Hot Action Blackjack

[Eliot Jacobson]

California Blackjack

The game your are talking about is called "California Blackjack."

There is a great article entitled "Why the Player Never Wins in the Long Run at LA Blackjack" The UMAP Journal, 20.2 (1999) 127-138. It is not exactly the same game, but it is close enough to help answer your questions.

I found a pdf copy at bjmath.com

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Here's the problem

Its a pretty bad game for when your the player. When I'm the dealer I estimated from 3.5-4% advantage if they players knew BS for the game Most people don't know BS.

Not considering the house vig, the player has an advantage in this game. The "cooperation" is basically a shill hired by the house to bank the game. If you choose to be the banker, the cooperation will pull out his Basic Strategy card and blow you right out of your chair. You also have to pay an additional vig to make the cooperation play. (This is California No-Bust rules). Being the cooperation is being paid indirectly through the vigs, he is never at a net disadvantage. Very dirty system.

I guess it would be possible to target tables with very weak players but you might as well play poker if you want to do that. The game is just a waste of time as far as I can see, but I'd be surprised if there wasn't at least one AP out there exploiting it.

 

[jimbiggs]

In non-Indian California casinos we have a game that is very similar. It's called No-Bust Blackjack. I think the original poster is following the best strategy. Bet big when you're the banker, partner up for a bigger bank when you can. Bet small when you're the player. As you learn more you will figure out more tricks. I played this game a couple of times and didn't do very well. But I could tell that the other players knew things that I didn't know. In one casino I saw players toss the cashier (they have a cashier at each table) a red chip and then the cashier would place a $100 dollar bet for the player on whichever spot the player chose. If the player won, he got most of the chips and the cashier kept a part. I never played enough to ask what that was about, but it seemed like a good deal.

I wouldn't worry about getting heat from the casino. Their getting their rake no matter what. They should be happy with your action. They're using CSMs and they know there is no way to count against a CSM. The casino chose this game for a reason, they're not going to get rid of it just because a few people win a few hundred once in a while. They still have the edge no matter what.

 

[avs21]

In this game if you want the banker to play with you. You don't have to pay them. You just split the antes in half when your the dealer. This is a game where you can bust. Only time when you can get 22 is if you get two suited aces. The corporation I have seen make mistakes on BS. If I went one on one with the bank. It would be better odds I would think. Since I would only have to play two hands as player then two as dealer. I might be wrong though.

 

[MGP]

My CA can now handle the JJ and suited AA bonuses properly and the net EV for the game is:

-1.92%

So the bonuses add about 0.7%. The strategy I posted previously is correct.

 

[avs21]

My CA can now handle the JJ and suited AA bonuses properly and the net EV for the game is:

-1.92%

So the bonuses add about 0.7%. The strategy I posted previously is correct.

Thank you, I had to stop playing this game I couldn't find the right conditions. Even on a weekday 6 in the morning I couldn't find an empty table. It was always full of 8 players. The game moved so slowly probably 30 hands a hour.