Have been thinking about this based on recent discussions in various threads about the house "advantage" on BlackJack. Could a stalemate be achieved in BJ by playing to the exact same rules that the dealer must adhere to? I am not real knowledgeable about BJ, from what I recall... The dealer must hit up to 16, and stand on anything 17 or higher. Assuming a heads-up match only, and assuming no doubling down or splits, would the house have any advantage over a player at that point? And let's take away the whole "buying insurance" thing as well on a dealer flopping a face card. Start with the basics.
Yes, the house would still have the advantage as the player goes first in blackjack. If the player busts, they lose their wager even if the dealer busts as well.
Imo, the only way to beat the house is to increase your bet when the shoe is in your favor, card counting. Problem is, you get caught you’re gone. The game becomes how to get away from the table when the shoe is bad, bathroom, show about to start, etc.
They reshuffle a six-deck shoe every other hand these days, anyhow. Good luck counting. I have not seen a casino with a single deck shoe in 30+ years, and that was a tiny casino next to a truckstop.
Lol, that’s about how long it’s been since I step foot in a casino. I’ve only known one man that could beat the house consistently, they wouldn’t let him sit at a table but that was a long time back.