BETFAIR new casino and Zero Edge Lounge

[gdbruyck]

A roulette without zero would have been really interesting for the player, without him having a higher edge than the house.
But with the "zero roulette" table limits, Betfair take back all the advantage they give to the player.

Players who prefer Betfair's Zero Lounge will be pleased to learn you can play all of Betfair's zero house edge games in their new download casino suite.

The minimum allowed bet on an even chance is £1.

The highest bet allowed on an even chance is £400!!

[Eliot Jacobson]

Good marketing ploy. The house edge isn't nearly as important as the fact some gamblers often gamble until the bankroll runs out.

In the long run, the house will make no money on a true "zero" lounge. For those gamblers who lose their bankrolls, there will be other gamblers who effectively earn the amount that was lost by the gamblers who lost their bankroll. The house does not gain an edge due simply to having a larger bankroll.

Also, I am not sure about blackjack. A suited blackjack occurs approximately 1-in-84 hands, and for each such, the player will earn an additional 1/2 unit. This adds (1/84)*(.5) = 0.60% (approx) to the player's side. The rule "five card 21 pays 2-to-1" gives about another 0.25%. If the blackjack game had good rules already, this game will have a player's edge with correct basic strategy.

I assume they are banking on poor player strategy on both VP and blackjack to gain an edge.

--Eliot