Dear Mark,
If the casino advantage on a game like blackjack
is under 1% for those of us who use perfect basic
strategy, how come I have read the house "drop"
is reported at around 15% at blackjack? Gary O.
The
casino "advantage" in all games is correctly
called the house percentage. The house percentage applies
to each gaming decision in a casino-be it each roll
of the dice, each spin at the roulette wheel, each pull
of a slot handle, or each hand at blackjack.
The aptly named "drop" percentage is always
much higher than the house percentage and refers to
what the player will drop into the casino's appreciative
hands.
Most players play too
long at their game of choice, allowing the house
edge to gnaw away at their stakes. An
obliging gambler who loses on average nearly one
percent per hand will, if he sticks at it for an
extended period of time, wind up dropping (there's
that word) about 15% of all the money wagered.
Casinos dearly love players who Crazy-Glue themselves
to the tables, and will happily offer lifetime supplies
of the stuff for free. They know that you simply
cannot play any casino game over an extended time
period and come away a winner; they set the rules
that way, you see. Their percentages-house advantage-will
always methodically devour your bankroll. Why? You
are always bucking a minus computation. Even the
most favorable game, blackjack played with perfect
basic strategy, is just the least favorable for
the casino, eating you in nibbles rather than gorilla
gulps.
