{"id":6302,"date":"2023-02-06T14:11:36","date_gmt":"2023-02-06T22:11:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/?p=6302"},"modified":"2023-08-12T14:49:29","modified_gmt":"2023-08-12T21:49:29","slug":"report-blackjack-changes-coming-to-mirage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/report-blackjack-changes-coming-to-mirage\/","title":{"rendered":"Report: Blackjack Changes Coming to Mirage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>It appears that there are some blackjack changes coming to Mirage, which will eventually be rebranded to Hard Rock.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Internal document: Blackjack changes coming to Mirage. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nJOS85HlPU\">pic.twitter.com\/nJOS85HlPU<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VitalVegas\/status\/1622518448470507520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 6, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There are some major changes discussed here. One item noticeably absent is the status of 6:5 games. At last check, all <a href=\"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/las-vegas-blackjack-guide\/\" title=\"Las Vegas Blackjack Guide\">blackjack tables<\/a> under $25 at Mirage pay 6:5. These are mostly at tables by the casino cage and sportsbook. The 3:2 blackjack tables are in the pit by the high-limit salon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Two changes appear to be coming to Mirage double-deck blackjack<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The document in the tweet above discusses two big downgrades for the last <a href=\"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/las-vegas-blackjack\/las-vegas-double-deck-blackjack\/\" title=\"Las Vegas Double Deck Blackjack Survey\">double-deck blackjack game<\/a> dealt at Mirage. In our <a href=\"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/vegas-advantage-newsletter\/\" title=\"Vegas Advantage Newsletter Membership\">last survey<\/a>, Mirage still had a double-deck game where the dealer stands on soft 17. Players could double down before and after splitting, as well as split all pairs, except aces, up to four hands.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new information shows that this game will hit soft 17 in the near future if it does not already. It will also only permit splitting once for all pairs. These changes roughly double the house edge of the game. The <a href=\"https:\/\/wizardofodds.com\/games\/blackjack\/calculator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Wizard of Odds Blackjack House Edge Calculator<\/a> shows the legacy rules have a 0.25% house edge when a cut card is used, which this game does. It goes to 0.5% with the new rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am not aware of any live blackjack games in Las Vegas that only permit splitting once. This rule is somewhat common in <a href=\"https:\/\/uscasinoadvantage.com\/blackjack\/pennsylvania\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Blackjack Survey for Pennsylvania Casinos\">Pennsylvania<\/a>, where nearly all blackjack rules are codified. The number of splits allowed is the only rule change Pennsylvania casinos may alter.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on what I have seen at other Hard Rock casinos, the double-deck changes were predictable. Double-deck blackjack is not a common game within the company. When it deals double-deck, it has at least one unfavorable rule, like only being permitted to double down on 10 and 11 or not after splitting. Double-deck blackjack is vulnerable to counting, so a conservative approach to dealing it is common.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">One change is coming to six-deck blackjack<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the document, re-splitting aces is going away at Mirage blackjack tables outside of the high-limit salon. I concluded this because the salon rules specifically note that aces may be re-split up to four hands. That note is omitted from the casino floor rules. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Players at <a href=\"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/las-vegas-blackjack\/las-vegas-six-and-eight-deck-blackjack\/\" title=\"Las Vegas Six- and Eight-Deck Blackjack Survey\">six-deck blackjack games<\/a> could re-split aces up to four hands at all 3:2 six-deck tables under the old rules. This is followed by all MGM Resorts casinos in Las Vegas. That company is the former owner of Mirage. Removing re-split aces from the rules adds about 0.08% to the house edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several independent Las Vegas Strip casinos, like Treasure Island, Venetian, Palazzo, Wynn, and Encore, also permit re-split aces at all 3:2 shoe games. Most Caesars casinos in Las Vegas do not permit re-split aces at any blackjack games.&nbsp;Caesars Palace is one exception, where it is allowed at shoes in the salon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hard Rock casinos in other markets often do not permit re-splitting aces. In hindsight, this move was just as predictable as the double-deck changes. Allowing re-split aces in the salon helps it compete with its neighbors for higher-limit players while taking a little more from the lower-limit games where there is much less competition at the 3:2 payout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bet limit changes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The document shows that unrated players will be restricted to one hand of up to 10 times the posted minimum bet. Rated players may be dealt up to three hands. A rated player is clocked in with a casino card. The unrated player is unknown to the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a game protection policy. Many casinos have something similar. It prevents players from walking in unknown and hitting the house for a massive win at a vulnerable game, like double-deck blackjack. I would not read much into this, though it may be a tell about the loss tolerance the new owners have.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do the reported changes at Mirage\/Hard Rock compare to competing casinos?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The legacy double-deck game at Mirage that stands on soft 17 is dealt by most MGM Resorts casinos in Las Vegas. It is also found in the salon at Treasure Island. It is the <a href=\"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/best-las-vegas-blackjack-2022\/\" title=\"Best Las Vegas Blackjack 2022\">best blackjack game in Las Vegas<\/a> in terms of the house edge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Making it hit soft 17, and removing all re-splits from the game, makes it worse than the $15 Treasure Island double-deck game by 0.10%. However, it is still better than the double-deck blackjack games found at most Caesars casinos, as well as the Boyd Gaming properties in downtown Las Vegas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is hard to compare the floor blackjack game without knowing what the minimum bet will be. If it stays $25, then losing re-split aces is not a big deal. It is better than anything you will find for $25 at within a standard walking distance, except Treasure Island. You will be able to find a few MGM casinos with slightly better $25 six-deck blackjack games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have been unable to independently verify the authenticity of the document in the tweet. Based on what I know about the topic, I have no reason to doubt its accuracy. I did not find a way to contact Mirage for comment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PrettyDece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">@PrettyDece<\/a> for making sure I saw the details. I may have missed it since it was tweeted in the middle of the night.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Mirage, soon to be Hard Rock, appears to have some blackjack changes in its future. We break down the math and reasoning for them here. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6304,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"yes","_lmt_disable":"yes","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[91,66],"tags":[97],"aioseo_notices":[],"acf":[],"modified_by":"John Mehaffey","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/miragebj.jpg?fit=1170%2C584&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9QI6N-1DE","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1392,"url":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/mirage-reopening-trip-report\/","url_meta":{"origin":6302,"position":0},"title":"Mirage Reopening Trip Report","author":"John Mehaffey","date":"August 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Mirage opened at 10am this morning, August 27. It had the same welcome committee that other MGM Resorts casinos had when first welcoming guests back after the COVID-19 closure. https:\/\/twitter.com\/Mehaffey_KM\/status\/1299034491428585472 Kristina and I entered from the parking deck. A security guard blocked the bridge until 10am. We arrived a couple\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Las Vegas&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Las Vegas","link":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/category\/las-vegas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mirage","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/20200827_102900-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/20200827_102900-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/20200827_102900-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/20200827_102900-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/20200827_102900-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1856,"url":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/stand-on-all-17-las-vegas-blackjack-games\/","url_meta":{"origin":6302,"position":1},"title":"Stand on all 17 Las Vegas Blackjack Games","author":"John Mehaffey","date":"January 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Las Vegas lost most of its blackjack tables that stand on soft 17 over the last 10 years. In 2020, Bellagio and MGM Grand removed these games from pits. These were the last two casinos in Las Vegas with blackjack tables on the main casino floor with stand on all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Las Vegas&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Las Vegas","link":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/category\/las-vegas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"3:2 High Limit Blackjack at Circa Casino","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/circas17.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/circas17.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/circas17.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/circas17.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/circas17.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6120,"url":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/las-vegas-blackjack-guide\/","url_meta":{"origin":6302,"position":2},"title":"Las Vegas Blackjack Guide","author":"Kristina Mehaffey","date":"January 19, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Our October 2022 Las Vegas Blackjack Survey covers games at 71 casinos in the market. It includes minimum bets and rules like surrender and 3:2 payouts.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Las Vegas&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Las Vegas","link":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/category\/las-vegas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Blackjack at The Strat","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/stratblackjack.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/stratblackjack.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/stratblackjack.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/stratblackjack.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/stratblackjack.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8913,"url":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/best-blackjack-in-las-vegas\/","url_meta":{"origin":6302,"position":3},"title":"Best Las Vegas Blackjack in 2023","author":"John Mehaffey","date":"September 5, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Las Vegas is one of the best blackjack markets for high-limit players. Here are the best Las Vegas blackjack games that we found during our 2023 summer survey.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Las Vegas&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Las Vegas","link":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/category\/las-vegas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"3:2 High Limit Blackjack at Circa Casino","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Blackjack-Stand-on-17-table-20201028_01-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Blackjack-Stand-on-17-table-20201028_01-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Blackjack-Stand-on-17-table-20201028_01-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Blackjack-Stand-on-17-table-20201028_01-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Blackjack-Stand-on-17-table-20201028_01-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5729,"url":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/las-vegas-blackjack-changes-since-2010\/","url_meta":{"origin":6302,"position":4},"title":"Las Vegas Blackjack Changes Since 2010","author":"John Mehaffey","date":"October 25, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"There have been many blackjack changes in Las Vegas since 2010. We have all the data to show how it got better and worse for players.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Las Vegas&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Las Vegas","link":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/category\/las-vegas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Raiders Blackjack pays 6:5","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/blackjack65.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/blackjack65.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/blackjack65.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/blackjack65.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/blackjack65.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2784,"url":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/table-limits-mostly-lower-on-las-vegas-strip\/","url_meta":{"origin":6302,"position":5},"title":"Table Limits Mostly Lower on Las Vegas Strip","author":"John Mehaffey","date":"June 10, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I walked the Las Vegas Strip from Mandalay Bay to Venetian on Thursday, June 3, 2021. I found lower table game limits and other changes. Read about it here.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Las Vegas&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Las Vegas","link":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/category\/las-vegas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/stripfeature2.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/stripfeature2.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/stripfeature2.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/stripfeature2.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/stripfeature2.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6302"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6302"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6302\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9565,"href":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6302\/revisions\/9565"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6302"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6302"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vegasadvantage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}