Believe it or not, there are many gamblers who don’t mind, or even care, if they’re playing a 6:5 blackjack game. There are plenty of things that bother blackjack players in Las Vegas or anywhere that deals a 6:5 game.
First things first, mathematically playing 3:2 blackjack is always better than playing a 6:5 game. However, math isn’t what matters most with many recreational blackjack players making a visit to a casino for the only time of the month, quarter or year.
Coincidentally, blackjack math can help us understand why a recreational blackjack player doesn’t mind the lower payout.
Blackjack Frequency Is Low
When a blackjack table is full, there are only about 60 hands in play per hour, according to Wizard of Odds.
Mathematically a player or dealer will receive a blackjack just under 5% of the time. This works out to be about three blackjacks at a full table per hour.
It’s unlikely that someone visiting Las Vegas, Atlantic City or another casino tourist area will play more than a couple of hours of blackjack per session. Average recreational blackjack players just aren’t very concerned with the lower payout for so few hands.
This may be like throwing money away to advanced recreational players. However, we take the game and money a little more seriously. To each their own.
Small Gambling Budget
Most blackjack players reading a blog about their favorite casino game probably spend more time and money than most. Blackjack is more than a hobby to many of us. Some might call the interest in being a sharp gambler a bit of an obsession.
According to the 2021 Las Vegas Visitors Profile, visitors had a gambling budget of $717.51 for their entire visit. This was more than any year from 2016 – 2019.
The average visit to Las Vegas is usually just over four days. During this period, between 20% and 40% of gamblers had a gambling budget of $600 or more.
This small budget can be explained by how much time visitors to Las Vegas spend enjoying the casino floor. For the past five years, visitors average two to three hours of gambling each day.
Understanding The Lack Of Concern About Bad Blackjack
While not the most prudent move, it’s understandable why the average visitor to casinos might not care about 6:5 blackjack as much as someone reading a blog dedicated to their favorite game.
The average visitor to a Las Vegas casino is spending just three of 24 hours per day gambling in Las Vegas. Their entire daily budget to gamble is $200 or less.
Given the number of 6:5 blackjacks a player will receive during their semi-regular visit to a casino, it’s easy to see why they might not care. There’s just not much money at risk during an individual blackjack session or trip.
This is also why recreational blackjack players don’t spend time learning how to play blackjack using perfect basic strategy. The average visitor is spending maybe 10 hours per visit gambling around $600.
The difference in house edge between games is negligible per session, day, or visit. With this in mind, it’s understandable why players will look for a more preferable location than a better game somewhere they wouldn’t want to play
Over the years, I’ve had to remind myself of this when gambling with friends visiting Las Vegas. While they want to win, they’re satisfied with their knowledge of blackjack.
I rarely offer advice unless asked. I’m not a perfect blackjack player but am more understanding of basic strategy than most people I know.
It takes some looking at casinos as the average player does to understand their outlook on gambling.
One Thing That Bothers Recreational Players
While a 6:5 payout may bother advanced blackjack players, the average person has other things that bother them.
Experienced blackjack players know that other players’ games don’t affect their game. Over time the change to the house edge is minimal.
However, many recreational players only care about the session they’re currently playing. These players aren’t concerned by long-term effects.
A player at the table standing on 16 has more of an impact on recreational players than the lower payout for a natural blackjack. This makes no sense mathematically over time, but this is an example of how the average recreational gambler thinks.
Even though the average player may not care about blackjack math, their experience is ruined by players making misplays that they know from their limited understanding of basic strategy.
It might be annoying to a semi-sharp advanced player but it helps to put yourself in someone else’s shoes to at least try and understand their thiking.
