Blackjack, bingo, poker and games of skill

Blackjack is one of the world’s most popular games among professional gamblers and amateur players. The game has a lot of attributes that help make it a hit among both novice and experienced gamers. If you are looking for a unique and fun way to spend an evening, try a few rounds of Blackjack and discover for yourself why this simple pastime has captivated so many people from all walks of life.

Although the strategy behind the best way to play Blackjack can be quite challenging to master, the basic rules of the game are extremely simple. In just an hour or two, even a child can learn to play Blackjack. You don’t have to be a card shark in order to enjoy a few rounds of Blackjack, which is another reason for the popularity of this unique card game. Unlike other casino card games like poker, Blackjack is easy to pick up quickly, so you can spend your time having fun and mastering advanced strategy as you play round after round, instead of struggling to master the fundamentals.

One of the reasons for the enduring appeal of Blackjack is that it offers players an attractive combination of using strategy and luck to win. Unlike games like roulette or craps, which are almost entirely matters of chance, Blackjack requires a lot of smart choices and decision making that put a lot of the power to win in the hands of the player. This makes it an engaging game that is worth studying and learning about, because as you discover new strategies you will increase you chances of success. Blackjack fans are constantly on the lookout for new ideas about how to play, because how you play determines whether or not you win. Techniques like counting cards and knowing when to double down can help you achieve success at the Blackjack table time and time again.

However, part of the reason why Blackjack is so much fun is that strategy is not enough to ensure that you will hit the jackpot. Blackjack is also to some extent a matter of chance and the cards that fate deals you. This means that Blackjack never gets boring, because even the most advanced and skilled Blackjack players are still excited by the luck of the draw that will determine whether they can sweep the game or not. Because of the element of chance, there is always the thrill of waiting to see whether you have a lucky hand or not. A great Blackjack player is one who knows how to work with any hand they get, but there is no way for even the best Blackjack player to become so good at the game that it becomes dull or tiresome. Blackjack is the perfect mixture of chance and skill, because the better you are at Blackjack the more exciting it becomes.

Blackjack is one of the most popular card games in gambling history. Now you don’t have to go all the way to Las Vegas to play blackjack for fun or real money, because many Internet casinos offer online blackjack. The advantages of playing blackjack online are numerous, and some gamblers enjoy online play even more than live casino play. Here are just some of the advantages of playing blackjack online.

One of the advantages of playing blackjack online is the convenience. You can play online blackjack 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, because that’s when online casinos are open. Whenever you’re ready to play online blackjack, there will be a game waiting for you. You don’t have to leave your house and stand around in a smoky casino waiting for a table to open up. Online blackjack is available right from your home computer, and you will never have to wait for a seat.

Choice of play is another one of the advantages of playing blackjack online. One of the great things about the game of blackjack is that it relies far more on skill than luck. Many reputable Internet casinos will let you play online blackjack for free as often as you like, so you can get plenty of practice in and sharpen your blackjack skills before you start playing for money. You can also play any of the different variations of blackjack when you play at an Internet casino, and shop around for the rules that are the most favorable, such as blackjack tables where the dealer does not have the soft 17 rule, or where the DOA (Double On All) and DAS (Double After Split) rules are in effect. These are just a few of the advantages of playing blackjack online!

Often, it is hard for regular players of traditional casinos to move forward with the times. They tend to believe in superstitions revolving around their casino games. When it comes to blackjack, many die-hard players refuse to play online for fear of the fairness that online casino games may or may not have. These fears are completely unfounded when you look at the stats and arguments that come to the defense of many online casino games. Time after time, you hear that players enjoy the online version of traditional games just as much, if not more, than the traditional games.

The truth is, when you play online, you are dealing with an automated, technological dealer. Security cameras and casino managers do a great job at securing your blackjack experience. However, it is important to remember that human error does occur. The chance of suffering from human error is more probable when dealing with traditional blackjack than with blackjack online.

Another important thing to remember when playing blackjack online is that due to various factors, the player always has a greater edge (no matter how small) over the dealer or house. This is compared to the edge that the house or dealer has over the player in traditional blackjack games.

While software can be created to cheat you when you play online casino games like blackjack online, it is rare. It is also impossible if you do your part when finding the right casino online. There are always regulations and security applications to make sure that you are playing in a safe online casino hall. When you take the time to play at a reputable online casino hall, you will find that trusting the blackjack game is quite easy. There are many ways to find the reputable casino online that offers you the safest and most reliable blackjack games you can find.

There is risk with many things in life. This is something we have all come to terms with. Some things are worth the risk while some things simply are not. When you choose to play blackjack online, you can be sure that finding a secure site with the risk minimum ( a credit card to sign up in most cases) you will see that there is about as much risk to sign up for online blackjack as there is with buying concert tickets or a book online. Overall, you will find that playing online blackjack is safe and growing as one the liveliest ways folks entertain themselves.

One way to ensure that you are playing at a fair online casino blackjack game is to play often and over a long period of time. Over time, you will find that you are making money and losing money the gambler’s way: with bonuses. Play online blackjack and see how easy it is to win.

Many online casino players believe the myths that are spread around the internet, that’s why they lose money. If you want to play and win at blackjack, then you should avoid the blackjack myths that may mislead you to a wrong playing strategy. Here are the common myths and the facts behind each myth.

Blackjack Myth #1: You don’t have to count

Card counting is the basic skill in blackjack game. The myth said you don’t need to know card counting skills and you will still win at blackjack.

The Fact for Myth #1:

No blackjack players can possibly beat the dealer without knowing the composition of the remaining cards. Hence, card counting is an important skill to shift the odds in your favor and increase your chances of winnings. If you have learned any blackjack strategy tells you that you don’t have to count, then it won’t be a long term winning strategy.

By learning the effective card counting, you will be able to shift the “unfair advantage” (as the casinos call it) to your side, making the house remains in vulnerable position. In fact, card counting may not be as hard to learn as most players think of, you don’t have to count every single card, there is simple to way to learn how to count card. The bottom line is you need to know card counting in order to win at blackjack.

Blackjack Myth #2: All you need is a basic strategy to win at Blackjack

If you are learning blackjack strategies directly from online casinos’ website, what you learn is the basic strategy of the game. The myth said that all you need is a basic strategy to win at blackjack. The basic strategy teaches the rule of the game and how to bet to win the game (in fact, it is how to bet to lose in casino’s view of point). If you play with this basic strategy, most probably you will lose money. This is what the casino wants you to be. No way.

The Fact for Myth #2:

Average players play with basic strategy, that’s why most of them lose. Although there have been many books written by numerous authors on blackjack, most of their strategies still stick to the basic strategy that won’t help in winning the game. In order to devise a safe winning blackjack system, you need to know the value of odds to determine the magic formula if you want to win consistently at blackjack.

Blackjack Myth #3: You must get the nearest to 21 to win

This is very common myth especially among those who are new to blackjack game. One of the reason that makes players to misunderstand that they need to get as close as possible to 21 in order to win is because blackjack is also common known as the game of 21. But, it simply a myth saying that you must get the nearest to 21 if you want to win.

The Fact for Myth #3:

When playing blackjack, your goal is simply to beat the dealer’s hand and win. You do not need to get to the closest of 21 to win, as long as you beat the dealer’s hand without burst, you win! It’s that simple.

Many players who are influenced by the myth are try to take cards until they are closest to 21, but most of time, they go bust and lose. You make decision to take more cards or call to stand based upon your cards and the dealer’s cards. You may need to take more cards until you feel you have beat the dealer’s hand. Many players tend to scare of busting, so they just take one or two cards, then stand and hoping for winning. In blackjack, as long as you can’t beat the dealer’s hand, you will still lose even you did not go bust. Hence, don’t scare of busting, you may need to take the risk to beat the dealer’s hand, off course, you should have a proper strategies in place.

The basic premise of the game is that you want to have a hand value that is closer to 21 than that of the dealer, without going over 21. Other players at the table are of no concern. Your hand is strictly played out against the hand of the dealer. The rules of play for the dealer are strictly dictated, leaving no decisions up to the dealer. Therefore, there is not a problem with the dealer or any of the other players at the table seeing the cards in your hand. Indeed, if you’re playing at a shoe game, the player cards are all dealt face up. In any event, when you’re just learning to play, don’t hesitate to show the dealer or other players your cards and ask questions.

Values of the cards

In blackjack, the cards are valued as follows:

An Ace can count as either 1 or 11, as demonstrated below.

The cards from 2 through 9 are valued as indicated.

The 10, Jack, Queen, and King are all valued at 10.

The suits of the cards do not have any meaning in the game. The value of a hand is simply the sum of the point counts of each card in the hand. For example, a hand containing (5,7,9) has the value of 21. The Ace can be counted as either 1 or 11. You need not specify which value the Ace has. It’s assumed to always have the value that makes the best hand. An example will illustrate: Suppose that you have the beginning hand (Ace, 6). This hand can be either 7 or 17. If you stop there, it will be 17. Let’s assume that you draw another card to the hand and now have (Ace, 6, 3). Your total hand is now 20, counting the Ace as 11. Let’s backtrack and assume that you had instead drawn a third card which was an 8. The hand is now (Ace, 6, which totals 15. Notice that now the Ace must be counted as only 1 to avoid going over 21.

A hand that contains an Ace is called a “soft” total if the Ace can be counted as either 1 or 11 without the total going over 21. For example (Ace, 6) is a soft 17. The description stems from the fact that the player can always draw another card to a soft total with no danger of “busting” by going over 21. The hand (Ace,6,10) on the other hand is a “hard” 17, since now the Ace must be counted as only 1, again because counting it as 11 would make the hand go over 21.

The deal of the cards

Once all the bets are made, the dealer will deal the cards to the players. He’ll make two passes around the table starting at his left (your right) so that the players and the dealer have two cards each. (European and Australian players: See exception at the bottom of this section.) The dealer will flip one of his cards over, exposing its value.

In the shoe games, the players cards will be dealt face-up, and the players are not allowed to touch the cards. If you’re just beginning, you’ll probably want to start at the shoe game where you don’t have to worry about handling the cards.

In the hand-held games, the player’s cards are dealt face down, and the players pick up the cards. When handling the cards in a hand-held game, here are a few important things to remember.

You are only allowed to touch the cards with one hand. If you’re a poker player, this can take some effort to break old habits!

You must keep the cards over the table.

Any cards that the dealer subsequently deals to your hand must be left on the table, not added to the cards in your hand.

Once the cards are dealt, play proceeds around the table, starting at the first seat to the dealer’s left, also called first base. Each player in turn indicates to the dealer how he wishes to play the hand. The various player decisions are covered in their own section below. After each player has finished his hand, the dealer will complete his hand, and then pay or collect the player bets.

Now, the exception I mentioned: Some casinos, mostly in Europe, give the dealer only one card face up until all the players have finished their hands. The dealer then deals his second card, and finishes his hand. This is called the European No Hole Card rule. This can change a player’s strategy if, and only if, the dealer collects all player bets in the event of a dealer blackjack. Some casinos that deal only one card at first to the dealer will refund any double-down or split bets if the dealer turns out to have a blackjack. This type of no hole card rule does not have any effect on the player’s optimal strategy, and should not be described as European No Hole Card rules.

How the dealer plays his hand

The dealer must play his hand in a specific way, with no choices allowed. There are two popular rule variations that determine what totals the dealer must draw to. In any given casino, you can tell which rule is in effect by looking at the blackjack tabletop. It should be clearly labeled with one of these rules:

“Dealer stands on all 17s”: This is the most common rule. In this case, the dealer must continue to take cards (”hit”) until his total is 17 or greater. An Ace in the dealer’s hand is always counted as 11 if possible without the dealer going over 21. For example, (Ace,8) would be 19 and the dealer would stop drawing cards (”stand”). Also, (Ace,6) is 17 and again the dealer will stand. (Ace,5) is only 16, so the dealer would hit. He will continue to draw cards until the hand’s value is 17 or more. For example, (Ace,5,7) is only 13 so he hits again. (Ace,5,7,5) makes 18 so he would stop (”stand”) at that point.

“Dealer hits soft 17″: Some casinos use this rule variation instead. This rule is identical except for what happens when the dealer has a soft total of 17. Hands such as (Ace,6), (Ace,5,Ace), and (Ace, 2, 4) are all examples of soft 17. The dealer hits these hands, and stands on soft 18 or higher, or hard 17 or higher. When this rule is used, the house advantage against the players is slightly increased.

Again, the dealer has no choices to make in the play of his hand. He cannot split pairs, but must instead simply hit until he reaches at least 17 or busts by going over 21.

What is a Blackjack, or a natural?

A blackjack, or natural, is a total of 21 in your first two cards. A blackjack is therefore an Ace and any ten-valued card, with the additional requirement that these be your first two cards. If you split a pair of Aces for example, and then draw a ten-valued card on one of the Aces, this is not a blackjack, but rather a total of 21. The distinction is important, because a winning blackjack pays the player odds of 3 to 2. A bet of $10 wins $15 if the player makes a blackjack. A player blackjack beats any dealer total other than a dealer’s blackjack, including a dealer’s regular 21. If both a player and the dealer make blackjack, the hand is a tie or push.

The dealer will usually pay your winning blackjack bet immediately when it is your turn to play. In the face down games, this means that you should show the blackjack to the dealer at that time. Some casinos may postpone paying the blackjack until after the hand is over if the dealer has a 10 card up and has not checked for a dealer blackjack. Other casinos check under both 10 and Ace dealer upcards, and would therefore pay the blackjack immediately. Regardless, when you are dealt a blackjack, turn the cards face up, and smile. It only happens about once every 21 hands, but it accounts for a lot of the fun of the game.

The Player’s Choices

Surrender

We start with one of the least common decisions, but it is appropriate to begin with surrender, because this decision must be made before any other choice about playing your hand. Not every game offers surrender, and those that do fall into two categories which bear expanation: Early vs Late.

Surrender offers you as a player the choice to fold your hand, at the cost of half of the original bet. You must make that decision prior to taking any other action on the hand. For example, once you draw a third card, or split, or double down, surrender is no longer an option.

The two varieties of surrender, early and late, differ only in the way a dealer blackjack is handled. In an early surrender game, a player may choose to surrender before the dealer checks his cards for a blackjack, offering a cheap way out even if the dealer turns out to have a blackjack. Because this offers a healthy advantage to the player, this version (early surrender) is rarely offered. The much more common variation is late surrender, where the dealer checks for blackjack first, and then only if he does not have blackjack will allow players to surrender their hands.

Surrender is a nice rule to have available for players who use it wisely. Unfortunately, many players surrender far too many hands. If you play in a game with surrender, use the Strategy Engine to determine when surrender is the appropriate play. To see how bad a hand must be to properly be surrendered, consider the following: To lose less with surrender, you must be only 25% likely to win the hand (ignoring pushes). That is, if you lose 75% of the time, and win only 25% of the time, your net loss is about 50% of your bets, equal to the amount you’ll lose guaranteed by surrendering. So, learn to use the surrender option, but make sure you know when it is appropriate.

It’s worth mentioning again that the vast majority of surrender is LATE surrender, after the dealer checks for BJ. Make sure you choose the right option over on the Strategy Engine. And if you do find a game that offers early surrender, drop me a note. Good opportunities like that are rare.

Hitting/Standing

The most common decision a player must make during the game is whether to draw another card to the hand (”hit”), or stop at the current total (”stand”). The method you use to indicate your decisions to the dealer depend on which kind of game you are playing.

In the face-up shoe game, you indicate that you want another card by tapping the table behind your cards with a finger. You’ll be required to make the hand signals, rather than just announcing “hit” or “stand” to the dealer. This is to eliminate any confusion or ambiguity in what you choose, and also for the benefit of the ever-present surveillance cameras. If you go over 21, or “bust”, the dealer will collect your bet, and remove your cards from the table immediately. When you decide to stand, just wave your hand in a horizontal motion over your cards.

In the face-down game, things are a little different. You’ll hold the first two cards with one hand. To draw another card to your hand, simply scrape your cards across the table felt lightly. Watch another player at first to see how this works. The dealer will deal your additional cards on the table in front of your bet. Add them to your total hand value, but leave the actual cards on the table. If you go over 21, just toss the two cards in your hand face up on the table. The dealer will collect your bet, and discard your hand. When you decide to stand, you should tuck the two cards you are holding face-down under the chips that you have bet. This can be a bit tricky the first few times. Don’t pick up the bet to place the cards underneath. Remember, once the cards are dealt, you can’t touch the chips in the circle. Simply slide the corner of the cards under the chips.

The descriptions are a lot tougher than the actual play. Just pay attention to what other players are doing and you’ll fit right in.

Doubling Down

Among the more profitable player options available is the choice to “double down”. This can only be done with a two card hand, before another card has been drawn. Doubling down allows you to double your bet and receive one, and only one, additional card to the hand. A good example of a doubling opportunity is when you hold a total of 11, say a (6,5) against a dealer’s upcard of 5. In this case, you have a good chance of winning the hand by drawing one additional card, so you might as well increase your bet in this advantageous situation. If you are playing in a face-down game, just toss the two cards face-up on the table in front of your bet. In either type of game, add an additional bet to the betting circle. Place the additional bet adjacent to the original bet, not on top of it. The dealer will deal one additional card to the hand. In the face-down game, he’ll probably tuck it face-down under your bet, to be revealed later.

Players are allowed to double down for any amount up to the original bet amount, so you could double down “for less” if you wanted. Just remember that you do give up something for being allowed to increase your bet: the ability to draw more than one additional card. If the correct play is to double down, you should always double for the full amount if possible.

Splitting Pairs

When you are dealt a matching pair of cards (remember, ignore the suits), you have the ability to split the hand into two separate hands, and play them independently. Let’s say you are dealt a pair of eights for a total of sixteen. Sixteen is the worst possible player hand, since it is unlikely to win as is, but is very likely to bust if you draw to it. Here’s a great chance to improve a bad situation.

If you are playing a hand-held game, toss the cards face-up in front of your bet just like a double down. Then, in either type of game, place a matching bet beside the original bet in the circle. Note that you must bet the same amount on a split, unlike a double-down, where you are allowed to double for less. The dealer will separate the two cards, and treat them as two independent hands. Let’s say you draw a 3 on the first 8, for a total of 11. Many casinos will allow you to double down on that hand total of 11 at this point. When this is allowed, the rule is called “Double after Split”, predictably enough. Regardless, you can play the first hand to completion, at which point the dealer will deal a second card to the second hand, and you can begin making play decisions on it.

If you get additional pairs (in the first two cards of a hand), most casinos will allow you to resplit, making yet another hand. The most common rule allows a player to split up to 3 times, making 4 separate hands, with 4 separate bets. If double after split is allowed, you could have up to 8 times your initial bet on the table if you chose! Some casinos restrict resplitting, and some allow unlimited splitting. Another fine point is that you are allowed to split any 10-valued cards, so you could split a (Jack, Queen) hand. However, this is usually a bad play: Keep the 20.

The other complication for pair splits concerns splitting Aces. Splitting Aces is a very strong player move, so the casino restricts you to drawing only one additional card on each Ace. Also, if you draw a ten-valued card on one of your split Aces, the hand is not considered a Blackjack, but is instead treated as a normal 21, and therefore does not collect 3:2 odds. Some casinos allow resplitting Aces if you draw another, while many do not allow resplitting Aces although they often do allow resplitting of any other pairs. With all these restrictions, you may wonder whether it makes sense to split Aces. The answer is a resounding YES. Always split pairs of Aces.

Insurance and Even Money

Insurance is perhaps the least understood of all the commonly available rules for Blackjack. This is not necessarily a bad thing because the insurance bet is normally a poor bet for the player, with a high house advantage. However, that’s not always the case. So, here we go:

If the dealer turns an up-card of an Ace, he will offer “Insurance” to the players. Insurance bets can be made by betting up to half your original bet amount in the insurance betting stripe in front of your bet. The dealer will check to see if he has a 10-value card underneath his Ace, and if he does have Blackjack, your winning Insurance bet will be paid at odds of 2:1. You’ll lose your original bet of course (unless you also have a Blackjack), so the net effect is that you break even (assuming you bet the full half bet for insurance.) This is why the bet is described as “insurance”, since it seems to protect your original bet against a dealer blackjack. Of course, if the dealer does not have blackjack, you’ll lose the insurance bet, and still have to play the original bet out.

In the simplest description, Insurance is a side-bet, where you are offered 2:1 odds that the dealer has a 10-valued card underneath (”in the hole”). A quick check of the odds yields this: In a single deck game, there are 16 ten-valued cards. Assuming that you don’t see any other cards, including your own, the tens compose 16 out of 51 remaining cards after the dealer’s Ace was removed. For the insurance bet to be a break-even bet, the hole card would have to be a ten 1 out of 3 times, but 16/51 is only 1 in 3.1875.

The situation is often thought to be different when you have a Blackjack. The dealer is likely to offer you “even money” instead of the insurance bet. This is just the same old insurance bet with a simplification thrown in. Let’s ignore the “even money” name, and look at what happens when you insure a Blackjack. Let’s say you bet $10, and have a Blackjack. You would normally collect $15 for this, unless the dealer also has a blackjack, in which case you push or tie.

Let’s assume that the dealer has an Ace up, and you decide to take insurance for the full amount, or $5. Now, two things can happen:

1) The dealer has a Blackjack. I tie with the $10, but collect 2:1 on the $5 insurance bet for a total profit of $10.

2) The dealer does not have Blackjack. I lose the $5, but collect $15 for my BJ. Total profit, again $10.

In either case, once I make the insurance bet, I’m guaranteed a profit of $10, or even money for my original bet.

So, casinos allow me to eliminate the insurance bet altogether, and simply declare that I want even money for my blackjack when the dealer has an Ace showing.

You’re probably thinking that sounds like a pretty good deal. You’re guaranteed a profit even if the dealer does have Blackjack. Just remember that the guaranteed profit comes at a price. You’ll win more money in the long run by holding out for the $15, even though you’ll sometimes end up empty-handed. Nonetheless, many players are adamant that they prefer to take even money when offered. Just be aware that you’re costing yourself money when you make that choice.

The basic strategy player should simply never take the insurance bet, even the “even money” variety. Card counters on the other hand can often detect situations where more than one-third of the remaining cards are ten-valued, and the bet is then a profitable one. So, unless you know the bet is favorable, just ignore it.

One of the best ways of foreseeing the future is to understand the human nature. Our needs, hopes, problems and dreams are often the basis for our future making. The nature of the human being is one of the most important ingredients in a complicated gambling business. Each of the parties – a casino and a gambler, long to win money from each other. And the growing strain will determine the future of the game.

Blackjack before 1962:

Before publication of the classic book “Beat The Dealer” by Edward O. Thorp in 1962 no single player had ever suspected of such a thing as the Basic Strategy. Everyone used one’s own mixture of superstitions concerning the way in which one or the other hand had to play. Plus, some experience gained while playing at home in the kitchen. Excluding a small number of professional card-players who intuitively presupposed that their overbalance would be more if there were more bowers left in a pack, practically none won in blackjack. Naturally, casinos felt quite comfortable under such conditions. Till 1962 blackjack was not very popular, though percentagewise the profit rate was exclusively high.

The next decade: from 1962 till 1972:

After publication of the book by Thorp the situation changed radically. When the book mounted the peak of sales, became a bestseller, and the professor Thorp became an internationally famous personality, casinos were terrified that thus everyone could learn the system of Thorp and would start beating casinos winning huge amounts of money.

The results of this panic are well-known. The majority of casinos cardinally changed the blackjack rules creating even a larger overbalance in comparison with the previous set of rules. These introductions were effective a few weeks only as the majority of casinos’ clients simply refused to play a game with such bad rules. Subordinating to the law of supply and demand casinos had to quickly restore traditional rules for all. After this gamblers started immediately to play again, more than that in considerably larger quantities.

The popularity of Thorp’s book played into the hands of casinos. Blackjack started to attract crowds of people who thought they could “beat a dealer” only after they had read one book.

But the fact remained that casinos’ visitors continued to lose the same amounts of money while playing blackjack as before. Only the number of gamblers increased a hundred times. The majority of those who had read the book simply didn’t understand the way the calculation of tens given in the book worked, and those who got to the bottom didn’t take enough pains so as to master the system of calculation from A to Z. Casinos observed in surprise the incredibly increased profits.

Reedition of the book in 1966 gave a reader a simpler calculation system. Over that period of time a number of books on blackjack were published. The game gathered pace. Casinos were setting more and more tables. Blackjack was becoming the most popular game in casinos having outrun the previous leader craps.

Blackjack of the 70s:

The classic book “Playing Blackjack as a Business” by Lawrence Revere is responsible for further increase in popularity of the game in the 70s to a great extent. Revere published a shortened version of his systems at the beginning of 1969, but by 1972 already thousands of copies of the book were sold out. Revere republished an extended version of the book offering his simple and effective systems of the game which increased blackjack popularity even more.

Also the book “Winning Blackjack” by Stanley Roberts, was in the right place at the right time, in addition the author appeared in a number of radio and TV-shows. Roberts invested a considerable amount of money into advertising of his book making a splash.

Casinos were once again overcome by the fit of paranoia. They started to suspect that the systems developed with the help of research methods could considerably influence their profits. Casinos started to introduce a multi-pack blackjack instead of a one-pack blackjack to struggle against the system game.

At the beginning of the 70s a lot of scientists, mathematicians, university professors and other “intellectuals” started to write books about blackjack. Some of them developed their own cards’ calculation systems. One of the most popular and effective systems – Hi-Opt I, was developed in 1974 with the help of computer programs created by Julian Brown with participation of an anonymous postgraduate of a large Canadian university.

A lot of professional gamblers transferred from the Revere system to the Hi-Opt I system because of the relative simplicity and effectiveness of the latter one. A lot of ordinary gamblers started to use the system together with the basic strategy. These two systems evidently made the biggest impact upon casinos’ profits because of their use by professionals. Roberts’ systems were more often used by amateurs.

Kenneth Uston, teams and Great Horror:

Kenneth Uston noticed sometime at the end of 1976 that he was amazed by the way how effective the simplest systems of Hi-Opt I type could be. In Uston’s book “Big Player“the way how Uston and his companions won together more than a million of dollars playing blackjack is described. Later on his teams transferred from very complicated systems to the simplest of Hi-Opt I type. Uston was thrown out of a few big casinos of Las Vegas, and he filed lawsuit against them for a total amount of 80 million dollars.

With the arrival of Uston the whole new era of blackjack began. Casinos were once again frightened that teams could win huge amounts of money in blackjack. Nearly at once some casinos did away with a one- and two-pack blackjack transferring to 4-, 6- and 8-pack ones. For an average gambler blackjack became too difficult. Plus, casinos started to cut most cards out of play – to two packs. As has been mentioned by Roberts in one of his articles, such practice was at the very least doubtful. By the way, the fact itself of availability of cards which didn’t enter the game caused new kinds of crooked gambling connected with withdrawal and addition of cards.

Casinos up to now change the number of packs and the extent of cutting, and compare levels of profits, thus balancing rules. In any case, rules are extremely difficult for gamblers in the USA, especially beginners.

The nightmare continues:

The funniest thing is that gamblers’ thoughts are not rigid. Uston’s teams were followed by Keith Taft with his pocket computer for blackjack which played better than any profs in the world. The court of Nevada State broke the record of the USA on the quickness of adoption of statute on use of computers in casinos. Up to five years with confiscation in the current situation, though Taft and his advocates were sure of the unconstitutionality of that law.

Forbade the computer? There appeared Tommy Hyland and his most complicated systems of tracking. A new headache for casinos… To worsen the cutting, introduce more packs and make the procedure of riffle even longer. To invent shuffle-machines!

Stanford Wong was the first to outwit these shuffle-machines. The most important thing was to know how they worked. Poor casinos didn’t know what to do. These machines cost rather a lot.

Perhaps new varieties would help? Spanish 21, Super-fan 21, 6:5 blackjack, “Open” blackjack, Blackjack-switch, Pontoon… With every introduction there was one problem: either no one played it at all or profs immediately found the way to beat it. Tournaments? Old Wong created teams especially for tournament struggle. Every new rule was calculated and intensively looked into a week in advance. The development of the Internet caused quick information distribution.

Further on the whole pleiad of gamblers of the contemporary generation came on stage. Wong, Sneider, Anderson, Dogerty, Shlesinger and heaps of people who were occupied with theory and practical aspects of the game. Mathematical models of the game were worked out. Texts on Blackjack were published in scientific reviews.

Finally, up to the present moment a small number of professionals still win in blackjack. And will win in the future. Some profs transfer to more complicated systems which are plentiful (let’s say, Hi-Opt II was published as far back as 1976). New methods and techniques are being developed.

There is no doubt that it will get still more and more difficult to win in blackjack. However, there difficulties only make gambling wits work harder and harder. Right away new game systems are being worked out in many heads and at many computers of the world.

It is important to understand that gamblers always have a hope. They can change games. They can finally read a textbook on the theory of probability. They can read the same books themselves. They can spend even more money on the newest technologies. However, I assure You, there will always be a way to beat them.

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1- Always remember to claim every deposit bonus that you can. You’ll get some easily, and others not quite so easily, but unless you clam them, you’ll never be in the running to get them.

2- Whenever possible, play European Roulette instead of American roulette because the additional “00″ in American Roulette almost doubles the house edge compared to European Roulette.

3- Don’t ever take insurance bets in Blackjack because the odds of winning these are more then twice the house odds of other bets and you’re just throwing away your money.

4- Don’t keep any cards in a video poker hand that does not have anything that pays out. The worst you can do is get another five cards that don’t pay out, and you’re just as well off as you were before.

5- The longer you play, the more chance the casino has of winning. Casinos always have the long-term advantage, so quit while you’re ahead.

6- Take your time! One of the biggest advantages of online casinos is that there is no time limit and no one rushing you to make a decision, so sit back take your time and really think about what you are going to bet on.

7- Make sure that the casino that you choose has 24/7 live help available. You may never need it, but if you do, you’ll be thankful that it’s there.

8- Don’t chase after losses. Make sure you set a budget and stick to it! Make sure that you see gambling of any sort as entertainment and not a sport or a way of life.

9- You will almost always play in a different way when you play play-money games and when you play real-money games. Remember that no matter what you are playing for, the games are the same and the odds don’t change.

10- When you win a bit, put that away and save it for later.

Free blackjack is everywhere you turn the corner. You can find it on plenty of casino sites that offer huge bonuses for signing up. Blackjack is one of the simplest games to learn, yet is also one of the most profitable games to play. I started playing blackjack 2 five years ago and I have won over $600,000 playing consistently both in person and online. Online blackjack is one of the most profitable games you could ever play right in the comfort of your own home. The secret to winning blackjack is all in the strategy you are using. Also, by signing up to play and deposit on multiple casinos when you finally begin playing for real money is the way to go. Each casino you sign up for to play blackjack for free allows you to deposit the minimum and receive a huge deposit bonus of over 100% plus. All you have to do is play a certain amount of hands to unlock the bonus. In a few hours of playing blackjack the bonus will be unlocked in no time.

The blackjack tips I am about to share with you are crucial to your success. I advise you to follow them closely and you will be a pro blackjack player in no time. For starters, learning how to play blackjack is a MUST. You need to know when to HIT, STAND, DOUBLE DOWN, STAY, etc… Your job is to beat the dealer not the players around you at the table. The great thing about playing blackjack online and in person is that the dealer MUST stop on 17. Which means if you’re sitting there with a 8 in your hand and than you draw a face card to give you 18 when the dealer has a 7 or lower in their hand you need to STAY. Blackjack is a game of skill mixed in with slight luck. If you learn a blackjack basic strategy you should have know problem consistently winning at the blackjack table. I found a great strategy I have been using for 5 years and as you can see I have already made over 600K both online and in person.

One of the worst mistakes blackjack players make when starting out is they sit down at a blackjack table or play online blackjack without knowing the proper blackjack rules of playing. This is a huge problem because you will see your bankroll get emptied quickly by the house. It takes more knowledge then knowing you just have to beat the house and can’t go over 21. Most people think there is no strategy involved and just nose dive into a game. That’s a horrible way of thinking and if you are one of these people I highly suggest you find a blackjack strategy guide right away. Soon as you nail down the proper blackjack strategy you can start making a killing both online and in person. Blackjacks is a highly profitable game and I wish you the best of luck in winning!

Blackjack strategy is not difficult or time consuming to learn, but most people simply don’t bother. The primary reason why is because they don’t know when or where they would be likely to benefit from having knowledge of Blackjack technique. However, there are lots of scenarios where knowing how to play a strong game of Blackjack can come in handy. Here are a few examples of when knowing Blackjack strategy can be a true asset.

Many people take group trips or romantic getaways to resort areas where casinos are abundant. This makes it almost inevitable that you will, at some point, be given the opportunity to sit down at a Blackjack table. Even if you only end up walking into a casino a few times in your life, knowing the ins and outs of Blackjack strategy can help you have a really great time. When you surprise your traveling companions with your unexpected level of prowess at the game of Blackjack, you will win admiration all around. Even if you only get the chance to use your Blackjack knowledge a few times, it is well worth the time and effort to learn Blackjack strategy so that you can make the most of those opportunities. Being great at Blackjack can help you turn a special weekend in Las Vegas into a high rolling party that you will remember for a lifetime.

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Any time that you are at a computer with a few minutes to spare, you can benefit from knowing Blackjack strategy. With the rise in online gaming, there are more opportunities to play Blackjack online today than ever before. Internet Blackjack can let you win money whenever you have a little free time and a working web browser. If you’ve ever found yourself looking for a way to pass a rainy afternoon, a chance to take a quick break from work or studying, or just a way to make an extra few dollars while you’re waiting for your morning toast to cook or a pot of water to boil, Blackjack strategy can help you win a few rounds no matter where you are or what time it is.