Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

February 29, 2008

Command Performance by the (trumpets, please) Royal Match

Dear Mark: Once again, I lead off by writing that I closely follow your column in the Gazette
Journal in Reno since moving here nearly 4 years ago. In that time, I've not read a blurb about
the blackjack table adjunct, Royal Match. No doubt this is to put more money into action on the
table for the casino, and accordingly it probably is bad odds for the player. But is it? I don't
seem to have much luck with it. "EW" T.

The Royal Match is an optional side bet in blackjack that concerns the first two cards dealt to
the player. For example, if you make this alternative wager and your first two cards are suited,
such as a five and seven of spades, you are paid 5 to 2. If it is a Royal Match, (a suited king and
queen) that bet pays 25 to 1. The final outcome of your blackjack hand has no bearing on this
side wager, since the matched hand is paid immediately, well before the standard blackjack
hand is played out.

The casino's advantage on a Royal Match bet depends on the number of decks used.
Surprisingly, the more decks in play, the better the odds for the player. If playing on a six-deck
shoe game, the casino advantage is 6.67%. On an eight-deck game, the house edge is slightly
lower at 6.46%. For the player, it gets progressively worse the fewer decks there are in the
game. For four decks, the house advantage is 7.08%, for two decks it climbs to 8.33%, and on a
single deck game it's 10.86%. You can lower the casino advantage on the single deck game
considerably if you find a paytable where a non-royal match pays 4 to 1 versus 5 to 2, but
you'll take a bit of a hit on an elusive royal match that pays lower, like 10 to 1. The casino's
advantage with these rules is 3.77%.

Here's the deal, EW. You'll never find a side bet offered by the casino that is a better bet than
the basic game it decorates. These pseudo-whoopee side bets typically carry a house edge that
ranges anywhere from 3 to as high as 76%.

True, EW, the Royal Match bet has a casino advantage lower than many of the side wagers
offered by the casino, but it's still a bad bet, being that it's well over this columnist's mandated
two percent tops house edge on any casino bet you make.

Dear Mark: Would you please explain what straddle means in poker? Glen S.

Some Old Timers of the game of poker will undoubtedly correct me as to what the true
definition of straddle is. They believe it's the second of two forced blinds, usually put in by the
player two positions to the left of the dealer. They call these two bets the blind and straddle.

Today's player believes a straddle bet as an optional (voluntary) blind bet with the purpose of
increasing the stakes of the game, made by the person to the left of the big blind, and before
that player receives his or her cards. Usually equivalent to two big blinds, straddles are only
used in games played with blind structures and are normally not permitted in tournament play.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: The two things you need to be successful in poker are, first,
find the muck, and second, don't play your own money. -- David "Devilfish" Ulliott

Tags: Gambling Pilarski

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