Originally Posted by
mickeycrimm
I think those table game numbers are the percent won per total buy-ins. Every $100 in buyins at the blackjack tables nets $9.24. The house may have up to a 2% advantage but players betting the money over and over again compounds to where the house is taking 9.24% of the money players bought in for.
In addition, just normal variance related to bankroll availability serves to dramatically increase the hold on blackjack and I suspect all table games.
With blackjack, low limit, red chip players buy in for $100, players playing $25, for 2 or 3 hundred. And when that is gone, meaning they lose 10 hands or so, they quit, down their entire buy-in. Well the casino doesn't quit when they are down 10 units or so.
The casino has unlimited bankroll. I mean they could even add some rule that made the game even or slight player advantage and I don't think the "hold" would be affected that much.
Also related, players that do buy in for whatever small amount, (10 units), when they get to the end, they often play the least hand less optimally because if they are dealt a double down or split type hand, they don't want to re-buy in, so they just hit or stand.
Even players who
think they are playing with an advantage via card counting have this same issue with bankroll, especially newer players starting out. I can't tell you how many newer players I have seen posting on a forum that start out underfunded, with a bankroll not adequate to cover the normal variance. Inevitably when they hit that run of bad variance they are tapped out. Again, the casino never gats tapped out.
This underfunded/underbankrolled phenomenon, is why I have tried to share my experiences, especially the swings, which can be severe with card counting blackjack. A player has to understand that these swings occur, even playing with a slight advantage and you have to be prepared both mentally and properly bankrolled to handle them, or the casino will win, despite any perceived small advantage the player thinks he has.