6:5 – the Casinos Golden Ratio And Players Demise
- Filed under: Blackjack
- Date: Apr 30,2010
There is a disturbing trend in blackjack these days. Many casinos are paying 6:5 on “natural” blackjack. This is an terrible from the perspective of any regular blackjack player, and it should be something to be mindful of getting into serious blackjack gaming.
Blackjack dealers have paid 3:2 for a natural blackjack hand for decades (that is an Ace combine with any 10 value card). The 3:2 ratio is important, and it is used to motivate players to join the game, and to keep them at the tables waiting for the next big payout. Not only is it exciting to receive a blackjack, it is quite rewarding.
Lets understand the financial power of the different ratios. When you are dealt blackjack, and the dealer doesn’t get a blackjack (dealer loses, not push), then at a 3:2 paying table, you win 150% of your bet. Compare that to a 6/5 table where you are paid only 120% of your bet. Thats a 30% difference, and it can add up quickly depending on the size of your bet.
The casinos are increasingly threatened by players who are mastering the game. This is great! Nonetheless, they are resorting to changing the game in ways that reduce your player advantage. This is NOT GOOD AT ALL.
One of the ways the house changes the player advantage is to reduce the payout on natural blackjack. Consider the effects on your bankroll:
With a blackjack and a $5 bet, you’ll be paid $7.50.
With a five dollar bet at a 6:5 table, you will receive $6 on blackjack. You should have been paid $7.50 according to historical rules, and this is a loss to you.
A $100 bet on 3:2 table pays $150 for a blackjack.
A $100 bet on a 6:5 table pays $120 for a blackjack (a $30 disadvantage – starting to be somewhat significant).
Place a $500 bet at a 3/2 table and you will be paid out $750 with blackjack.
A $500 bet on a 6:5 table pays $600 (a $150 disadvantage)…
Extrapolate this to higher limit tables, and you can see why this is a problem.
When you don’t receive a full payout for a natural blackjack, which is should be your default right at the casino, then you’re essentially starting from a disadvantage. The amount by which your payout is minimized could amount to multiple hands at the table minimum and that should carry you through a losing streak. Alternatively, it could make a big portion of your profit for the session. The casinos are shorting players when they pay 6:5.
Most of the time you’ll find 6:5 payouts at single deck and 2 deck games. However in some local casino’s they’ll pay out 6:5 on lower limit tables like $5-500 (EVEN WHEN THEY HAVE A 6 DECK CONTINUOUS SHUFFLE SHOE!). Now that is absolute theft.
It is your responsibility to know the conditions of the table before you play. Read the writing on the felt, and make sure it doesn’t ready “Dealer Pays 6:5 on blackjack” or you’re playing right into your own disadvantage. There is an undercurrent afoot amongst regular blackjack players to protest these casinos by not playing there. Only if they feel the sting in their pocketbooks at the end of the day will they resort to paying generous (appropriate) payouts on natural blackjack.
Learn more about winning at blackjack. Stop by Monty Karlyle’s site where you can find out all about blackjack strategies and counting cards and what it can do for you.
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