$1 blackjack at the Sahara, Las Vegas for noobees to feel their oats....

As a rule, I don't post about blackjack conditions in Las Vegas, but figured I would make a exception in this case. Driving east on Sahara yesterday, stopped at the light at LVB, there was a large sign on the old Sahara "$1 Blackjack". If I remember correctly, it also said "24/7". This is a great opportunity for those just starting out to get some "real casino conditions" experience with little monetary risk, before the next step, a short ride to the El Cortez, high limit $3 game.

Good luck,
Cobbson

Read the thread dated March 2. (1 page back) "practice your count in Vegas Cheap". BJ bets <$5 pays even money. Although it is a rip off I still agree that cheap live casino practice is the way to go. Playing at $5 DD 3:2 is less expensive EV but more fluctuation dollar wise. Practicing players can make more mistakes thus costing more on $5 bets. Several posters responded negative feedback supporting 6:5. Nice to hear someone else in favor or cheap practice!

Those shoe games pay even money on $1 bet? You have to bet $5 minimums to get 6:5 payout.

I don't think advocating any negative EV game is advantageous to anyone...even new counters.

Personally, I'd wouldn't recommend these games to anyone...matter of fact, people playing them should be warned what they're doing in hopes they would quit playing them. Maybe then, the casinos would get the message.

Regards,
PM

...as long as visitors to Las Vegas and other venues are willing to play black and purple at places like Caesars with some of the poorest blackjack rules around. People are uneducated in gaming, and the casinos want to keep it that way. They don't carry Don or Stanford's books in the gift shop.

Personally, I think eventually these types of games (6:5, D10, etc.) will backfire on the operators, particularly here in Vegas. How many times is a man willing to come here and go home broke. Eventually he has to scream "uncle!!" and give up at some point, never to return. There have to be some winners to keep'em coming back

There will always be a convention trade if only because there are not that many places that can handle a convention with 25,000 to 150,000 attendees, but the casinos can't live off of convention trade alone.

With all the competition, operators like Harrah's are going to have to give their customers more "bang for the buck", or someone else will.

Back to the original point of this thread, I still think playing for a buck a hand for a few hours, no matter how lousy the game, is a better initial experience and sure beats what I did over 20 years ago, standing up, backcounting and getting seasick on cruises to nowhere.

Cobbson

...AND NONE OF THIS EITHER AT THE TABLE--JUST AS BAD

http://www.scrippsnews.com/content/slots-looser-blackjack-revenue-down-vegas

...From your quoted article>

"On the Strip, blackjack is down 34 percent from its peak, while slots are down about 20 percent, according to calculations by Frank Martin, a San Diego-based mathematician and gaming analyst.
Martin attributes some of the decline to backfired attempts by casinos in recent years to make blackjack games more profitable. These include the spread of 6-5 odds games and a proliferation of specialty blackjack games and side bets with worse-odds jackpots that attract novices while turning off seasoned blackjack players."

I really don't want the casinos to go belly-up, even the evil empire, but if anyone in power reads this, just remember, you only deal in ENTERTAINMENT for the majority of your customers. ENTERTAINMENT is last on the list of lifes needs and wants and there are cheaper forms than gaming, the best of which is free. Well, almost ;)

Cobbson

I have been thinking along these same lines, BJC. Casinos put in worse blackjack rules like 6-5 and h17 and what happens? Their revenues initially go up. They do the same thing by lowering VP paybacks and slot machine paybacks. And of course revenue initially goes up. But then those folks that go to the casinos fairly regularly, perhaps the retired couple that spends 2 nights per month in AC or travels to Vegas every so often, realizes that they don't win one out of every 3 trips any more like they used to. They now rarely win. Soon it is no longer fun for them and they cut back on trips or stop going all together. Enough folks react this way and then what happens to revenues?

is the only way the casino can afford to "give away" drinks. I guess they could pay 3/2 but charge for drinks.

...Although we have all seen totally wiped out players get lucky and make a killing. If nothing else, it's a lot of fun to watch.
Many years ago I watched a drunk at a blackjack table turn $60 into over 5G. Whether he had the money 24 hours later is a long shot.

Cobbson

Can anyone tell me is penetration more important than the dealer hiting soft 17? I just took a trip and found a single deck dealer stands on 17 3/2 double on 9 and 10.But the penetration was about 40%. Every time the count got good they reshuffled.

Obviously there are some rule sets where penetration takes a back seat but for most common rule sets bigplayer is absolutely correct.