casino

Originally posted by eatmybishop
okay, can someone answer me this, if everyone playing blackjack knows each other and has a system to tell each other what cards they have, would the group then have greater odds of beating the dealer?

Yes, they would. The more information each player has about the cards remaining in the deck(s), the better it is for them because they can make more informed decisions on marginal plays. The colluding players wouldn't have a complete stranglehold on the game, but the advantage would be significant (I'm guessing somewhere in the neighbourhood of a 55-60% chance of winning overall for the group).

Originally posted by PBE6
Yes, they would. The more information each player has about the cards remaining in the deck(s), the better it is for them because they can make more informed decisions on marginal plays. The colluding players wouldn't have a complete stranglehold on the game, but the advantage would be significant (I'm guessing somewhere in the neighbourhood of a 55-60% chance of winning overall for the group).

I haven't done the math, but I know that the overall odds of the group winning is still less than 50% since the players' hands at a blackjack table in a casino are typically dealt face up.

Originally posted by eatmybishop
okay, can someone answer me this, if everyone playing blackjack knows each other and has a system to tell each other what cards they have, would the group then have greater odds of beating the dealer?

You don't need a 'strategy' to know what the other players' cards are. All cards for the players are dealt face-up in a casino.

Originally posted by richjohnson
I haven't done the math, but I know that the overall odds of the group winning is still less than 50% since the players' hands at a blackjack table in a casino are typically dealt face up.

😳 Oops, good point! I forgot they're dealt face up. I agree with everyone else now, the knowledge of the other player's cards won't help. Collusion might still help a bit, by having one player sacrifice their hand for another's benefit in a knowledgeable way (although the effect of another player's decisions on your odds is nil when carried out randomly), but it probably wouldn't be much of an advantage.

After looking this up on the Wizard's site, I found the following somewhat related link:

http://wizardofodds.com/blackjack/appendix16.html

This is a basic strategy for the case where the dealer accidentally exposes the hole card. If the rules are generous to the player, the player advantage can be up to about 10% based on the extra info.

Watch the movie 21 it says nothing , but explains it all!

i believe video poker gives the best odds, closely followed by blackjack, both in the 98% givebacks.. worst (or really low) are keno and red dog

Originally posted by irontigran
i believe video poker gives the best odds, closely followed by blackjack, both in the 98% givebacks.. worst (or really low) are keno and red dog

you were the 21 poster.....lol, coincidence,..... I think not?😀

blackjack also has the 0 and 00 so its not 50 percent but more like 48

Originally posted by rkgrizzly
blackjack also has the 0 and 00 so its not 50 percent but more like 48

you're thinking roulette

between me and rkgrizzly, you can see why casinos do so well..!

Originally posted by forkedknight
You don't need a 'strategy' to know what the other players' cards are. All cards for the players are dealt face-up in a casino.

yes, of course, i forgot about that... i guess this is why card counting comes in handy....

how about if i bet $1 and lose, i bet $2, if i lose i bet $4... etc.... surely eventually i would win and win my money back... i'm sure this is nothing new but wondered why more people dont do it

Originally posted by eatmybishop
how about if i bet $1 and lose, i bet $2, if i lose i bet $4... etc.... surely eventually i would win and win my money back... i'm sure this is nothing new but wondered why more people dont do it

The reason it's not used very much is that (1) you only win $1 each time, (2) you risc losing everything you have with a certain probability (3) It's not fun in the long run and (4) is it permitted in the first hand by the casino?

Originally posted by FabianFnas
The reason it's not used very much is that (1) you only win $1 each time, (2) you risc losing everything you have with a certain probability (3) It's not fun in the long run and (4) is it permitted in the first hand by the casino?

Yes, see my thread titled "Blackjack" if you care to look at this further. You need a table that will allow a bet range between $1 and $2048 (unheard of -- most casinos allow $5-100 for the cheap tables) in order to have a 23% chance to win $2048. That betting strategy just doesn't hold up in a real casino.

I once wrote in boredom a program that would flip a coin and bet using this strategy on the out come. Even though the person started off with tens of millions, it ended up losing it within a few million flips 😀

The main problem with card counting is that you need to be at the table from the start of the shoe. If you have 'scouts' that find good tables, it gives much better returns.