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Deal or No Deal Blackjack
Introduction
Deal or No Deal Blackjack is a blackjack game by Red Tiger Gaming where the player can surrender with any initial two cards. However, the surrender value, or "Banker Offer" varies significantly, according to the player's two cards and the dealer's up card.
Rules
Following are the blackjack rules followed by the game, before considering the "Banker Offer" feature. It is assumed the reader is already familiar with the fundamental blackjack rules.
- Five decks are used.
- Dealer stands on soft 17.
- Blackjack pays 3 to 2.
- Dealer peeks for blackjack, with both ten and ace up, before player plays his hand.
- Double after split allowed.
- Player may re-split any pair up to three times, except aces, which may be split once only.
- No draw to split aces.
In addition, the game will offer the player a surrender option with every initial two player cards and dealer up card. The offer is made before the dealer peeks for blackjack.
Strategy
Following is the proper basic strategy for the rules above. If the table calls for doubling, and you have three or more cards, then hit, except with a soft 18, stand.
Regarding the Banker Offers, always decline them.
Analysis
According to my blackjack house edge calculator, the house edge under the rules above is 0.38%.
To analyze the Banker Offers, I recorded 31 £10 hands and recorded the offer made and the actual value of the hand, using my blackjack hand calculator. The following table shows both as well as the ratio of the Banker Offer to the actual value of the hand.
Banker Offers
| Player | Dealer | Banker Offer |
Fair Value |
Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,8 | 3 | £13.90 | £14.23 | 97.66% |
| 5,5 | 3 | £13.90 | £14.23 | 97.66% |
| 6,8 | 3 | £7.20 | £7.54 | 95.52% |
| 6,10 | 10 | £4.00 | £4.30 | 93.01% |
| 3,6 | 10 | £7.50 | £7.83 | 95.78% |
| 7,10 | 10 | £5.00 | £5.37 | 93.19% |
| 4,6 | A | £7.10 | £7.45 | 95.34% |
| Q,9 | A | £8.60 | £8.89 | 96.74% |
| A,6 | A | £5.30 | £5.50 | 96.29% |
| 6,7 | 5 | £8.10 | £8.40 | 96.39% |
| 2,2 | 5 | £11.40 | £11.79 | 96.67% |
| J,3 | 2 | £6.70 | £7.04 | 95.22% |
| 8,10 | 10 | £7.30 | £7.62 | 95.81% |
| A,3 | 10 | £7.60 | £8.00 | 95.05% |
| J,7 | 10 | £5.00 | £5.37 | 93.19% |
| 9,9 | 7 | £13.60 | £14.00 | 97.17% |
| 4,Q | 7 | £6.40 | £6.75 | 94.85% |
| 2,K | 7 | £7.50 | £7.87 | 95.25% |
| A,5 | 6 | £11.50 | £11.87 | 96.90% |
| 9,5 | 3 | £7.10 | £7.50 | 94.72% |
| Q,2 | 3 | £7.30 | £7.69 | 94.91% |
| 7,J | 3 | £8.50 | £8.82 | 96.32% |
| 5,8 | 6 | £8.10 | £8.48 | 95.51% |
| 5,5 | 6 | £15.70 | £16.04 | 97.91% |
| Q,Q | 2 | £16.00 | £16.37 | 97.71% |
| 8,A | 2 | £13.50 | £13.89 | 97.19% |
| 10,2 | 2 | £7.10 | £7.48 | 94.86% |
| 8,J | 9 | £7.80 | £8.14 | 95.78% |
| 7,6 | 9 | £5.70 | £6.07 | 93.92% |
| 9,10 | 9 | £12.50 | £12.85 | 97.26% |
| 10,A | 10 | £23.50 | £23.89 | 98.36% |
The above above shows the Banker Offer is always worth less than the actual value of the hand. The ratio of Banker Offer to actual value ranged from 93.01% to 98.36%, with an average of 95.88%. Thus, the house edge of the Banker Offers averaged 4.12%. Remember, the house edge of the base game is 0.38%, so I would recommend declining the Banker Offers every time.