Pennsylvania gaming regulators sided with players this week when they voted to keep the state's favorable blackjack rules intact.

In a voice vote Wednesday with no dissensions, members of the Gaming Control Board made the current rules permanent -- including requirements that the dealer stand on soft 17 (Ace-6), that all player blackjacks be paid 3-to-2 ($15 for a $10 bet) and that players have the option of surrendering half their bet instead of hitting or standing.

That lets Pennsylvania maintain its status as home to some of the best blackjack anywhere in the country. For a player who adheres to basic strategy, a computer-derived way of playing every possible hand, the house advantage is less than 0.4 percent on six- and eight-deck games. In other words, that player would lose about 40 cents of every $100 bet over the long run.

In many jurisdictions, the dealer hits soft 17; worse, many casinos squeeze the blackjack payout down to 6-to-5, or $12 for a $10 bet.

"I applaud the PA Gaming Control Board for looking out for the interest of the players above the casinos," renowned gambling mathematician Michael Shackleford, the "Wizard of Odds," says in an email to Player's Advantage. "I think PA is entitled to toot their own horn about this, and I hope they steal business from stingier states that have horrendous 6-5 blackjack."

Anthony Curtis, publisher of LasVegasAdvisor.com and former professional blackjack player, says the decision shows that Pennsylvania regulators are not "shilling for the casino industry."

"It gives the players more value for their money, and it gives PA bragging rights over competitors, including most on the Las Vegas Strip," he says.

For more than a year, Player's Advantage urged blackjack fans to speak out in favor of the player-friendly rules. After the Legislature approved table games in 2010, regulators established temporary rules to get the cards in the air as soon as possible. The temporary rules for all table games expire this year.

Assistant Chief Counsel Susan Yocum says the gaming board received more than 70 letters and emails about the blackjack rules. All but two were from players. One casino asked for the option of having dealers hit soft 17 at low-limit tables; the other casino letter was a procedural question on insurance bets.

That was the most comments the board has received on any proposed rule.

"We do have player-friendly rules in Pennsylvania," Yocum told the board.

She said allowing dealers to hit soft 17 would increase the house edge by 0.22 percentage points.

"That would mean the facility would be taking in slightly more revenue and the player would be losing more money," she said.

But if the amount of play decreases, she added, overall revenue could drop instead of rise.

That's a terrific point.

Blackjack is the far and away the most popular casino card game because of its reputation of being beatable. Players know that with a little bit of study, they have almost an even chance of winning.

As operators try to squeeze more money out of players by hitting soft 17 or switching to the repulsive 6-to-5 payout, people intuitively understand they don't win as much and cut back their play.

Read more: Players win: State keeps good blackjack rules - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/gambling/s_781049.html#ixzz1mVKT4VRH