Posts tagged Blackjack
Understanding Blackjack Rules And Strategies
May 20th
When a newcomer sits down and plays blackjack for the first time, it may not be apparent that under this seemingly simple game, there has been extensive analysis of the odds and strategies. It is incredible to think that so much brain matter has been exercised to achieve optimum results in a game where the purpose is to get as close to twenty-one as possible. Leave gut-feel, luck and superstition at the door because this is a game of mathematical probability combined with clever blackjack betting to minimise the damage the house can do to a player’s wallet. The good news is that understanding the rules, and general strategies does decrease the house odds. On a multi-pack deck, this translates to a meagre .5% of an edge depending on the rules. Effectively if a player gambles smartly, in the long run they will only lose 50 cents on every $100 played at a blackjack table.
Beyond the concept of trying to pull cards as close to twenty-one as possible, a player also needs to understand the general blackjack rules and game play. In a typical blackjack game the dealer will deal players two cards face-up after they have entered in a bet for the round of play. The dealers will give themselves one card face-up. Since the player is trying to beat the dealer and not other players, this dealer card is a consideration on how the players will play. With basic blackjack, the dealer then looks for action from the players who have the choice to hit (receive another card), stand (take what was dealt), split (play two hands from the pair that was dealt) or double down (offers the chance for the player to double their bet when they receive the next card.) There are other rules that should be considered when a player is learning how to play blackjack such as the ability to surrender half of the bet after the cards are dealt, and to buy insurance against a potential house 21 blackjack. It is important to understand the rules of the individual table, including the payout for blackjack, the way the house treats a soft seventeen, and any side bets that can be made.
When it comes to strategy the player needs to remember that there is always a statistically “correct” way to play a hand. Every seasoned player has had an experience of someone acting on his or her gut to throw the whole shoe out of whack. For the new players, it is worthwhile to review these charts to increase blackjack odds. A few of the general rules that can be followed to increase odds are not to split 4s, 5s or 10s; stand on a soft 18 or above (ace,7/8/9/10); hit all soft hands of 17 and below; and when dealt a hard 12 to 16, stand if the dealer has 2 to 6. Expansions of every combination are readily available on the Internet to improve your results when you play blackjack.
A great way to warm up on the rules and strategies is to play on some of the free online blackjack websites. This will give the new player a feel for the play, as well as some comfort with betting and understanding of the strategies with no cost. It’s worth checking out to give new players the opportunity to yell “BLACKJACK!” for the first time.
Gene Marshall is a distinguished online blackjack player who works for a number of top blackjack sites. He focuses on editorials about recommended blackjack strategy and online blackjack. Supplementary works that were written by Gene Marshall related to online blackjack are obtainable on the internet.
Is Blackjack Card Counting Illegal in Casinos?
May 5th
In a word, no. Card counting is not illegal.
You cannot use any devices to assist you in card counting. Pocket sized computers and other electronic devices that can be used as card counting aides are illegal. If you are caught using such a device you will be arrested in Las Vegas. A card counter can only use his own intellect to card cards.
A casino will be on guard for card counters. They watch for players who play in a business like manner. They look for players who don’t interact with the dealer or other patrons. They look for players using basic strategy. Casinos will count along with a suspect card counter. A player will be labeled as a counter when the casino sees the player raise his bet when the count is in his favor.
Team play was big in the 1990s. A team would consist of one or more players at a table betting only the table minimum and counting cards. Since these players never increased their wager, the casinos could not spot them as counters. These players then signal another, “big money” player. The “big money” player wanders from table only stopping where the count is in his favor and only betting large amounts. Without the typical wager increases of a single card counter, teams of players were difficult for the casino to spot.
A casino may escort you off premises, read you the riot act, and threaten you with trespassing should you return. They may share your picture and profile with other casinos. However, this is not likely unless you are wagering large sums of money.
A card counter who is counting poorly or who is losing is likely to be allowed to play. A casino is happy to have anyone lose at any of their games. A card counter who is winning will often provoke some action by the casino. The easiest thing for the casino to do is instruct the dealer to shuffle more frequently, perhaps every third or fifth hand. This makes the counter constant reset his count and he will never see the positive count he needs.
In order to prevent being identified as a card counter, a player can do several things. First, the player should act in a relaxed manner. Second, it may be prudent to break basic strategy. For example, you could split tens every once in a while. A casino is likely to label you a recreational player if you break basic strategy now and then. Finally, a player can be careful with his wager. A five to ten times increase in the wager is likely to be ignored. Beyond ten times increase will draw scrutiny. Also, some players recommend changing your wager in proportion to the running count. Thus the wager is always changing and it’s hard to notice increases.
Card counting is a legal and legitimate way to gain an advantage over the casino in blackjack. Visit card-counting-blackjack.com right now to learn how count cards for free. The free blackjack game teaches you how to count cards. It also shows you how to play multi-deck blackjack strategy. There is nothing to download or install. Play BlackJack for free right now.
For more information on card counting, please visit hi lo card counting
West Virginia Blackjack – West Virginia Casinos
May 4th
For a long time, gamblers in West Virginia had to travel somewhere else to play blackjack games, craps games, roulette games, etc. The only casino gambling action available to them was slot machine gambling and horse betting. But recently, Wheeling Island Gaming and Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort received permission to add table games to their offerings. So the gamblers who used to travel to Indiana can now get their blackjack fix a little closer to home.
Blackjack isn’t the only new game that’s available to gamblers in the area. Texas holdem grows ever more popular, and both of the locations already mentioned now have poker card rooms where aspiring Doyle Brunsons can now go all-in and hope they don’t get a bad flop.
Wheeling Island Gaming
Wheeling Island Gaming is located on an island in the Ohio River. The casino offers a tropical island ambience including a waterfall and multiple faux-palm trees. The island itself is only about 2 miles long, and Wheeling Island Casino offers several restaurants and bars. Be warned that this casino is extremely popular, and the blackjack games there are a big attraction. You should be prepared to wait if you want to play blackjack at any stakes lower than $50 per hand. (The higher stakes tables aren’t as crowded.)
Gamblers who are tired of slot machines, blackjack, and craps can step outside and spend some time betting on the dog races that are also offered at the location. Or if you’re not the rough and rugged outdoors-y type, you can watch the races from inside as well.
Mountaineer Casino Racetrack
The Mountaineer Casino Racetrack is located in the countryside, somewhat removed from the rest of civilization. Like Wheeling Island Gaming, the Mountaineer offers multiple restaurants and bars. They have a radically different decor and theme though, favoring a 1920’s gangster/speakeasy decor over the tropical island theme present at Wheeling Island. The casino is a little bit larger, and finding a lower stakes blackjack table with a seat open is a little bit easier here.
And if you get tired of gambling, a golf resort is located nearby, so you can get some fresh air and exercise while taking a break from the tables and the slot machines.
Some Blackjack Advice
If you’re new to blackjack strategy, here are a few tips for how to minimize the house edge:
- When you’re not sure about the correct play, assume that the dealer has a ten as her hole card, and also assume that you’re going to be dealt a ten. The deck has more tens in it than any other card, so this is a decent assumption about what’s going to happen next, and the basic strategy decisions become pretty obvious.
- Always split aces and eights. If you’ve got aces, you get twice as many chances at a blackjack by splitting. And you’ll often draw a ten when you hit. 10+8=18, which is a mighty respectable blackjack hand any time.
- Never split fours, fives, or tens. A pair of fours is a hard total of eight, which means you’re next card, if it’s a ten, will be an eighteen, which is a mighty good hand. (Two hands with a total of fourteen each would be a bummer to play though.) A pair of fives is a total of ten, so doubling down is a good idea here, since you’re hoping to catch an ace for a 21 or a ten for a total of 20. And a pair of tens is a total of 20, which is an outstanding hand no matter what.
- Don’t play with money you can’t afford to lose.
- For more blackjack strategy advice, including a hand-by-hand guide to basic strategy, visit Blackjack Hero’s blackjack basic strategy tutorial.
- To practice a little blackjack online before your tips, try the free blackjack games available with no download at Free Flash Blackjack.
Good luck at the tables in West Virginia. The house has the edge unless you’re counting cards, but you’re the one having big fun.
Another great blackjack resource for new blackjack players is Blackjack Tactics.
Blackjack Money Management: Strategy to Maximize Your Winnings
Apr 17th
Blackjack is an incredibly popular casino table game for a variety of reasons. First, it is much easier to learn than some of the more complicated games and your only goal is to beat the dealer’s hand. Even better for the player, you can lower the house edge to a nearly nonexistent level! To do so, you need to learn what’s called basic strategy, a set of rules dictating the best moves in all situations.
Before sitting down and memorizing a chart, you should know that some blackjack decisions start before the cards are dealt. Rule variations affect the house edge as well as the number of decks that are in play. The rule variations that are good for the player include double down after a split, double down any sum, hitting on split aces and re-split of aces. Other special rules will usually give the casino a greater advantage. The long-term expected house edge is often from.5%-1%, although you can occasionally find a game with a player advantage if you look hard enough.
Also, if you ever see a single deck game, immediately sit down, as each additional deck adds to the casino’s advantage. (It’s typical to play with 6-8 decks)
Once you’ve grasped this concept, you should find a blackjack basic strategy chart and study it carefully, remembering when to hit, stand or double down in different situations.
A Blackjack “Sucker Bet”
Insurance -You will sometimes have a chance to make an “insurance” bet when the dealer shows an ace. If you decide to take it, you place a second bet half the size of your first wager. You get paid off at 2-1 if the dealer does have 21. While it may sound good to buy this insurance in the case of a sure loss, this bet actually has a high casino edge. In the long run, “insurance” is really a misleading bet that will only add to the casino edge.
Building a Bankroll with Blackjack
Blackjack is a great casino game to play, as long as you are willing to put in the time necessary to learn basic strategy. The odds will typically be much greater than most of the alternatives you can find. In order to increase your edge even more and turn the odds in to your favor, you can hunt down VIP bonuses, comps and online sign-up bonuses to help you show more profit at the blackjack table.
For more detailed blackjack bankroll management strategy including a full basic strategy chart and casino VIP programs, check out our Bankroll Management website.
Learn to manage your poker, casino and sports betting bankroll at BankrollManagement.org
How to Earn a Profit from Blackjack Rather Than Using so Called "Winning Systems"
Apr 9th
As a casino player, would you want to lose money by using those so called “winning systems” ? No doubts there might be some winning systems that might work. But not in the long run. The fact is that the player will eventually lose due to the percentage house edge which flavour the casino.
I will not use any winning systems but instead use my programming knowledge to profit from the online casinos due to 1 main advantage to a player. That will be the “bonus” given upon deposit for new players.
The first thing I want you to remember about my strategy is that your earnings will depend on how dedicated you are to following the system and not your instincts. Understand that the odds are in the casinos favor, but by following my strategy to perfection you will decrease the casino’s edge. Treat your blackjack gaming like a part-time job and you will make an average of $90 or more per casino you play. You should easily be able to play one casino a night.
The basic idea behind the strategy is bonus hunting. Bonus hunting is taking advantage of all the bonus money the casino’s give away to attract players to their online casinos. Most casinos will match your deposit dollar for dollar up to $200.
With that in mind, let’s just use an average of $90 and think of the numbers:
500 online casinos (x) $90 average $ you clear = $45,000 in profit (3 months or less)
By using blackjack profit system you will shift the odds of winning money in your favor.
Here is an example of the strategy for Casino on Net: Buy $200, get $200 for a total of $400. The minimum wager requirement is 10x’s. A 10x wager requirement means you have to wager a total of $4000 dollars (10x’s the $200 bonus plus 10x’s the $200 deposit) in total bets. Don’t worry, it’s not that hard to meet these wager requirements because all bets count towards the requirement, wins and losses.
The house edge at Casino On Net from my NEW Strategy System is 0.40%. $4000 x 0.40% is $16.00 (Remember, this is 0.40%, LESS than 1.0%). That’s the amount you are predicted to lose if you follow the strategy System and make wagers on blackjack totaling $4000. Subtract the $16 from the $200 bonus money and you walk away with profits totaling an amazing $194!
The system works because the casinos do not believe that you will follow all the steps needed to win money. The casinos believe that you will not follow the blackjack strategy or you will keep playing after meeting the wager requirements. Prove them wrong and follow the steps!
As an ex-casino software programmer and with 7 years of experience in playing blackjack myself. I knew the inside – out of how the whole system works. I am giving away this blackjack profit system free for the time being. To get my free blackjack profit system and start earning your profits visit my site: