Southern California Blackjack
Online games: Some of the larger casinos in Southern California run their own free-to-play online gaming sites. San Manuel Casino runs a social casino that offers free blackjack, bingo and slot games. Because games are free to play, casinos don’t fall foul of any California state law. Legal poker rooms in Southern California. In the winter, Southern California welcomes a large number of Canadian snowbirds looking to escape the cold. For those who like to gamble, Southern California is home to a large number of casinos. But not all casinos are created equal; some are known for poker, bingo, blackjack, and the loosest slots.
Non-Stop Action
The Pechanga Resort and Casino has the largest casino floor in California totaling 188,000 sq ft. The casino features over 5,000 slot machines, 158 table games, a non-smoking poker room with 38 tables, and an ultra-modern, 700-seat bingo facility.
- 20+Hourly $1,200 Jackpot Winners
- 11$1M+ Jackpot Winners
Entertaining Events
2020 Shows Postponed
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- Jun26
Tower of Power - RESCHEDULED
- Jun 26
- 7:30PM
- Starting at $60
- Jun27
The Go Go's - Rescheduled
- Jun 27
- 7:30PM
- Starting at $75
- Aug27
Sebastian Maniscalco
- Aug 27
- 7:30PM & 9PM
- Starting at $85
The Height of Comfort
Luxury awaits when you book your stay in one of Pechanga's AAA Four Diamond rooms or suites
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Earn Club Rewards
Start enjoying the full range of amenities and benefits that Pechanga has to offer simply by using your Club card. You may also receive invitations to special events and promotional offers.
Southern California Blackout
Key Benefits
Earn Club Dollars every time you play
Use Club Dollars for EasyPlay, hotel, dining, concerts, spa purchases and more
Receive 5% back in Club Dollars on resort purchases
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Tuesdays in December • 12PM – 10PM
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Book your stay 30 days in advance and receive 25% off your booking!
Ever since its opening in 1975, the California Hotel & Casino has had to compete hard for business. Even though it occupies a prime downtown location, being at the corner of Ogden Avenue and Main Street puts it a block from the bustle of Fremont Street, just far enough away from the foot traffic to keep it from becoming a Las Vegas landmark. To cope, “the Cal” has had to develop a highly targeted marketing strategy along with a full range of amenities that visiting gamblers demand. The focus of activity is a gaming floor covering 35,848 square feet and featuring 28 table games, including 18 dedicated specifically to blackjack.
California Tables & Games
Southern California Blackjack Classic
The Cal’s pit area is best known for its four-table craps pit, where shooter Stanley Fujita once held the dice for a world-record three hours and six minutes. That legendary stint gave rise to the casino’s “Golden Arm” club , open exclusively to those who’ve rolled the bones for an hour without interruption. But blackjack players needn’t worry about being treated like second-class customers. This casino preserves all kinds of gaming traditions, including 3:2 payouts for natural blackjacks and low-stakes tables where beginners can feel welcome.
The main game here is $3 six-deck blackjack dealt from a shoe, where the dealer hits on soft 17. The rules are quite tight, with no doubling down after splitting (DAS), no re-splitting of Aces (RSA) and no surrender available, all of which translates into a House edge of 0.78%. The $5 and $25 double-deck versions are a bit more inviting, applying the same set of rules but with a House edge of just 0.60%, owing to the reduced number of decks in play. The table maximum for all of these blackjack games is $1,000.
It is best to avoid the $5~$200 single-deck games that pays only 6:5 for a natural blackjack. Those looking for some variation might want to try the $10~$1,000 tables that offer the “Bet Set 21” side bet option. Note that although the casino’s slot floor extends to the mezzanine where the sports book is located, all table games are grouped in the ground level pit area only.
What’s Different
The California’s founder, Sam Boyd, came up with a novel idea to set this hotel apart from all others. Instead of mimicking some exotic foreign locale or fantasy theme, he decided to offer a comfortable “home away from home” specifically for visitors from Hawaii. He knew from time he had spent in the 50th state that Hawaiians love gambling, despite the lack of legal places to play there. He also knew that many Hawaiians think of Las Vegas as “the ninth island,” owing to the city’s sizeable “kama’aina” community. He set about branding his hotel-casino as the “headquarters” for Hawaiians traveling to Las Vegas, along with establishing charter flights and low-cost tour packages to lure traffic from Honolulu directly to his door. So if the casino floor features dealers wearing aloha shirts, there is a clear reason why.
B Connected for Frequent Blackjack Players
Because the California Hotel & Casino is part of the Boyd Gaming Group, it shares its “B Connected” player’s club with such sister properties as Sam’s Town, the Gold Coast, the Orleans and Suncoast as well as Boyd’s casinos outside Nevada [ ]. The loyalty program has three levels of membership, each with its “own unique set of rewards and benefits,” from Ruby to Sapphire and Emerald. Perks range from cash back, dining discounts and special pricing on merchandise to room upgrades, priority services, event invitations and more. Blackjack players earn points based on the average amount bet and time played. Ever player receives an online account for tracking play and identifying new promotions, too [ ].
The Inside View
The “Aloha Spirit” evidenced by players and staff at the blackjack tables is reflective of the laid back and friendly way of life found in the tropics. However, it can also seem somewhat insular, rather like visiting a foreign country, where everyone speaks another language. In fact, don’t be surprised to hear some pidgin at the tables. Fortunately for mainlanders, on the California’s mezzanine level is the entrance to a sky bridge that links this hotel-casino to another Boyd Gaming property, Main Street Station, just across the street. The atmosphere there should seem much more familiar to those who are less comfortable with Hawaiian culture, while the blackjack games are just about the same.