"Blackjack Poker" how do you play banker?

#1
I just got back from my second time playing 21 at a land casino. I can't believe I actually left with double what I started with (started with $250, left with $540).

Anyways, I wanted to play banker as the tile was offered around the table but didn't take it because I didn't know how it worked and didn't want to look like a noob. Plus I just wanted to play it safe with what I knew and studied as a player and not banker. (i learned my lesson the first time I played at a land casino without knowing what I was doing i.e.basic strategy and ended up going negative $1000!)

can someone explain to me what I need to do if I were to say "yes, I'll be banker for the next two rounds"? How much of my money do I need to put up front to cover the table? What if I don't have enough, can I still be banker? what does "open lock" mean? and what are those little numbered coin looking like things the other side (banker?) who i think uses to cover the cost for the banker/players shortcomings? aaaah! I'm lost. I'm surprised I even left with what I did just on basic strategy.

Basically, what do I have to do at the table as a banker from the time I accept the role of banker to the end of my two rounds as banker.

Alls I know is that if the dealer beats the people at the table the banker/player gets to take whatever was wagered by those who lost. NICE!

fyi. it was at the Hawaiian Gardens Casino.
 

Brock Windsor

Well-Known Member
#2
The casinos rules are online. (Dead link: http://www.hawaiiangardenscasino.net/blackjackpoker.html)
You should probably ask the casino staff if you want specifics on the rules. Keep in mind this game takes a big rake and is unbeatable using conventional methods. If you could find some horrendous players to take advantage of maybe you could beat it if you were well bankrolled but I'm doubtful you could much overcome the rake. This game is not blackjack so should probably be posted in the other games section.
BW
 

callipygian

Well-Known Member
#3
Basically, as banker, you would gain the advantage of being the house (player acts first, etc.) but you need to stake the amount of money that everyone is betting. The house will still take a rake of your winnings, so you gain a little advantage, but not enough to make this a break-even proposition.

I don't know what "open lock" means or what rules are specific to your casino.
 

Guynoire

Well-Known Member
#4
In this game the banker has a huge advantage due to the 6-5 blackjack payoff, so you should choose to bank every time. If you don't have enough money to cover everyone's bet the guy with the box full of chips automatically covers the remaining action.
 

Brock Windsor

Well-Known Member
#5
Guynoire said:
In this game the banker has a huge advantage due to the 6-5 blackjack payoff, so you should choose to bank every time. If you don't have enough money to cover everyone's bet the guy with the box full of chips automatically covers the remaining action.
"huge" is an overstatement. It is less than 1.5%. That is not going to overcome the rake as shown. Im also very skeptical that the house is going to cover the extra action, if it did that would leave this game EXTREMELY vulnerable. This game is "blackjack poker" not blackjack.
BW
 
#6
Brock Windsor said:
"huge" is an overstatement. It is less than 1.5%. That is not going to overcome the rake as shown. Im also very skeptical that the house is going to cover the extra action, if it did that would leave this game EXTREMELY vulnerable. This game is "blackjack poker" not blackjack.
BW
whats the difference with regular land casino blackjack with blackjack poker?

and with regards to banker having an advantage it seems to be true because everyone who had $200+ nearly always accepted the role of banker. Although I don't know if it's really that huge of an advantage...

One thing I didn't like about banker is that you can lose BIG too when the dealer busts.
But one lady at the table who played banker won something like $400 in one round! its so tempting to be banker! but i guess its the "you win big or you lose big" thing with being banker. I'm more of a slow and steady player.

LOL... when I was playing yesterday people who were watching thought I was counting cards because I kept winning :grin:. I was playing it real slow at the table though. in 5 hours all I managed to make was 250 not counting cards but with basic strategy. so with minimum bet being $5 and maximum being $50... I went reaaal slow (with progressive betting). should I have been more aggressive? lol

hey, thanks for all the replies. I think I have a better idea of how banker works now and will try it out the next time I go. Thanks again. and wish me LUCK on my next trip : ))

hopefully I do even better with all the info I'm getting in this forum. Good stuff here.
 

Guynoire

Well-Known Member
#7
Brock Windsor said:
"huge" is an overstatement. It is less than 1.5%. That is not going to overcome the rake as shown.
Playing basic strategy the banker edge is about 2% but if the skill of the players are about that of typical ploppies I'd guess 4% is more accurate. The comission varies but can be very low at a full table. For example if 6 others bet $50 at a $5 to $50 table that's a rake of $1 for 300 dollars worth of action, maybe more if they double or split.

Brock Windsor said:
Im also very skeptical that the house is going to cover the extra action, if it did that would leave this game EXTREMELY vulnerable. This game is "blackjack poker" not blackjack.
BW
It's not the house, it's a third party allowed by the house supposedly for charity or something like that. Also when I said cover I did not mean only on losses. For example if the table nets a $75 loss but you only banked $50 you would win $50 and he would win the remaining $25. You can only win or lose as much as you bank and he serves as banker for the rest. There's also an option to split banking with other players.
 

Brock Windsor

Well-Known Member
#8
Look at the two posted rules below:
"If the bank doesn’t have enough to cover the payout, then the player will be paid as much as the bank has up to the amount to which he or she is entitled."

"If the player-dealer exposes his or her own downcard, the card plays."

Are you absolutely certain a 'corporation' is banking the extra action on this game the same as they would in California blackjack? Perhaps I'm revealing too much here but I seriously doubt a corporation would bank a game in which the player and not the casino dealer checked the hole card value. Can anyone go and verify this?
BW
 

Martin Gayle

Well-Known Member
#9
BW,
I think you may be revealing too much insight into the obvious vulnerabilites that casinos have preyed upon the plops. I am thinking the house rake is higher than the expected return at a normal BJ table.
 
#10
I just got back from the casino again...

being banker is the SHEET!

I tripled my initial bankroll being banker. No lie. 5 hours of play for $400 profit. Not bad imo :)

I started 200. made 100 with regular play. put up 100 as banker and my bankroll went to around 550 in just three (2 rounds) sessions! I stowed away 350 to just keep and continued to mess around with 200 as non banker and banker. that dwindled down to nothing -_-;
I changed table to another one with same limits and tried my luck there as banker with 100 which I lost immediately (finally lost as banker... disheartening). I took 50 leaving me with 200 and messed with that but it just kept fluctuating at 50. up and down up and down. i got some money back so tried banker one last time with an added 200 that I stowed away. LOL I made everything back that last round as banker! I was soooo lucky that last round too. dealer had face showing (ok, good). But 6 other players at the table had something like 18 20, 19, 17, 19, and a 16. no busts... the dealer turned her face down card and it showed another face. I tipped the dealer 10 and took my cool 400 home! woot woot.

I came with 200. left with 600. WOW!
 

Brock Windsor

Well-Known Member
#11
Ok MOOLA. From your post I am infering that the casino dealer checks the hole card in all games (blackjack, blackjack poker, etc.) as opposed to a player acting as the banker checking his/her own downcard. You also haven't confirmed the rules of the game yet, please do. Most posters on this forum have seen and heard enough of the tales of great victory and bitter defeat, good posts contain game information/rules/ and mathematical strategies for winning. Provide if possible.
woot woot
BW
 
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