- Rules To Blackjack
- Vegas Casino Blackjack Rules
- Blackjack Rules Pdf
- Indian Casinos Ca Map
- Casino Blackjack Rules
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California Gambling Laws. The difference is that California casinos do not have to pay taxes on games permitted at card clubs, charities or racetracks. There are also different rules with table games that make the atmosphere closer to that of Las Vegas. Craps and roulette are not legal in California.
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Introduction
On May 14 and 15 I made my second casino tour of the San Diego area. Last November, the Barona casino hired me to survey the blackjack, craps, and roulette rules in the ten casinos in the San Diego area that have table games. The purpose of the survey was to have an independent verification that Barona has the most liberal table game rules, which I can confirm that they do. At the time we agreed to two surveys, one in November, and a second about six months later, which I just did.
I already indicate the rules in San Diego for blackjack, roulette, craps, video poker, and video keno on my site. When I went in November I voluntarily surveyed video poker and video keno, which I did not update this trip. Here are links to those sections:
Blackjack
Roulette
Craps
Video Poker
Video Keno
The casino gambling scene in California can be broken down into two types: Indian casinos, and poker clubs. The Indian casinos are found mostly in the San Diego area, with a few more around Sacramento, Palm Springs, and Santa Barbara. The poker clubs are mostly concentrated in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas.
The poker clubs feature a lot of poker, but also variants of blackjack, baccarat, Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, and many others. All games in the card clubs must be player banked. Each poker club has a relationship to a banking organization, whose members sit at the tables with huge piles of chips, ready to take the roll of banker in turn. Often players don't want to bank, in which case the banking organization is happy to do it. According to the California constitution, the popular traditional games are not allowed. So, the poker clubs get around the rules by making subtle rules changes. For example, in blackjack games, there is always some rule twist, usually in that a blackjack is not the highest hand, or some unusual dealer hand will cause the player to push if he already busted. One such game I analyzed is California No-Bust Blackjack. However, since I wrote that page, the blackjack games are becoming much more like traditional blackjack.
The Indian casinos are much like the full-blown casinos in Las Vegas. They feature most of the table games found in Nevada. However, in craps and roulette, the dice or ball alone may not determine the outcome, so cards are introduced to replace the dice/cards, or add another layer of randomization. I indicate how each casino does it in my San Diego craps and roulette pages. The slots are the same kind as found in Nevada. In many Indian casinos outside of California, the outcome must be determined by an electronic draw of bingo balls, known as Class II slots. I believe this used to be the case in California, but the law was relaxed to allow a quota of full-blown Class III slots. The quotas are about 2000 to 3000 per casino, which is plenty. I did see some class II slots in the bingo room at the Sycuan casino.
Other differences between California and Nevada casinos are that California casinos are much more focused on gambling. There are not as many shows, restaurants, night clubs, and other stuff to do as you will find in find in Las Vegas. Some of them do have nice golf courses. Much like Atlantic City, I get the impression that most of the San Diego casino patrons come on day trips, and often by bus. Finally, there are no free alcoholic beverages to players in California. There is cocktail service, but anything with alcohol will come at a price. A Bailey's coffee I ordered at Pechanga was $5. Had I remembered this policy, I would have had cream & sugar instead.
Geographically speaking, the San Diego casinos are in inland, and obviously on Indian reservations, if it still okay to use that word. They are scattered over eastern San Diego County. The map below shows the location of each of them.
Map image from GooleMaps.com
- A — Pechanga
- B — Pala
- C — Pauma
- D — Harrah's Rincon
- E — Valley View
- F — Santa Ysabel
- G — Barona
- H — Sycuan
- I — Viejas
- J — Golden Acorn
- k — La Posta
As you can see from the map, five of them (Pechanga, Pala, Pauma, Harrah's, and Valley View) are clustered together in the north part of the county. Actually, Pechanga is just over the county line, in Riverside County. Three of them (Viejas, Golden Acorn, and La Posta) are off of the I-8 highway, in the east part of the county. The other three (Barona, Sycuan, and Santa Ysabel) are off by themselves, and don't fall easily into a group. What follows are my comments about each casino individually, going from north to south.
Pechanga
Pechanga is by far the largest casino in the San Diego area. In fact, it is the largest casino in the western United States, according to their web site. Pechanga has 188,000 square feet of casino space, compared to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas at 156,023. After living in Las Vegas for eight years, I had almost forgotten what it feels like to get lost in a casino.
My first to Pechanga I asked the dealer if I could exchange a $100 Pala chip for a Pechanga chip, a request usually honored in Vegas. She snipped back, 'This isn't the Pala.' After explaining that I knew where I was, she called over the supervisor, who also denied me, as if it were a ridiculous request.
My second visit went much better. My dealer in the high limit room was very sociable, but was not shy about sharing the casino tip policy with me. At most casinos dealers will pool their tips together. Pechanga is not one of those casinos. My experience in casinos where dealers keep their own tips is that you get great service if you do tip, and lousy service if you don't. The room where I spent one night was clean and comfortable, and the check-in went quickly. When I retured I received a very generous mailer, good for a free room, and I think $100 in free play in slots of table games. Unfortunatley, I lost the mailer. My play there was flat betting $100 in blackjack for 40 minutes, where I lost about $1000.
Address: 45000 Pechanga Highway, Temecula, CA 92592
Phone: 951-693-1819
Web site: www.pechanga.com
Slots: 3,400 total
Table and Poker Games: 133 total
Source: LCB.org
Pala
If you keep going south down the road from Pechanga, you'll soon end up in the small town of Pala. Turn right, and you'll soon see the Pala casino. The Pala is another large casino, with high ceilings, and somewhat Asian looking in decor. I first visited Pala a few years ago and found it pleasantly non-smoking, except for a small glassed off room. Last November, I found they had reversed their policy, and made the glass room the only non-smoking part. This trip they even did away with the glass room, as part of a major renovation they were in the middle of. Score a point for the smokers. My impression of Pala is that it is a clean and efficient place. However, I found many employees to be cold and impersonal. If you are the kind of gambler who just wants to play, and not be bothered, I think you'd be happy with the Pala.
Address: 11154 Highway 76, Pala, CA 92059
Phone: 760-510-5100
Web site: www.palacasino.com
Slots: 2,250 total
Table and Poker Games: 87 total
Source: LCB.org
Pauma
The Pauma is a medium-sized casino, in a tent-looking type of building. No hotel, one diner, and the rest was pretty much casino. The Pauma is the only casino I've ever been to (and I've been hundreds of them) where the dealers wear Hawaiian shirts. They get more points for having good blackjack rules. I find the atmosphere friendly and easy going, except some of the dealers are evidently not fluent in English, and shy away from conversation. The service in the restaurant was slow, but the waitress was apologetic about it. When I was there, they had a generous promotion for new players. For signing up for a player card, you received $10 in slot play and back pack. I'm skeptical of the slot and table game numbers below, from CasinoCity.com. The casino seems smaller than that, but maybe it is an optical illusion.
Rules To Blackjack
Address: 777 Pauma Reservation Road, Pauma Valley, California 92061
Phone: (760) 742-2177
Web site: www.casinopauma.com
Slots: 1132
Table and Poker Games: 24
Source: LCB.org
Harrah's Rincon
As expected, Harrah's entry in the California market is a huge affair. The casino seems very new, spacious, and busy. Every employee I encountered was friendly, helpful, and outgoing. My compliments to the staff. I do not know how generous they are with comps, because I never played enough to warrant asking for anything.
Address: 777 Harrah's Rincon Way, Valley Center, California 92082
Phone: (760) 751-3100
Web site:
Slots: 1,650
Table and Poker Games: 73
Source: LCB.org
Valley View
The Valley View is a medium to large sized casino, a short distance down the road from Harrah's. It is a crowded place, which seems to get a lot of bus play. The service spans the range. I had some nice dealers, and some brick walls. On my first visit, the pit boss offered me a free buffet, without being asked. I happily accepted, but the line was too long and slow to justify the time standing in it. Still, any time a casino offers me something without having to be asked, they earn points.
Address: 16300 Nyemii Pass Road, Valley Center, California 92082
Phone: (760) 291-5500
Web site: www.valleyviewcasino.com
Slots: 2,000
Table and Poker Games: 24
Source: LCB.org
Santa Ysabel
The Santa Ysabel is a small casino, way out in the hills. My first visit there I almost had the place to myself, and the dealer and floor supervisor were very nice to me. My second visit the place was crowded. I could see that a bus had just come in, and unloaded a large group of elderly people. The only manned table had a smoker right in the middle, so I didn't play. I questioned a supervisor about the blackjack rules, and he questioned me back about what the Barona was doing. He might have known who I was. My opinion is you have to hit the Santa Ysabel at the right times, to avoid the tour busses, and you'll likely have a good time.
Address: 25575 Highway 79, Santa Ysabel, California 92070
Phone: (760) 787-0909
Web site:
Slots: 349
Table and Poker Games: 6
Source: CasinoCity.com
Barona
Let me restate that Barona paid for this trip. So perhaps my review of Barona is biased. To start with the facts, Barona is a large casino in a scenic area, next to a lake and golf course. They are best, or tied for best, for the most liberal blackjack, craps, roulette, video poker, and video keno in my surveys. I found the service at Barona was always friendly and professional. I never encountered a long line. There is always a host of promotions going on. One thing you will not find at Barona, except in the steak house, is alcohol. The reason for this is a visit necessitates a drive on a winding two-lane road, which would not go well with intoxicated drivers.
Address: 1932 Wildcat Canyon Road, Lakeside, California 92040-1546
Phone: (619) 443-2300
Web site: www.barona.com
Slots: 2,000
Table and Poker Games: 100
Source: LCB.org
Sycuan
The Sycuan is another large property, not far from downtown El Cajon. The upstairs has not one, but two, huge bingo rooms, by far the largest I have ever seen. Downstairs are lots of slots and table games. The casino seems small at first, but there is one room after another. The service I encountered a Sycuan was fine on average. I applaud Sycuan for having a devoted non-smoking wing.
Address: 5469 Casino Way, El Cajon, California 92019-1810
Phone: (619) 445-6002
Web site: www.sycuancasino.com
Slots: 2,200
Table and Poker Games: 87
Source: LCB.org
Viejas
The Viejas is a large casino right off of interstate 8. You can easily see the casino and outlet mall from the highway. The casino is a busy place, and the gaming tables are generally crowded. The dealers I had were all fast and efficient, but barely spoke a word to the players.
Address: 5000 Willows Road, Alpine, California 91901-1656
Phone: (619) 445-5400
Web site: www.viejas.com
Slots: 2,500
Table and Poker Games: 82
Source: LCB.org
Golden Acorn
The Golden Acorn is a small casino off of the I-8, the furthest east of the San Diego casinos. The dealers I had there were all very outgoing and friendly. They were running a t-shirt promotion when I was there, get 21 blackjacks and get a free t-shirt. Although I'm a sucker for a free t-shirt, I only had time to accrue six stamps on my card. I begged the pit boss to let me play three spots, to earn stamps faster, but she refused me.
Address: 1800 Golden Acorn Way, Campo, California 91906
Phone: (866) 794-6244
Web site: www.goldenacorncasino.com
Slots: 795
Table and Poker Games: 20
Source: LCB.org
La Posta
The La Posta is a small slots-only casino off of the same exit at the Golden Acorn. To get there requires a short drive up a hill, north of the I-8. I didn't go there my recent trip, because I didn't want to fuss with video poker and video keno again. Back in November I only spent a few minutes to get the video poker and video keno pay tables, so it didn't have a chance to interact with anybody.
Address: 777 Crestwood Road, Boulevard, California 91905
Phone: (619) 824-4100
Web site: www.lapostacasino.com
Slots: 349
Table and Poker Games: 0
Source: CasinoCity.com
Border Control Checkpoint
I have revised what I have said about this a number of times. The facts of the matter are that there is a border control checkpoint in a remote part of San Diego County for west-bound traffic on the I-8. Before the checkpoint cones force traffic in the right lane to merge into the left lane. Long before this point, signs indicate that that the right lane is closed ahead and to merge left. I think everyone could also agree that the majority do merge early, and back up into a long line, and a minority take advantage of the fast-moving right lane as long as possible. There should also be no debate that at the cones, some of the early mergers refuse to let the late mergers cut in, which can result in heated emotions, or worse, from both camps.
What is subject to debate is whether the early or late merge is the right/courteous/efficient/legal thing to do. Documents by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln indicate that the early merge is the safer in light traffic, and the late merge is safer in heavy traffic. They also indicate that both methods are superior to the conventional, confusing, and dangerous situation where early and late mergers meet. Personally, I was always led to believe that when signs say merge, it means to do so as soon as it is safe to do so. The following resources agree with me on early merging:
'Slow down, get into the correct lane early and merge cautiously.' Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Vegas Casino Blackjack Rules
'The best policy is to safely merge at least a quarter mile before the lanes merge.' AutoTrader.com
'As soon as you see a sign telling you a lane will be closing, get out of that lane.' eHow.com
I wrote to the California Department of Transportation about it. Here is what I asked, and the response:
Q: On the westbound I-8, there is a border control checkpoint.Signs indicate that traffic should merge left. Are drivers supposed tomerge ASAP, or wait until the cones force the merge. The same situation appears at road consruction sites everywhere.
A: These signs are in place as a warning of what is ahead. You can merge at anytime as long as it is safe to do so.
I also asked the 'Road Warrior' at the Las Vegas Review Journal. He answered my question in the May 27, 2009 paper. Here is the Q&A:
Michael Shackleford asks: When signs appear that say 'road construction merge left/right,' are you supposed to merge as soon as it is safe to do so or wait until cones force the merge
Motorists are running into this problem on Interstate 15 as the Nevada Department of Transportation continues to build express lanes between Sahara Avenue and Russell Road, especially on the southbound portion of the freeway.
Robert McKenzie, spokesman for the Transportation Department, said according to the uniform traffic control manual put out by the Federal Highway Administration, motorists should merge as soon as it is safe to do so.
'An alert motorist should move over as soon as possible,' he said.
But there are those motorists who speed up to the cones because either no one will let them in or they think they can somehow avoid congestion.
'Common courtesy should play a role but doesn't always,' McKenzie explained.
And congestion is exactly what happens in that case as motorists in the merging lane often have to come to a complete stop before squeezing in, McKenzie said.
Drivers also need to realize these merges are there because it is a construction zone and they need to slow down, McKenzie said.
For now I will continue to abide by the social norm of merging early. To do otherwise I think is cutting in line, which is nothing less than stealing the time of the drivers in back.
With the exception of Poker, Blackjack is the most popular gambling card game.
- Game Type: Casino
- Age: 18+
- Players: 2, 3, 4, 5+
- Tag: Twenty-OneVingt-et-Un
Equally well known as Twenty-One. The rules are simple, the play is thrilling, and there is opportunity for high strategy. In fact, for the expert player who mathematically plays a perfect game and is able to count cards, the odds are sometimes in that player's favor to win.
But even for the casual participant who plays a reasonably good game, the casino odds are less, making Blackjack one of the most attractive casino games for the player. While the popularity of Blackjack dates from World War I, its roots go back to the 1760s in France, where it is called Vingt-et-Un (French for 21). Today, Blackjack is the one card game that can be found in every American gambling casino. As a popular home game, it is played with slightly different rules. In the casino version, the house is the dealer (a 'permanent bank'). In casino play, the dealer remains standing, and the players are seated. The dealer is in charge of running all aspects of the game, from shuffling and dealing the cards to handling all bets. In the home game, all of the players have the opportunity to be the dealer (a 'changing bank').
The Pack
The standard 52-card pack is used, but in most casinos several decks of cards are shuffled together. The six-deck game (312 cards) is the most popular. In addition, the dealer uses a blank plastic card, which is never dealt, but is placed toward the bottom of the pack to indicate when it will be time for the cards to be reshuffled. When four or more decks are used, they are dealt from a shoe (a box that allows the dealer to remove cards one at a time, face down, without actually holding one or more packs).
Object of the Game
Each participant attempts to beat the dealer by getting a count as close to 21 as possible, without going over 21.
Card Values/Scoring
It is up to each individual player if an ace is worth 1 or 11. Face cards are 10 and any other card is its pip value.
Betting
Before the deal begins, each player places a bet, in chips, in front of them in the designated area. Minimum and maximum limits are established on the betting, and the general limits are from $2 to $500.
Blackjack Rules Pdf
The Shuffle and Cut
The dealer thoroughly shuffles portions of the pack until all the cards have been mixed and combined. The dealer designates one of the players to cut, and the plastic insert card is placed so that the last 60 to 75 cards or so will not be used. (Not dealing to the bottom of all the cards makes it more difficult for professional card counters to operate effectively.)
The Deal
When all the players have placed their bets, the dealer gives one card face up to each player in rotation clockwise, and then one card face up to themselves. Another round of cards is then dealt face up to each player, but the dealer takes the second card face down. Thus, each player except the dealer receives two cards face up, and the dealer receives one card face up and one card face down. (In some games, played with only one deck, the players' cards are dealt face down and they get to hold them. Today, however, virtually all Blackjack games feature the players' cards dealt face up on the condition that no player may touch any cards.)
Naturals
If a player's first two cards are an ace and a 'ten-card' (a picture card or 10), giving a count of 21 in two cards, this is a natural or 'blackjack.' If any player has a natural and the dealer does not, the dealer immediately pays that player one and a half times the amount of their bet. If the dealer has a natural, they immediately collect the bets of all players who do not have naturals, (but no additional amount). If the dealer and another player both have naturals, the bet of that player is a stand-off (a tie), and the player takes back his chips.
If the dealer's face-up card is a ten-card or an ace, they look at their face-down card to see if the two cards make a natural. If the face-up card is not a ten-card or an ace, they do not look at the face-down card until it is the dealer's turn to play.
The Play
The player to the left goes first and must decide whether to 'stand' (not ask for another card) or 'hit' (ask for another card in an attempt to get closer to a count of 21, or even hit 21 exactly). Thus, a player may stand on the two cards originally dealt to them, or they may ask the dealer for additional cards, one at a time, until deciding to stand on the total (if it is 21 or under), or goes 'bust' (if it is over 21). In the latter case, the player loses and the dealer collects the bet wagered. The dealer then turns to the next player to their left and serves them in the same manner.
The combination of an ace with a card other than a ten-card is known as a 'soft hand,' because the player can count the ace as a 1 or 11, and either draw cards or not. For example with a 'soft 17' (an ace and a 6), the total is 7 or 17. While a count of 17 is a good hand, the player may wish to draw for a higher total. If the draw creates a bust hand by counting the ace as an 11, the player simply counts the ace as a 1 and continues playing by standing or 'hitting' (asking the dealer for additional cards, one at a time).
The Dealer's Play
When the dealer has served every player, the dealers face-down card is turned up. If the total is 17 or more, it must stand. If the total is 16 or under, they must take a card. The dealer must continue to take cards until the total is 17 or more, at which point the dealer must stand. If the dealer has an ace, and counting it as 11 would bring the total to 17 or more (but not over 21), the dealer must count the ace as 11 and stand. The dealer's decisions, then, are automatic on all plays, whereas the player always has the option of taking one or more cards.
Signaling Intentions
When a player's turn comes, they can say 'Hit' or can signal for a card by scratching the table with a finger or two in a motion toward themselves, or they can wave their hand in the same motion that would say to someone 'Come here!' When the player decides to stand, they can say 'Stand' or 'No more,' or can signal this intention by moving their hand sideways, palm down and just above the table.
Splitting Pairs
If a player's first two cards are of the same denomination, such as two jacks or two sixes, they may choose to treat them as two separate hands when their turn comes around. The amount of the original bet then goes on one of the cards, and an equal amount must be placed as a bet on the other card. The player first plays the hand to their left by standing or hitting one or more times; only then is the hand to the right played. The two hands are thus treated separately, and the dealer settles with each on its own merits. With a pair of aces, the player is given one card for each ace and may not draw again. Also, if a ten-card is dealt to one of these aces, the payoff is equal to the bet (not one and one-half to one, as with a blackjack at any other time).
Doubling Down
Another option open to the player is doubling their bet when the original two cards dealt total 9, 10, or 11. When the player's turn comes, they place a bet equal to the original bet, and the dealer gives the player just one card, which is placed face down and is not turned up until the bets are settled at the end of the hand. With two fives, the player may split a pair, double down, or just play the hand in the regular way. Note that the dealer does not have the option of splitting or doubling down.
Insurance
When the dealer's face-up card is an ace, any of the players may make a side bet of up to half the original bet that the dealer's face-down card is a ten-card, and thus a blackjack for the house. Once all such side bets are placed, the dealer looks at the hole card. If it is a ten-card, it is turned up, and those players who have made the insurance bet win and are paid double the amount of their half-bet - a 2 to 1 payoff. When a blackjack occurs for the dealer, of course, the hand is over, and the players' main bets are collected - unless a player also has blackjack, in which case it is a stand-off. Insurance is invariably not a good proposition for the player, unless they are quite sure that there are an unusually high number of ten-cards still left undealt.
Settlement
A bet once paid and collected is never returned. Thus, one key advantage to the dealer is that the player goes first. If the player goes bust, they have already lost their wager, even if the dealer goes bust as well. If the dealer goes over 21, the dealer pays each player who has stood the amount of that player's bet. If the dealer stands at 21 or less, the dealer pays the bet of any player having a higher total (not exceeding 21) and collects the bet of any player having a lower total. If there is a stand-off (a player having the same total as the dealer), no chips are paid out or collected.
Reshuffling
When each player's bet is settled, the dealer gathers in that player's cards and places them face up at the side against a clear plastic L-shaped shield. The dealer continues to deal from the shoe until coming to the plastic insert card, which indicates that it is time to reshuffle. Once that round of play is over, the dealer shuffles all the cards, prepares them for the cut, places the cards in the shoe, and the game continues.
Basic Strategy
Winning tactics in Blackjack require that the player play each hand in the optimum way, and such strategy always takes into account what the dealer's upcard is. When the dealer's upcard is a good one, a 7, 8, 9, 10-card, or ace for example, the player should not stop drawing until a total of 17 or more is reached. When the dealer's upcard is a poor one, 4, 5, or 6, the player should stop drawing as soon as he gets a total of 12 or higher. The strategy here is never to take a card if there is any chance of going bust. The desire with this poor holding is to let the dealer hit and hopefully go over 21. Finally, when the dealer's up card is a fair one, 2 or 3, the player should stop with a total of 13 or higher.
Indian Casinos Ca Map
With a soft hand, the general strategy is to keep hitting until a total of at least 18 is reached. Thus, with an ace and a six (7 or 17), the player would not stop at 17, but would hit.
The basic strategy for doubling down is as follows: With a total of 11, the player should always double down. With a total of 10, he should double down unless the dealer shows a ten-card or an ace. With a total of 9, the player should double down only if the dealer's card is fair or poor (2 through 6).
For splitting, the player should always split a pair of aces or 8s; identical ten-cards should not be split, and neither should a pair of 5s, since two 5s are a total of 10, which can be used more effectively in doubling down. A pair of 4s should not be split either, as a total of 8 is a good number to draw to. Generally, 2s, 3s, or 7s can be split unless the dealer has an 8, 9, ten-card, or ace. Finally, 6s should not be split unless the dealer's card is poor (2 through 6).