Blackjack: +EV game?
 

Is blackjack a + or - EV game while playing perfectly? (Assume no card counting). This has to be the most amateur blackjack question ever asked, but I'm a poker player.

Re: Blackjack: +EV game?
 

perfect strategy leads to minus a half percent or so depending on the rules.

Melch

Re: Blackjack: +EV game?
 

Minus, barely.

Re: Blackjack: +EV game?
 

I don't know. Call me a heathen or whatever. But if Blackjack is a -EV game when played perfectly...then...um...why play it?

Again i am open to insults.

Re: Blackjack: +EV game?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know. Call me a heathen or whatever. But if Blackjack is a -EV game when played perfectly...then...um...why play it?

Again i am open to insults.

[/ QUOTE ]

You'r right. Casinos should just shut down since no one will ever want to play a -EV game.

Re: Blackjack: +EV game?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know. Call me a heathen or whatever. But if Blackjack is a -EV game when played perfectly...then...um...why play it?

Again i am open to insults.

[/ QUOTE ]

Cause people have been told that it can be beaten

Re: Blackjack: +EV game?
 

It's not as -EV as the other casino games. But it still is -EV.
Why for that matter do hundreds of thousands of people play all the other games of "chance"?
Some want to have fun and don't mind paying and others just don't understand the concept of EV at all.

Re: Blackjack: +EV game?
 

[ QUOTE ]

I don't know. Call me a heathen or whatever. But if Blackjack is a -EV game when played perfectly...then...um...why play it?

Again i am open to insults.

[/ QUOTE ]

Card counting in live casinos allows this game to become a +EV game.

Bonus whoring in online casinos allows this game to become a +EV game.

Melch

Re: Blackjack: +EV game?
 

The reason people play blackjack is because they can overcome the longterm house advantage in the shortterm. 4 percent is not a very large edge over any single hand. also, people tend to think that varying bet size will eliminate the house edge

Re: Blackjack: +EV game?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know. Call me a heathen or whatever. But if Blackjack is a -EV game when played perfectly...then...um...why play it?

Again i am open to insults.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not insulting you but aren't most things you do in life either -EV or at least not as +EV as other things you could be doing? I mean going to the movies is certainly less EV then scrounging trash bins for aluminum cans but I can tell you which one I'd rather do.

Re: Blackjack: +EV game?
 

exactly

Re: Blackjack: +EV game?
 

The EV of blackjack varies depending on rules and number of decks (the fewer decks the better, rules being equal). Most games that you will find in a casino are -EV, usually between -0.2% and -1%. However, sometimes promotions or casino errors will make a game +EV.
Rules to avoid:
Short pay blackjacks (6:5 is horrible)
Dealer hits soft 17.
Any restrictions on doubling (double 10 and 11 only, etc.)
No double after split.
Rules to look for
2:1 blackjack (very rare. Sometimes a suited blackjack or some other subset will pay 2:1. This is good if it's not offset by bad rules)
Early surrender: Also quite rare. Early surrender means you can surrender before the dealer checks for blackjack. It will usually make the game +EV, unless offset by other really nasty rules. Significant strategy changes are required to take full advantage (you surrender a lot of hands against a dealer ace)
Dealer stands on all 17's.
Double after split.
Late surrender: This is the common form. You can't surrender vs. dealer blackjack. Surrender 15 vs. 10 and 16 vs. 9, 10, A.

Note that changes in rules and number of decks change basic strategy consult Wizard of Odds or blackjackinfo for correct strategy.

Re: Blackjack: +EV game?
 

The game at one of our local casinos actually has a player edge of 0.04% when basic strategy is played.

Table max is 100$ though so you're not gonna make a mint playing it.

Re: Blackjack: +EV game?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I don't know. Call me a heathen or whatever. But if Blackjack is a -EV game when played perfectly...then...um...why play it?

Again i am open to insults.

[/ QUOTE ]

You'r right. Casinos should just shut down since no one will ever want to play a -EV game.

[/ QUOTE ]

Your reading comprehension needs some work. He asked why one should play it, not why casinos offer it. Congrats on the witty reply, though.

Re: Blackjack: +EV game?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I don't know. Call me a heathen or whatever. But if Blackjack is a -EV game when played perfectly...then...um...why play it?

Again i am open to insults.

[/ QUOTE ]

You'r right. Casinos should just shut down since no one will ever want to play a -EV game.

[/ QUOTE ]

Your reading comprehension needs some work. He asked why one should play it, not why casinos offer it. Congrats on the witty reply, though.

[/ QUOTE ]

I interpreted the question as "why would one play BJ" not "why should one play BJ"

Re: Blackjack: +EV game?
 

[ QUOTE ]
The reason people play blackjack is because they can overcome the longterm house advantage in the shortterm. 4 percent is not a very large edge over any single hand. also, people tend to think that varying bet size will eliminate the house edge

[/ QUOTE ]

To the OP: It is the law of large numbers that states that eventually you must acheive your EV. There is a lot of debate as to how large the number is. Even the casinos sweat a bad month. I used to count BJ every weekend, now I play maybe a dozen sessions a year. Fewer sessions for craps. So, I will gleefully belly up to these -EV games, because it's all in the standard deviation for me.

I wouldn't touch a slot, though. Those people are morans. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

(actually that's not entirely true. I like the lowbuy slot tourneys in Vegas, and have done well in them. I'm usually forty years younger than my average competition)

Re: Blackjack: +EV game?
 

For an overview check out my analysis of Party Poker Blackjack at http://www.reviewpokerrooms.com/arti...blackjack.html which offers fairly standard rules.