Month: August 2021

Roulette is considered to be the queen of casino games, and blackjack is considered king. Blackjack is the most extensively researched casino game in the world, and it is also the only casino game with fluctuating odds, where the chances of winning change with the composition of the deck. It is a game where the house’s chances can actually be dimmed to less than 1% if the player follows a certain strategy.

This strategy is known in blackjack as basic strategy, which determines whether a player should hit, or stand, or double, or split. It is based on the player’s total points and the dealer’s visible card. To be a successful player, one needs to refer to the strategy chart, which shows how to play the cards depending on the dealer’s visible card.

A couple games, and one understands that the house begins with an advantage because of the simple fact that the player has to make the first call. Since the basic strategy chart deals only with the first two cards, a player will need to know what to do when he takes a hit. The experts say the best way to do this is translate the chart into simple text. So, the basic strategy to play a hard hand (when the two starting cards do not contain an Ace) would be, if you have eight or less, always hit; if you have 17-21, always stand. Similarly, the basic strategy to play a soft hand (when one of the two starting cards is an Ace) would be, if you have an Ace and an 8 or an Ace and a 9, always stand.

Translating the blackjack strategy chart into text only makes memorizing easier.

Unlike most casino games that are dependent more on chance than skill, blackjack is quite mathematical. Hence, the game has some basic rules that need to be followed, if one is to do more than experience the thrill of sitting at the table losing his money.

The basic is to know that the hand with the highest total wins, as long as it is not over 21. Over 21, a hand goes bust. Cards 2 to 10 as worth their number, the kings, queens and jacks as worth 10 points each, and the Ace is 11 points, unless this would cause the player to go bust, in which case it takes the value 1.

Each player gets two cards, and one of the dealer’s two cards is face up for all the players to see. A two-card hand of 21 is a blackjack, or an automatic winner. If it’s the dealer, then all the others lose. If it’s a player’s, all the other players, including the dealer, lose.

There are, however, some other rules you need to keep in mind while playing this game, especially if you are a beginner. The first thing to do is keep an eye out for the betting limits of each table. It’s also important to note the kind of game being played. Beginners are safer playing shoe games, where all the cards are dealt face up. The rule about buying chips is simple. The dealer is not allowed to take anything from a player’s hand. So if you need to buy chips, you have to place your money on the felt. The dealer will pick it up and put the chips in the same place. While making a bet, you have to put your chips in the circle on the felt, in front of your seat.

Simple rules these are, but they will help get to the blackjack table feeling more confident.

If you are the sort of person who thinks blackjack is one of those card games played in casinos, with very high stakes, you will be surprised to read this. It turns out that there are numerous types of blackjack games available at the casinos and some apparently friendly to beginners. The rules are more or less the same; the nuances are slightly different, the biggest one being the number of decks used in the game.

Blackjack can be played both as a single deck and a multiple-deck game. However, both these types are relevant only when the game is played in the casino. In the online version, the cards are shuffled after every hand.

Several other types of this game, which can be found both in casinos and online, are called European Blackjack, Vegas Blackjack and Atlantic City Blackjack, in which the rules are tweaked to attract new players. Of all the blackjack games, Spanish 21 is particularly exciting for beginners. Besides the fact that this game is dealt with a Spanish shoe, the rules are very liberal and the house advantage is apparently low.

There are several variants of this version which are used to attract beginners. While they seem to be more player-friendly, they actually have a higher house advantage. For example, Double Exposure Blackjack, where the dealer’s cards are both face up. The player has the option of increasing his bet on seeing the dealer’s cards. As seems obvious, beginners might be tempted to take this offer, which eventually results in the house raking in a huge booty.

With the Internet becoming so popular across the globe, there are now two online versions of the game: the downloadable game and flash blackjack. Whatever game one plays, whether online or at the casinos, it’s a good idea to do some reading of the famous Edward O’Thorpe and Ken Uston before taking to the table.

The Internet is full of very amusing stories about Blackjack gambling. There’s one person called Martha, from the Society for the Protection of Animals, who decided to take advantage of the blackjack gambling frenzy in her town to raise money for animal welfare. She actually made a huge packet just organizing the game for this cause.

Then there’s Ned, who was hospitalized with back problems because he sat hours on end, everyday, in one position, playing blackjack online. Under a heavy dose of medication, when he could barely talk, his friend heard him mumbling something about blackjack! Such is the following this game commands.

But did you know that blackjack is the only gambling game that is not determined by luck alone? It is more about mathematics and calculations than the thrill of sitting at a table in a casino waiting for lady luck to smile. It’s not a game for those who want to take chances. You do that and you just up the chances of the guy sitting there well prepared and set to win.

While the basic of blackjack gambling is counting, picking your seat at the table is equally important. For example, for basic strategy players, it doesn’t really matter where they sit. For counters, who use strategy variations, is makes sense to sit at third base so that they can see as many cards as possible before their turn. Of course, as they say, if you are playing blackjack in Rio, then the best place to sit is the one that gives you a good view of the waitresses at the bar.