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Reason #3 why the Wizard likes Bodog:
Excellent Odds
In my opinion many online casinos are too stingy when setting the odds on their games. They think they will make more money that way but I believe they are misguided, because when players lose too quickly it's not fun, and those players might not come back. Bodog is one of the few casinos that understands this. They offer generous odds to let you play longer and get you a better chance of winning. Among their generous offerings are Full-Pay Jacks or Better returning 99.54%, six other video poker games paying over 99%, single-zero roulette, two blackjack variants with a house edge under 0.2%, and my favorite, Pick 'em Poker, returning 99.95%! Kudos to Bodog for not being afraid to give their players a good gamble. (Visit Bodog) One click and you're in:
No popups, no download, no registration, no B.S., just the game. |
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Home • What's New • Advice & Strategy • Ask the Wizard • Gambling online • Play for Fun |
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Multiple Hands & Multiple Players
Every time I go to the Blackjack games there is a grumpy simple individual, who wants to stone some poor soul for "messing up the shoe.” Is there any truth to this? — Jim from Las Vegas In ten years of running this site I steadfastly denied the myth that bad players cause other players to lose in blackjack. However, you are the lucky 1000th person to ask, so I took the trouble to prove it by random simulation. The rules I put in are the standard liberal Vegas Strip rules as follows.
6 decks First, I had both players follow correct total-dependent basic strategy. Over almost 1.6 billion rounds, the loss of the first player to act was 0.289%, and the second player to act of 0.288%. Second, I had the first player follow the same correct strategy, and the second player follow the same correct strategy except:
Always hit 12 to 16 In a simulation of 1.05 billion hands the loss of the first player was 0.282%, and the second player was 11.260%. So the house edge of the basic strategy playing first player was almost the same, regardless of whether the second player played correctly or wildly incorrectly. I hope this puts and end the third baseman myth, but I doubt it. As I have said many times, the more ridiculous a belief is, the more tenaciously it tends to be held. June 19, 2007 I'm very glad to see that you are back changing the world 1 mathematically challenged emailer at a time. I have a combination of a dear abby and an odds question. Here goes: A coworker of mine has gone his entire gambling life getting angry at the 3rd base player in blackjack whenever that player doesn't follow basic strategy. He insists that that "bad" player is hurting his odds. I am 100% certain that it doesn't change your odds at all. I have tried to explain to him that the reason he thinks it hurts him is because the times that it has in fact hurt him stand out in his mind, and he probably doesn't even pay attention to the times that it helped him. I told him that mathematically, his odds are the exact same whether he plays at a table of people who never hit, a table of people who never stay, or a table of people playing perfect basic strategy. He doesn't buy it. But, how can I possibly convince him that he's wrong? Should I even continue to try? If he admits that he's wrong, he has to admit that he has wrongly berated countless people at blackjack tables when those people were not hurting anyone else but themselves (and in some cases, if they were counting cards and adjusting their strategy accordingly, they weren't even hurting themselves). Don't you think casinos would be better places if people really understood that what I do with my blackjack hand doesn't change your odds in the long run? - Aaron from Detroit, MI Your coworker sounds hopeless. As I have said before, the more ridiculous a notion is the more tenaciously it tends to be held. I'd give up on him and let him believe in his delusion. Personally I don't give unsolicited gambling advice because it is seldom well taken. Feb. 11, 2006 What advantage if any does the house have when using a six spot layout verses a 7 spot layout? - Steven Ritondo from Margate, USA They can deal more hands per hour in a 7-spot game. However the advantage per hand is the same. Personally I hate these 7-spot tables. Jan. 11, 2003 Why do land casinos make you bet more when playing a second hand in blackjack? When playing on line is there an advantage when playing two or more hands? - Brian Crouch from Independence, USA I think the reason for this is that they don't want a minimum bet player hogging up two spaces. This will slow down the game and possibly prevent bigger bettors from playing. Not all land casinos have this rule, I think it is more prevalent in Atlantic City, where tables are more crowded, than Las Vegas. Whether online or a land casino there is no advantage to playing more than one hand. Nov. 28, 2002 My friend and I are debating two blackjack issues that arose from his Caribbean Vacation. (1) What shift in odds does the dealer NOT drawing the second card have? House favor or player favor? (2) in your simulations, what impact does the number of players have on the accuracy of the odds? - Beau Richards from Toronto, Canada (1) It depends what happens if the dealer does have a blackjack. If the player is guaranteed to lose no more than the original wager then it doesn't matter if the dealer takes a second card or not. If the player stands to lose the total amount bet after doubling or splitting and the dealer gets a blackjack then that works to the dealer's advantage. (2) I don't have to simulate this because the number of players makes no difference. Feb. 11, 2002 In blackjack and/or in Caribbean stud poker, does it make a difference if you are the only player seated at the table versus if the table is full? - Patrick from New York, USA No Feb. 11, 2002 In the game of blackjack, can you tell me if people entering and leaving the game changes your odds of winning or losing? It seems to have an effect when I am playing. - Jerry Shafer from Shreveport, USA No, other players entering and leaving will have no long term effect on your odds. This may seem to be true but I suspect you are more likely to remember when entrances and departures hurt you than the times they helped you. In the long run the cards are the cards and all other factors cancel each other out. July 18, 2001 I notice that some internet Casinos give you 2 cards right away one on each hand before you begin to play each hand, unlike a live casino which play the split, one hand at a time. Is this a house advantage dealing two cards before beginning play on the split hands? - Karter from Calgary, Canada Mathematically speaking it doesnít make any difference. Jan. 20, 2001 Do you change your strategy based on the play of other players at your table. For example, you have players who hit when the dealer has a bust card face up taking the bust cards and therefore the dealer does not bust. ñ Star from Ft Worth, USA As a card counter I do care what cards come out but I don't care how other players play. Actually it is slightly to the advantage of the card counter when the other players hit excessively in a single deck game, where the dealer plays a certain number of hands and then shuffles. The reason is that the cards are then dealt further into the deck. Dec. 10, 2000 Do the odds at table games change when the number of players change? In other words, if there are more hands dealt, do the odds change? If not, is there anything at all salient (odds wise) about the number of players partaking in a particular game? This will settle a "bet". - Steve Meredith of Detroit, USA Generally, no, the odds do not change depending on the number of players. The only exception I can think of is side bets like Fortune in Pai Gow Poker, which feature an envy bonus, and thus pay better according to the number of players. Nov. 4, 2000 Q: Is there any mathematical proof you can provide that will prove a player sitting at "third base" on the blackjack table can't change the outcome of the game by making bad decisions based on "basic strategy" I have had many people argue that poor decisions at third base, or anyplace on the table for that matter, cost them money. I would love to see the actual numbers on this if it is possible. Great site by the way. I love gambling, and your site is one of the best I have seen on the web. Actually has real proven info. - Mike Castelluccio of Lafayette, U.S. A: Thanks for your kind words. Unfortunately I do not have any such proof at hand. If I did set about proving it myself I would use a computer simulation. However skeptics would probably claim something ridiculous, like that bad players disrupt the karma of the game, which can't be replicated in a computer. Aug. 13, 2000 Q: In blackjack, do you improve your chances by playing two hands at once for x each, versus 1 hand at a time for 2x? If the odds are better, how much better? - Jim of Atlanta A: The simple answer is no, it neither helps you nor hurts you. However you will have less bankroll variance by betting two hands of x as opposed to one of 2x. Card counters are an exception to the simple no, they may play multiple hands to draw more cards out of a deck rich in good cards, thus improving their odds. April 15, 2000
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Ask the Wizard: Blackjack (multiple hands & players)