There is a good chance that if you are playing the 21 card game in a US casino and feel you are losing more money than usual, you may be playing the 6 to 5 blackjack variant. Blackjack is an old casino game dating back to the 18th century. Its gameplay involves players competing with dealers to win the game. The objective is to play the cards given in a way that your hand value becomes 21 or closer to this figure to win.
Despite this straightforward gameplay, many players back in the 90s found blackjack impossible to beat. It tests one’s wits and mental skills. Around the 1950s, blackjack became less sought after, and Craps took its place. But during this period, four men who were mathematicians in the US Army and a man called Edward Thorp were working silently and separately, trying to devise practicable strategies that could beat the house.
By 1956, the quartet published “The Basic Strategy” for Blackjack in the revered Journal of the American Statistical Association. Six years later, Sir Edward Thorp also published a book titled Beat the Dealer, in which he revealed card counting as a powerful strategy that trumps the house. Those who abandoned blackjack began returning, having studied the mathematical secrets.
Seeing the impact of the published strategies, casinos began looking for ways to improve their house edge. The perfect solution they came up with was the 6 to 5 blackjack payout.
What is 6 to 5 blackjack? What are its rules? And how does it compare to 3 to 2 blackjack? Vegas Aces Casino news will reveal the answer to this question, but first, here is a quick history.
6 to 5 Blackjack History
According to various reports, two Vegas Casino ex-executives, Bill Zimmer, and Bill Bert, introduced the 6 to 5 blackjack payout in 1999, but another record claims it was in 2003. Regardless, this version of Blackjack spread throughout Las Vegas. If you visit downtown and the Boulder Highway today, many blackjack tables pay 6 to 5. It is often presented as a variant of the 21-card game.
6 to 5 takes over the Single Deck Tables
Two decades ago, Flamingo Casino on the Vegas Strip was the first gambling establishment to offer the 6 to 5 blackjack table, stating that it offers more advantages because it will be played with a single deck.
In the 6 to 5 blackjack, players are paid 6:5 for getting a natural blackjack (two given cards that are 21 in value when summed). Usually, blackjack casino payouts are in ratios. A player who wins the game without a 21 is paid 1:1. Let’s see what both ratios mean.
6 to 5 means you will be paid $60 for every $50 bet placed. Let’s even go lower. You will get $6 for every $5 wager. Now, if you form a 21 but not naturally, the pay is 1:1, meaning when a player bets $10 and wins, he is paid $10.
Now, you may wonder what the problem is since you are still getting paid well for getting a blackjack, and it’s a single-deck game.
Don’t Fall for the Trick
Single-deck card tables are more advantageous than multiple-deck tables. This is true to an extent, but it does not positively affect your winnings in this instance. Many players trooped into Las Vegas Casino, hoping to use the card counting strategy, but the house edge impacted their payouts. So do not be like them. Stick to the 3:2 blackjack.
3 to 2 Blackjack Still Rocks
The original payout metric for blackjack is the 3 to 2. When we break this down, it becomes 1:5:1. Let’s assume you wagered $5. Your expected payout will be $5 plus half of your initial bet of $2.50. So, 3 to 2 pays $7.50 for every 10 bucks bet.
The breakdown of 6 to 5 blackjack is 1:2:1. While the 0:3:0 difference looks small, it adds up on bigger wagers.
House Edge
The blackjack house edge is roughly about 2%. The 3 to 2 blackjack decreases it to about 0.4%.
The 6 to 5, on the other hand, has a 1.39% house edge, which can also increase to 1.770%.
Final Thoughts
6 to 5 blackjack is a variant found at casino tables in Vegas and all over the United States.
It retains all the rules of playing regular casino games until you win a blackjack, and it’s time to get your payout. With the 6 to 5, you will get less pay when compared to 3:2 blackjack, even though you placed the same wager.
Even with card counting, you might not be able to gain an advantage over the house unless you understand technical aspects like true count. Therefore, we can’t call it an exciting version, seeing that it only benefits the house.
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