4-Deck Shoe RIP?

When did the 4-deck shoe disappear from casinos? Did I miss something? When I played serious Blackjack (30 years ago) it was the main card distribution method. A Blackjack pit with ten tables would typically have one single-deck game (always crowded), two double-deck games (usually busy), and the rest were the land of the 4-deck shoe (sit anywhere you like).

Now it's all 6-deck and 8-deck. I can't remember seeing a 4-deck shoe since I got back into casino gaming, not even a stat for one. This would include other types of multi-deck games as well. In fact, I wanted to purchase a 6-deck shoe to practice Spanish 21 at home. I easily found one at a poker supply website. It only occurred to me a few days later that the site didn't even offer a 4-deck shoe for sale, just six and eights.

And why did it vanish? My first thought was because of card counting. Back in the day it was pretty easy counting up to four decks, but beyond that it became almost pointless. (The first time I ever played an 8-deck shoe was at the Tropicana where they dealt the cards face-up, cut three decks out of the stack, and then just sat back and dared you to count your way to a win.) But that can't be right. Most places still offer single and double-deck games (perhaps as loss leaders). Is it because shuffling a shoe is time consuming so you might as well do as many decks as you can?

Is the 4-deck shoe RIP?

Probably gone. But from over three years ago:

https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/gambling/blackjack/22627-4-deck-shoe-game/#post470641

[Leave it there.]

In the last fifteen years, I've only seen one four deck game, and that casino has changed hands since I was there.
It was the first casino you hit in Searchlight. It's the only table and it's closed as much as it's open.
Any counter competent enough to do four decks can just as easily count six or eight decks. The ratio is the same.

Probably not much benefit over a 6 or 8 deck shoe. Single and double deck have a certain allure to the players as a throwback, but once you get into a shoe, I doubt most players can tell the difference between 4 or 6 decks. Might as well reduce the shuffle time.

FWIW the only place I have ever seen 4 decks is in the Czech Republic.

There’s actually lots of casinos in Minnesota with 4 deck games, at least a half dozen. Harrah’s ak chin also had one as of a couple years ago.

Treasure Island Casino still shuffle 4 decks

Quote: billryan

Any counter competent enough to do four decks can just as easily count six or eight decks. The ratio is the same.

Yeah you're right Bill; the ratio is the same. For the system I was taught, however, the target count to increase your unit was multiplied by the number of decks being used which made 8-deck shoes tedious things. I can't recall there being 6-deck shoes back then. Beyond 4 there was only 8.

These days, just the thought of learning the correct plays and counts makes my eyes glaze over (although the Ace-Five count seems doable). I'm more interested in having a good time which is why I'll throw some money at the slots or (horror of horrors) the "pairplus" wager. (If Eyetinatim is correct, maybe I should stop by Treasure Island for the nostalgia factor.) I do find the Wizard's "Ties Win Blackjack" intriguing since it chop shops the game down to its most basic form. I wonder what size shoe it uses?