Winstar Casino Blackjack Rules

Winstar Casino Blackjack Rules Rating: 8,3/10 216 reviews

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On Sunday night, I took a date to the Winstar Casino in Oklahoma to do some gambling. I’ve never really done much gambling there besides playing poker. We didn’t have much fun at the slots, which seemed tight, so we decided to try the table games.

Winstar Casino Blackjack Rules Fun

We started with roulette and went on to play blackjack. I knew in a vague way that the Winstar (like other Oklahoma casinos) charges an ante when you place a bet. But this was the first time I’d spent much time at the tables paying that ante on every hand of blackjack and every spin of the roulette wheel.

Being a gambling writer who’s especially interested in the math behind the games, I started thinking about how to quantify what this ante does to the house edge.

Casino

I had a math teacher in high school who insisted that I “show my work.”

That’s what I intend to do in this post. Calculate the house edge for the table games I played at the Winstar Casino, accounting for the antes.

What’s an Ante?

An ante is a forced bet, usually in poker, that drives action to the game. In the Native American casinos in Oklahoma, it’s an amount you put up in addition to your bet that the house keeps whether you win, lose, or push.

It would be more accurate to describe this so-called “ante” as a fee for playing a hand of blackjack or for betting on a spin of the roulette wheel. The casinos love to use euphemisms to make a bad deal seem slightly better, and using the word “ante” instead of “fee” is just an example of this.

This has the obvious effect of costing you the amount of the fee multiplied by the number of bets you make. Even if you’re winning, the fees add up. They could easily be the difference between a winning session and a losing session.

How the Roulette Ante Affects the House Edge

The first weird thing about playing roulette at the Winstar Casino is that they don’t have an actual roulette wheel. There’s an animated roulette wheel that drives the results. That wasn’t THAT weird for me; I’ve played at plenty of online casinos that did the same thing.

But the online casinos use a random number generator program to produce their roulette results. That’s a computer program that generates thousands of numbers per second. When you hit the “spin” or “bet” button at an online casino, the RNG stops on whatever number it’s “thinking of” at that millisecond.

The roulette games at the Winstar Casino don’t work that way. They have a dealer with a deck of cards. The dealer scans the playing card into a machine, then the animated roulette wheel spins and lands on the space that corresponds to the card that was dealt.

I have no reason to think that the probability of the underlying game had changed. It was a standard American roulette wheel on the giant TV screen above the table. It had 38 possible results, 2 of which were green (the 0 and the 00). 18 of those results were black, while the other 18 were red, and so on.

Winstar

The table limits weren’t unusual, either. $5 minimum on the outside bets, with a $500 maximum bet.

But I had to pay a $1 fee (the so-called “ante”) every time they spun the wheel.

I didn’t even realize that was the case until the dealer told me to put up the extra dollar.

How did that affect the house edge?

Let’s start by assuming that we’re going to “spin the wheel” 38 times, and we’re going to get statistically perfect results. We’ll also assume that I bet on black every time.

This means that I’ll win $5 on 18 spins, and I’ll lose $5 on 20 spins.

On top of that, I’m going to lose $1 on each of the 38 spins.

I have $90 in winnings, and $100 in losses on the spins. Add $38 to my losses, and I wind up with a net loss of $48 over 38 spins.

That’s an average loss of about $1.26 per spin.

Since I’m basically putting $6 into action on every spin, an average loss of $1.26 per spin equates to an average loss of 21% of my bet.

That’s a lot higher than a 5.26% loss per spin.

In fact, that’s TERRIBLE.

Can You Do Anything to Lower the House Edge on the Roulette Games at the Winstar?

Here’s the thing:

I’m a low roller. (As you can imagine, gambling writers don’t make that much money.)

But if you have a bigger bankroll than I do, you can lower the house edge by betting more each time they spin the wheel.

Winstar Casino Blackjack Rules

The fee for the roulette games (and the craps games, for that matter) at the Winstar Casino remains $1 regardless of whether you’re betting $5 per spin or $500 per spin.

What does that change the house edge to?

You do the math the same way, but the average losses as a percentage of the money you’re putting into action drop as you raise the size of your bets, as follows:

  • If you’re betting $5 per spin, your average loss per spin is $1.26.
  • If you’re betting $100 per spin, your average loss per spin is $6.26.
  • If you’re betting $500 per spin, your average loss per spin is $27.32.

Winstar Casino Blackjack Rules Game

This means the house edge at each of these levels is:

  • At $5, the house edge is 21%.
  • At $100, the house edge is 6.2%
  • At $500, the house edge is 5.45%.

Notice how at $500 per spin, the house edge is almost normal–normal being 5.26%.

But your sole goal shouldn’t be to get the house edge as low as possible. You should also consider your average cost of playing per hour.

The roulette games moved along at the Winstar at a good clip–about 50 spins per hour.

To calculate your average loss per hour, you multiply the number of bets per hour by the average size of your bet, and then you multiply that by the house edge.

For a $5 bettor, this means you’re putting $6 into action 50 times per hour, for $300 per hour in total action. With a house edge of 21%, you can expect to lose $63/hour.

For a $100 bettor, you’re putting $101 into action 50 times per hour, for $5050 in total action. With a house edge of 6.2%, you can expect to lose $313.10/hour.

For a $500 bettor, you’re putting $501 into action 50 times per hour, for $25,050 in total action. With a house edge of 5.45%, you can expect to lose $1365.23/hour.

The big difference is between the $5 and $100 mark–you’re betting 20 times as much per hand, but the difference in the house edge is so great that your expected losses only go up by a factor of 5.

You’ll need to decide for yourself how much an hour of roulette is worth to you, but keep in mind, too, that these are long term averages anyway. Even if you’re betting $5/hand, you could come out a winner in the short term.

In fact, even though a lot of gambling experts eschew the Martingale System, Michael Bluejay wrote an excellent page about how the system does increase your probability of having a small winning session in the short run. This will, of course, over time, be balanced out by some large losing sessions.

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(The Martingale System worked well enough for me Sunday night that I broke even at the roulette tables.)

What about the Blackjack Ante?

I’m going to look at the blackjack math a little differently, but I also should point out that the ante rules for the blackjack games are different. The fee changes based on how much you’re betting, as follows:

  • If you’re betting $5 to $99 per hand, the ante is 50 cents.
  • If you’re betting $100 to $999 per hand, the ante is $1.
  • If you’re betting $1000 to $1999, the ante is $2.
  • If you’re betting $2000+, the ante is $3.

The first thing I’m going to do when calculating the house edge for the blackjack (including the fee) is to look at the game’s edge based on the rules in place. This also assumes you’re playing with perfect basic strategy.

As it turns out, the rules at the Winstar blackjack tables are excellent:

  • They deal from 6 decks.
  • The dealer stands on soft 17.
  • No doubling after splitting.
  • No surrender.
  • You can double on any 2 cards.

With these rules in place, if you use perfect basic strategy, the house edge is only 0.56%.

But that’s not taking into account the 50 cent fee.

Winstar casino blackjack rules card game

Here’s how we’re going to get to that number:

Let’s start with an expected hourly loss figure that doesn’t account for the ante.

When I was there, we only had an average of 3 players at the table–me, my lady friend, and usually one other person. (That person kept changing, but we hung in there for quite a while.)

According to the Wizard of Odds, I can expect 105 hands per hour at such a table. At $5 per hand, I’m putting $525 per hour into action.

Since I’m playing according to perfect basic strategy, my expected loss per hour just on the blackjack action (without the fee) is 0.56% of that, or $2.94/hour.

But I’m also losing 50 cents per hand to the fee. With 105 hands/hour, that’s another $52.50 in hourly losses. (I also get to add that to the hourly action.)

So with the fee, I’m wagering $577.50 and losing $55.40 of that.

That’s an effective house edge of 9.59%.

I don’t need to tell you that this has a terrible effect on what would otherwise be a great blackjack game.

What If You Increase Your Bet Sizes?

If you were paying attention during the roulette section, you probably already realize that if you raise the size of your bets, you can lower that house edge.

Let’s say you’re betting $99/hand instead. Now you’re putting $99 X 105 into action per hour, or $10,395. Your expected loss on that is $58.21.

You’re still paying $52.50 in fees, though, so your expected loss goes up to $110.71.

On total action of $10,447.50 in action, that’s a house edge of 1.1%.

Now that’s more like it. If you have the bankroll to afford this kind of action, it makes a lot of sense to bet $99/hand instead.

But here’s something interesting:

Watch what happens when you start betting $100/hand instead of $99/hand:

Your fee doubles. It’s now a dollar instead of 50 cents, which means that you now have $105 in hourly fees.

Your expected hourly loss besides that doesn’t change much. You’re putting $10,500 into action each hour instead of $10,447.50. Your expected loss on that is $58.80 instead of $58.21.

Add those together, and your hourly loss is $163.80 instead of $110.71.

So the house edge when you’re betting $99 is only 1.1%, but when you’re betting $100, it’s 1.54%.

If you really want to drop the house edge, though, just raise the size of your bets to $999.

Winstar Casino Blackjack Rules Poker

$999 X 105 = $104,895

0.56% X $104,895 = $587.41

$587.41 + $105 = $692.41

$692.41/$105,000 = 0.65%

If you have the bankroll to afford that kind of action, it’s worth doing. You’ll find plenty of casinos in Las Vegas which don’t offer a house edge that low.

You might even be able to get an edge at this kind of game with a card counting strategy, although I suspect most people don’t have the bankroll for that. Also, I have a feeling–and I’ve read forum posts suggesting–that the security at the casinos in Oklahoma frown even more on blackjack advantage players than the casinos in Las Vegas do.

Conclusion

The fees (or so-called “antes”) for the roulette games and the blackjack games at the Winstar Casino in Oklahoma have a significant effect on the house edge.

In fact, if you’re a low roller, the best thing you can do is to avoid the roulette game altogether. If you do play roulette, try to avoid betting the minimum. Bet as much as you can comfortably afford, and remember that the house always wins in the long run anyway.

With the blackjack games, be careful with the amount you bet. The house edge can change dramatically between $99 and $100 per bet just because of the rising size of the fee.

You’ll find other posts in forums complaining about the antes at the casinos in Oklahoma. I’ll refrain from any histrionics here. You know what the deal is now, so if you want to play, that’s your business.

It does remind me of the old joke about the guy who plays in this lousy poker game. One of his buddies asks him, if the game’s so bad, why do you keep playing?

Because it’s the only game in town, he replies.

VISIT WINSTAR

The Winstar Online Casino is managed and operated by GameAccount Network, or GAN as they are now known. This gives Winstar a strong foundation to build upon but the site itself already offers an exciting collection of games, a constant stream of rewarding promotions, a user-friendly mobile gaming experience, and plenty of positive customer reviews. It has all the makings of a top casino and when you add in the fact that it’s tied in with the famous Winstar World Casino in Oklahoma, the world’s largest casino, you start to understand where all of this rich casino experience comes from. The following review gives you a closer look into the finer details of the site and what you can expect when you sign up:

License

Winstar real money Online Casino is fully licensed and regulated with both the UK and Alderney gambling commissions. The badges of these two well-respected gambling licenses can be found on the homepage of the site, ensuring customers a safe, secure and fair gaming experience. The first sign of a trustworthy casino is the approval of the local gambling jurisdictions. The UK and Alderney authorities are two of the biggest in the industry which should help to ease any doubts in your mind regarding the eligibility of Winstar.

Privacy & Safety

Personal information and banking details are kept safe and secure via SSL encryption in accordance with the UK and Alderney gambling licenses. UK Online casinos are required to adhere to strict rules and procedures through the use of these licenses, ensuring that all gambling and data laws are followed in a professional and organized manner. Lastly, the seal of approval from the global gaming authority, Gaming Laboratories International, ensures the strict security levels of the site and how it stores personal information.

Software

Winstar is operated and run by GameAccount Network (GAN), a leading iGaming network company established in 2002 with headquarters located in the heart of London. GAN is largely unknown in the public eye but they have been running quietly in the background for over a decade now, offering gaming platform and services to hundreds of the top online casino sites around the world.

In terms of games software, the casino has partnered up with several of the top providers, as well as some of the smaller gaming studios, to give its customers a wide range of gaming experiences. The list of providers on the books with Winstar include: Play'n GO, NetEnt, IGT (WagerWorks), 1x2Games, SG Gaming, Betgames, Konami Gaming, Gamomat, WMS, RTG, iSoftBet, Ainsworth Gaming Technology.

Games

Slots are the main focus and this is clearly proved by the big-name games available to play. The likes of NetEnt, IGT, and Play’n GO gives the Winstar customer access to standout titles like Starburst, Dead or Alive, Jack and the Beanstalk, and the Cleopatra Mega Jackpots slot, to name just a few. Winstar might have a huge collection of slots but it’s clear to see that it’s an all-rounder when it comes to casino gaming. The homepage gives you quick access to other casino favorites such as single and multi-deck blackjack, as well as the popular Super 7’s game. You have also got over 15 variants of roulette to choose from, including Roulette Royale, 3-Wheel Roulette, and Triple Bonus Spin Roulette, as well as the standard European, French, and American tables. Convenient homepage links are also available to video poker, instant win games, and a live casino section that contains a range of roulette and blackjack live games to play and enjoy. Winstar has all the casino gaming corners covered.

Mobile

Winstar Casino Blackjack Rules

The popularity of mobile gaming is forever on the rise and Winstar casino has shown great intent to ride the mobile wave by designing their own mobile app, available for both iOS and Android users. The games work just as well via your mobile’s internet browser but if you prefer, you can download the Winstar Casino app from both from the Apple App Store and Play Store.

Bonuses and Promotions

The current welcome bonus offers new players up to £250 in free bonus money and 100 bonus spins over the space of five days. The best part about this bonus is that you can use it on any of the games from slots, blackjack, roulette, live casino, the choice is yours. Wagering requirements are 45x the bonus amount and you’ve got seven days before your bonus expires. Just remember to opt-in when you’re prompted to claim the bonus in the first place! Once you’ve claimed the welcome bonus, you can then gain access to Winstar’s main promotion program with bonus spins, bonus money, and a Win-Win loyalty scheme where you can trade ‘star points’ for extra bonus money, spins, and more.

Banking

The banking options will please customers as most of the popular deposit and withdrawal methods are available. Customers can use any of the top debit/credit card options such as Visa, MasterCard, and Maestro. If banking with an e-wallet is more your style then you’ve got the choice of Neteller, Skrill, and Paysafecard to choose from. Withdrawal times are standard with a 24-hour pending process, and you’ll only have to wait up to five days to receive your money when using bank cards. It’s a quick turnaround of 24 hours with e-wallets. Lastly, it’s worth noting that they also allow maximum withdrawals of up to £10,000 per day and up to £100,000 per month, which leaves plenty of scope for most casino gamers to go about their casino banking business!

Customer Service

The Winstar customer support team are offering their service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Like all respectable casinos, they give you multiple contact avenues to choose from with telephone, email and live chat options all available. Many recent reviews pointed out the efficiency and knowledge of the Winstar support team when dealing with gaming and promotional issues, this can be seen as a strong sign that the casino is keen to build customer trust and loyalty from the start.