Is Atlantic City Better Than Vegas for Craps, Blackjack, and Video Poker?
Atlantic City is a better place to play Craps, Blackjack, and Video Poker than Las Vegas. The Strip is not as good as it used to be. The new and improved A.C. offers a superior casino gambling experience.
In the 1990s, Caesars and MGM tried to change the rules of blackjack to pay out at 6 to 5 instead of 3 to 2. Now, Atlantic City casinos follow the New Jersey law and pay 3-2 on natural 21. Blackjack players in Atlantic city enjoy an inherent 1 percent improvement in house edge compared to their counterparts in Vegas. Blackjacks played on soft 17 also have a 0.22 percent margin of victory for the player. The majority of Atlantic casinos are owned and operated by the same corporations that tried and failed to ruin blackjacking in Las Vegas by changing the rule.
Vegas has been diluting its video poker pay tables over the last decade. In Atlantic City, you can play several full pay video Poker variants for the same stakes. The games offer juicy payback percentages above 99 percent when the full table is in use. They are available in all denominations. The casinos are betting that tourists and recreational players will not notice the difference.
The most beautiful bet on the table is known as the Odds. Vegas uses the 3x-4x/5x system for Pass and Don't Pass bets. Atlantic City uses a flat 5x structure for all point numbers. This structure ensures that the casino can limit its liability on 0.00 percent house edge wagers. In Vegas, a $10 bettor could only back their first bet with a 3X bet at 3.5X. In Atlantic, the same bet could be backed up with 5X at 2 to 1. The result is that a better made $40 extra on a single roll.
Las Vegas was the world's premiere casino destination for gamblers for a period of time. Atlantic City catering to informed blackjack, video poker, and craps aficionados is carving out a niche for itself among informed players.