BLACKJACK TOURNAMENT E-BOOKS BY BJI AUTHOR KEN SMITH! How to Win EVEN MORE Blackjack Tournaments - Volume II... only $14.95. Ken Smith's second e-book on tournament blackjack contains more of his winning strategies that have made him one of the best tournament blackjack players in the world. Or, purchase both Volume I and Volume II together for $24.95... over 15% off! NEW! Read how Ken used skill to win a recent blackjack tournament. Get his books and you could too!

If you’re a regular reader of Blackjack Insider or have stumbled into any casino on the Las Vegas Strip in recent years, you probably know the blackjack games there leave a lot to be desired from a player’s perspective. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t playable blackjack in casinos with "Las Vegas Boulevard" in their addresses. This month I saddled up and headed south down Interstate-15 to check them out, plus a nearby third property. If you are visiting and want to get away from the Strip, and you should; if you are a local and live in the southern end of the valley or anywhere in Las Vegas for that matter, these three properties might be worth a look. All three are within five miles of one another, and easily accessible. Read on to learn more about what I found.

I’ve written about the Silverton in prior issues of Blackjack Insider and have played blackjack there countless times since moving to Las Vegas thanks primarily to its double-deck blackjack game, casino marketing, and promotions. It also deals a playable single-deck game. Silverton is located off I-15’s Blue Diamond Road exit. You can’t miss the sign or the large Bass Pro Shop. The property offers the traditional full-service Las Vegas hotel and casino experience. It’s popular with locals, but caters to out-of-town guests as well. There’s a flagship 165,000 sq. ft. Bass Pro Shops connected to the casino that includes an archery range, indoor shooting range, numerous "stuffed" animals, and live fish. Speaking of live fish, there’s a 117,000-gallon aquarium, complete with the occasional mermaid, which has garnered "Best Free Attraction in Las Vegas" status multiple times near the Bass Pro Shop entrance. Although Silverton is in the southern end of the Las Vegas Valley, its close proximity to outlet-mall shopping, Inter-state highway access, the Strip, and other Las Vegas attractions, makes it a good choice for a Vegas visit provided you have an automobile at your disposal. It advertises free shuttles to McCarran International Airport and the Strip, but confirm with the hotel before planning to use that option.

Silverton’s 90,000 sq. ft. casino features over 1,900 slot and video poker machines. However, the video poker is of the short-pay variety. There are over 20 table games spread over a primary pit with 17 tables and a secondary pit with six tables used as a Party Pit on weekends. Occasionally a few other tables are put in play near the sports book for special events like the Super Bowl or NCAA College Basketball’s March Madness. The main pit area is always open and includes two craps tables, two roulette wheels, and four "carnival games" to include Forture Pai Gow Progressive, Three Card Poker, and Ultimate TX Hold ‘Em. The current blackjack offering generally includes six double-deck games, two six-deck shoes, and a single-deck game. Table limits start at $5 and go up to $2,000. There is generally a $25 minimum double-deck table and one or two $10 minimums or even another $25 game. A poker room was completed at the end of 2012 in the former High Limit Salon space, but remains unopened. CG Technology (formerly Cantor Gaming) will allegedly operate the room when regulatory hurdles and paperwork obstacles have been cleared.

Collectively, the Silverton’s blackjack rules are some of the more player-friendly in the Las Vegas market. Double-deck and six-deck games offer the same playing rules. All player blackjacks pay 3:2; doubling down on any first two cards (DOA) is permitted; as is doubling down after splits (DAS). Aces may be split to form up to four hands. On the negative side, dealers hit soft 17 and surrender is not available. Penetration is poor, barely over one deck in the double-deck games and about four decks in the six-deck games.

Silverton’s single-deck game pays 3:2 on player blackjacks and it advertises this fact rather prominently. It’s one of only three single-deck games that I know about in Las Vegas that pays 3:2 on player blackjacks. However, players may only double down on 10 or 11; split Aces only once, and DAS is not allowed. Like the other games, dealers hit soft 17s and surrender is not available. There are six player spots on the table layout. With three or more players, only two hands are usually dealt. With a full table, I’ve seen one hand dealt when several cards were drawn. There is no mid-deck entry allowed on the hand-dealt games, single- or double-deck.

On weekends, the secondary pit with its six blackjack tables opens at 7 p.m. The ‘buxom’ female dealers in low-cut uniforms deal double-deck and six-deck games. Blackjack rules there remain the same as in the main pit area. There is no real "party atmosphere" in this pit and these games are often less crowded than in the main pit. All things being equal, I prefer them, but rarely visit on weekends unless I have a dinner comp. One important item to note, mid-deck entry is allowed on the hand-dealt games in this pit. Also, some of you may remember the three tables at the Shady Grove Lounge. They are long gone, but the Shady Grove Lounge with its bar, billiards, and airstream bowling is still intact.

Blackjack games at Silverton don’t move at a rapid pace. This isn’t a bad thing if you aren’t playing with a mathematical edge. Remember, even playing perfect basic strategy, the house still has about a 0.5 percent edge. As I mentioned above, deck penetration is mediocre to flat out poor on the single- and double-deck games – only about 50 percent. Cards are hand-shuffled and dealers swap out every twenty minutes. Each time they switch dealers, the cards are reshuffled. This keeps the game slowed down and a bit choppy, plus counts tends to stay within a tight range. Certainly not ideal if you are looking to employ a large bet spread when the count runs into high positive territory, but no so bad for the non-counter playing basic strategy or small bankroll player looking to log some time on the table. By playing fewer hands per hour, players’ exposure to the house edge is reduced.

Silverton tends to offer some good promotions if you can take advantage of them. For example, during June these included a $20 dining credit for 500 points earned or a "Tall Starbucks beverage" for 100 points earned (you keep the points) on Thursdays. They tend to run this promotion a few times per year, but change the day or days of the week. Depending on the games you play, 1,000 points = $3 in free play or comps. I mention this because table players earn points on their player’s card similar to slot and video poker players. Pit personnel don’t do handwritten comps, so you need to get your points in the system. I’ve asked multiple slot club representatives to explain the process or formula to no avail. One pit boss volunteered, saying it’s based on how long you play. I would guess average bet size, time played, and how they view your skill level are contributing factors. Some comp wizardry, per Max Rubin’s "Comp City," can’t hurt, but without knowing the formula, it might not be worth the trouble. In addition, the floor personal tend to monitor the games rather closely; perhaps because of the constant dealer tap-outs and card shuffles. Play for profit and let the points take care of themselves; but if you play, be sure to get rated and check that your points are input into your players card account.

For sports bettors, the former Cantor Gaming opened a new sports book near the parking garage entrance, at the end of 2012; it’s eighth in the Las Vegas market. The sports book is run independently from Silverton. The book is serviceable and features some very large, high-definition screens for watching the games. One unusual twist is that betting on Los Angeles Lakers basketball and the National Hockey League schedule is prohibited here due to potential conflicts of interest. Silverton owner Ed Roski Jr. is a part owner of the recently crowned Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings and also owns 3 percent of the Lakers.

Silverton offers a variety of restaurants and bars that include everything from a steak house to a buffet. I prefer the 24-hour Sundance Grill. The buffet is also solid. I just started eating the occasional meal at Mi Casa Grill Cantina again. It continues to be less than stellar in service, food quality, and price, so I can’t recommend it. However, if you like Tex-Mex fare, give it a shot and form your own opinion. If you like good ole fashioned hamburgers, French fries, and a thick milkshake served in a 1950 diner’s atmosphere; check out Johnny Rockets, one of several in the Vegas Valley. For coffee drinkers, as you may have noticed above, there is a Starbucks on-site. Veil Pavilion is host to entertainment events that include live music, MMA, and wrestling.

Less than three miles south of the Silverton is the South Point Hotel Casino Spa. It’s conveniently located off Exit 31 of I-15. If you find yourself driving south on Las Vegas Boulevard, it’s past the Premium Outlet mall, about seven miles south of Mandalay Bay. The South Point offers pretty much something for everybody. I used to play video poker and a little blackjack here when visiting Las Vegas back in the day. However, I never managed to stay in any of the property’s 2,163 rooms.

In addition to a large hotel, South Point offers a 16-screen movie theater, a showroom which doubles as a night club on weekends. Currently local rockers the Sin City Sinners play Fridays and 80’s cover group, the Spazmatics take the stage on Saturday nights. There’s also a 64-lane bowling center, complete with a pro shop. The property also features an arena and equestrian center. As you might have guessed, lots of rodeo and horse-related events are hosted here, including the Gold Rush Peruvian Horse Classic in late June. The property is very popular with the Cowboy and Cowgirl crowd in December when the National Finals Rodeo comes to town. The space also hosted the Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con in June. July brings the USA BMX Las Vegas Nationals. Can you say diversity?

The large casino floor features over 2,500 slots and video poker machines. The table games are centrally located in long rows in the center of the casino. They are split into six pits featuring six craps tables, Roulette, lots of Fortune Pai Gow Poker, Baccarat, Ultimate Texas Hold 'em, Three Card Poker with Progressive, and a fair amount of blackjack tables.

The blackjack at South Point is playable, but does have a quirk which I’ll get too momentarily. Most of the tables deal a double-deck game and there are a few 6-deck shoes. Rules are the same on both options. There were a dozen double-deck games open when I visited on a Saturday night. Player blackjacks pay 3:2; DOA and DAS are allowed. Aces may be split to form only two hands, even on the six-deckers! Dealers hit soft 17 and surrender is not available. Like the Silverton, penetration is lousy, barely over one deck in the double-deck games and about 3.5 decks in the six-deck games. Table minimums and maximums ranged from $5-$1,000; $10-$1,000; $25-$2,000; and $100-$2,000. There were two empty tables marked "reserved." There is no separate high-limit area.

I mentioned a "quirk" above. Namely, there is no "electronic laser eye" to check for dealer blackjacks. Dealers only check for blackjack manually and if they have an Ace showing. This is the way I remember my early forays in blackjack in Lake Tahoe back in the early 90’s. Not a real big deal, but with a 10-count up-card showing the hand gets played out. Tough to draw to twenty-one only to find the dealer has an Ace in the hole. Blackjack beats twenty-one. If you should end up doubling down or splitting your hand and the dealer backdoors a blackjack, you lose only your original beat. Small consolation and you potentially burn a bunch of cards playing out the hand. However, with poor penetration, you’re probably just fine getting to a new shuffle as soon as possible in that scenario anyway.

South Point has received Best of Las Vegas awards for its video poker. There are lots of Not So Ugly Deuces (NSUD; 99.73%) and 9/6 Jacks or Better (JoB; 99.54%) offerings in quarters all the way up to $2. I used to play Triple-Play JoB in quarters near the sports book bar if there was a promotion going on, but those machines have been moved or removed. I didn’t find them, but didn’t look real hard either. (Editor’s Note: They are located in front of the show theater.)

Speaking of promotions, the marketing folks do a pretty good job with...

...enter your member login information below to read this article/newsletter...

Paid Members-Only Article

You have clicked on a link to a Blackjack Insider web page or article for paid subscribers. You must have a paid membership to the Blackjack Insider newsletter to view this content. About 1/2 of the articles in each issue of the Blackjack Insider are for paid members only, while the rest are viewable by everyone. Your purchased membership will allow you to read all Blackjack Insider articles for 12 months.

Enter your user name and password below (they were listed and e-mailed to you after you purchased your Blackjack Insider membership):

Forgot your membership id or password? Click here.

How do I get a membership?

A membership can be purchased online at our secure store with your credit card for only $19.95 per year. You will receive a user name and password immediately by e-mail which you can use to read the all past and future members-only articles for 12 months, as well as the regular free articles.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A ONE YEAR MEMBERSHIP NOW... only $19.95

Do I have to buy a membership?

No. Blackjack Insider will continue to be published as a free monthly e-newsletter. But about 1/2 of the articles each month will be for paid members only. Subscribers without a membership can still view and read the non-members articles for free.

What happens after I buy a membership?

Immediately after you complete your purchase, you will receive a unique login user name and password. These are displayed on the final purchase page, and are e-mailed to you. When you click on a members-only article in our web site, you will be prompted for this user name and password (as shown above). Simply enter them, and enjoy the article! Note: make sure you turn on the checkbox above when you login, to save the user name and password so that you don't have to re-enter them every time you view members-only articles.

Why did you switch to paid memberships?

Blackjack Insider is a professional monthly publication with top-notch articles by world-reknown gaming experts. In addition, we have regular reporters that monitor game conditions and tournament schedules throughout North America. We use a partially paid subscriber model to enable us to continue getting the best content for our readers from leading authors on blackjack and gaming.