Antes?

The casinos in Oklahoma (and possibly other jurisdictions) charge a fifty cent ante per hand on all table games. I play blackjack almost exclusively. How does this affect the house advantage/ element of risk on a blackjack table with otherwise generally favorable rules (3:2, S17, DAS)?

I don't know what your bankroll is like but have you checked the high limit rooms?

One of the casinos by my house waves the ante on high limit games, according to their website.

And "high limit" in Oklahoma is like a $25 minimum, I think, so not bad at all.

Quote: Hunter94

The casinos in Oklahoma (and possibly other jurisdictions) charge a fifty cent ante per hand on all table games. I play blackjack almost exclusively. How does this affect the house advantage/ element of risk on a blackjack table with otherwise generally favorable rules (3:2, S17, DAS)?

Several, if not all, OK casinos pay the .50 /hand for you (it goes to the state or whatever jurisdiction) IF you have a player's card and play rated. Even on red chip games. I know Downstream does this, I've heard others do.

And to reply to your actual question, it depends on your bet size. Since it's a fixed cost, on a $5 game, it adds a little less than 10% to the HE (since you bet more on splits and doubles, but have already paid the fee). $10 bet, it adds a little less than 5%. Etc. As you can see, pretty punishing to red chippers, but significant over time for even black chippers, adding .5% to the HE.

Earlier this year I asked a casino in Tulsa about their baccarat game, and they told me the ante is scaling...

$.25 for any bet up to $50.00

$1 for any bet $51-$250

$2 for any bet over $250

However, they also told me they sometimes run promotions where they have no ante at all.

Quote: Hunter94

The casinos in Oklahoma (and possibly other jurisdictions) charge a fifty cent ante per hand on all table games. I play blackjack almost exclusively. How does this affect the house advantage/ element of risk on a blackjack table with otherwise generally favorable rules (3:2, S17, DAS)?

For red chippers, it destroys any realistic chance you have.

A few years ago, I saw an LED sign on the blackjack tables in Muskogee OK that said "no ante Wed Thu".