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Gaming Guru
A hand by any other name . . .9 May 2005
When making the Under/Over 13 bet in blackjack, which bet is better, the Under or the Over 13? Thomas D. The Under/Over 13 is a side bet that pays even money if the player correctly guesses that the sum of the first two cards dealt to him or her will be under or over 13. Aces count as 1. As for making this side bet, I recommend neither, Thomas, as both have a considerable casino advantage. As for which is better, it would be the Under 13 bet, as its house edge, depending on the number of decks in play, is in the 6% range compared to a whopping 10% plus for the over 13 wager. Dear Mark, Yup, a rocket is an ace. Other popular slang monikers for the rocket are: spike, eye, seed, bull, and tee pee. Put an (s) next to any of the above to pair them up (e.g. rockets). Also, you often hear the term bullet for an ace, a possible allusion to Hickok’s Dead Man’s Hand: pairs of aces and eights. The obvious conclusion is that Wild Bill drew a third bullet in the back, filling the full house, but in death at a very high price. Aces paired are often described as pocket rockets, snake eyes, sticks, needles and the names of well-known individuals like Alan Alda and Albert Anastasia. As for ace/card pairings, here are some of the more popular nameplates: Ace/king - Big Slick (if of the same suit, Big Slick in a Suit) Hope you weren’t counting, Gerald, as there is plenty more that poker rooms and kitchen tables yield that I haven’t mentioned. So, if any of you readers have a favorite or a bright invention you would like to contribute, please e-mail me at pilarski@markpilarski.com. Dear Mark, The long answer to your question, Gayle, has been covered often in this column. So, I’ll give you the short version: NO, and NO! Gambling quote of the week: "Your mother has this crazy idea that gambling is wrong. Even though they say it's OK in the Bible." —Homer Simpson Related Links
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Mark Pilarski |
Mark Pilarski |