AZ CASINOS OFFER MANY TABLE GAMES

A Variety Of Options Means More Ways To Win

Now that Arizona casinos offer games like craps and Mini Bac, they compete favorably with Las Vegas. They’ve got delicious but reasonable meals, room deals that put Vegas to shame, and no $15 parking charges.

Like Vegas, each casino across Arizona has its mix of games to play, especially in the blackjack pit. We’ve got Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em and World Poker Tour; Let it Ride, and Three Card Poker; Pai Gow poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, Mini Bac, and more.

If you want to play Mississippi Stud, you’ve got to head to Harrah’s Ak-Chin in Maricopa. The game is house-banked, but there’s no dealer hand to beat. You ante, look at your two cards and wager on the three cards to come. Make a pair of sixes through tens to push or up to a royal flush for a 500-1 payoff.

If you miss playing Casino War (high card wins) at your kitchen table for match sticks or toothpicks, you can play for cash (well, chips) at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale. The house edge is slight, about half what Mississippi Stud claims. Just stay away from the Casino War Tie wager!

Blackjack Games In Arizona

Arizona boasts some of the most liberal blackjack rules in the nation. Dealer hits soft 17, players can double on any two cards, and re-splitting of aces are the best.

If you want to go easy on your bankroll, you might consider playing Free Bet, which you can find at Casino Del Sol in Tucson and We-Ko-Pa along North Fort McDowell Road near Fountain Hills, or offered as Push 22 at Mazatzal Casino in Payson.

The game plays like standard blackjack, but you can double down for free with 9, 10, or 11 as your original wager matches a Free Bet button. You can’t lose any more chips, but you can win double!

You can also split cards for free (not 10s). Just split your pair with the original wager and get that Free Bet button. The dealer will even let you double or split again for free! It’s almost a dream come true, with one little catch.

The tradeoff is that any dealer hand totaling 22 on the Free Bet table becomes a push. That rule raises the house edge up a bit, but with Arizona’s liberal blackjack rules, it’s a great game when you want to play correctly and split at the right time but are running low on chips.

Mazatzal Casino also offers Trilux Buster Blackjack. If you’ve played Buster, you know it’s a side wager of $5, hoping the dealer busts. The more cards they use, the higher the payoff –up to 250 to 1 when the dealer uses eight or more cards. And there’s a possible $8,000 bonus if the player has a blackjack.

As for Trilux Buster Blackjack, the side bet is based on your first two cards and the dealer’s up card. Payoffs include a flush, straight, three-of-a-kind, and straight flush. Every winning hand also makes the dealer a Lucky George tip.

Another fun blackjack variant, Spanish 21, is dealt at We-Ko-Pa, Casino Del Sol, Gila River’s Vee Quiva in Laveen, and Wild Horse Pass in Chandler. The game offers 48-card decks (no 10s) with automatic bonuses, great rules, and a low house edge. $

Writer Al Moe has worked in the casino industry for many years. He has lived and worked in Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe. He also attended the University of Nevada, Reno. He is an avid writer and blogger. His book, “Vegas and the Mob," is available online at Amazon.com. He is also the proud father of four beautiful girls.