Vegas Downtown Blackjack came to its own after its introduction to several downtown Las Vegas Casinos seeking more ways to draw blackjack players from off of the Strip. Like Atlantic City Blackjack, it is a hole card game, but differing in the number of decks, surrender rules and precisely when the dealer must stand. It has similar differentiations with its rival, Vegas Strip Blackjack.

General Playing Rules:

• Vegas downtown uses two fifty-two card decks mixed back into the shoe after each hand.

• Since Vegas Downtown Blackjack is a hole card game (meaning one card is facedown), the dealer must check for Blackjack (21) if their up-face card is a Ten or Ace. At online casinos, this action will be shown in the slight raising of the unrevealed hole card. If it is indeed is an Ace or ten value card making up a Blackjack, the hand is over at that point.

• The dealer hits with a Soft Seventeen (an Ace with a 6) and stands on all other Seventeen's, thus further distinguishing Vegas Downtown Blackjack from Vegas Strip Blackjack.

• Late Surrender is not allowed.

Betting Structure and Payouts:

• All Blackjack hands not matched by the dealer's pay out 3 to 2 odds. Two blackjacks at once are considered a push.

• All tied hands are deemed a push, and wagers are returned to the player. Nothing is won.

Splitting Hands:

• Player may split a hand of two Aces just once per game. After doing so, a max of one hit per new hand is permitted.

• Split Aces and Ten value cards are not permitted to become a hand of Blackjack. Thus, Split Aces with a ten value card will not pay 3 to 2 odds.

• Players can split hands a total of three times per game, not to exceed four playable hands at one time (Aces are the exception).

• Split hands are permitted to be doubled down.

Insurance:

• Only when the dealer's upturned card is an Ace, can a player take insurance.

• Winning Insurance bets will pay 2 to 1 odds.

• Insurance only covers the player's original hand, and not on split hands or double down bets.

• The cost for making an Insurance bet is half of one's initial stake.

• If the dealer's hole card has a value of ten, thus giving the dealer Blackjack, the Insurance bet wins.