6:5 blackjack is the bane of an intelligent player’s existence. By Al O’Grady
get feedback from time to time from readers and one comment I get is, Why have I not written about casinos paying 6:5 on blackjacks? As we all know the norm has always been a 3:2 payout on blackjack. But this game continues to evolve and this is another chapter in that evolution. Casinos on the Las Vegas Strip have embraced this more than others, but that raises the question of why. There is the glib response, “Because they can,” but I summarize it in one word, greed.
How it Hurts You
Let us start with the math and the impact this can have on the player. Playing 6:5 blackjack means that the player wins $6 for every $5 wagered, or $1.20 for every $1 bet when getting that beloved A-10 combination. With the 3:2 game, the player wins $3 for every $2 wagered or $1.50 for every $1 bet. That means the casino has pilfered an extra $0.30 for each dollar wagered from the player when he gets a blackjack.
But what does that do to the overall house edge? It is very difficult to give a perfect answer to this because of the minor variations in the house rules from casino to casino (i.e. no doubling after splitting, hitting vs sticking on a soft 17, allowing surrender, etc.). In general, if a player is playing perfect strategy the house may have a 0.5 percent edge over him in a 3:2 game. That means the house can realize a $0.50 edge for each $100 wagered over time. In a 6:5 game that house edge increases to two percent, which means the casino realizes income of $2 per $100 wagered. When you multiply that by the number of people playing blackjack on the Vegas Strip, 24-7, 365 days a year, the added revenue stream can be staggering.
But is 6:5 blackjack the industry standard? Certainly not. Is it a growing trend? I cannot offer conclusive evidence one way or the other. While doing research for this article, it was exceedingly difficult getting recent data showing how many casinos have gone or will be going to the 6:5 game.
It is very much location-driven. In a report from 2015, 64 percent of casinos in Las Vegas had 6:5, nine percent of casinos in the Midwestern states had it; 18 percent in the West, 17 percent in the East, and 25 percent in the southern U.S. round out the American casinos. From personal experience, I deal in Canada and I am not aware of any casino with 6:5 in the province of Ontario. Regardless of how many casinos are going the 6:5 route, the industry is certainly watching with keen interest.
The Power of Greed
Casinos must be incredibly careful not to be a victim of their own success. When run properly, a casino is a license to print money. I have never known anyone that put a casino into bankruptcy, with one exception, and that man went on to become President of the United States in 2016 … but I digress. Casinos are successful because they always have a house edge and they prey upon their customers’ greed. They constantly dangle that proverbial carrot in front of the player’s nose with grand illusions of easy money and lots of it. Greed may be a player’s downfall and it could be a casino’s as well. It is no wonder that greed is one of the seven deadly sins.
Corporations that run casinos are always looking to maximize profit. But short-term revenue enhancement can lead to long-term diminishing growth. Business 101 is to give the customer what he wants at a profit. But if increased profits lead to a decrease in customer satisfaction, the player will not see a value proposition and will take his business elsewhere. To the keen observer, this may seem elementary but, unfortunately, we are assuming that all players are rational.
As a dealer, speaking from personal experience, it boggles the mind how many players will buy in for $500 to $1,000 at a $25 table and not have a clue about basic strategy. If they do not know what to do with 15 against a dealer’s six, do you think they understand the ramifications of 6:5 versus 3:2 payouts on a blackjack?
Casinos are relying on this ignorance. P.T. Barnum would be proud. He knew that there is a sucker born every minute, and that a fool and his money are easily parted. The thing is, there are a number of us who enjoy games of chance and understand the odds but take great exception to being taken advantage of by the big bad casino.
Boycott?
So what does the intelligent gambler do? How do we fight back? The quick answer is not to play. Refuse to be treated like a fool. Not only refuse to play at the
tables that have 6:5 payouts but also refuse to stay at their hotel as well and, most importantly, let the pit boss know your displeasure — but do it in a respectful
fashion.
You can write a formal complaint to the Nevada State Gaming Commission. You might roll your eyes with that suggestion but do not underestimate this: If a
bully can take advantage of you, they will. If you throw up the white flag, the bully has won without a fight. On a similar note, reach out to local government officials and let them know you will not be making the trip to Las Vegas. Tell them there are plenty of casinos across the country and Vegas is no longer the only game in town. Vegas thrives on tourism and if this rule change impacts the number of people coming in, they will reconsider how casinos are treating its customers.
While I am showing my age by suggesting a letter writing campaign, the Gen-Xers and those under 30 have this ubiquitous device called a cell phone.
They frequent social media sites such as Instagram and Tik Tok. This is an excellent platform to not only voice their displeasure but it can also be used as an
educational medium calling for blackjack players to boycott the 6:5 game.
Another suggestion is to play a different game. Baccarat has better odds for the player than blackjack. It is an incredibly easy game to play and
the action can get intense. These are all different ideas to fight the casino but, at the end of the day, money rules. Las Vegas will change this rule if it is taking a hit to its bottom line. They had an experiment in the early Nineties where Vegas tried to market itself as a family vacation spot. It quickly discovered that Dad does not want to take his nine-year-old daughter to a place called Sin City and a high roller does not want to shoot craps where little Johnny can be tugging at his coattails.
Vegas changed. It can change again with 6:5 blackjack but only if we speak their language. Money talks and BS walks. Do your talking and let the casino
do the walking. Good luck at the tables and do not forget to tip the dealer.
There are also a lot of blackjack betting strategies as well as the various casino bonuses but they are for another edition of Casino Life Magazine.
***This exclusive feature interview was originally published in Casino Life Magazines November 2024 edition Issue 171***
