The betting,
John, works like this. After you make your standard
blackjack wager, a designated area on the layout
is available for you to place
chips on either under 13 or over 13. You must make
a blackjack bet first in order to place this side
wager, and your under/over 13 wager cannot be for
more than your original blackjack bet, though it
may be for less.
Immediately after you
receive your first two cards, the dealer settles
all under/over wagers. For example, if you wagered
on the under 13, you
win an even money payoff if your initial two cards
are anything from two (ace, ace) through 12. If
your hand totals 14 through 21, you lose. A similar
rule applies for the over 13 wager, except that
you win one-to-one only if your hand totals 14 or
more. The outcome of the under/over bet is entirely
independent of the player's normal blackjack hand,
and it's always settled before play resumes on the
blackjack hand.
So, John, you inquired
if I thought it a good bet for the player. Well,
that one simple rule--the dealer winning hand totals
of 13--gives the casino a sizeable advantage. So,
for the Average Joe, I give it two thumbs down.
However, for the perspicacious and patient player,
a tidy profit can be had by tracking high and low
specific cards as they leave the shoe.
For those reluctant
(99% of all blackjack players) to track specific
cards at the table, the hefty house edge on the
under 13 is 10%, and 6.6% on the over 13. Clearly,
neither wager warrants your attention. Nevertheless,
John, I do know someone who has done exceptionally
well making this bet by systematically tracking
the composition of cards remaining in the shoe.
When he observes a large number of low cards being
played, he knows that the remaining cards contain
an abundance of high ones, which favors the over
13 bet. If many large cards have flown the shoe,
he will bet the under 13.
Though the card tracking
system he uses for the under/over 13 wager is somewhat
different from the card counting system he uses
for blackjack, surprisingly, this very proficient
card counter can run both systems simultaneously
in his head, yielding him a distinct advantage over
the casino for both blackjack and the under/over
13 bet.
Black
Jack Side Bet Royal Match
Good
Casinos Home
