Blackjack conditions in Korea

Anyone knows about the blackjack conditions in Korea? Are they using CSM or shoe?

North or South? Kim Jong Un seems like a CSM, 6:5 kind of guy.

Lol I dare not go to North Korea to count cards. Any tips for me about South Korea blackjack?

Hi Hayden. I am an American living in China who travels to Macau or Korea to play blackjack recreationally about once a quarter. The short answer to your question is: the conditions are very, very good for a basic strategy player in Korea, but there is nothing for the AP to work with in terms of card counting. I was playing in Busan/Seoul earlier this fall, and every table I saw had the following rules: Dealer stands on all 17s, player can double down on any two cards and after splitting, up to four splits allowed, player can surrender against any dealer upcard. Continuous shuffle machines are ubiquitous, as is the case everywhere in Macau, so card counters won't be able to capitalize on these favorable rules. Against the higher hand rate per hour with a CSM, I deliberately play very slowly, taking my time in between hands, talking with the pit and the dealer, and ordering drinks, so that I am exposing less of my bankroll to the house edge over time.

Speaking of the house edge, under these rules it is around .33 percent, depending on the number of decks in use (I imagine it is no less than 6). The rule allowing the player to surrender against any dealer upcard gives the games in South Korea an even more favorable house hold than the already good games in Macau . Another feature of the tables in South Korea is that the minimums to take advantage of these great rules are low, around 10 USD. This is much cheaper than in Macau, where around 200 (around 25 bucks) HKD is the minimum is most places, but casinos like MGM and Wynn have minimums as high as 500 HKD (around 63 dollars).

In terms of getting an edge in spite of the CSMs, I would say this: many of the dealers are quite green and are prone to hole-carding and making errors. I had one dealer who (when I was playing heads up) kept paying out my bet at even money when I would draw to 21 without taking any more cards himself. Eventually, the pit caught him and corrected his error, but never mentioned the multiple times he had done the same before. The next day at the same joint, I was able to take a hole-carding dealer to the cleaners, but did use careful cover, avoiding making plays like hitting 16 on a dealer 6 upcard (with a five in the hole), which would look suspicious to the pit, who had verbally confirmed pegging me for a basic strategy player the day before).

A number of the casinos in South Korea have generous match play and cash back offers that place these games head and shoulders above what the basic strategy player can expect to be able to make happen in Macau. I am not sure if it makes any of the games into advantage plays, but it likely makes them an even game, or close to it. It goes without saying that there is no comparison between these games and the rules that the player would face in Vegas at these sorts of minimum bets. So to sum up a long post: there are some opportunities there to play an even game or perhaps get a slight edge, but not by counting. Hope this helps!

Quote: musickman

...avoiding making plays like hitting 16 on a dealer 6 upcard (with a five in the hole)...

Here's the Wizard's strategy for when the dealer shows both cards: https://wizardofodds.com/games/blackjack/appendix/16/.

I'm surprised that staying on 16 vs dealer's 11 is actually the correct play!

I stand corrected, and am happy that I was making the correct play despite my ignorance as to the correct hole card strategy. I am a basic strategy player, not an AP. I had never studied the hole carding charts before this particular session. Needless to say, it was a situation that arose with no forewarning. ;)

Thank you so much! I thought Busan/Seoul are not using CSM :(

I'd be afraid in Korea if you yell monkey, they'll bring you a plate.

Quote: VCUSkyhawk

North or South? Kim Jong Un seems like a CSM, 6:5 kind of guy.

You forgot the most important rule: No Midshoe Exit! And with CSM, the shoe never ends! ;-)

Dog Hand