Blackjack in Macau: History and Rules
Each casino in Macau holds different sets of blackjack rules. In order to see why blackjack in Macau is different from casino to casino, let us begin with the history of blackjack in Macau.
Once upon a time in Macau, Stanley Ho and his casino SGM, held a gambling monopoly in the island. This ended in 2001. The government issued SGM two new licenses on the condition that a co-holder of the license must be a resident of or a company of Macau. However, the partnership went awry, prompting the government to allow each co-holder to have full authority or license as well. This government decision was met with complaint by the SGM full holders. The government then granted them to authority to have sub- or co-holders as well.
There are now 6 licensed gambling operators in Macau, with each operator holding its own set of blackjack rules. As such, blackjack in Macau is diverse and has house edge that varies from casino to casino. If you're planning to play blackjack in Macau, then, always see to it that you know the rules of the casino before joining a table. The six gambling operators are SJM, Lisboa, Wynn, Sands, Galaxy, and Crown. Let's take a look at some of the blackjack rules used in these casinos.
In SJM, five decks of cards are used. A player can double only use if one's two-card hand has a total of 11. If player has previously used split, the player can still double. Three 7s pay 3:1. Re-splitting of Aces is disallowed. If dealer has blackjack, player will lose one's original and additional bets.
Lisboa (an SJM property) use many of SJM rules. However, in Lisboa, re-splitting of Aces is allowed.
In Wynn, only 4 decks of cards are used. In case of dealer blackjack, the dealer will only collect the player's original bet, and return all additional wagers.
Sands uses 6 decks of cards. If dealer has blackjack, all players bets (including added ones) will be collected. Galaxy and Crown share the same rules. Both companies also use 6 decks of cards. Their difference from Sands is that if dealer has blackjack, only the original wager will be collected.
Despite the differences among the blackjack game variants, there's one standard blackjack in Macau rule: the dealer must stand on soft 17.
Even just the number of decks used in the game can already change blackjack odds. Because rules of blackjack in Macau vary among casinos, understanding the rules of each casino before sitting at a table is essential. Every set of rules require different set of strategies. Increasing one's odds of winning requires a tailoring of strategies to the particular game conditions at hand.