$1 blackjack has arrived in my neck of the woods, Foxwoods, so I’ve been reading postings here and on other forums about the game which apparently has infested casinos everywhere. The 25-cent ante fee for Foxwoods tables was all I needed to hear to know the game is a MAJOR rip-off, but how bad is it? Specifics are hard to come by. Zoomie posting at BlackjackInfo.com estimates a house edge of nearly 19% for the 25-cent ante fee flavor. Can anyone provide the house edge for at least some of the many variations? Given the popularity of the game it might warrant some information on the Wizard of Odds site.
I saw something curious two weeks ago - an idle $5 table at Mohegan Sun at 10 am Saturday morning and empty seats at some of the other four tables. I haven’t seen idle $5 tables there since they closed the 12-$5-table pit years ago. I think the low-level players migrated to the $1 tables at Foxwoods. We like!

1. Never been there. Of all the casinos I’ve ever visited I haven’t spent and hour total on the slots. It is a mindless exercise in giving your $$$ to a casino. The only time I have spent at the slots is when I would rinse $100 thru a $1 slot.
2. $100 Hand of Blackjack, Foxwoods Casino. I met Anthony in a poker game at the Diamond Club in New York City. He was fairly nondescript, just a normal.
3. The blackjack rules at Foxwoods are double down on any two cards, double down allowed after splitting, dealer stands on soft 17 (six and an ace) and they are now offering late surrender. You cannot re-split aces.

Serious players curl their lips at the game and they should. However, if I were to take a noobie pal to Foxwoods I think the $1 table would be great fun. For about $25 dollars he (or she) could play a real casino table game for an hour! They could get FREE DRINKS! Never mind they would be getting screwed far worse than playing slots. Playing just like the big boys *cough* would be a great memory.

Blackjack is one of the most popular table games. It is as easy to learn as it is exciting to play. With 116 Blackjack tables throughout our casinos, you'll be surrounded by the excitement. Handicap-accessible Blackjack tables can also be found in all casinos.

So, can some of the forum members with better math skills than I give us some stats on the $1 blackjack games being offered? My apologies if this has been done already and I missed it.

So, can some of the forum members with better math skills than I give us some stats on the $1 blackjack games being offered? My apologies if this has been done already and I missed it.

It just depends on the Rules. Just take the Expected Loss for x amount bet by multiplying:
(House Edge Expressed as Decimal) * (Amount Bet) = Expected Loss
And, after you do that, add a quarter. After adding the quarter to the Expected Loss, you can then do:
(Expected Loss)/(Amount Bet) = New House Edge
Okay, so let's say it's eight-deck, dealer Hits S17, DAS, Double Anything, Resplit to Four Hands, No RSA, No HSA, No Surrender, Blackjack Pays 6:5
These rules yield a House Edge of 2.00291% with Optimal Play, so the expected loss on a $1.00 bet is obviously $0.0200291. If you add that quarter ante, the expected loss is $0.2700291 and the House Edge is 27.00291%.
If you bet $3 and must still pay the ante:
.0200291 * 3 = $0.0600873 Expected Loss
Add in the quarter, and it is $0.3100873, which means:
.3100873/3 = .1033624333~ or a 10.33624333~% House EdgeThanks Mission146! Your logic is easy to follow. Makes me feel like I should have kicked the problem around for a few days to see if I could have come up with something on my own. Accounting for the ante factor was throwing me. Most of the other variations can be addressed with the Wizard's calculator, I think.I don't like the free drinks argument because you should be tipping. If you are unwilling to pony up $80 more to cut down an extra 25% then obviously $1 is significant. (call them cheap drinks) . But thats not the only reason. You can get cheap drink service playing 1 penny at a time on something or a .25 BJ machine.
The question is.... are you willing to toss a quarter in the trash evry few minutes for entertainment? That's really what you are doing for the privilege of usiusing real cards and real chips to geg more hands. If you cant muster up $100 buy in to hit the $5 level instead. I'm thinking you probably shouldn't be playing In the casino.
If its just a matter of just not wanting to risk the money I say find a .5/ .25 BJ machine or nickel VP machine. You can play as slow or fast as you want.
ploppys can do as they wish with their own money and no one should berate them(without them we wouldn't have casino's) but if you have any influence in guiding someone on a path, I say discurrage them from commission BJ.

ploppys can do as they wish with their own money and no one should berate them(without them we wouldn't have casino's) but if you have any influence in guiding someone on a path, I say discourage them from commission BJ.

I agree, but still feel $1 BJ with ante might be a worthwhile introductory experience for a novice, something easier to 'sell.' When suggesting a 10-hand session just to give it a try the possibility of losing [ignoring possible DD/splits] $12.50 would be far more acceptable than $50 or $100.
Tip of the hat again to Mission146 for his insight in calculating the effect of an ante on house edge. Based on what I learned from him, here's a table I came up with for Foxwoods' $1-wager/25-cent-ante game:
Here's that data in graphic form:
Clearly the game sucks big time. For what it's worth, kicking up the wager to $3 lowers the HE to slot level. Whoopie!
Thanks to all for comments. I have me answer to the question 'HOW bad is $1 BJ?' At least for the game at Foxwoods.BTW, the cell formula could have been expressed as =B$1+B$2/D2, so the house edge is increased by the ante divided by the wager. That's just a simpler way to state the effect of the ante on the house edge. Doesn't reduce the suckage one iota.

Blackjack has been around since the early 1700’s when it is believed to have been introduced to casinos in France.

There are now too many versions to mention in casinos around the world, the aim of all, which is to get closer to a total of 21 than the Dealer without going over and going ‘Bust’.

One of the versions with the biggest potential payout is Progressive Blackjack. With the jackpot increasing until it is won and a chance to win a percentage of it as well as the full amount, Progressive Blackjack is well worth a go.

Progressive Blackjack Rules

Progressive Blackjack is a standard version of Blackjack that has an optional side bet, usually costing £1/€1/$1 depending on the currency you are using.

Whilst the important thing is to get as close to 21 as possible without going over, the same as standard Blackjack, the Progressive Jackpot side bet can give you a much bigger win than simply winning a hand against the Dealer.

The side bet focusses on Aces that you are dealt consecutively during the hand. The exact rules vary from casino to casino so the below isn’t set in stone and we recommend that you check the rules regarding the casino before you start playing to ensure you are getting the best deal possible.

If the first 2 cards that you are dealt with are both Aces, you win, the more Aces you are dealt the higher your reward. There is also a difference between suited Aces and non-suited Aces, as Progressive Blackjack is normally played with 6 decks of cards, you are looking to get as many Aces of the same suit as you can, up to a maximum of 4.

Remember, it only counts for your first cards, so the moment you are dealt a card other than an Ace, the Progressive Jackpot side of the hand is over and any payouts are made.

Payout Chart

The following is a fairly standard payout chart, as mentioned though this does vary from casino to casino:

Progressive Blackjack At Foxwoods Poker

2 Aces, Non-Suited: $25
2 Aces, Same Suit: $50
3 Aces, Non-Suited: $250
3 Aces, Same Suit: $2,500
4 Aces, Non-Suited: 10% of Progressive Jackpot
4 Aces, Same Suit: 100% of Progressive Jackpot

As you can see, even getting 2 Aces as your first 2 cards pay out considerably more than if you are simply playing Jackpot for a small stake, so when you find a Blackjack game that offers a Progressive jackpot it is worth having a go. The odds of winning are much lower than the standard game, but the much higher rewards on offer more than offset this.

Above is an example of the layout for a Progressive Blackjack game, the slot in front of each position is where you need to place your bet for the Progressive Jackpot, as you can see, it is possible to play more than one hand and you don’t have to play the Progressive Jackpot side bet for each hand, only those you choose to play.

The Progressive Jackpot for this table is over $210,000 so if you are dealt 4 Aces of the same suit in the same hand, that amount is yours!

Progressive Blackjack Rules
RTP:	99.53%
Blackjack Pays:	3 to 2
Number of Decks:	6
Dealer Rule:	Stand on all 17’s
Dealer Peek:	No
Insurance:	Yes
Surrender:	No
Split:	Yes
Re-Split:	No
Double:	Yes
Double after Split:	Yes
Hit Split Aces:	Just Once
Side Game:	Yes
Multiple Hands:	Yes

Progressive Blackjack At Foxwoods Casino

Progressive Blackjack Strategy

There is no real strategy to the Progressive Jackpot side of the game as this is down to luck in being dealt Aces at the start of a specific hand.

Progressive Blackjack At Foxwoods Online Casino

However, as the hand also contains a standard game of Blackjack, we recommend you follow the Strategy outlined below and either play the side bet for each hand on top or reduce your stake for the game and play the side bet too if you want to be in with a chance of taking home a percentage of the jackpot.

Progressive Blackjack Tips

As the 6 decks of cards in Progressive Blackjack are shuffled after each hand, there is no use in trying to card count or remember how many Aces have been dealt and therefore what your chances are of getting the Progressive Jackpot as this resets after every hand.

If you want to play a standard game of Blackjack without the Progressive bet, we suggest you find a version that doesn’t include this bet as the house edge is lower than the usual game due to the extra amount that is added to the Progressive Jackpot.

If you are going to play the Progressive side bet which is the main reason for playing this version of Blackjack, remember to factor in the cost when determining how much to bet on the actual hand itself. Always ensure you play within your budget at all times.

As with any casino game, the main aim should be to have fun and this will only be done if you play within your means and don’t gamble with funds that you can’t afford to lose.

Progressive Blackjack At Foxwoods Golden Nugget

Don’t play when you are frustrated or angry – with the Progressive Jackpot often at life-changing amounts, it is understandable that if you get close and just miss out this can be frustrating. If you find yourself getting angry or upset at any time, walk away and calm down before playing as this will inevitably affect your decision making and could lead to higher losses than necessary.

Blackjack References:

Standard Blackjack Rules Strategy & Tips
Card Counting in Blackjack
Play Blackjack For Real Money

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