Gambling Rules: Good and Badby Frank ScobleteAlmost every table game has gambling rules where good and bad rules apply. Play in games with good rules or conditions and you have a good chance of winning some money; play in casino games with bad rules and you don’t have as good a chance to take home the money. Here are the gambling rules to look for certain casino games. Blackjack: Good rules or conditions for basic strategy players: Double on any first two cards Split all pairs Double after splits Resplitting allowed Double after resplitting Resplitting aces allowed Dealer stands on soft 17 Blackjack pays 3 to 2 Surrender Bonus hands with no side bet Shallow penetration Crowded tables Bad rules or conditions for basic strategy players: Restricted doubling, usually on two-card 10 or 11 only No pair splitting allowed No resplitting allowed No doubling after splits Dealer hits soft 17 Blackjack pays 6 to 5 Blackjack pays even money Bonus hands require a side bet Deep penetration Empty tables Automatic shufflers Automatic continuous shufflers Insurance You will note that I put “shallow penetration” as a “good condition.” If you read publications geared to card counters or even general interest gambling publications, you’ll note that “deep penetration” (penetration being how far the dealer deals into the deck or shoe) is considered the single most important factor for success. Deep penetration is what card counters want; the fewer cards behind the “shuffle card” the better. Just about 99.99% of blackjack players do not benefit from deep penetration, just the opposite. Deep penetration means more hands played; more hands played means more money lost for 99.9999 % of the blackjack players – and more money won by the casinos. So unless you are among the small elite of blackjack players, you want to play at casinos with shallow penetration. Luckily, many casino executives are so frightened that one of those 1,100 card counters might show up in their places that you’ll find shallow penetration in most casinos across the land. That’s a good gambling rule. Craps: The game of craps is perhaps the most exciting game in the casino. While all craps games are the same in terms of their gambling rules, not all are the same in terms of their payouts. For example, in Atlantic City, you can buy the 4 or 10 for $35, paying a $1 commission. That translates into an approximately 3 % house edge. However, in Tunica you can only buy the 4 or 10 for $25, paying that same $1 commission. You would think Atlantic City is offering the better deal. Well, think again. You see, in Tunica and most Vegas casinos, you only pay your $1 commission if the bet wins, while in Atlantic City, you pay whether the bet wins or loses. The house edge in Tunica is therefore about 1.3 %, much better than Atlantic City. The Field is generally a bad bet, coming in as it does with a 5.26 % edge in favor of the house. Most casinos pay 2 to 1 on the 2 and 12. However, some casinos will pay 3 to 1 on the 12 or sometimes the 2, which reduces the house edge in half on the Field bet. The most glaring example of difference in craps games comes when we look at the odds bet. Some casinos, mostly cruise ships and the like, only allow single odds behind your Pass Line or on your Come bets; while most American casinos allow double odds. However, some casinos allow 3X, 5X 10X, 20X and even 100X odds. The difference between single odds and 100X odds is staggering – if you can afford to take 100 times your line bets that is. Roulette: Roulette is a game of numbers, two of which are green, the 0 and the 00. If you can find a roulette wheel with a single green 0, you reduce the house edge from 5.26 to 2.7 %. If you can find casino games where gambling rules allow you to “surrender” your even-money bets (odd/even, red/black, high/low) when the green zero(s) hit, you reduce the edge further in half. Not bad at all. So, repeat after me, “I will look for casino games with good gambling rules and good payouts.” Gambling Rules is followed by a lesson about house edge casino OR Return to Gambling Tips and Strategies Gambling Teachers home
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