Dear Mark, Are there any advantages to playing on a video blackjack machine versus a live action game?
P. J. Sure, if you split 10s against a dealer 6 on a video game, no fellow player can verbally violate you. Seriously, unless you find a machine that pays you the true value of a blackjack (3 for 2), look at most video blackjack machines with a jaundiced eye. Most machines pay even money on natural 21s. Because you can expect a snapper every 21 hands in live play, the loss of that bonus will cost you an additional 2.3 percent. Considering that blackjack has a house advantage of less than .5 percent to a knowledgeable player, you are giving away the farm here. Other machines round down on blackjack payoffs. If you do happen to find a machine that pays the bonus for a blackjack, make wagers in even amounts so you can get the maximum value of a blackjack (a payoff of $3 for every $2 wagered). And what will a dollar wagered get you for a blackjack? Just a buck, so always bet in two-unit increments. The advantage of a video blackjack machine vs. a live game is the low minimum bankroll requi
