blackjack. Dollar hands, however, let you play this game much more cheaply.

Drawbacks to $1 Games

You might be excited at the prospect of playing blackjack for just a dollar. Nevertheless, you should consider the following downsides before jumping into this game.

Few Options

$1 blackjack isn’t exactly available in abundance. In fact, it’s only available in three Las Vegas casinos at the time of this writing.

You can currently play this game at Lucky Club, Poker Palace, and OYO. These aren’t exactly the most glamorous casinos in Vegas either. You’re not going to watch a world-famous show or dine in a five-star restaurant in these resorts.

Crowded Tables

As covered earlier, dollar blackjack is quite popular in Sin City. Despite only being available in low-key casinos, the $1 tables fill up fast.

You’ll likely need to show up early to avoid the waiting list. Otherwise, you may have to wait for hours before getting a seat.

This situation might not be so bad if you normally play casino games in the morning. However, you won’t like it if you’re a nighttime player. Dollar seats rarely open up during the evening.

Poor Rules

The rules behind dollar blackjack don’t always have to be bad. Lucky Club offers a fair game with a 0.64% house edge.

Oyo and Poker Palace, on the other hand, aren’t as generous. Their dollar tables feature 2.0% and 2.70% house advantages, respectively.

The earlier examples on theoretical losses show that you still won’t lose much money in $1 games. Nevertheless, you’ll lose more on a per-dollar basis.

Is It Worth Finding $1 Blackjack in Las Vegas?

You can see that there are upsides and downsides to playing for just $1 in Vegas. Therefore, you might be conflicted on whether it’s worth seeking these games out.

Everything depends upon what type of player you are. If you’re a low roller with a small bankroll, then you’ll appreciate the dollar tables.

Dollar blackjack is normally the cheapest way to play in Las Vegas—even with a 2.79% house edge. It’s cheaper in terms of theoretical losses than most $5 tables.

Assuming you’re somebody who’s looking for more action, though, then dollar stakes might not satisfy your tastes. After all, you don’t stand to win much during hot runs.

You might want to play $5, $10, or higher limits in this case. This way, you’ll make more money when things are going your way.

Conclusion

Las Vegas is the only place in the world where you can play live blackjack for $1. The best that any other gambling destination does is $5 stakes.

With that said, Vegas is the perfect spot to enjoy the cheapest live games known to man. You do, however, need to know exactly where to play.

Poker palace, OYO, and Lucky Club are the three Vegas casinos with $1 tables. Their dollar games get quite crowded, though, so you should show up early.

If you’re playing blackjack on a limited budget in Vegas, then you should definitely consider the dollar tables. You won’t risk much at all in these games.