Best Odds/Mid Atlantic!!

Just got a mailer from Rocky Gap [Cumberland MD]. Things have been going on there that I was unaware of it seems.

Vote in the poll as to whether you believe this is the best BJ game in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Quote: mailer

new Double Deck Pitch Blackjack game on the casino floor. This game has the best odds in the Mid-Atlantic Region! ... you actually hold your cards!

Other game details are not given, but in the past there has been S17, DA2, DAS, LS, RSA

How hard is that game watched... Gotta be up there with the Cortez.

I'll be there first wk October and will see what I can learn.

I expect I will make some etiquette mistake when I check out this double deck pitch game in a few days. Those little things bother me more than some people.

I think I get it for the difference in hand signals, although I wouldn't be surprised if I screw it up.

In any case, in these 2 videos, there is a difference shown. Wizard's does not show using a hand signal for doubling or splitting, whereas the other video shows using one finger in the former case, two fingers in the latter. Perhaps this is necessary with, say, 2 fives? Any other tips?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxt4su7mF1A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5V1cL0lZf4

When flipping your two cards over and they are a pair, use standard face up signals to either double or split. Naturally, if you cannot split and can only double, no signal is necessary.

Quote: odiousgambit

I expect I will make some etiquette mistake when I check out this double deck pitch game in a few days. Those little things bother me more than some people.

I think I get it for the difference in hand signals, although I wouldn't be surprised if I screw it up.

In any case, in these 2 videos, there is a difference shown. Wizard's does not show using a hand signal for doubling or splitting, whereas the other video shows using one finger in the former case, two fingers in the latter. Perhaps this is necessary with, say, 2 fives? Any other tips?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxt4su7mF1A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5V1cL0lZf4

Only use one hand to pick up your cards,keep your cards over the table ,if you get a blackjack turn your cards over right away.

I stopped by Rocky Gap about a year ago, and all of the blackjack games were CSM with the Lucky Lucky side bet. Until fairly recently, all Maryland casinos were required to offer those rules (S17, DAS, LS, RSA), but now they can offer H17 games. As far as I know, there's no 6:5 in Maryland...yet.

Quote: CallSaul

I stopped by Rocky Gap about a year ago, and all of the blackjack games were CSM with the Lucky Lucky side bet. Until fairly recently, all Maryland casinos were required to offer those rules (S17, DAS, LS, RSA), but now they can offer H17 games. As far as I know, there's no 6:5 in Maryland...yet.

The pitch game is brand new, barely mentioned at their website.

I wouldn't be surprised if it is H17 for the pitch game. Calling them is a trial, waiting for someone to answer the phone.

Quote: odiousgambit

I wouldn't be surprised if it is H17 for the pitch game

And I wasn't surprised. They do hit soft 17 for this game, as MD now allows. Table minimum was $25, I was hoping for lower, but no, and dealer said it never happens.

All other rules seem to stick to the favorable end as Maryland mandates, I believe. DAS and LS for sure. Cards automatically shuffled, coming up on what I'll call an "elevator" on the table. Cut card placed at approx. one deck spot.

So how about this claim about best odds? Wizard's calculator, assuming re-split to 4 hands allowed, shows basic strategy with cut card as 0.33758% HE

Clearly the claim rests on the assumption that a double deck game automatically will give the best odds should no one else be offering a two deck game in the region. HOWEVER, with all else the same, a CSM game with 6 decks , but standing on soft 17, is shown as 0.26507% on the Wizard calculator! A game that was often offered for $5 too, not this $25 business.

So I realize just now what has actually happened is they are giving worse odds than they used to on their 6 deck S17 CSM game. BTW I didn't ask, but I assume it's H17 now on all BJ games offered there. And if their claim is to be believed, that means all Maryland universally went to H17, otherwise this "best odds" claim is false. Shame on me, I knew they might go H17, but didn't do my due diligence and assumed the odds were still lower than before, justifying the $25 minimum. I played 3 sessions, winding up down a couple hundred.

I have reasons to go back to Rocky Gap, but wouldn't you know they'd do something so that I could hold a grudge too.

Put not your trust in Princes - nor he who offers a bet, or a game of chance.

I'll be blogging about some other things within the next few.

https://wizardofodds.com/games/blackjack/calculator/

I think it's a stretch to say that a place this far from the Atlantic is in the "mid Atlantic region". But/also, it's almost impossible to make a case for Rocky Gap being in the MidAtlantic while the Philly casinos are not. And PA rules are better than this...

Quote: rdw4potus

I think it's a stretch to say that a place this far from the Atlantic is in the "mid Atlantic region". But/also, it's almost impossible to make a case for Rocky Gap being in the MidAtlantic while the Philly casinos are not. And PA rules are better than this...

you are right! just about 0% chance that some or even all PA casinos beat this game for "best odds" as long as they are still S17

the claim was in a mailer, and that claim cannot be seen on their site

Quote: odiousgambit

you are right! just about 0% chance that some or even all PA casinos beat this game for "best odds" as long as they are still S17

Er, that should be 0% chance that some or all don't beat this game - I'm fairly sure PA would not allow such rules - 100% chance that at least some beat it, probably all

I don't get upset about H17 generally, but that $25 minimum enacted on the ruse that the HE is 'so low' ticks me off. I am wondering if somebody with great effort there got the pitch game to be set up, explained why they would need a larger minimum, and took pride in the whole thing. Then all of a sudden it's OK to hit soft 17 in MD and the bean counters spring into action. Of course with those people there's no explaining the part about larger minimum, they just go for that too. But the word is going to get out it is a ruse, I'm certainly putting it out there. The ploppies won't play it, just guys like me who later will figure out the min is a scam and get pissed.

If my scenario is correct, the guy that [theoretically] pushed this must be sick about it.

They've screwed up their chance to promote this. It explains why there is hardly any mention of the game at the website. Stupid move.

OG, I think it is somewhat common that pitch games are at higher limits. My only guess is that it is protection against counters. I would think it is a lot easier to spread 1-10 at a $5 game than at a $25 game. There will be a lot of black in action calls.