Isnt blackjack exactly 50/50?

[Doug]

Does counting cards at a casino actually help? The few times I've played at Foxwoods they play with about six decks and reshuffle about a third of the way through

That's a pretty unbeatable game ( awful penetration). Your only chance here is to pull off impossibly large bet spreads like $25 as your small bet, and $500 + as your big bet, when you get the start of a good shoe ( which gets prematurely shuffled). Casino unlikely to accept that play, plus you need a big bank.

I hate both CT casinos. Only thing you can beat there is live poker ( Fox only). I doubt they even have beatable video poker, that's Fish's territory, he'd need the pay scales.

Can't think of anything else beatable, except maybe horses for the select few good enough at that.

 

[GreenDoberman]

Bigbet,
You know far more than the average square. I agree with everything in your post.
Sorry boys, I can guarantee you bigbet is right.

And yes, dealers are some of the worst players in the world. The Rio has horrible BJ rules, and it is proper to deviate your strategy based on the composition of the remaining cards in the deck. Another player hitting or standing or even splitting improperly has zero long term effect on you winning or losing.
Once you have memorized matrixes from Wong's professional blackjack, then you can have an educated opinion.

 

[bigbet1234]

counting cards for years, the local riverboats use to be worth while for back counting, but that has since went to hell with 8 deck, 4 deck cut:sad3: .

Still like the el cortez SD, and LVC too.

BB

Bigbet,
You know far more than the average square. I agree with everything in your post.
Sorry boys, I can guarantee you bigbet is right.

And yes, dealers are some of the worst players in the world. The Rio has horrible BJ rules, and it is proper to deviate your strategy based on the composition of the remaining cards in the deck. Another player hitting or standing or even splitting improperly has zero long term effect on you winning or losing.
Once you have memorized matrixes from Wong's professional blackjack, then you can have an educated opinion.

 

[MillenniumSportsbook]

The house gets the edge because you have to play before the dealer, and if you bust, house wins.

This is the key...the dealer never has to hit a 16 after you already broke trying to acheive your 17. Also, I think your advantage in playing BJ truly lies in your ability to double down, or split, or get paid 3/2 on blackjack which the house doesn't ever get. Playing the house straight up, without getting into "Bonus" possibilities will make you a loser in the long run IMO.

 

[Doug]

This is the key...the dealer never has to hit a 16 after you already broke trying to acheive your 17. Also, I think your advantage in playing BJ truly lies in your ability to double down, or split, or get paid 3/2 on blackjack which the house doesn't ever get. Playing the house straight up, without getting into "Bonus" possibilities will make you a loser in the long run IMO.

Absolutely ! Doubling down is big for the player, never doubling loses a lot, splitting is important too. The house edge over a player following dealer rules is huge, I've seen the number somewhere, I want to say well over 10% . The 3-2 on BJ certainly counts as well, but not as much.

Consider a player playing 1,000 hands and going 500-500 will make money.

 

[THECLOSER]

i believe if you play flawless basic strategy which isnt hard, house has like 1.46% edge...

 

[Doug]

i believe if you play flawless basic strategy which isnt hard, house has like 1.46% edge...

Something like that, I think a bet less, though ! It depends on rules... Is BJ 3-2 or 6-5, double down allowed after splits, surrender allowed, and other factors.

 

[Phigment]

i believe if you play flawless basic strategy which isnt hard, house has like 1.46% edge...

With 8 decks, dealer stands of soft 17, double after split, double any two cards, resplit to 4 hands, and no surrender the house advantage is 0.433%

The only way it gets better is with less decks or late surrender.

 

[D2bets]

Dealer stand on 17, DD on anything, surrender option, double after splits, resplit aces twice...rules WA available at $25+ tables in Vegas w/basic strategy house edge is I believe 0.16% or 50.08% dealer to 49.92% player. Obviously it doesn't take much from there to get above 50% with counting and comps. And with a little bit of luck...

At that house edge 0.16% you could bet $100/hand at 60 hands/hour for 4 hours in a day and your expected table loss for the day is a grand total of $38.40.

 

[BAGIANT]

The dealer has the advantage no matter what rules you play because YOU bust first not them!

 

[D2bets]

Edit: under my scenario dealer advantage is actually 0.25% not 0.16%. So you'd lose $60 in the day.

 

[Phigment]

The dealer has the advantage no matter what rules you play because YOU bust first not them!

The exeption would be a single deck, dealer stands on soft 17, double any two, double after split, resplit to 4 hands, and no surrender gives the player a 0.1412% advantage.

 

[Doug]

The exeption would be a single deck, dealer stands on soft 17, double any two, double after split, resplit to 4 hands, and no surrender gives the player a 0.1412% advantage.

Where do I find that game ? Double after split seems to be offered nowhere !

 

[D2bets]

Where do I find that game ? Double after split seems to be offered nowhere !

Huh? Double after split is offered just about EVERYWHERE. I wouldn't play a hand without it. Played it lots of places in Vegas -- MGM, Alladin, Bellagio, on and on and on.

 

[Doug]

Huh? Double after split is offered just about EVERYWHERE. I wouldn't play a hand without it. Played it lots of places in Vegas -- MGM, Alladin, Bellagio, on and on and on.

I played mostly downtown in August and I wasn't allowed to do it, played mainly 1-2 decks. Maybe it's offered more in shoe games, or with those unplayable auto-shufflers ?

 

[D2bets]

I played mostly downtown in August and I wasn't allowed to do it, played mainly 1-2 decks. Maybe it's offered more in shoe games, or with those unplayable auto-shufflers ?

Oh ok, I'm talking 6-deck games. Unless you are a hardcore card counter (and sometimes even if you are), the 1-2 deck games are bad news for the player. I play mostly at dealer shuffle tables but really I don't care if they us an auto-shuffler. What makes it unplayable?

 

[Doug]

Oh ok, I'm talking 6-deck games. Unless you are a hardcore card counter (and sometimes even if you are), the 1-2 deck games are bad news for the player. I play mostly at dealer shuffle tables but really I don't care if they us an auto-shuffler. What makes it unplayable?

I mean the games where you can't identify the start and end of a shoe. Agree single-deck with 6-5 is bad. I like 2-decks with good penetration/ rules.

The shufflers that speed up the game only are OK with me.

 

[wilheim]

.////

 

[pooty]

if you play just like the house then you are boring. have some fun and take chances

 

[flacapper]

Of course it matters

Dude it doesnt matter what the dealers hole card is.. The dealer hits regardless of what the players cards show.

You would do the same.. Just hit up until 17 regardless

This is simple!! House has advantage cause we go first.
Because we have to assume the hole card is a 10 and he has 8 showing. I have 15 and I take a hit guess what its an 8 break!!
Dealer turns his hole card over guess what a friggin 6 had I known that I wouldve stayed and hed break with 22.. 6+8+8.
Perfect example of why house has the advantage.
But still a easy game to make money for me.
Hope this helps.