Blackjack Payout Chart

CINCINNATI - Jack Cincinnati Casino has changed the game of Blackjack, but it’s too early to call it a game changing business strategy for the region's largest gambling hall.

JACK JACK was invented by the table-games team in Cincinnati. It follows the standard rules of Blackjack, but alters the payout for players who reach 21 with two cards of different suits.

A Blackjack with two black cards pays 2 to 1, or $20 for a $10 bet. Two red cards fetch the standard 3 to 2 payout, or $15 for that same $10 wager. A red Ace with a black King would pay $10, or 1 to 1.

Many single-deck games in land-based casinos pay only 6 to 5, instead of 3 to 2, for a winning blackjack. When the casino pays only 6-5 for a blackjack, the house edge increases by 1.4% (ouch!). I’ll have more to say about these dastardly 6-5 games in Chapter 5 but for now remember to never play any blackjack game that pays 6-5 on a blackjack. Blackjack Odds Chart Blackjack is a casino card game blackjacktwo.com that combines the element of chance with skill. Players cannot control the cards they are dealt, but they can control how they choose to play them. The following charts will help players make informed decisions regarding the cards in their hands.

The game aims to provide “a unique experience for our guests that they cannot find at any other casino,” said Bennie Mancino, director of table games for Jack Cincinnati Casino. “So far, the guest response has been overwhelmingly positive.”

After testing the game at two tables this year, Jack Cincinnati doubled down on the strategy with four tables. Its sister casino in Cleveland added JACK JACK to its table game mix this summer as well.

“We’re continuing to look for new ways to create even more excitement in table games,” said Jack Cincinnati General Manager Chad Barnhill. “We want to be the industry leader as it relates to table games growth and innovation.”

The move accentuates a strength for Jack Cincinnati: It’s by far the regional leader when it comes to attracting bets in Blackjack, poker, roulette and craps. Gamblers dropped $183 million in bets at Jack Cincinnati’s 121 tables through July of this year. That’s $28 million more than Southeast Indiana’s three casino properties combined.

But Jack Cincinnati lags its Ohio competitors in the amount of revenue generated per table. It averages about $55,000 per month in adjusted gross revenue, which is what the casino gets after all bets are paid. Jack Cleveland Casino leads the state in this category with $63,000 in adjusted gross revenue at each of its 126 tables.

Belterra Casino & Resort in Florence, Indiana brings up the rear by this measure, averaging just $15,909 per month in house wins. That made Belterra the best place to win money at table games in the first seven months of this year. In fact, Indiana records show the casino lost $519,000 at Baccarat in May and $123,000 at Blackjack in February.

'There are many factors that go into these numbers and they vary on a daily and monthly basis,' said Roxann Kincade, director of public relations for Belterra parent, Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. 'We focus on providing a great table games experience to ensure that our guests see Belterra as their casino of choice.'

The volatility of table games is one reason that casinos use them mostly as traffic generators, as opposed to revenue and profit centers, said Alan Silver, an assistant professor who teaches casino management at Ohio University.

Silver said his former colleague at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas collected data from non-destination casinos in Nevada. Table games generated 9 percent of revenue for those properties, but only one percent of profits. Slot machines, by contrast, accounted for 46 percent of revenue and 66 percent of profits.

“They call slot machines one-arm bandits for a reason,” Silver said. Jack Cincinnati is “trying a lot of different things because they need to improve their revenue.”

Barnhill said table games account for 38 percent of Jack Casino's gaming revenue. He declined to provide details on their profitability.

Silver said table games are too labor intensive to generate big profits, but they are good at attracting young gamblers, who are more into the social experience of gambling than their parents.

“Millennials like to play table games,” Silver said. A new variation of Blackjack is intended “to differentiate yourself and get people to say, ‘Hey, that looks like a better deal. Let’s go try it.’ But it remains to be seen how well it’s going to do in the long run. What I’d like to see them do is get that slot revenue up because that’s cash in the bank.”

Barnhill, who moved to Cincinnati in December 2015 from a Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore, has been trying to boost Jack Cincinnati’s revenue with a mix of improvements, including new slot machines that target young gamblers.

That’s why Jack Casino now offers Game of Thrones, Plants vs Zombies and Lightning Link, a progressive slot machine game that was named one of 2015’s “Most Innovative Gaming Technology Products” by Casino Journal.

“We have more new slot product on the floor right now than this property’s ever had,” Barnhill said.

A new bank of 75-inch TV screens were added this week to the former Margaritaville restaurant space, which is trying to generate more traffic from sporting events – like the Mayweather-McGregor fight Saturday night. Barnhill said he’s talking to multiple potential partners about filling the 400-seat restaurant that closed in April.

Despite the closure and traffic jams caused by the Brent Spence Bridge reconstruction, Barnhill said the casino’s traffic counts are up in 2017. He still thinks it’s possible to get the property’s total gaming revenue above $20 million, a feat it hasn’t achieved since its March 2013 opening month.

“We just want to give people a reason to visit,” Barnhill said. “Whether it’s slots, tables, a great steakhouse that we have in Prism, the best buffet in the market … it’s as much as making sure we’re providing the right guest experience, the right service level and the right set of amenities as it is anything. The rest of it will take care of itself as long as we take care of the guest.

Jack Cincinnati remained the market leader in July, with $16.7 million in total revenue, 4 percent higher than Hollywood Lawrenceburg’s $16 million month. Miami Valley Gaming ranked third with $12.4 million in revenue from its slots-like video lottery terminals.

Belterra’s two Cincinnati properties generated more total revenue than Jack Cincinnati, $7.4 million from Belterra Park in Anderson Township and $10.2 million from its original property in Southeast Indiana. Rising Star casino ranked last in the region at $4.6 million.

Many people will be visiting a casino this summer, whether on a trip to Vegas, on a cruise ship, or just at a local casino during a 'staycation.'

But before you go, you may want to know which games give you the best chance of winning.

So we went behind the scene at two casinos, and spoke with the game managers, to find out which games give you an edge.

Table Games Your Best Bet

Jay Bean, a Caesar's floor manager, agreed to sit down with us and talk about the games with the best odds.

He said many people don't realize that table games have much better odds than slots. They are intimidated by thoughts of card sharks taking their money, with images of an intense Texas Hold 'Em tournament in their minds, and so they stick with the safe games: the slots.

But they are doing themselves a disservice, he said.

Bean's advice? After you've spent some time on the slot machines, move on to the Blackjack table, and start by just observing.

1. Blackjack

Blackjack has the best odds of winning, with a house edge of just 1 percent in most casinos, Bean said.

Plus, you are playing against only the dealer, not hooded poker champions.

'Blackjack is one of our easiest games to play,' Bean said. 'You're just looking for a number that beats the dealer's number without going over 21.'

If you're a novice, Bean said to sit down during a less busy time, such as the afternoon, and the dealer will walk you through the game.

But the same is not true with poker: You should practice the game with your friends first, at home, Bean said, until you are comfortable with it. Bean said novices are best off passing on the poker tables, where yes, the competition can be tough.

You can find out more information about the game of blackjack at the following link:
http://wizardofodds.com/games/blackjack/

2. Craps

So from the Blackjack table, he suggests moving on to the dice game Craps, the game with the second best odds, also nearly 50-50.

The Craps table can be a bit intimidating for the beginner with all the boxes on the table, Bean admitted. But it's really not tough, and it has one of your best chances of winning. In the end, all you are really doing is betting on a dice roll.

For more information on craps, visit:
http://wizardofodds.com/games/craps/

3. Roulette

Bean said your next stop should be the Roulette wheel. It's simple, and pays fairly well.

'So you bet on your favorite numbers,' Bean said. 'The dealer spins, and if your number comes in you win.'

If you stick to betting on just Reds or Blacks, you have nearly a 50-50 chance of walking away a winner. If it lands on red when you choose red, you will double your bet, Bean explained.

6 To 5 Blackjack Payout Chart

While it may seem you have an even chance of winning by simply choosing a color, there is one catch that gives the house its edge: the extra green 0 and 00 position on the wheel. It's on all American roulette wheels.

Or, if you feel lucky, play just one number. It's hard to win, but if you do it pays out 36 to 1.

For more information on roulette, visit:
http://wizardofodds.com/games/roulette/

Worst Odds

Your worst odds? The casinos, understandably, did not want to talk about games with poor odds.

So we turned to Forbes Magazine, which in a report about Best Bets at the Casino, said two popular games -- the Wheel of Fortune and the ever-popular slot machines -- have the lowest odds of winning, with a house edge of 10 percent or more.

The Experts Agree

Professor of Analytics Michael Magazine has crunched the numbers, and agreed that blackjack is the best way to go home with money in your pockets. He said if you take a little time to learn the game, you have the best odds of winning.

'You are somewhere between 44 percent to 48 percent in every single hand of winning,' he said, noting that no other casino game gives you odds that good.

But Magazine cautioned that he's not promoting gambling, because he said even games with the best odds still favor the house.

'Play it long enough and you will lose. In the long term the house doesn't lose,' Magazine said.

If You Love The Slots....

Finally, if you really enjoy playing the slots, here is some good information to know, from state casino reports we examined.

With slots, the more money you put in per bet, the higher your chance of winning. If you put the max in a penny machine, which is usually around 50 cents, you have much better odds than if you put in 2 cents.

Blackjack Payout Table

In addition, penny slots have the lowest odds, with $1 and $5 slots paying much better.

Always gamble responsibly, and don't waste your money.
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You can learn more about specific odds of slots machines in each state that has casino gambling by visiting the American Casino Guide.

Blackjack Payout Chart For Dealers

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Blackjack Payout Sheet

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