On Vegas Strip, Blackjack Rule Change Is Sleight of Hand
J Thoendell stashed this in Sports
Source: http://www.psmag.com/navigation/business...
Las Vegas Sands, the company that owns the Venetian and the Palazzo, appears to be wagering that most players won’t notice the change. Or at least that they won’t care enough to go elsewhere.
“On the Strip, you get a lot of amateurs and out-of-town people who want more of the excitement with the lights and the noises of Vegas and are less concerned about the specifics of the game,” says Dr. William Thompson, a public administration professor at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and member of the International Masters of Gaming Law. “I think the casinos figure that these are turkeys that we can pluck a little better.”
Stashed in: Vegas, Baby!, Gambling!, Math!, Games, So you're saying there's a chance...., Mathy
The actual rule change:
In March, the Venetian and Palazzo casinos changed the payouts on blackjack hands from three-to-two to six-to-five. That might not seem like a big difference to casual observers, but experts say the change significantly increases the casinos’ house edge.
Say you bet 10. 3-2 odds win you 15 but 6-5 odds win you 12.
It's a big difference. The house always wins but now they win more.
They're taking advantage of people being bad at math.
10:09 AM Jul 22 2014