Odds of winning in Blackjack

Wizard of Odds

September 18, 2016 – 12:04 am

For the 12-month period from Nov 1, 2011 to Oct 31, 2012 the Nevada casinos only reported a 3.24% win in bingo, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board. I don't know how this win percentage is calculated. Many casinos allow players to use points to pay for cards, and this figure may not count cards purchased with points as revenue. The manager of one Las Vegas bingo room told me his hold percentage was about 11%.

Even with an overall 11% house advantage, it is still possible for the player to realize a theoretical advantage in bingo, by using good judgement about what kind of cards to buy, when to buy them, and where to play. Once the game starts it is just a matter of luck, but the player can do a lot to improve his odds by scouting out the locations with the least competition, buying the most cost efficient cards, and avoiding the many sucker bets. Here are some general tips to get you started.

Buy the right type of card. There is no simple answer to what is the right card. It will depend where you play and the session. For most sessions I find the large rainbow packages offer the best value. However, in sessions where there is a big coverall jackpot, that does not reward for the premium cards, then the cheapest type of card offers the best return.

Take advantage of quantity discounts.

There are lots of packages the player can buy of multiple cards, offering an economy of scale. This is cheaper than buying packs of cards individually. I would avoid the "rainbow" packages and instead focus on large quantities of the lowest level card. For example, at the Coast casino if you buy four blue packs you get 2 free. At the Station casinos I like the "number 8", which is $77 worth of mostly level 1 cards, for $53.

Keep an eye on the field. Prizes in bingo are fixed. Your odds are inversely proportional to the number of competing cards in the room. Of course you won't know exactly how many cards you are up against, but the more you play the better you will be at estimating the competition. Here are some ways to estimate the number the competing cards in the room.

Note how many people are in the room.

Listen to what other people are buying, while waiting in line.

Glance at other player's receipts for the number of packs purchased.

Keep records of how much you spend and how much you win at each session, day, and property.

At least make mental notes of how close you get when you don't win. In particular how often you are cased (just one ball away from winning).

Listen for the case alert on other players' machines. When playing an electronic unit a beeping sound is made when the player becomes cased. If you hear a lot of beeping while you're a long ways from winning, then it is likely there is a lot of competition.

Source: wizardofodds.com

Interesting facts

The Wizard of Odds is an American game show hosted by Alex Trebek that aired on NBC from July 16, 1973 to June 28, 1974 in which people from the studio audience vied in a number of rounds, primarily games revolving around statistical questions. Sam Riddle was the show's first announcer; toward the end of the run, Charlie O'Donnell replaced...

What are the odds of Winning in Blackjack if dealer & player have total of 17 or more? | Yahoo Answers

If both above 17 then the dealer has 5 possible cards he could have out of 21 to win whereas the player only has 4 since if they are both on 17 then the dealer wins. So the dealer has the better chance of winning in this case.