Lookout while playing blackjack

[Ackins Edward]

Card games that are based on blackjack may seem the same at first glance. The number of decks and cards in them is different, while the basic rules remain unchanged. The dealer or a special shuffle machine is responsible for shuffling the cards. In modern conditions, a player needs to understand the nuances of blackjack and the peculiarities of dealing cards. This knowledge is really useful to you, as casinos constantly make their own adjustments, which are often disadvantageous to customers.

Using a different number of decks in blackjack

I would like to dwell in detail on the "stand" and "hit" rules for the dealer. Previously, the dealer was obliged to make a “stand” (when no more cards can be taken) at 17 points, and a “hit” (drawing one more card) when there are 16 or fewer points. Today gambling establishments have made some changes to these rules.

Now the dealer also draws cards on 17 soft points (when there is an ace in his hand). Novice players may think that nothing much has changed, but this is not the case. Indeed, the dealer more often ends the hand with overkill on a 17-soft hit, but in other cases, his hand will significantly outperform the players' combinations.

Due to this rule, the casino increases its advantage over blackjack fans by 0.2%. It must also be said that such a slight change in the rules leads to a complete replacement of the previous gambler's strategy. Let's consider the optimal strategy for playing classic blackjack with 16 decks:

• Doubling the bet 11 if the dealer has an ace.
• If the dealer has an up card of 6, the player makes a "double down" for 19 softs.
• The doubling of 17 softs is carried out when the banker drops an up card 2.

Many casinos still use tables where the old "s17" blackjack rule applies (the dealer is no longer given additional cards if he has 17 points in his hand).  There are also tables of the game "h27", where a "hit" at 17 is allowed. Before you sit down at the blackjack table, familiarize yourself with the nuances of the established rules. We advise you to choose the tables designed for "s17" for the game because they have a significantly lower house edge, which increases your chances of winning. Previously, for blackjack in a one-deck version of the game, the house payout was 3: 2. Over time, casino executives decided to remove it from their range, and instead came variations of blackjack, where two, six, or eight decks of cards are used. Gambling establishments adopted such innovations to increase their own advantage over customers.

Also, with the increase in the number of decks, the possibility of applying the card account strategy becomes much more difficult. Of course, some casinos still have one-deck blackjack, but it's worth noting that the payout for hitting 21 points is only 6: 5. The house edge at this ratio increases by 1.4%, which is almost 9 times more than at the 3: 2 ratio.

Now let's try, for a better understanding, to replace all the numbers with dollars to determine the blackjack payouts with a 6: 5 ratio. Let's say your pot is $ 10 and the dealer deals you 80 hands in an hour. According to statistics, the blackjack combination falls out every 21 hands. It turns out that 21 points in 80 rounds can be collected approximately 4 times. The presence of blackjack brings the player a win of $ 15 (the bet is $ 10, and the ratio is 3: 2).

With a 6: 5 ratio, you only get $ 12. By such actions, the casino, in fact, "steals" from the participants at the gaming table for $ 3 for each blackjack hit. In 2 hours, this amount reaches $ 24. Therefore, we strongly advise you not to play one-deck blackjack with a payout ratio of 6: 5.

Mixing cards

Now let's take a closer look at the features of mixing cards in blackjack. Chances are, you are completely convinced that it is impossible to change the house edge with any shuffling techniques. In fact, this is a misconception. This is the attitude that gambling establishments rely on on the part of customers.

Previously, the dealer used his own hands to interfere with the cards or use special shuffle machines. Today there are two seats on the gaming tables, which consist of 6 decks. When one deck of cards ends, it is sent to the shuffle, after which the dealer takes the next deck, but from another set, and then continues dealing. Using an automatic shuffler for shuffling results in a 70% chance of cards from a spent deck getting into play until the next shuffle.

Manual and machine shuffling of cards does not in any way affect the probability of winning or losing players (the casino advantage remains unchanged). Today gambling establishments are massively switching to a new method of mixing cards, which obviously cannot please true blackjack fans. The device is called CSM.

How does CSM work?

The main task of the CSM is to randomly shuffle the cards that are out of the game after all hands with 4-5 decks remaining. Now, at the end of the deal, the dealer does not put the used cards into a separate cell. Thus, each hand after CSM will be the same as dealing from a new deck.

Why did casinos start using CSM?

For gambling houses, CSM is reliable protection against the masters of the counting technique. This strategy assumes knowing the remaining high and low-value cards in the deck. When the counter player sees that most of the small cards (with denominations from 2 to 6) are out of the game, then he realizes that his advantage over the gambling establishment increases, since the deck is dominated by cards of a high value (from 10 to Ace). It is impossible to calculate their ratio in the presence of the CSM apparatus, therefore the counting technique will not help the player in any way.

CSM and casino edge

In fact, the practice of using CSM shows that the new technique of mixing cards does not increase the house edge at all. One can even argue the opposite - such a device slightly reduces the house edge, which is good news for a gambler. But you shouldn't be too happy about this, because the shift of the advantage towards the player is fully compensated by the high speed of the process. When using CSM, the game can run continuously. The croupier is able to make 20% more hands in one hour. And this is rapidly depleting your bank.

How do I know if CSM is available at the game table?

The most popular CSM device today is the King Shuffler. The device resembles a large black box. In its lower part there is a slot from which the dealer takes cards and distributes them to the players. The upper part is equipped with another cell where used cards are sent. To determine the technique of shuffling the cards, you just need to observe the dealer's actions for some time after the end of the round. If the dealer puts the spent cards in a separate cell, then feel free to choose this particular table, since everything here is arranged according to the old principle. The CSM will be used at the table if the banker folds the cards into the shuffler. Pass by such places.

[ByteMeTwice]

Nice explanation.

 

I always assumed the higher number of decks, the more edge the house has.

The house drawing on s17  also never crossed my mind at all.

That's 2 Great points I have taken from this. There are probably more which I will absorb when I read it again while BJ is open.

Thank you for a very informative post.

 

Good Luck

[Rozimiko]

watch out lucky streak..

[ZeroRaine]

I don't believe I have ever encountered an establishment where the 17 soft bet was allowed, but I can see where that would add another level of difficulty when deciding whether or not to H or S looking at the dealers A.  I believe I would also pass on such a rule set as well.