Some help for ploppies

Presented as a public service :>)

Here's some simplified information that can be copied, printed and handed out to ploppies you feel sorry for. Beware, the pit critters may not appreciate it.

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FOUR COMMON CASINO BLACKJACK SCAMS

Single Deck Blackjack that pays 6 to 5

This scam tries to take advantage of the myth among uneducated players that "single deck games are always better for the player."

While some single deck games are "better," it is NOT true with the 6 to 5 payoff scam. Normal blackjacks pay 7 � to 5. This is a huge difference.

The house advantage on a normal single deck game is .18%, which means that an unskilled player who plays just �basic strategy� can expect to lose 18 cents for every $100.00 of bets made.

The 6 to 5 ripoff game has a house edge of 1.45%, more than eight times greater than the normal single deck game. The unskilled player will lose $1.45 for every $100.00 of bets.

The house edge in a normal six-deck shoe is about .63%, much worse for the player than a normal single deck, but nowhere near as bad as the single deck 6 to 5 ripoff game.

Continuous shuffling machines

These nasty devices require the dealer to insert the used cards from each round back into the machine, instead of using a discard tray as is normally done. The effect is that of playing against a virtually infinite deck. Every round is played "off the top of the deck," when there is a 100% chance that the unskilled player is at a severe disadvantage.

Fake double deck or fake single deck games

The dealer will hold one or two decks in his or her hand, but it is really a five to eight-deck game being shuffled very frequently. There usually is a sign on the table that reads "Hand-Held Multi-Deck Game," though the casino will frequently try to hide the sign behind ashtrays, etc.

Superfun 21

This is the only game among the four discussed herein that can be beaten by a skilled advantage player. However, it takes an entirely different set of strategy numbers and plays than does normal blackjack. The house advantage is .94% over a player who knows Superfun basic strategy. It is much, much worse for a player who tries to play this game "like regular blackjack."

Frequently dealers and pit personnel will lie and tell an unsuspecting tourist that this game can be played "like regular blackjack," but it cannot. If you play this game like regular blackjack, expect to lose and lose very quickly.

JUST SAY NO TO ANY AND ALL OF THESE RIPOFF GAMES! WALK AWAY, DO NOT PLAY!

This is the only game among the four discussed herein that can be beaten by a skilled advantage player.

Good post.
Actually all of the four forms of "blackjack" you describe have been beaten at one time or another by advantage players. Game protection is generally lax in what the casinos consider an unbeatable game so interesting opportunities can emerge.
To do so however, generally requires special conditions and training in non-standard techniques you won't get to read about in books. It might be better to say "standard counting systems" rather than advantage play.

Nice work -- I hope this is archived. I also agree with bond trader's thoughtful suggestions.

I would like you to consider adding a couple of short sentences as follows: "Anyone interested in professional level play should read and study at least one of the following texts: Blackbelt In Blackjack, by Snyder, Professional Blackjack, by Wong, or KO Blackjack, by Fuchs. It is very unwise to try to win "by the seat of your pants," or with "card sense." Please note these texts do not cover table games other than standard blackjack with a 3:2 blackjack payoff, for the simple reason that these other games can not be beaten in any such manner."

I would also add a warning about progression scams, and make the point that the optimum bet for all but the highly skilled player is always the house minimum, assuming any bet must be made at all.

ETF

i dont think it matters if unskilled players play these, it wont affect their EV at all.

if the house edge is small, more times than not a ploppie will bet it up after bjs, lots of pat 20s etc, and not after a couple drawed out dealer 21s. Eliminates betting up "hot" shoes and neg. counts.Only thing is a few more hands per hr. I understand a counters hatred of them but most of these posts blasting them are wrong. Yes I'm a counnter and hate them too.

"Only thing is a few more hands per hr."

This hurts the ploppy. The more hands the ploppy plays, the more (or faster) he or she loses.

The point of including this was to encourage ploppies to stay away from CSM's to help hasten the demise of the CSM.

just because the cards are continously dealt does not mean that the pack will have even distribution. There will be pockets of small and big cards, just like a regular shoe and ploppies will be just as likely to bet into small segments as large.

Where ploppies are helped somewhat is the lack of a cut card effect. This benefit is far outweighted by the increased number of hands per hour.

I was in major strip casino recently ostensibly watching a 6:5 pay SD game while backcounting a good 6D shoe at the next table.

Two 30 something guys stopped and watched and said to me- "You don't want to play that game. It only pays 6 to 5 on blackjacks".

Took me aback, as I gave them a blank stare.

dogman

What do you say we just scoot this wiseman stuff thread under the rug and be thankful CSM's are not liked by the general public as well as casinos for whatever reasons,OK?

There is nothing worse than explaining the casino benefits of those Damn CSM's. You get the drift? Stick to card counting logic.

Where ploppies are helped somewhat is the lack of a cut card effect.

This is just not true, though I'm not blaming you personally for perpetuating it given the number of people who have supported this fallacy, including people whose advice you'd stake your life on, including Cacarulo and the Wiz of Odds.

The fallacy is simply that there is no cut-card effect when, effectively, the cut-card effect is much stronger than normal. The King continuous shuffler, by far the most popular device in the US, has an effective cut-card about 7 deep under its default settings.
This information can be confirmed by any one who cares to read the patent on the device.