Thought I read on Twitter recently that the Gate was going to move away from CSM on the main floor to 8-deck shoes. Anyone know if that has happened?
Unless you can successfully count an 8-deck shoe, the CSM is better for the basic strategy player...I hope they don't change. ...now, if they were to add some $10 two-deck games to the main floor... (~sigh~)...
The house edge reduction from the CSMs lack of a cut card effect and fewer decks is very minor. It does not come close to offsetting the higher hands per hour due to no shuffling. Basic strategy players are going to lose more per hour than at a shoe. CSMs are evil and should be universally reviled.
Actually, topcard is correct. The basic strategy player will do better on a CSM than an eight deck shoe. The reason is that basic strategy is based on a random distribution of cards being dealt. An eight shoe doesn't even come close to being shuffled enough to produce a random distribution, thus basic strategy is not optimal and even detrimental compared to other methods. The CSM shuffle is much closer to being random so it should be preferred by basic strategy players.
Except those aren't the options, CSM might be better than 8 deck, but 8 deck is rare, who would play at a 8 deck game when 2 or 4 are all over?
Depends on how you look at it. In a -EV game, the less you play, the less you lose. Playing slower will decrease your -EV as a function of time.
While that's true, it is also true that the player is in complete control regarding how many hands he plays per hour. You can 'mid-deck' stop/enter as many times as you wish on a CSM. On those rare occasions when I play a CSM, I sit out any number of hands while playing... sometimes for several minutes. Certainly, two-deck games will always be my preference, but I've done 'ok' at CSMs over the years. And 'variance' is still a factor, even at a CSM table... you can still have a string of consecutive losses, but you can also have a string of consecutive wins. TIP: After a string of consecutive wins occurs, followed by the inevitable losing hand, sit out for a few hands after that loss. Do it every time you win, say, 5 hands in a row. CSMs are not evil. You just have to understand & adjust to the tactic that the house is hoping you won't notice - 'more-hands-per-hour' dealt. Well, all that matters to me is 'hands-per-hour' played. And I control that.
I haven't seen a 4-deck shoe anywhere, in over 20 years... they all seem to be 6 or 8 decks... and, all other things being equal, I'd prefer a CSM to a 6 or 8 deck shoe. Double-deck is still the best blackjack game to be found, in my opinion...even more so than single-deck, given what one must forfeit in terms of rules for most single-deck games... but even the 'very-good' single-deck game at the El-Co has problems - no DAS, and very few hands per deck. I've also noticed the El-Co shuffling before the cut-card for single-deck on occasion. I once played there and they periodically shuffled after only one or two hands...especially when those hands were ace/face poor.
I like the atmosphere at the GG, but on my recent trip only played there once because of the continuous shufflers, compared to most of downtown the gold gate just doesn't cut it.
merlin - they have a very good (for downtown) two-deck shoe game in the "high limit salon"... 67% penetration, 3:2, H17, DAS permitted...typically $15 min during the day/early-evening & $25 at night. 3:2 Two-deck with DAS is only available downtown at the El-Co, the Plaza & Golden Gate (RIP, LVC). Every other double-deck game has no DAS. They are all H17. I've heard that 'theD' has one as well (at $50 min) in their high-limit room, but I've never played it (or even seen it).