Cromwell's Las Vegas
But, I would play it if I had an edge (unlikely to happen, though)
Quote: kwhoughtonJust got back from Vegas. Although I was staying downtown, I drove up to the Strip to see the new 500 ft. Ferris Wheel. While there, I went to take a look at the new Cromwell's casino. (used to be Bill's, before that Barbary coast). I walked to every "blackjack" table on the main floor, and without exception, all were paying 6 to 5 on a blackjack. And, it is all over the strip. One of the dealers downtown said you would think that the Gaming Commission would stop this from happening. I mean Blackjack "as designed", pays 3 to 2 on a BJ. Now that they have the odds up to around 3% in the favor of the house, perhaps next they will take out a couple of the Aces from the deck also. I guess that would be okay. I couldn't believe the number of people playing at theses tables. Does this 6 to 5 thing bother anyone on this forum? Will you continue playing if it ends up that way at all the casino's. I suppose in 10 years the new players won't know the difference. Even the Indian Casino's in California that have a captive audience pay 3 to 2.
The Indian casinos in CA have tons of competition (from each other).
There is lots of 3:2 blackjack on the strip. The rumors of its demise have been grossly exaggerated, mostly by Buzzard.
>There is lots of 3:2 blackjack on the strip. The rumors of its demise have been grossly exaggerated, mostly by Buzzard.
That may well be true, but irrespective of various complaints 6:5 remains annoyingly common and darn difficult to beat.
I recently played at the Seminole Hard Rock and I was so "out of it" that I didn't even realize when I got these lousy two dollar chips or whatever that it was 6:5.
As far as Cromwells or Bill's goes, it will always be the Barbary Coast to me, the only casino that ever frisked me and the place where the cashier asked if I wanted a security escort to my car as I left with my last dollar!
Quote: kwhoughtonJust got back from Vegas. Although I was staying downtown, I drove up to the Strip to see the new 500 ft. Ferris Wheel. While there, I went to take a look at the new Cromwell's casino. (used to be Bill's, before that Barbary coast). I walked to every "blackjack" table on the main floor, and without exception, all were paying 6 to 5 on a blackjack. And, it is all over the strip. One of the dealers downtown said you would think that the Gaming Commission would stop this from happening. I mean Blackjack "as designed", pays 3 to 2 on a BJ. Now that they have the odds up to around 3% in the favor of the house, perhaps next they will take out a couple of the Aces from the deck also. I guess that would be okay. I couldn't believe the number of people playing at theses tables. Does this 6 to 5 thing bother anyone on this forum? Will you continue playing if it ends up that way at all the casino's. I suppose in 10 years the new players won't know the difference. Even the Indian Casino's in California that have a captive audience pay 3 to 2.
I turn down games that others would play so I would never, ever play that game. Furthermore, I refuse to call it blackjack.
It's not just Vegas. When I was in Atlantic City the other day, I did a little blackjack survey. I counted a dozen 6 to 5 H17 eight deck games at Harrah's of all places. Some were intermingled with the 3 to 2 games. Now why would they do that?
Quote: kwhoughtonJust got back from Vegas. Although I was staying downtown, I drove up to the Strip to see the new 500 ft. Ferris Wheel. While there, I went to take a look at the new Cromwell's casino. (used to be Bill's, before that Barbary coast). I walked to every "blackjack" table on the main floor, and without exception, all were paying 6 to 5 on a blackjack. And, it is all over the strip. One of the dealers downtown said you would think that the Gaming Commission would stop this from happening. I mean Blackjack "as designed", pays 3 to 2 on a BJ. Now that they have the odds up to around 3% in the favor of the house, perhaps next they will take out a couple of the Aces from the deck also. I guess that would be okay. I couldn't believe the number of people playing at theses tables. Does this 6 to 5 thing bother anyone on this forum? Will you continue playing if it ends up that way at all the casino's. I suppose in 10 years the new players won't know the difference. Even the Indian Casino's in California that have a captive audience pay 3 to 2.
As for competition, it's simply what the market - and the strip casinos - can afford bear. Off-strip casinos with lower expenses offer plenty of 3:2 Blackjack.
As for that being usury, the house edge on 6:5 is between 1.4% to 2.0% with WOO's BJ calculator, better than just about any other card game except for UTH or Heads Up Hold 'em, where you have to bet 4 units on average.
As for the Gaming commission finding this level of house edge to be unreasonable, it isn't unreasonable, so not a chance they'd stop it from happening; it went down with their blessing ten years ago. They also approve of mandatory high-edge side bets on low-limit games. (I've written at least one of the "mandatory side bet" gaming requests for NGBC approval with math lab report showing the new composite house edge, with the argument that not only is it within Nevada HE limits, it's the only way to offer a low-limit game that is viable.)
If casinos can't afford to offer the public 3:2 Blackjack, they won't. And casinos argue that because you can't stop all card-counting, - they have to do it, just to pay the bills.
