Harrah’s is located in the center of the Las Vegas Strip. It is between The Linq and Casino Royale. The property started out as a Holiday Inn and the River Queen Casino. It was renamed Harrah’s in 1992. It uses a carnival theme. The property shows its age. With the exception of some upgrades to suites and some cosmetic improvements, Harrah’s Las Vegas has not been remodeled since 1997.
Harrah’s is a great place for a cheap room with a great location. The limits are among the lowest in that part of the Las Vegas Strip. It also offers some affordable dining options both within the casino and the food court located just north of the resort.
Harrah’s Tables and Games
There are 38 blackjack tables at Harrah’s. Only 10 of these tables offer rules that give the game a house edge under 1%.
There are 13 blackjack tables in the party pits that start with a $5 minimum bet with a 6-5 payout. The max bet is $1,000. Eight decks are used. Players can double down on any two cards and after splitting. Surrender is also permitted. The dealer hits soft 17. The house edge is 1.91%.
These party pits are by entrances from the Strip on opposites sides of the casino. One faces Casino Royale, while the other faces The Linq. There are also nine tables in the center pit with the same blackjack rules as the party pit.
There are four single deck blackjack tables in the center of the casino behind the craps tables. These have a $10 minimum and a $1,000 maximum. Players can double down on any two cards but not after splitting. The dealer hits soft 17. Blackjack pays 6-5. The house edge for this game is 1.55%.
There are two double deck blackjack games with a $25 minimum bet and $3,000 max. These allow players to double down on any two cards but not after splitting. The dealer hits on soft 17. The house edge on this game is 0.60%.
There are two blackjack tables in the high limit salon. These use six decks and are hand shuffled. The minimum bet is $100 and the max is $10,000. Players can double down on any two cards and after splitting. Surrender is also permitted. The dealer stands on all 17’s in the high limit area. The house edge for this game is 0.35%.
There is one video blackjack machine at Harrah’s Las Vegas. It should be avoided. The machine pays 6-5 on a blackjack. It offers double down before and after splitting, as well as surrender, but those rules do not offset the 6-5 payout. The dealer hits soft 17. The house edge is 1.91% on this game. Total Rewards only adds 0.05% to this total. The only consolation is that wagers on this game at any significant limit are likely to trigger a favorable Total Rewards offer if the player inserts the card into the machine when initiating action.
What’s Different?
Harrah’s is on the lower end for the Las Vegas Strip. This is evidenced by the small high limit area that shrunk even more in 2014. This means players will find $5 blackjack almost around the clock, although it will be 6-5. Players can almost always find a $10 3-2 games behind the craps pit or by the center entrance. Harrah’s offers a wide variety of other table games for $5 throughout the day.
Total Rewards for Frequent Blackjack Players
Total Rewards is the players club used by all Caesars Entertainment properties. It gives great rewards to slots and video poker players. Those that give table game action will receive little in the way of benefits.
Those looking to return to Las Vegas will want to check offers on the Total Rewards website. Free hotel offers are sometimes not advertised. It is always worth the time to try and make a reservation to see what the rate is. Keep in mind that Caesars charges a resort fee, even if the room is comped. The only exception is for players at Diamond tier and higher. Those levels are nearly impossible to obtain by playing blackjack.
One great feature of Caesars Entertainment’s Total Rewards program is that play from other markets will get offers from different ones. If you play blackjack or any other game in a regional Caesars casino, make the reservation through the Total Rewards website with your players card number. There is a good chance you have at least a steep discount waiting for you, especially during the week.
The Inside View
Harrah’s is the middle of the pack on the Las Vegas Strip in terms of blackjack conditions. Make sure to find the 3-2 shoe games in the middle of the casino for good low limit action. The $25 double deck doesn’t allow double down after splitting so it is not such a great deal. If you can afford it, move up to the $100 high limit tables where the dealer stands on all 17’s and the decks are hand shuffled.