The side bet is a table decision, not a building feature
The blackjack side bet at MGM National Harbor is not a single, venue-wide rule that this article can state. A side bet is an optional wager offered at individual blackjack tables, and the specific side bet available, its payout structure, and its minimum or maximum are set at the table level. They can differ between pits, change with the floor configuration, and are not part of the fixed, documented facility data for the property.
What can be documented about MGM National Harbor is its physical position and scale. The venue sits at coordinates 38.79483333, -77.00958333 in National Harbor, Maryland. It opened on December 8, 2016, and is owned by Vici Properties. The hotel contains 308 rooms, and the gaming floor covers 135,000 square feet.
If you want to know which side bet is currently offered at a particular blackjack table, the authoritative source is the table itself. The felt layout prints the side bet name, the payout odds, and any qualifying hand requirements. A floor supervisor or the table games desk can also confirm which tables carry which side bet on the day you visit. No side bet changes the built-in house advantage on the main blackjack hand; the side bet is a separate wager with its own separate edge.
How a blackjack side bet is structured
A side bet in blackjack is an additional wager placed before the cards are dealt, alongside the main bet. It wins or loses based on conditions that do not affect the main hand. Common structures include bets on the player's first two cards forming a pair, bets on the player's cards combined with the dealer's upcard to make a poker-style hand, or bets on the total of the player's first two cards.
The payout for a side bet is printed on the table layout as a multiple of the side bet amount. The house edge on a side bet is separate from the house edge on the main blackjack hand, and it is generally higher. The side bet does not change the dealer's procedure, the main hand outcome, or the basic strategy for the main wager.
Because side bets are optional and table-specific, no single answer covers every blackjack table at MGM National Harbor. The venue does not publish a fixed side-bet menu as part of its permanent facility description. Confirm at the table before you sit down.
MGM National Harbor's fixed geographic position
The venue's coordinates place it in National Harbor, Maryland, a developed area on the Potomac River within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. From the coordinates alone, the venue sits south and slightly east of downtown Washington, D.C., and west of the Chesapeake Bay. The state of Maryland borders Virginia to the south across the Potomac, and the venue's position near that boundary means a short straight-line distance to the District of Columbia does not translate into a short road trip.
The straight-line distance from MGM National Harbor to Washington, D.C. is 7.6 miles. That figure is a great-circle measurement, not a road distance. The Potomac River, the street grid, bridge crossings, and the boundary between Maryland and the District all add length to any actual drive.
Documented straight-line distances from MGM National Harbor
The table below lists every reference point for which a straight-line distance to MGM National Harbor has been documented. All figures are great-circle distances measured between coordinates. None of them are driving distances, and none of them imply a travel time.
| Reference point | Straight-line miles | Measurement type |
|---|---|---|
| Washington DC | 7.6 | great-circle |
| Rehoboth Beach Delaware | 104.3 | great-circle |
| Philadelphia | 127.0 | great-circle |
| Atlantic City | 144.1 | great-circle |
| Pittsburgh | 194.5 | great-circle |
| NYC | 207.4 | great-circle |
| Manhattan | 207.4 | great-circle |
| Syracuse | 297.2 | great-circle |
| Buffalo | 299.1 | great-circle |
| Niagara Falls | 314.3 | great-circle |
| Charlotte | 324.7 | great-circle |
| Toronto | 357.5 | great-circle |
| Lake George | 363.0 | great-circle |
| Boston | 397.6 | great-circle |
| Detroit | 400.0 | great-circle |
| Ford Field | 400.3 | great-circle |
| Charleston Reddit | 444.4 | great-circle |
| Atlanta | 538.7 | great-circle |
| Chicago | 598.0 | great-circle |
| Milwaukee | 641.7 | great-circle |
| Daytona Beach | 702.0 | great-circle |
| St Louis | 710.5 | great-circle |
| Orlando | 751.4 | great-circle |
| Tunica | 784.5 | great-circle |
| Tampa | 812.3 | great-circle |
| Biloxi | 890.2 | great-circle |
| Gulfport | 897.0 | great-circle |
| Miami | 918.5 | great-circle |
| Minneapolis | 936.9 | great-circle |
| Kansas City | 942.8 | great-circle |
| New Orleans | 960.8 | great-circle |
| Topeka Kansas | 1002.9 | great-circle |
| Shreveport | 1037.0 | great-circle |
| Tulsa | 1052.3 | great-circle |
| Lake Charles | 1093.6 | great-circle |
| Oklahoma City | 1150.4 | great-circle |
| Dallas | 1182.0 | great-circle |
| Denton TX | 1185.8 | great-circle |
| Arlington TX | 1200.6 | great-circle |
| Houston | 1216.5 | great-circle |
| Houston Texas | 1216.5 | great-circle |
| San Antonio | 1384.2 | great-circle |
| San Antonio Texas | 1384.2 | great-circle |
| Denver | 1492.1 | great-circle |
| Phoenix | 1979.1 | great-circle |
| Henderson | 2077.7 | great-circle |
| Laughlin | 2076.8 | great-circle |
| Las Vegas | 2083.4 | great-circle |
| Bourbon Street | 2085.9 | great-circle |
| Palm Springs | 2210.4 | great-circle |
| Temecula | 2250.2 | great-circle |
| Reno | 2271.7 | great-circle |
| San Diego | 2271.7 | great-circle |
| Los Angeles | 2296.6 | great-circle |
| LAX | 2307.7 | great-circle |
| Seattle | 2326.7 | great-circle |
| Portland | 2352.2 | great-circle |
| Modesto | 2365.3 | great-circle |
| Sacramento | 2374.8 | great-circle |
| Sacramento Airport | 2377.9 | great-circle |
| San Jose | 2418.8 | great-circle |
| San Francisco | 2437.9 | great-circle |
Every row above is a straight-line measurement. Road distance is always longer, and this article does not publish road mileage or driving time for any pair.
Why straight-line distance and road distance diverge
A great-circle distance is the shortest path across the surface of the earth between two coordinate points. It ignores terrain, water, roads, bridges, borders, and the actual path a vehicle must take. The difference between that figure and the road distance can be small for nearby points on the same side of a river, or very large when a body of water or a mountain range sits between the two points.
For MGM National Harbor, the Potomac River is the single largest geographic factor. A point on the Virginia side of the river can be a short straight-line distance away, but the drive requires a bridge crossing at a limited number of locations. The street grid in the Washington, D.C. area, traffic patterns, and the Maryland-District-Virginia boundary all add to the actual road length.
Crossing state lines does not change the straight-line distance, but it can change the road distance. A route may be forced to follow a particular corridor, and the available crossings are fixed. This is why a straight-line figure should never be read as a travel estimate.
If your starting point is "me" or "my location"
The venue's position is fixed. Your position is not. This article cannot measure a distance from an unknown starting point, and it will not guess which city you are in. The correct method is to take the venue's coordinates, 38.79483333, -77.00958333, and measure from your own position using a mapping tool that accepts coordinate input.
You can also use the table above. Find the reference city closest to your starting point, note its straight-line distance to MGM National Harbor, and then measure the remaining leg from your location to that reference city yourself. The combined figure is still only an approximation, because each leg is a straight-line measurement unless a road route is used.
The venue's city and state, National Harbor, Maryland, are the fixed anchor. Everything else depends on where you begin.
What to confirm before you go
Several items change frequently and are not part of this article's fixed facility data. Confirm each one through the channel that holds the current answer.
- Which blackjack side bet is offered — check the felt layout at the specific table, or ask the table games desk on the day you visit.
- Side bet payout odds and minimums — printed on the table layout; they vary by table and can change.
- Road distance and travel time from your location — use a current mapping service with live traffic data; this article publishes only straight-line figures.
- Table minimums and availability — the floor configuration changes; the venue's own table games staff hold the current answer.
- Hours and access — the venue's published hours page and guest services line are the authoritative sources.
Publicly published reference sources document the venue's 308 hotel rooms, 135,000 square feet of gaming space, December 8, 2016 opening, and Vici Properties ownership. Figures like room counts and floor area are revised as properties are rebuilt and expanded, so treat them as a documented point in time rather than a live status.
FAQ
What is the side bet in blackjack at MGM National Harbor?
The side bet is an optional wager offered at individual blackjack tables, not a single venue-wide rule. The specific side bet, its payout odds, and its minimum are printed on the felt layout at each table and can differ between tables. Confirm at the table or with the table games desk on the day you visit.
Does the side bet change the main blackjack hand?
No. A side bet is a separate wager that wins or loses on its own conditions, such as the player's first two cards forming a pair. It does not change the dealer's procedure, the main hand outcome, or basic strategy for the main wager. The side bet carries its own separate house edge.
How far is MGM National Harbor from Washington, D.C.?
The straight-line distance is 7.6 miles, measured great-circle between coordinates. Road distance is longer because of the Potomac River crossing and the street grid. This article does not publish road mileage or driving time. Use a current mapping service for a road route from your starting point.
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