Yuck!
1 September 2003
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark,
Having just returned from a recent gambling trip
(Las Vegas), I was surprised to see many casinos
offering single deck blackjack. I thought single
deck was very rare because it affords a player
the lowest house advantage and is a card
counter's delight. Well, my surprise soon turned
to disappointment when I approached a table and
read the fine print. They only pay 6 to 5 on a
blackjack! What's up with that? Isn't 3-to-2 the
proper payout? How much does that tactic improve
the house's edge? Is this game worth playing?
Michael H.
Many casinos are now offering single-deck
blackjack games that pay a natural blackjack
6-to-5 instead of the traditional 3-to-2. One
word, Michael, can best describe this subtle
rule change many players have not even noticed.
As the school marm says, "YUCK!" (I know you've
got a better word-so spit it out.)
Here's some 'rithmitic to analyze this
pickpocket variation of single-deck blackjack
being offered to the inattentive in Las Vegas
and elsewhere.
Theoretically, single-deck games do offer the
best odds for skilled players, with a house edge
of only about 18% for every $100 wagered. When a
casino offers single-deck games that reduce the
payoff on a player's blackjack from "7.5 to 5"
down to "6 to 5," meaning instead of winning
$7.50 for your hard-earned snapper, you win $6,
that payoff slash increases the house edge from
.18% to 1.45%, which, Michael, is a colossal
800% increase in the house edge.
YUCKS! (or better) loud and clear, please.
Dear Mark,
Concerning blackjack versus roulette, which does
a player stand better chance of winning? I am
leaning more towards roulette due to the
black/red or odd/even scenario. I am aware of
the 0 and 00 killing my bets, but does blackjack
still provide better odds? Damon C.
Blackjack is a game played poorly by many, and
well by few. The desirable rearrangement is
quite simple: Employ perfect basic strategy.
Playing it correctly will bring the house
advantage down to well less than one percent.
But, even Ho-hum Hannah's careless play at
blackjack is far-and-away a better deal than
double zero roulette, where the house edge is
5.26% of every bet you place on the table. Yep,
Odd/Even, Black/Red, it doesn't matter. The
casino advantage is 5.26% and you aren't going
to change that with any particular wager.
Now if your blackjack play is ghastly, like
splitting 10s against a dealer Ace, well...
stick with roulette, but only on a single zero
roulette wheel where the house edge is a less
murderous 2.70%.
What's so special about single zero? Because,
Damon, while in the end you will lose about
$5.26 for every $100 wagered on a double-zero
table, your loss at the single-zero table drops
to a more digestible $2.70.
Dear Mark,
When is the best time to double down for less in
blackjack? Dick H.
I'll ask you, Dick, why do you double down in
the first place? Answer: you double down because
you are more likely to win the hand than lose
it. For that reason, you always want to wager
the maximum amount. Never shortchange yourself
when it comes to doubling down. It is the double
downs, splits and blackjacks that shove
blackjack play from the red into the black.
Gambling quote of the week: "I am shocked,
shocked that there's gambling going on here."
Captain Louis Renault, Casablanca
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