[toc]Played correctly, blackjack offers players one of the best returns of any game in the casino. But as favorable as the game known alternatively as “21” is, some versions of the game are still notably better than others.

For the committed player, simple and seemingly innocuous ruletweaks can mean the difference of hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, in expected return over the course of a year.

With that, we turn to Golden Nugget online casino in New Jersey, and compare the rules for its new Live Dealer Blackjack product versus other blackjack games on the site.

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Breaking down the rules of Live Dealer Blackjack

All told, Live Dealer Blackjack offers a fairly advantageous set of rules that falls just short in a couple of areas.

First, the good.

• Naturals pay 3:2. There’s been a movement in some land-based casinos toward 6:5 payouts. Luckily this hasn’t reached the NJ online casino market yet, as the downgrade is very damaging to player return rates.
• Players can double after a split.
• Players can double on any two cards.
• The dealer peeks for blackjack before players take their action, meaning they can’t lose more than one unit on a dealer blackjack

Now, the not-so-good:

• The shoe consists of eight decks.
• Late surrender is not allowed.
• Players cannot hit split aces.

These rules are somewhat uniform in New Jersey, and only have a slight detrimental impact on player returns.

Finally, the bad:

• Dealer hits on soft 17.

This may not seem like a big deal, but by hitting on soft 17, the house gains a few tenths of a percentage point edge over the player. This adds up over the long haul.

Golden Nugget lists the return of its Live Dealer Blackjack game at 99 percent, although in actuality it’s closer to 99.3 percent.

How does Live Dealer Blackjack stack up

Compared to other blackjack variants on the site, Live Dealer Blackjack ranks near the bottom. But that’s more because the other blackjack rule sets are just that favorable.

Even Micro Limit Blackjack ($0.10 minimum bet) is about as good a game as Live Dealer Blackjack, despite only paying 6:5 on off-suit blackjacks, and 2:1 on suited naturals.

This averages out to 7:5, which is just worse than 3:2. But the gap is further offset by 3:1 payouts on 777 and 2:1 pays on a 5+ card 21. According to Golden Nugget, the return-to-player for this game is 99.3 percent, or roughly the same as it is for Live Dealer Blackjack.

The other software driven blackjack games are generally better than Live Dealer, with returns varying between 99.5 – 99.6 percent.

Most of the difference is made up by the “stand on soft 17” rule, although a couple variants lose some of their edge by dealing from a smaller shoe (four or six decks).

That being said, the difference in return between Live Dealer Blackjack and the very best blackjack game on Golden Nugget Casino is still a mere 0.30 percent. That might be enough for the daily gambler, but the average player probably won’t feel much of a difference from variant to variant.

For them, it might be worth losing a small fraction of their return to partake in the communal aspects of Live Dealer Blackjack. Not to mention, some players simply feel more comfortable gambling with real cards.

Wait, but what’s stopping players from counting cards?

Astute players might reason that Live Dealer Blackjack players actually have a better chance of winning, despite the poorer rules, because there’s nothing stopping them from counting cards.

Yes and no. It’s true that digital blackjack decks are shuffled after every hand, rendering it impossible for players to count. Contrarily, Live Dealer games are dealt from a shoe.

However, the cut card for Live Dealer blackjack is placed approximately halfway into the shoe. And 50 percent penetration is simply not deep enough for counters to gain an edge.

Also, eight deck games are not conducive to counting. So while the counter may be able to shave a small portion of the house edge off, it’s just not going to make the game an advantage play.

Bottom line

From a pure value perspective, Live Dealer Blackjack is among the lesser blackjack games at Golden Nugget Casino. But it’s the only variant present on the site that offers a close approximation of live casino gambling.

For some, that might be worth the trade-off of the slightly more advantageous rules found at the digital tables.

Golden Nugget is owned by Landry’s, a large restaurateur that decided to get into the casino business in 2008. Golden Nugget is located in the center of Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas. There is also a Golden Nugget on the Colorado River in Laughlin, NV, as well as in Atlantic City, Biloxi and Lake Charles, LA.

The Golden Nugget became famous under the ownership of Steve Wynn. He brought great gambling to downtown Las Vegas. The casino appealed to low rollers but offered a level of luxury well above the typical grind joints along Fremont Street that catered to small gamblers. Golden Nugget lost some of its appeal to $5 players over the years but still offers reasonable limits, great comps and decent rules in its blackjack games.

Golden Nugget Tables and Games

There are more blackjack tables at Golden Nugget than any other downtown Las Vegas casino. There are 24 tables on the main floor and six in the high limit salon. A wide variety of games are spread. Some are unplayable, while others are among the best that can be found in downtown Las Vegas.

There are two party pits at Golden Nugget. One is by the west entrance to the property. It offers three six-deck shoes and a single deck game. All pay 6-5 on a blackjack. All permit double down before splitting. The shoes also allow double down after a split. The dealer hits soft 17. The limits are $15 to $1,000.

There are four double deck games in a party pit by the front bar. These allow double down before the split but not after. Blackjack pays 6-5. The dealer hits soft 17. The house edge is 2.2% in these games. The limits are $15 to $1,000.

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There are three types of single deck games. The dealer hits soft 17 in all of them. The bet limits in all single deck blackjack games at Golden Nugget are $10 to $1,000.

One is Free Bet Blackjack. This game gives free double downs on 9, 10 and 11, as well as on all pairs that are not 10-value cards. In exchange for these perks, the dealer pushes all players that did not bust if 22 is drawn by the house. Unlike a typical Free Bet Blackjack game, a natural only pays 6-5.

Golden Nugget Lake Charles Blackjack Rules List

Super Fun 21 is another single deck blackjack option. This game permits surrender on any number of cards, double down on any number of cards and aces may by re-split and hit. Surrender after doubling down is also allowed. Double down is permitted before and after splitting. A six-card Charlie also wins. Any count of 21 with five cards or more automatically wins 2-1. The player always wins on blackjack. Naturals pay even money, except in diamonds, where it pays 2-1.

There is also a standard single deck blackjack game. It pays 6-5 on a blackjack and permits double down before but not after splitting. The house edge in this game is 1.6%.

There are six blackjack tables on the main casino floor that use a shoe and six decks. Players may double down before and after splitting. Surrender and re-split aces are also allowed. The dealer hits soft 17. The bet limits are $10 to $2,500. There are three tables in high limit with the exact rules. The bet limits are $25 to $5,000. Expect these games to have a $50 minimum on weekends. The house edge for these shoe games is 0.47%.

There are two versions of double deck blackjack at Golden Nugget. Both hit soft 17.

The main casino floor hosts three double deck tables that start at $10 or $15 during off peak hours and $25 on weekends. The cap is $2,500 on the main floor. Double down before a split is permitted, but not after. The house edge for this game is 0.6%.

High limit double deck blackjack starts at $25 during the week and $50 on weekends. It allows double down before and after splitting. The house edge drops to 0.4% in high limit due to the double down after split rule being added.

24 Karat for Frequent Blackjack Players

Golden Nugget rewards table game players. Playing four hours of minimum bet action should get enough of a rating to get a basic hotel room on the next trip. Green chip action starts to get mailers that include a hotel upgrade and meals through a host invite. It doesn’t hurt to mix up the play with some video poker.

What’s Different?

Golden Nugget is the largest casino in downtown Las Vegas. It spreads more blackjack tables than any of its competitors. There are a wide variety of games. Players looking for exotic games like Free Bet Blackjack and Super Fun 21 will find it there, but the house edge is astronomical at these tables. The six-deck shoe games that start at $10 during the week offer great rules. Considering the four-star rating of Golden Nugget, its gaming is still very affordable to most players.

The Inside View

Golden Nugget isn’t the best place to play blackjack downtown, but it is close. Avoid the single deck games and the ones in the party pit that short pay on a natural and you will enjoy decent rules. Avoid the double deck games on the main casino floor. Head to the high limit salon where double down after splitting is permitted. Other reasons to play in high limit include better ratings, drink service, strong drinks and top shelf selections.

Golden Nugget offers the nicest rooms in downtown Las Vegas. These are located in the Rush Tower. If you give decent casino action, push for one of these rooms. The corner suites are a very nice upgrade if you can score one.