Originally Posted by
mbstone
The 1.4% edge they already had (assuming perfect basic strategy) is what built those steel-and-polished aluminum towers, don't ya know. Paying double that (60 cents per hand) adds up very quickly.
Agreed, the 60 cents per hand adds up quickly from a macro perspective. But my argument isn't that it's inconsequential - my argument is that it's viewed as inconsequential to many casual gamblers. These casual gamblers are the same who pour pennies into slots with a house edge in double figures, the same who used to pay a $1 collection for the "privilege" of making a $5 blackjack bet (20 percent!) at an Indian casino (when they used to have a collection).
The good news is that larger bettors have a better selection. 3:2 still proliferates at the $25 and higher tables. In fact, I have just came back from the high limit room at the MGM, where shoe games offer surrender, DAS, multi-split aces, and dealer stay on all 17s. 6:5 may be here to stay, but I doubt that they'll proliferate much beyond the $15 tables.