Are You Right?

CINDY: There are many games in the casino, probably hundreds or so if you count the slot machines. I won’t count them because not one of them fits the basic questions we are going to ask.

ABBY: Slot machines usually come in with house edges from 5 percent down to 17 percent – more if you play multiple lines.

CINDY: So, let us take five games – five favorite games of ours – and see what the players actually face when playing those games.

ABBY: The first will be the most popular table-game in the casino, blackjack. From the early 1960s right up until yesterday, more people played blackjack than any other table game. Today’s blackjack games are nowhere near as good as the games of the past (you might find special promotions that attempt to mimic those old-time games but they rarely do.) So, you are already starting behind more than a player of the past.

CINDY: To play blackjack correctly you need to know “basic strategy,” the computer derived play of every player hand against the various dealer up-cards. You are asking for a lot of trouble if you don’t play this way so you have to be careful of which “gaming” authority you put your faith in.

ABBY: To make matters a little worse, there are distinct basic strategies for the various games offered by the casinos. For example, are you allowed to split pairs and then double after splits? Has the casino increased or reduced what you get paid on a blackjack? Are you facing an automatic shuffler – or a case where the dealer doesn’t shuffle at all? Can you double-down on any two of your cards?

CINDY: The speed of blackjack is also a factor. If you are playing at a full table with many players you will face maybe 60 hands. That’s about 60 decisions. If you are going one-on-one with a dealer, you can zoom up to 110 or more hands. The more decisions a player faces in a game the worse it is for that player whether that player is playing basic strategy or not. This is something of which to be aware.

ABBY: Now let’s take a look at a great basic strategy player going against the house.

CINDY: The number of decks being played impacts the house edge. The more decks, the worse for the player as the player will play more hands in such a situation.

ABBY: The house edge on a “basic strategy” player will be about one-half percent (more or less) depending on the rules of the game. At a full table, the player is likely to play 60 hands an hour; at an empty table he or she is likely to play well over 100 hands.

CINDY: Players should not play more than one hand at the game as that will increase the house take. Going to the restroom should be done when the game is in play and not during a shuffle.

ABBY: You must check out the speed of the dealer if you can as that will also tell you approximately how many hands you will play.

CINDY: Blackjack can be an A-level game. That one-half percent edge is good and it is very good if you are playing at a full table.

ABBY: Playing a game with fewer decks is usually considered better but be careful as casinos sometimes increase the minimum bets at such tables.

CINDY: Is blackjack a good game to play? Absolutely. If you know what you are doing.

This article is provided by the Frank Scoblete Network. Melissa A. Kaplan is the network's managing editor. If you would like to use this article on your website, please contact Casino City Press, the exclusive web syndication outlet for the Frank Scoblete Network. To contact Frank, please e-mail him at fscobe@optonline.net.