Gambling Forums

[Answerman]

When it was first offered on the Strip, one casino --- Bally's? --- put on its marquee, "We pay 6-5 on blackjacks," as if it was an attraction. There are always far too many who don't know the game and don't know what's good for them.

[ACDUC]

Anybody that plays 6/5 blackjack does not understand the game at all. The fact that some are playing is not a good thing for the rest of us either. It is letting management know that there are still a lot of dumb players out there with money in their pockets. When I saw it for the first time I assumed that nobody would play and it would quickly disappear. So much for assuming people playing the tables knew more than slot players. I'm not talking video poker but plain old slots. To think of all the comments from blackjack players about video poker and then see some of these people at 6/5 blackjack tables is real amusing.

[LBoyd]

Interesting case indeed, Manarch.

http://blogs.indystar.com/crime/2010/03/indiana_sup_cou.html

As it says in the article, a 7th grader can quickly be taught to count cards. Many systems to track the deck and even get a side-count of aces--extremely basic pre-algebra. The fact that the house makes the rules and thus the decision on whether or not card-counting is even an advantage, makes the case superfluous. After all, it they're so worried about card-counters they can use a continuous shuffling device. Goodbye condition of remaining deck deviations from basic BJ play. (If every seat is taken and you're in third base you may have a tiny inkling of when to deviate slightly, especially with a single deck. But I could write a book on why third base is not really significant to the rest of the table. Position is important in some games, like hold'em, but not in BJ.) More significant is whether or not the house hits soft 17 (advantage for casino when it does) and other rules. Don't even discuss the decision to play in a 6-5 game--all at that table need to return to high school or choose a charity instead.

Thanks for posting the link and please keep us posted on this one. Linda

[Monarch]

As a card counter for many years, I've seen the tricks casinos use to neutralize supposed advantage players. While 6-5 has become the norm at Strip casinos, I did not think they would try that in the Midwest. Maybe it's these bad economic times that have the bean counters who now run the casinos looking for any and every advantage they can get over the player. I've been following the story about he guy in Indiana who got walked. It will be interesting to see what happens.

http://blogs.indystar.com/crime/2010/03/indiana_sup_cou.html

[Answerman]

Games that pay only 6-5 instead of the normal 3-2 on blackjacks have popped up near Chicago, where I'm based, at the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin. Just a warning for those who dabble in tables. Do not play games with that rule. It adds 1.39 percent to the house edge --- double, triple or more the entire house edge against a basic strategy player in commonly available 3-2 games.