A friend of mine asked me recently what I look for in a casino to determine if I will play blackjack there or not. During the course of our conversation, my friend remarked that I was always saying that I struggled to generate column ideas, yet here was a topic that was a slam-dunk (we'd also been talking college basketball). So, thanks to a causal conversation, this month we are going to take a look at scouting a casino to determine if its blackjack games are worth sitting down at and wagering any part of our bankrolls. This is not meant to be a "be all and end all," but should serve as good starting point for you. It's what I look for and so should you.

This may sound a bit obvious, but I have visited casinos over the years, including in Las Vegas, that don't deal blackjack. Reasons may include state laws or merely the fact that the casino is very small or simply a slot parlor. Some casinos offer blackjack, but the hours are limited either because the casino actually closes or the table games area is only open for one or two shifts. I first encountered this at the Gold Spike in Las Vegas back when it used to be a casino. I read somewhere that the Downtown Grande in Las Vegas doesn't offer blackjack 24/7 these days, but I'm not terribly familiar with that property. Many casinos actually have "last call" and close their doors. I've encountered that scenario in multiple Midwestern/Northern states. In all those cases it was relatively late at night, but operating hours are still something you need to know.

The "how much" portion of this segment title encompasses the number of tables available on a regular basis. By "available" I mean open on any given day and on any given shift. Many Las Vegas casinos offer playable games, but they rarely have any tables open during the day-shift or during weeknights. When there are only three tables or less open when you want to play, chances are they will be crowded and you may not be comfortable for any number of reasons in that environment, if you can even get on the table. I really don't table hop much, but when I was younger I did. I still like the option of being able to move to another table. I won't sit down and be the 5^th, 6^th, or 7^th player at a table either.

When it comes to table games sometimes looks can be deceiving. When scouting a casino that appears crowded (or empty), take a moment to notice how many tables are actually open and how many betting circles are on the layout. I've seen as few as five and as many as seven. I tend to play a lot of double-deck games and prefer to play solo or with one or two other players. In a six-deck shoe game, I don't mind another player or two. At the end of the day, the math is the same, but only if you can get on a game. If the casino you are scouting has the best game you can imagine, but you can't get on a table, it's not worth much to you as a player.

The house rules are the most important factor in choosing a blackjack game in a casino. Let me repeat that and say it with me: The house rules are the most important factor in choosing a blackjack game in a casino. Once we have deciphered that blackjack is available to us to play on our schedule, we have to know the rules for the games being dealt. Anything can happen in a single session, but over time, the rule variations you expose your chips too will greatly affect your bottom line. Many casinos post table rules on placards near the third base side on the table. Many don't. Make a habit of asking the dealer the rules. You'd be amazed how many struggle to answer this simple question.

The first order of business is to make sure that player blackjacks pay 3:2. Avoid the 6:5 payouts. It's rare to find a single-deck that doesn't pay 6:5 in Las Vegas these days, but there are an alarming amount of 6- and 8-deck games only paying 6:5 on player blackjacks. That's not right and you shouldn't play these games. Why? Over the long-term you can expect to be dealt a blackjack about once every 21 hands. If you are playing on a semi-full table you can expect about 60 hands per hour, so roughly three blackjacks per hour. If you flat bet $10 per hand, those three blackjacks should each return $15 plus your original wager. When you only get paid $12 on those blackjacks (6:5) you are losing $3 each time in this example or about $9 per hour. That's pretty expensive. There are a lot of people that work hard for $9 per hour in gambling towns and properties. Have some respect for them and your bankroll and avoid 6:5 payout games.

I only want to play blackjack games that allow me to double down on any first two cards (DOA) and after splitting pairs (DAS). DOA is crucial in that it allows you to attack weak dealer up-cards by doubling 9-counts and soft hands. Examples include Ace-3 versus 5 or 6; or Ace-6 versus 4. There are many soft doubles in basic strategy and they should be part of your bag of tricks. DAS is worth about 0.13% in your favor. Most places allow it, but on occasion you'll find games that don't. Avoid them.

You should be able to split and re-split Aces up to a total of four hands. Admittedly, that is getting difficult to find in double-deck games. However, I am noticing more and more 6-deck games not allowing the re-split and limiting players to only two hands. The inability to re-split your Aces will cost you about 0.05%. Not a lot you say, but every little bit helps and you'll think it's a lot when you are stuck with a hand of Ace-Ace and Ace-something, possibly even Ace-Ace on your second hand. I've been there.

It's to your advantage if you can play games in which the dealer stands on soft 17 (S17). It's rare in most markets, including Las Vegas, and has been for many years. When dealers have to hit their soft 17s (H17), player odds are reduced by 0.20%. It's an insidious rule and one that I've grown to despise greatly over the years. Some higher limit rooms in Las Vegas still offer S17 games. If your bankroll supports steady black-chip action, then by all means, find a S17 casino to play.

Late surrender is another rule that I prefer, but don't encounter too often. It's worth about 0.05%. I've seen it on the occasional 6-deck game, but not on fewer decks in many, many years. Consider late surrender and S17 bonuses if you can find them.

Know what the betting minimums are before you buy-in. The table minimum and maximum bets are clearly posted on placards, normally on the third base side of the table. The numerical amount will be posted, but you'll often see a colored placard assigned to each betting denomination. For example, red generally denotes $5 or $10 minimums; sometime you'll find blue or yellow for $10. Green is associated with $25 and black with $100 minimums. Orange and yellow placards are often associated with $15 minimum bets. The color schemes aren't set in stone, but I mention them in case you are curious or perhaps I am blocking your view of the numbers when I am hunkered down at third base on the table you're scouting.

You need to know the minimums your bankroll will support. Don't bring $300 for a blackjack session and expect to play a $25 game for a few hours. Also, save yourself the embarrassment of trying to buy in for $20 on a $25 game or placing $3 in the betting square when $10 is clearly posted. It happens, but it shouldn't happen to you. Realize and accept the fact that even if a casino offers a great game, but the limits are too high for you, then you shouldn't play it. Live and bet within your bankroll. The quickest way to ruin is to over bet your bankroll.

Generally the fewer decks the better. All things equal, and they usually are not these days because of the short blackjack payouts offered on so many single-deck games, the casino advantage will increase as more decks are added to the game. A single deck offers virtually no advantage, while double-deck increases the house edge to 0.35%, six decks increases it to 0.58%, and eight decks increases it to 0.61%.

I prefer to play double-deck games with good rules and good penetration. Remember penetration refers to how deep the cut-card is placed and determines how many cards the dealer will deal into play before shuffling. I prefer to see as many cards as possible Strive for 70% or greater if you can find it.

Some players prefer six-deck games. I will play them on occasion. If you are card counting, then six-deck and even eight-deck games might provide more favorable betting situations where the increased house edge is overcome by high positive counts. Remember a six-deck game is comprised of 312 cards (52 cards per deck x 6). Assume at least 220 of those cards (the more the better) will be put into play before the next shuffle. This creates opportunities for greater positive (and negative) running counts and also requires more refined true count conversions than the simple double-decks games I tend to play.