Quote:
Originally Posted by Royalflu$h
Or the mtd bet? And what about mtd bet out the shoe ?
The thing about any kind of side bet is that they dramatically slow down the game. As a player who plays for a living, time is money and speed of the game is a top priority. So, while some side bets can be exploited and be advantageous at certain times, it is rare that I will find them beneficial overall.
Take the lucky ladies side bet. It is common knowledge that this game can be beat with a common level one count that many card counters use. (even more so with a specialized count). But the threshold that the game becomes profitable is pretty high, which means it only on a precious few hands is it actually advantageous. However, once you reach that threshold, which is +6 or +7 for the standard hi-lo count, the advantage rises dramatically. So at a count of +10 or +12 the player has a significant advantage that can make a real difference in long-term result.
So if I am playing heads up and sit down at a lucky ladies side bet table and can play my regular game but still take advantage of the side bet at appropriate times, it can add a significant advantage to my game. BUT, if I am playing with other players, even just one or two and they are playing the side bet regularly, it will slow down the game dramatically. The extra advantage of the side bet opportunity will not overcome the cost of reduced overall hands and speed of the game. Bottom line: In the majority of cases (except heads up play) games with side bets are a losing proposition, at least for me.