January 28, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Some of you must think I’m one of those patient types that suffers fools gladly. But what would you have me do? Drive them off? Get a rep so fearsome that only the bravest of the brave would ever come near me? Well that’s never been my style. The fact that more’n a few of them’ll stump up for a drink is payment enough for my time. And, anyway, it’s more than a passing fascination of mine to see just how deluded some folks can get.
So there’s me on my high stool at one of my regular casino bars, just nodding and grunting enough so’s they all keep talking. You have to give them just enough face so they don’t catch on you’re only humoring them in the hope of another free drink. And, sooner or later, they all come round to the Basic Strategy in blackjack.
These folks are all into urban myths and conspiracy theories. They just know when they’re true. It’s instinctive, just like their play at blackjack. They’ll not have it that a one-size-fits-all approach can work with a game like blackjack. “Blackjack,” they say as if the Red Sea’s about to part in front of them. “Blackjack is all guesswork.” And to prove their point, they’ll give you a hand from the last time they were playing online. With a crafty smile born of desperation, they give you stiff 14. Dealer’s upcard is a Jack. “So this here blackjack strategy, what’s it say?” (more…)
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January 25, 2008 at 11:50 am
Most of the time when folks ask me questions, you know they just wanna to hear they have the right of whatever discussion we’re having. And ’cause I’m kinda amiable, I rarely turn the discussion into an argument. Life’s too short and I’m kinda on the old side to be getting into fights, so I just suck it all up — along with the alcohol to numb the senses. But every once in a while, folks are not just fishing for poker or blackjack tips. You get the feeling they actually want real answers. So, the other day when this young felloe asked me whether the Basic Strategy shaded the odds in your favor against the House, he had that look in his eye. I took him at his word.
“It depends,” I said not meaning to sound unhelpful. “It depends on the rules and the number of decks in the shoe but, at its best, the Basic Strategy should cut the House edge to no more than about 0.5%.”
I could see him chewing on that, perhaps a little disappointed you were still at a disadvantage. But the story doesn’t end there. No blackjack strategy can’t deliver more than it promises. In this case, it promises to do no more than reduce the odds of losing which is pretty damn impressive when you consider the other casino games you can play. Those that play baccarrat are always 1.06% down in the hole before they start. Casino slots rarely pay back more than 97%. Roulette gives the House a 5.25% edge. And then there’s keno, the best get-rich-quick scheme ever invented by a casino. (more…)
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