Resorts AC turns back the clock with $2 blackjack tables -- and will charge 25 cents per hand

Wizard:

From the Press of Atlantic City:
ATLANTIC CITY — The city’s oldest casino will turn back the clock by resurrecting the $2 blackjack table.

However, Resorts Atlantic City will also collect a 25-cent fee per hand for bets of between $2 and $5 at its new “Retro Blackjack” games.

The fee was approved Wednesday by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission and is the first of its kind in Atlantic City.

Resorts will debut the $2 games at two blackjack tables during a trial run beginning in February.

Once common in Atlantic City’s casino industry, $2 blackjack tables have since been replaced by higher-limit games in the profit-driven industry. Even $5 blackjack tables are rare.

Resorts said the $2 tables are aimed at low-stakes players who are just learning blackjack and may be intimidated by higher-limit games.

“Retro Blackjack gives them an opportunity to become familiar with the game while playing with others who have a similar skill level,” Kevin Brown, executive director of table games for Resorts, said in a statement.

Brown told the Casino Control Commission members that the 25-cent fee will help defray Resorts’ operating costs for a game that doesn’t bring a lot of money to the casino.

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How high would the house edge be with this new fee; assuming the standard AC rules?

Thanks for the great new site!
-Tom

This is the same thing they have in California where it is illegal for casino's to bank against the players. Instead, you play against other players(an outside company is contracted to serve as a continous high-roller at each table) and the casino makes its profit solely from the player fee's(which it collects from both sides).

The 25 cent fee applies the same to both $2 and $5 bets so the poorer players are punished worse. A player who wins wagering 2 bucks gives one eigth of his winnings while the $5 bettor only gives up 1/20.

I never liked this type of play(you pay whether you win or lose.) It's a sucker bet to me.

The standard Atlantic City rules are 6 or 8 decks, dealer stands on a soft 17, double after split allowed, no surrender, no re-splitting aces, and the player may only re-split other pairs twice. However, Resorts also has some tables with those rules, except the dealer hits a soft 17. Using my blackjack house edge calculator, assuming 8 decks, the house edge is 0.46% if the dealer stands on a soft 17, and 0.67% if he hits. The general formula for the increase in the house edge if a non-refundable fee must be paid per hand is f/(b+f), where f is the fee, and b is the initial bet. So at a $2 the increase in the house edge is 0.25/2.25 = 11.11%. At a $5 bet the increase is 0.25/5.25 = 4.76%. I would assume they are going to have the dealer hit a soft 17 at these tables, making the overall house edge 11.78% at a $2 bet, and 5.43% at a $5 bet. This is much worse than the 6 to 5 games or even money games they have in Vegas. Still, this isn't as bad as the rule where a player loses on ties, which I saw in Finland.

never mind - question already answered

I wonder if they'll actually just use Quarters.

They used to keep a roll with the bank's chips in case you blackjacked with a pink ($2.50) chip up. In the past few years, I think they just round down in those cases.

Disgusting that they would release a press-release promoting this crap. Reminds me of the big billboards back in the day advertising 6:5 like they were doing gamblers a favor.

Wow, those are horrible numbers - but not entirely unreasonable or unexpected.

For what it's worth, two doors down, at ShowBoat, they advertise, in big bold print, $5 BlackJack, 24/7! You have to read the small print to realize that it's only one table. And, except very late at night, it's full. On a plus side, it pays 3:2 and there's no 25’ commission.

Quote: cclub79

I wonder if they'll actually just use Quarters.

I think they would have to. What else are they gonna do? Round it?

FYI: They already use quarters on the Pia Gow tables.

Quote: cclub79

They used to keep a roll with the bank's chips in case you blackjacked with a pink ($2.50) chip up. In the past few years, I think they just round down in those cases.

Actually, most casinos round up. It's such a rare occurance that they give it to you. It doesn't hurt their edge that much.

Of course, they WON'T enable or encourage that sort of thing by giving you two pinks as change for a $5.

Competition is great. I would imagine this promotion from Resorts is in response to the loss of business from the surrounding states that are now offering slots and table gambling. Unfortunately, Resorts is offering a hideous Blackjack game that will appeal to the Blackjack Your Way To Riches crowd- plus; this promotion may even stimulate the long lost gambling bus promotions ($10 in quarters). When I first played Blackjack in Atlantic City in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, Resorts offered a great six deck game, including early surrender, S17 and double after splits; a four deck game could be found for $25. I remember people having to wait in line, three to five deep, McDonald’s style, behind players at the Blackjack table in order to play. At this time the authors of a very good book Playing Blackjack in Atlantic City (Chambliss & Roginski, 1981) warned the readers of the dismal future of Blackjack if the casinos were allowed to eliminate early surrender and the four and six deck shoe in favor of the eight deck shoe. Wow, compare players concerns regarding Blackjack then and Blackjack now. I guess, with every favorable rule the casino executives eliminate, another golden parachute is opened and filled. I wonder if casinos in Las Vegas will charge a 25c or 50c fee to play one of the fabulous 6:5 single deck games to defray the cost of offering such a great game.

Next gimmick will be "3 for 2" Blackjack

Donald Trump is a fucking criminal

Quote: robbiehood

I remember people having to wait in line, three to five deep, McDonald’s style, behind players at the Blackjack table in order to play.

I remember that too. But don't forget, that was WAY back when Resorts first opened. They were the first casino to open in A.C. And at the time, they weren't even open 24 hours!


By the way, I think this 25’ thing is going to be a P.I.T.A. for everyone involved. They are probably better off charging $2 per shoe per seat. Yeah, I realize that you generally get more than 8 hands per shoe - and even more if the table isn't full, but it would simplify things a lot.

Many poker rooms do this, particularly at the higher stakes tables, rather than rake the pots.