MGM@ Foxwoods Conflicting Blackjack Rules

I was visiting the new MGM at Foxwoods casino in Connecticut today and I decided to play some Blackjack. The new casino which opened earlier this year in May has 29 Blackjack tables on the main floor. As I was getting ready to sit down at the table I noticed a sign that read "Dealer hits soft 17."

I got up and looked at the table next to it and printed on the layout was: "Dealer Stands on 17." I took a walk around the casino and I noticed that there were four Blackjack tables with a sign saying the dealer hit soft 17 and all the rest said the dealer stands on 17. This is the first time I had seen two tables next to each other in the same casino with different rules. I called over a floorman and asked why they had different rules regarding the dealer standing or hitting on 17 and he said. "Some players want a choice."

I told him I did not know of any knowledgeable Blackjack players who would chose to play a game with a higher house edge when they could play a better game at an adjacent table. He just shook his head and walked away. Obviously the casino is just taking advantage of players who do not know how the rules of the game affect the house edge. Playing a Blackjack game where the dealer hits soft 17 adds 0.22 percent to the house edge. It is much better to play a game where the dealer stands on all 17. Here are some of the other rules that affect the house edge.