Buffalo Blackjack
March 7th, 2012 at 6:39:18 PM
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Apologies if this has been discussed or figured out before...but I couldn't find a search option.
Here in Colorado, the casinos offer a game called "Buffalo Blackjack". I believe its from Galaxy Gaming. The player can make up to two side bets in addition to a standard blackjack bet (Every place I've been has hit S17, blackjack 3:2, no surrender).
One side bet is called "Bust It" and it pays if the dealer busts. One upside to the bet is you can wait to bet it until the last player has acted on their hand. The payouts vary depending on what the dealer has up.
The payouts are as follows:
2-6: Even money
7-10: 2:1
Ace: 3:1
8-8-8: 25:1
If the bust is suited it pays as follows:
Ace: 50:1
2: 25:1
9 or 10: 20:1
3 or 7: 15:1
4 or 8: 10:1
5: 5:1
6: 3:1
I assume this bet would exploitable if the dealer flashed their hole card somehow...or if a counter knew the deck was heavy in tens. Thoughts on this bet? I haven't seen the game outside of Colorado.
The second bet is called "21 magic". This bet must be made before the hand starts. It pays if the player makes a 21. Several different paytables are available; this is the one we use:
Blackjack/2 card 21: 6 to 1 (If a player splits Aces, he must match the side bet)
3 card 21: 8 to 1
4 card 21: 9 to 1
5 or 6 card 21: 10 to 1
7 card+ 21: 25 to 1
I'm sure this is a lousy bet, in fact, I've only seen it made a handful of times. The "Bust It' bet is probably made 10 times as often as the 21 magic. Its a gimmick game, that's for sure, but one players seem to enjoy. House edge? And curious as to what the more-educated folk on here think about it.
Here in Colorado, the casinos offer a game called "Buffalo Blackjack". I believe its from Galaxy Gaming. The player can make up to two side bets in addition to a standard blackjack bet (Every place I've been has hit S17, blackjack 3:2, no surrender).
One side bet is called "Bust It" and it pays if the dealer busts. One upside to the bet is you can wait to bet it until the last player has acted on their hand. The payouts vary depending on what the dealer has up.
The payouts are as follows:
2-6: Even money
7-10: 2:1
Ace: 3:1
8-8-8: 25:1
If the bust is suited it pays as follows:
Ace: 50:1
2: 25:1
9 or 10: 20:1
3 or 7: 15:1
4 or 8: 10:1
5: 5:1
6: 3:1
I assume this bet would exploitable if the dealer flashed their hole card somehow...or if a counter knew the deck was heavy in tens. Thoughts on this bet? I haven't seen the game outside of Colorado.
The second bet is called "21 magic". This bet must be made before the hand starts. It pays if the player makes a 21. Several different paytables are available; this is the one we use:
Blackjack/2 card 21: 6 to 1 (If a player splits Aces, he must match the side bet)
3 card 21: 8 to 1
4 card 21: 9 to 1
5 or 6 card 21: 10 to 1
7 card+ 21: 25 to 1
I'm sure this is a lousy bet, in fact, I've only seen it made a handful of times. The "Bust It' bet is probably made 10 times as often as the 21 magic. Its a gimmick game, that's for sure, but one players seem to enjoy. House edge? And curious as to what the more-educated folk on here think about it.
March 7th, 2012 at 6:50:32 PM
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When all of these factors are considered, a conservative estimate of the average casino advantage is about 30%.
A savvy side-bet player will try to outsmart the bet by only betting on certain dealer up cards. But the payouts for this side bet are structured in a way that will cause players to lose more money. Most players are aware that a dealer will bust more frequently when they are displaying a 5 or a 6, so they will be inclined to place bets more frequently on these values. Due to the lower payouts on these values the casino advantage on them is between 45% and 50%, while values of 9 or 10, where the dealer will bust less frequently, only carry advantages of about 25% due to relatively higher payouts.
A savvy side-bet player will try to outsmart the bet by only betting on certain dealer up cards. But the payouts for this side bet are structured in a way that will cause players to lose more money. Most players are aware that a dealer will bust more frequently when they are displaying a 5 or a 6, so they will be inclined to place bets more frequently on these values. Due to the lower payouts on these values the casino advantage on them is between 45% and 50%, while values of 9 or 10, where the dealer will bust less frequently, only carry advantages of about 25% due to relatively higher payouts.
