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Advice & More December 2013

Deal Me In

A No Brainer

By Mark Pilarski

The difference between you and card counters is that they take advantage of that shift, and most likely you don’t. Once the odds swing in counters’ favor in opportune situations, they bet more money while you sit tight and bet the table minimum.

Dear Mark: Is there a casino game offered that has a very low house edge, but at the same time you don’t need the skills of a professional gambler to play the game? Alex M.

The game that offers little use of any gray matter, and a low house edge to boot is either baccarat, or for the low roller, mini-baccarat. No need, Alex, to let the mystique of the game intimidate you. With only two hands dealt regardless of how many players are sitting tableside, a player’s only decision is to wager on the bank or the player hand. As for rules, Alex, they are simple enough; the closest to nine wins. Adding a third card, dependent on the total of the first two cards, is done by the dealer based on predetermined rules. Just kick back and watch the dealer do his or her handy work. You will easily pick up the nuances of the game as you play. Plan on being an expert in 30 minutes.

As to the quality of these two wagers, the house edge on the bank hand is 1.17%, and 1.36% on player. There is but one other option, and that is betting that the two hands tie. Fugedaboutit! The house edge on the tie wager is 14%, making it one of the worst bets in the house.

 

Dear Mark: When you have written about counting cards in the past, you have described that it is to the counter’s advantage to bet more when the deck is rich in face cards. Still, don’t the non-counters reap the same rewards since they are sitting at the same table as the counter, share those same high cards, and in essence, have the same odds for or against them? Ken W.

You are right to a point, Ken, in that the composition of the residual cards in any deck constantly changes and can favor all the players sitting at the table. So, when there is a higher percentage of high cards remaining, the odds shift in favor of both you and the card counter, simply because both of you will see more blackjacks, which pay 3-2, plus you are more likely to receive high cards for your double-down situations.

The difference between you and card counters is that they take advantage of that shift, and most likely you don’t. Once the odds swing in counters’ favor in opportune situations, they bet more money while you sit tight and bet the table minimum.

Knowing when to bet more is the key here. While the Average Joe is faithfully betting the same amount hand after hand even when the chances of getting a blackjack are more likely, the card counter shifts his own odds by betting more. Likewise, when the quality of remaining cards are mediocre, card counters wager less, creating odds that, once again, are different from yours.

 

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: ‘It is quite certain that no two human beings can be anywhere long without offering to "bet" upon something.” – Andrew  Steinmetz, The Gaming Table (1870).

 

For more gambling information, check out Mark at http://markpilarski.com

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