Online casino with .11% advantage!!!

I found an online casino called Pharoahs, they have single deck, stand on all 17, double on anything, type game... you have a .11% advantage just from playing basic strategy!!!!! (Dead link: http://bh3.net/l.php/771) _http://www.pharaohscasino.com/_ You can bet from $1 to $50...how does this casino get away with this? Anybody play on this site?

Read the grueling account of my play here:

(Dead link: http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/../blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-hour-1-of-10.htm) _http://www.blackjackinfo.com/blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-hour-1-of-10.htm_
(Dead link: http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/../blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-day-2-of-10.htm) _http://www.blackjackinfo.com/blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-day-2-of-10.htm_
(Dead link: http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/../blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-day-3-of-10.htm) _http://www.blackjackinfo.com/blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-day-3-of-10.htm_
(Dead link: http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/../blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-day-4-of-10.htm) _http://www.blackjackinfo.com/blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-day-4-of-10.htm_
(Dead link: http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/../blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-day-5-of-10.htm) _http://www.blackjackinfo.com/blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-day-5-of-10.htm_
(Dead link: http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/../blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-day-6-of-10.htm) _http://www.blackjackinfo.com/blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-day-6-of-10.htm_
(Dead link: http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/../blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-day-8-of-10.htm) _http://www.blackjackinfo.com/blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-day-8-of-10.htm_
(Dead link: http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/../blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-day-8-of-10-again.htm) _http://www.blackjackinfo.com/blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-day-8-of-10-again.htm_
(Dead link: http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/../blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-day-9-of-10.htm) _http://www.blackjackinfo.com/blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-day-9-of-10.htm_
(Dead link: http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/../blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-final-summary.htm) _http://www.blackjackinfo.com/blog/2005/07/pharaohs-single-deck-final-summary.htm_

thanks for the information, don't think this game is really worth it to me knowing what I know now, unless I manage to get a huge bank roll and can bet the $50 max...even if I did get that much money , would be better off making more money per hour with huge bet spreads counting at a casino, of course got to give props to the casino for being the only ones wish such good rules

Ken

I've almost never played free games online. I figure that even if a casino deals fair games for real money, they might be tempted to tweak the free games to be easier to beat. Now, I think the big name casinos online wouldn't stoop to that level, but I just never saw the point in 'trying out' the games for free.

The only time I've ever played free games online is when I was researching the way a particular rule is implemented.

Ken, you're a star. I stopped by today to post questions about this game - and I find you've been doing exactly the same as me, testing Pharoahs at $10 a go!

I'm doing a write up myself on this game currently, and would like some exact stats if you have them.

1) Do you have the exact percentages for the following:

Win
Lose
Push
Double win
Double lose
Blackjack (4.82% I think?)

...for these exact rules (1D, S17, DOA, DOS)? The generic numbers for win, lose and push are 43.2%, 47.9% and 8.9% respectively, but I'd like the exact single deck percentages, plus those for double / split.

2) I am having a MIGHTY problem with these figures. I placed 5000 initial wagers, but the final figure obviously includes splits. These are the figures:

W = 2282
L = 2424
P = 365

DbW = 297
DbL = 221
DbP = 32

(SpW = 108
SpL = 96
SpP = 2
SpDbW = 19
SpDbL = 11)

BJ = 241
DBJ = 254

I put the splits in brackets because I've included them in the top WLP totals. The problem is, those splits push the hand total to 5103, so my percentages obviously don't add up to 100. I can't use 5103 as the "initial wager" figure, because it's incorrect - initial wagers were 5000.

I've hit a total stumbling block here. How do I list the figures and percentages correctly, so the W/L/P percentages add up to 100, without increasing the initial hand total from 5000 to 5103 but without ditching the splits? Help.

reply

Judging by everyones experience at this site, do they think the minimal house edge is a legitimate claim by pharaohs?

Caruso, the traditional way to do W/L/P is to just consider the net effect of the total hand. If you split, and win one and lose the other, the result adds to the push column. Win one and push the other? That's a win.

I have some sim software that can answer your need for particular percentages, but I'm traveling at the moment. I'll be in Vegas for another week. While it is possible I may run something from here, it's more likely I'll have to wait until I get back home.

You'll average $2.20 for every $2000 you wager (I figured this out by multiplying .0011 * 2000)

for every $10,000 you wager, you'll average $11 in profit, just so you know it would take you about 180 hands (give or take depending on amount of double ups and splits) of $50 each to reach $10,000 in wagering

If they increased the speed at which you could play and/or increased the max bet, this game could be worthwhile, but $15 per hour is about the most you could achieve

I just noticed that they added a "turbo" button to pharaohs, i've been playing non stop $10 hands on pharaohs over the last few days. So far i've wagered $23,470 , I have a little program where I just hit a button on my computer and it adds $10 each time so this is how I know that is how much I wagered.

I played the first couple of hours with the "turbo" button off. After that I started playing with the turbo button on. I'm guessing that you get (this is very rough estimate) 4/3 more hands in with the turbo button on. This makes this game more worthwhile.

BTW, i'm down exactly $800 after $23,470 wagered, definitely a nasty run of luck. This is after using the basic strategy as listed on the basic strategy engine on this website (doubling 8s vs 5 and 6 and all that fun stuff).

Anybody else been messing around with pharaohs lately?

Net result after:

$30,000 wagered : -$757.50
$40,000 wagered : -$770.00
$50,000 wagered : -$730.00
$60,000 wagered : -$675.00

How many players can you play with at the SD game?

Depends on whether you want to play against just the dealer or as part of a group (more than just yourself). I think that each table has a max of 5 players and dealer

Thank you I might try this place out

i'm giving up after a loss of $825 after $70,000 of wagering.

You wagered 70k? what was your starting bankroll?

I checked it out, but didn't deposit any money. I think the SD game you only can play heads up.

well it was $7k now it's $6k hehe

technically I should be up $77, anybody know what the standard deviation is with a game with a .11% advantage toward the player if your betting $10 a hand, just wondering lol, how about $5 a hand

The variance for a hand of blackjack is roughly 1.33 units, or about 11.5 units per 100 hands.

-Sonny-

Does anyone know if they offer comp points?

I looked at the website and couldn't find any information on this. At other online casinos I have played, I have had about a 1000-1 ratio on comp points. I played $4880 at a casino today, and they credited me with 4.88 comp points which were good for $4 when I cashed out. If Pharoahs offers a similar exchange, the advantage would jump another .1% to .21%. Of course, even if .21% were attainable, the win rate at $50/hand and 300 hands per hour would still only be $31.50/hour, and you would probably need a bankroll on the order of $25K to handle this. Just food for thought. Somebody slap me around if I'm all wet on this one.

I had different experience there, since I went up from 75$ to 360$ I started to constantly loosing the rounds. Hitting a 10 when I have an 11 or 9 was rarely, I lost most of the times when I had to double ect. (I bet only 5$)
As an example my last 132 rounds:
Starting BR: 107.50
Ending BR: 62.50
My blackjacks today: 4
Dealer blackjacks today: 11

Well of course it's only 132 rounds I listed here, but theres not much difference from the other 1712 rounds i've played since I had 360$. Well, probably just bad luck the last 2 days...

Edit: 24.July
Rounds played: 268
starting BR: 82.50
Ending BR: 0
My Blackjacks today: 5
Dealer Blackjacks today: 8

As for doubling:
Push: 2
Player lost: 13
Player win: 11 (Better than other times)

The play ist not rigged, i just had bad luck the last 3 days ^^