Video Blackjack
One game that I like to play when my video poker sessions aren’t going well is video blackjack. Now, the truth of the matter is that these machines have been losing value in the last severalyears. Where they used to pay out 3/2 on blackjacks, they have recently begun to pay out even money.
- Video blackjack used to be a great option for players looking for a game with low limits. There were even some advantage play opportunities when combining a players card promotion with 3-2 video blackjack. Now, those games are found mostly at online casinos with real money blackjack. Most video blackjack machines in Las Vegas pay 6-5 on a natural.
- Apr 29, 2010 This latter, dubbed 'video blackjack,' was designed to democratize blackjack, enabling gamblers to bet as little as 20 cents per hand (or as much as $100). The games also accommodate only one.
After all, the minimum bet per hand on a video blackjack game is often as low as a dollar. Most casinos in Las Vegas have at least a $15 minimum on their blackjack tables, although it isn’t hard to find some smaller casinos offering the game for $5 per hand. (And you can find some low-rent casinos offering $1 or $3 minimums.
But we aren’t here to talk about intelligent long-term betting strategy or breaking Vegas. No, I am here to talk to you about one of the most thrilling gambling experiences of my life. The thrillof “letting it ride.”
The first time I encountered one of these video blackjack machines with the “Let it Ride” option was in 2009. I was hanging out at the HardRock Hotel and Casino at a row of machines near the Circle Bar.
I threw forty bucks or so in the device with the intention of just playing for a bit while we waited for another group of friends to show up.
The first few hands were pretty typical. I pushed a couple of times, busted twice, and then finally the dealer bust. That’s when an option I hadn’t ever seen before popped up on the screen. Icould take my winnings and make another bet for $5, or I could “Let it Ride.”
Well, I was out on the town and feeling like taking some chances, so that’s exactly what I chose. I now had $10 wagered on the next hand and was promptly dealt a blackjack.
Now I could really start to feel the adrenaline going, but I wasn’t ready to give in, so I let it all ride once again. I was dealt a 15, but the dealer bust. Now things were getting exciting, butthat little voice in the back of my head started wondering if I should cash out and get back to five dollar bets. Nah…. Let it ride!
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Hand after hand, I was absolutely on fire. It wasn’t long until I had $160 riding on a single hand of video blackjack. At this point, my friend is beginning to tug on my shirt sleeve asking me tocash out. This wasn’t sustainable; I was going to lose it all, she worried aloud.
I had one more in me though, I could feel it. I hit Let it Ride once more and boom! Blackjack. I was finally convinced to cash out, and the timing worked out well with the rest of our partyarriving, giving me the excuse I needed for my cowardice.
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I’ve often wondered how far I could have pushed that steak that night.
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- Would I have gotten to $640?
- Would I have been in the thousands?
- Could my heart have handled those stakes?
I’ll never know.