Question of the Day - 29 April 2025

Here's how the casinos justify the short payoffs on 6-5 blackjack.

The casinos aren't paying blackjack players proper odds on 6-5 naturals (and odds on the 6 and 8 on the crap table, for that matter). The casino is simply offering $6 on naturals for every $5 bet by a player. They argue that it's "impractical" to accommodate true and proper odds for any bet a customer places. Offering $6 for every $5 bet is the closest "practical" way to do it -- without having to worry about 10-cent or 20-cent chips.

They say that the dealers and supervisors are happy to explain that betting $7 will pay only $8 and $8 will pay only $9, etc. In fact, they're encouraged to educate the players about proper bets and payouts. And remember, the dealers work for tips. Of course they’re inclined to tell you that betting in $5 increments is better for the player as far as these payouts are concerned.

If, after that explanation, someone still chooses to bet $7 and is upset about an $8 payout, instead of the true $8.40, they insist that the burden is on the player.

We asked a pit supervisor of our acquaintance for his take on it. He responded, "I haven’t heard nearly as many complaints about players betting 50-cent pieces on a 3-2 table and only being paid 50 cents (even money) instead of 75 cents, due to there not being quarters on a blackjack table. To me, this a more valid complaint, because the casino does carry quarters on some of its games (pai gow and baccarat). It doesn’t usually come up, though. Maybe because 3-2 payouts have been around longer and players realize that the burden lies with them if they bet the 50-cent piece.

As far as the regulators are concerned, they're generally rubber stampers for the casinos. They know, as well as anyone else, that the casinos aren't offering proper odds on most bets. They don't see it as false advertising. They see it as the casinos simply offering an extra $1 on blackjacks for every $5 a player wants to bet at a 6-5 game.