RICK...
First off it is never my intention to call anyone a name so maybe I should rephrase my statement...
prop bets are foolish bets not those who play them 🙂
These extra intisements are always huge house odds with the promiss that someone will hit the "BIG ONE" and maybe it will be me today!
OK on to your question about the A6, A7, A8, against dealer 5... basic strategy says to double down on A6 and A7 and stand on A8...
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House Edge on Insurance...
Number of Decks:
House Edge:
1 deck
5.882%
2 decks
6.796%
4...
7.246%
6...
7.395%
8...
7.470%
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Playing video poker as you said you and Toby do when in Vegas is actually a good game... Video Poker played using perfect strategy is actually the only game in the casino that you are at even odds with the house. Problem with most people is that they do not take the time to learn perfect strategy on any of the games that they play in a casino and the house knows that so the very few that have takin the time do not concern them very much.
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Let it Ride...
type in let it ride in your search engine... the game is VERY simple and learning perfect strategy for the game takes about 15 minutes.
It is the only table game in the casino that you can risk $10 on a hand and have a legitament chance at winning $1500...
The casino we frequent about an hour from here took the game out a few months back, even though it was full all the time, and put in another blackjack table that sat empty just like half their other blackjack tables do except for busy weekends... after a lot of complaining from the patrons they put the game back in the casino but lowered the limit from a max $50 per hand to $15 per hand.... when have you ever seen a casino drop a limit on a game that is supposed to be to their advantage? Now that's not to say that the casino was losing at this game but it does tell you that they knew they were not making the kind of cash they wanted to make on those 7 seats.
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The bottom line is a casino is a great night out... have fun at what you enjoy playing while you are there and the rest be damned!
A little advice though... take the time to learn basic stategy on any of the games that you might play and you will give yourself a better chance of winning or at least cut your losses down to a minimum. this will not only cut your losses but also allow to to stay and play longer on those precious free evenings.
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here is an outstanding site for those of us who like to make the casino a night on the town once in a while...
http://wizardofodds.com/
RD