Hostile playing
conditions found on some blackjack game
8 July 2005
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark, I just noticed that our local casino
has brought back single deck blackjack. The only
rule difference I noticed is that they pay six
for five for a blackjack instead of three for
two. Is this game a good deal for the player?
Justin A.
In the "good ol' days", Justin, it was always to
your advantage to play on a game with the fewest
decks. Compared to the math of a single deck
game, that of a multi-deck game seriously
handicaps your play: 0.35% for two decks, 0.48%
for four, 0.54% for six , and 0.58% for eight If
you were to play 100 hands per hour at $5 per
hand, each -0.1% of additional handicap would
cost you approximately 50˘ per hour. Playing on
a game with two decks versus one deck will cost
you an extra $1.75 per hour, with each
additional deck prying deeper into you wallet. .
Unsurprisingly, stumbling upon a single deck
blackjack game today is a rare occurrence,
unless you come across a casino that advertises
"Back by popular demand, Single Deck Blackjack."
But -- write this down -- look closely at the
table layout, to see whether there's the fatal
notice: "Blackjack Pays 6:5."
On a conventional blackjack game, a blackjack
typically pays 3:2. If you bet $10 and get a
natural, you'll be paid $15. However, at these
new 6:5 games, a $10 blackjack gets you only
$12. Despite the fact that the game is played
with a single deck, this one little rule change
-- inspired by Saint Barnum -- dramatically
increases the house advantage—big time!
This new single deck game has been very
successful for the casinos because the
uninformed player has been told over the years
that single deck blackjack is a better game than
the shoe games that are now prevalent on the
casino floor. But here's the real deal. By
accepting blackjack payouts reduced from 3:2 to
6:5, a generosity you may not have intended, you
are giving the casino a 1.39% advantage. Compare
that to an 8-deck game where the house edge for
a basic strategy player is a more civilized
0.58%.
So what's the difference between the two in
actual dollars and cents? For a $10 player
playing perfect basic strategy at 60 hands per
hour, the expected loss on an 8-deck shoe is
$3.50 per hour. The expected loss for the same
player on a 6:5 single deck game is $8.35. Ouch!
I highly recommend, Justin, that you don't waste
your hard-earned money on any blackjack game
that pays less than 3:2 for a blackjack.
Instead, imitate smart blackjack players who
play in a casino that offers the following
combination of rules: Fewest decks possible;
surrender, both early and late; double down
allowed on any two cards; double down allowed
after splitting pairs; multiple pair splitting
allowed, plus re-splitting aces; dealer stands
on a soft 17; deep deck penetration; and of
course 3:2 for a blackjack.
Dear Mark, Long ago while playing poker with
friends I learned the term "eight, skate and
donate" whenever an eight appeared. But I never
learned its true origin or what it means. Have
you ever heard this term before, and if yes,
what does it mean? Dick E.
I looked for and couldn't locate its origin,
Dick, but I do know that "Eight, Skate, and
Donate" is not known as a greeting for an eight.
"Eight, Skate, and Donate," "Eight-to-Go" and
"Eight-to-Skate" all describe a no-limit game
whose minimum bet is $8.
Gambling quote of the week: "Judged by the
dollars spent, gambling is now more popular in
America than baseball, the movies, and
Disneyland-combined." -Timothy L. O'Brien, Bad
Bet (1998)
|
