Nothing beats finding an open $5 table game, especially on a busy weekend. The closing of the Riviera took with it the only $1 blackjack game on the strip, but at the right time, you can still find a couple of micro-stakes tables. Here are a few places to hit up for $5 or less.

Blackjack At every casino, the most popular table game is almost always blackjack. At Excalibur, all the many blackjack tables pay 6-5 when dealt blackjack except for some of the table’s where minimums are upwards of $15. These tables almost always pay 3-2 and the dealer must hit on soft 17 for all the games. The casino has 6 tables of 6:5 blackjack and more than 50 tables of 3:2 blackjack all ranging from 2 to 8 decks. The minimum bets are only $5 or $25, so if you’re a blackjack beginner and want a little practice before moving on to higher stakes, check out the Mirage.

*Note: Obviously, many casinos offer $5 games on early weekdays. These are a few of the best offerings. I do not include any blackjack tables at a 6:5 payout.

The Strip:

Excalibur – $5 craps tables can be found day and night. Try to stay away from < $10 blackjack at MGM properties though, as they typically pay 6:5

Cromwell – Probably the classiest place to find a $5 game on the Strip. The craps table is affordable in the morning and early afternoons.

Bally’s – Will, on occasion, actually run a 3:2 $5 blackjack game. The same can be said for both Paris and Flamingo.

Circus Circus – Odd, since it’s an MGM casino, but it runs a $5 blackjack game with decent rules. This find comes from blackjack expert Ken Smith when he shared it on a recent podcast episode.

Casino Royale – This mid-strip casino is a low roller favorite. Cheap drinks, permeating Subway scent, and $5 craps. What more do you need?

Treasure Island – Has a lot of $5 blackjack games with decent rules. TI is quickly becoming a go-to Strip casino for low rollers with generous paytables and liberal drink comp policies.

Downtown:

Excalibur $5 Blackjack Game

Virtually every downtown property offers $5 table games. Here are a few of my favorites:

Golden Gate – Always offers 3:2 $5 blackjack and $5 craps, even on busy weekend nights. It’s my favorite gambling spot downtown.

Fremont – Craps fans can get their fix in at the Fremont, which has one $3 table running occasionally. It can be quite busy there, so you may have to wait a bit to find a spot. They also have a $3 blackjack game running at various times.

El Cortez – The Cortez has afternoon limits of $1 on roulette and $3 on craps. It also runs a single deck 3:2 blackjack game with a $5 minimum.

Main Street Station – Great craps odds and good craft beer always within arm’s reach. A great place for all types of gaming.

Off-Strip:

Off-Strip casinos, just like downtown, offer $5 games 24/7. Here are a couple you may want to try if you’re adventurous:

Ellis Island – Not far jaunt from center Strip. Runs $5 BJ and craps most of the time. Plus, you can grab some cheap craft beer and sing your heart out at karaoke.

Joker’s Wild – If you have a rental car and feel like taking a drive, this low roller joint has the cheapest craps around. $1 minimum and 10x odds. Yowza!

Alternative:

Electronic – While certainly not the same as sitting down at a live table and holding real chips in your hand, these can be a great alternative in the evening when limits go up. Electronic BJ and my favorite, Shoot-to-Win craps, can be found in numerous casinos and be played at extremely low stakes. The minimums tend to fluctuate, but I and others have had no problem finding games for $3 and under at all hours.

Know of any others? I’m always on the lookout for cheap gaming!

It is no secret that blackjack in Las Vegas is not what it used to be. The proliferation of 6-5 games combined with the dealer hitting soft 17 at most tables has increased the house edge on the Las Vegas Strip. These bad rules have expanded into downtown.

Blackjack Online visits Las Vegas casinos on a regular basis to survey the games offered. Our latest trip to the Strip showed more casinos have replaced 3-2 blackjack tables with 6-5 ones.

Excalibur was one of the best casinos in Las Vegas for $5 and $10 blackjack going into 2015. There were no 6-5 games in the entire house. That changed since our last visit. Excalibur spreads 6-5 games at the $10 limit, accounting for more than half the open tables on a recent night. Players had to move up to $15 tables to get 3-2 games. The 6-5 disclosure is not on the felt. Excalibur uses portable placards to notify players so there is no way to know the total number or percentage of tables that short pay. It could change from one day to the next.

Bally’s was another casino that started paying 6-5 on blackjack since our last visit. The party pit returned and now all tables within it pay 6-5. That is more than 10 tables. The great $25 high limit shoe game that stands on all 17s and allows surrender and double down after splitting is still offered. There are some 3-2 blackjack tables that hit soft 17 that are spread closer to the rear of the table game pit.

Caesars Palace expanded its number of 6-5 tables. These are the worst imaginable. Not only do players get short paid on blackjack, but double down is only available on 10 or 11 and not after splitting. Players can find 3-2 games near the craps tables with a minimum of $15 during the day and $25 at night. Some are spread past the poker room among the 6-5 tables. Players can get a blackjack game that stands on all 17s in the high limit salon.

Excalibur $5 Blackjack Machine

SLS Las Vegas rolled out two entire pits of 6-5 games during its recent reconfiguration. Tables by the sportsbook and closest to the front door now all pay 6-5. There are still plenty of 3-2 games for players that continue towards the rear of the casino by the hotel entrance.

Excalibur $5 Blackjack Poker

Wynn converted the pit closest to the sportsbook into 6-5 tables. These are only open during peak periods. There are still dozens of tables at Wynn with great rules that pay 3-2 on a natural. These are available with limits as low as $10, depending on the time of day.

Excalibur 5 Dollar Blackjack

Downtown Grand is located just north of the Fremont Street Experience. It recently refelted several tables with a 6-5 blackjack disclosure. Some are double deck, while others are shoes. Luckily, most of these tables are idle. Players looking to bet at least $15 will get a 3-2 game.

Excalibur $5 Blackjack Games

Every one of these casinos offers 3-2 tables if you are willing to walk past the 6-5 ones. Make sure to always check the felt to see if the table pays 3-2 on a blackjack before sitting down. It never hurts to confirm it with the dealer before finding out the hard way.