Or is there a reason why a casino or online casino would go bust?
I’ve heard both these questions many times and many people both online and in live games in the real world have wondered the same thing.
Historically speaking: Blackjack is usually a game in which the “house” has always won. The people making the bets know this, of course, but players don’t seem to mind.
Maybe it’s the fact that the odds are in their favor, giving them an edge. Maybe they’re just really good at hiding their heads and/or playing it safe.
AA vs the Best
Believe it or not, best odds are not generally an advantage in card games. This is especially true in blackjack, because a decks shuffler randomly renders any advantage.
It’s your choice, but I can tell you right now that best odds are usually not an advantage in blackjack. This is especially true in blackjack, because a decks shuffler randomly renders any advantage.
Preferences & Sinners
In his book Beat The Bola88, Larry Blair tells of a demonstrator setting up a table with one thousand chips. The demonstrator is actually the dealer, but dressed in a different costume (and shoes). The casino has no idea who the player is, never mind whether he’s good or bad.
The player is rumored to have bet top dollar on the first hand, and the dealer is duly smacked upside the head, but that’s the end of that. The player and the dealer smile at each other in what’s known as a “smile.” It’s a smile that usually means you’ve just scored one point. In this scenario, the good player gets rich while the dealer gets smacked upside the head.
How could the casino possibly win against that player? They don’t! The casino wins because the player won’t make a natural. The dealer will make a natural about 1 in 18 times, while the player will make a natural about 1 in 19 times. Therefore, when the player makes a natural, the casino should almost always win.
On the other hand, the player will win the same amount of money (for example, $500) whether he hits a natural or a touchdown. The reason is that the touchdown will just be an additional chip.
Spread Your Way to Success
Larry’s book is a little thorough, but I felt that he presented a lot of specialized probabilities for bettors that don’t get discussed elsewhere. I found his explanation of the best place to get Super bowl tickets misguided, because he says to spend money on slightly better coupons (this doesn’t mean I agree with this recommendation, but it can help explain why his system works) and I thought that he underlined the final agreement by stating that “this is the best you’re going to get.”
The problem with that last statement is that it’s exactly opposite of what the book claims. The worst place to get Super Bowl tickets is at the assign personal injury lawyer website. At this point, you’re not just charging $310 to attend the super bowl, you’re also giving away 10% of your ticket profit to the injury lawyer.
As far as my personal story is concerned, I’ve been going on what I think are winning NFL picks and winning a lot more than some of you might believe. Before the injury, I thought I knew the defensive matchups quite well and could probably have had several winning lines. But, after the injury, it was like night and day. The blinders finally went off.
So, I owe you a lot of gratitude for staying with me through the mess. In the end, the best way to make smart bets is to look at the situation without emotion. We can always fall on bad bets, but only in poker do we let it affect our emotions.