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Reason #3 why the Wizard likes Bodog:
Excellent Odds
In my opinion many online casinos are too stingy when setting the odds on their games. They think they will make more money that way but I believe they are misguided, because when players lose too quickly it's not fun, and those players might not come back. Bodog is one of the few casinos that understands this. They offer generous odds to let you play longer and get you a better chance of winning. Among their generous offerings are Full-Pay Jacks or Better returning 99.54%, six other video poker games paying over 99%, single-zero roulette, two blackjack variants with a house edge under 0.2%, and my favorite, Pick 'em Poker, returning 99.95%! Kudos to Bodog for not being afraid to give their players a good gamble. (Visit Bodog) One click and you're in:
No popups, no download, no registration, no B.S., just the game. |
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See also questions I've answered about table games in general.
I had a blackjack and the dealer paid me. Then at the end of the deal he turned his cards over and he discovered he had a blackjack. He forgot to check his hand before paying me. The supervisors wanted me to return the winnings. I refused. Seems I remember these scenario from a book on blackjack. Was I correct? - Woloshen from Montreal
I say you should have returned the winnings. I have never seen this addressed in any book. However, is a book really required? That is what you have a conscience for. You were asked to make things right, it is the right thing to do so.
May 18, 2006
A friend and I were playing blackjack at Casinos East Chicago. He was playing $50 per hand and I was progressive betting with a minimum of $100 and a maximum of $400 per hand. After about one hour, the pit boss came over, stopped the game and told us that the dealer had miscounted on an earlier hand and that my friend owed the house $100. We asked for proof. I asked them to count the cards back onto the table. They told us they could not do it because the deck had been shuffled. We then asked for some type of proof. They refused to provide it and we asked for a manager. We both stopped playing and waited about 30 minutes while the Casino amassed a group of about 8 people, including security guards with guns. A person identifying himself as the Casino Manager told us that he had reviewed the film and that the dealer had miscounted and that my friend owed the house $50. My friend was incredulous as: (i) the amount he was originally told ($100) was wrong; and (ii) the Casino Manager told us that he had reviwed the film and that we would just have to rely on his word. I tried to interject and the Casino Manager told me that this was none of my business. I told him it was because the two of us were together and he was about to loose the business of two players, including me who had brought $5,000 and was betting up to $400 per hand. He told that he didn't care and with Security with guns standing there again demanded $50. I was stupified. I paid it on behalf of my friend, gave them my player's card and told them I would never return. - Jeff from Chicago I forwarded this story to Brian, who is a former gaming regulator and current operator. Here is what he wrote.
Two years after I answered this question, another reader sent the following message about this case.
During my last two sessions at my local casino of choice, I've been on the positive end of dealer error for two different poker games: 4-card poker and 3-card poker. Both times, I remained silent and in the case of 4-card poker, certainly didn't want to ruin it for the other players. Not to rationalize, but sometimes I also feel that bringing these mistakes to light can make the dealer look worse than letting it slide -- assuming of course, the eye in the sky doesn't catch the error -- with a subsequent reprimand behind the scenes. I have a few questions related on this topic. Has there been any study or estimation relating to how dealer error affects the house edge? Certainly all but the most incoherent or novice player will catch errors that help the house, but it's been my experience that most errors that help the player are not brought to light, by players, anyway. Looking back, dealer error has given back a significant amount of money to me over the past year. Thanks for any insights! - Tim from Cleveland I do not know of any formal study. As you would expect, dealer errors tend to decrease as the quality of the casino goes up. I have personally played thousands of hours behind the tables since I turned 21 years old 19 years ago (it seems like just yesterday). Based on all that play, I strongly feel that most errors favor the house, probably about 80%. For example, many dealers do not know that you still pay the ante bonus in Three Card Poker even if the player lost or the dealer didn't qualify. (Bluejay got shortchanged this way because he wasn't sure of the rule himself.) I've had a few dealers disagree with me on this rule, who were later correctly overruled by the pit manager. I wonder how many players, who don't know the rules as well as I do, were shortchanged by these same dealers before I played. Of course, the error is more likely to be corrected if the error favors the dealer. I tend to think the cost of errors to the casino is not very high because of the higher percentage in favor of the dealer. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if, overall, the casinos actually made money from the errors. If anyone in casino management has another point of view, I'm all ears. Oct. 26, 2005 See also questions I've answered about table games in general. We recently went to Casino Niagra in Canada I was playing blackjack with a full table of players. The play went around the table as normal, I stayed on 17. When it came to the dealer she had an 8 showing flip her unshown card was a ten equals 18. She then proceeded to take a hit on 18 (by mistake)and threw up a Jack which was a bust on 18. I felt this should have been a misdeal or a push for all but the dealer said no it was not valid since the house rules are dealer Stays on 17 and above and Hit on 16 and all below. I disagreed with the call and the pit boss came over and stated the dealer is correct and you lose. I sure would appreciate your thoughts as I totally disagreed with the call. Plus I had a large bet riding so maybe it is just my sore losing side coming out. I sure can't wait to get an experts thought on this once and for all. Sincerely, Janice I side with the casino. The rules state the dealer stands on 18. The dealer has no free will and once she got 18 the 18 is firm. The extra card dealt does not alter the dealer's 18 and it was correctly burned. In a one or two deck game some casinos will reshuffle in that situation. Sept. 7, 2004 Three questions of etiquette and ethics.
All three have happened to me within the last month. I am a small time bettor so the correction of a win or loss is not significant to me. I'd prefer not jeopardize the dealer's job. - Nathan W.
See also questions I've answered about table games in general.
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