Beating California "No-Bust" Blackjack

[Automatic Monkey]

I walked into Bay 101 a couple of weeks ago and watched this game being played. What I found surprising is the dearth of references on the game, rules, BS, or advantage play. This can't be an accident.

But if the game is played the way I think it's played, it seems quite beatable. Before I talk about it, I'd like to know if discussions of advantage play in this game are embargoed here as a potential risk to advantage opportunities. Thanks.

 

[The Mayor]

Aside from banking...

Aside from banking the games, I have never heard of anyone proposing that the games in the urban CA casinos can be beaten. Up to you...

 

[Canuck]

interested

I've never heard of this game, I'm interested in how it's palyed as well as advantage theory behind it

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Banking and occasionally playing

There are two aspects to my idea to beat it that make it kind of a mix of BJ and poker strtaegy. The first is banking the game after analyzing the play of the players at the table and making sure it is bad enough for the banker to beat the house vig. When I was there, I saw several players who only played and several more who took turns banking. The second is counting, and playing and declining to bank at any time the count indicates an advantage to the player.

But I haven't been able to find a basic strategy for the game and it was difficult enough even getting a straight story on the rules. Anyone know of any online resources?

 

[Canuck]

I found the rules *LINK*

the wizard seems to always be a step ahead of the game.

link below to the rules of the game

I'd like to help you with this if you want to take it offline.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Uh oh, I see a problem

It's a combination of this business called the "cooperation", and the fact that a player has an edge before the vig but not after the vig.

Read carefully what he wrote- the cooperation is a heavily bankrolled player who is paid by the casino to be there (translation: he's a shill who gets his any vig he pays kicked back to him) and will always bank, and is not required to play unless he is paid by another player to do so, BUT it doesn't say he cannot play at other times. And if he plays, he has the advantage over the banker because he isn't really paying a vig. So I'll bet you a beer that if a skilled player sits down and starts banking and is perceived to be a problem, the cooperation will start playing and blow you right out of your chair. And you can't do it back to him- you're paying a vig.

So the only answer I can see is to only bank when the player is at a disadvantage even before the vig. And I can't see where that will ever occur being the bust rules are favorable to the player and the only bonus is a 2-1 payout for two jokers which is a rare hand. You might have a better chance as a player because the dealer is still required to draw on 16 and the player is not, but I think you'd need an enormous spread. But given the fact that all bankers at the table are not facing the same costs of being the banker I think I would definitely avoid banking, given what I've just read.