|
Blackjack
So you want to play Blackjack? Well, not every Blackjack game plays the same way. Some casinos have special versions of Blackjack, which can be a good or bad thing. In Vegas, there’s one area that does Blackjack one way and another area that does it differently. With this in mind, I’m going to go over some popular game variations.
This first variation is doubling down after you’ve split your cards. It’s always a good idea to ask whether or not you can do this before starting a game. This is a great rule for you, the player. It lowers the house advantage some and it will allow you to really capitalize on premium hands. So, look for this variation as it’s a plus.
Another blackjack game variation is the splitting of aces and how the hand is played. Most casinos will give you only one card on split aces, but some allow you to play them like a regular hand. Again, splitting aces cuts the house advantage slightly. Also check to see how many splits are allowed. For instance, if you split aces and the next card is an ace, can you split again? Combine this with the first variation we talked about and you have the recipe for a big hand.
I give up! Okay, not really. There’s another game variation called surrender. Basically, you can call it quits and get half of your money back (before taking any cards). There are two types of surrender: early and late. In early surrender, the house will let you surrender before the dealer checks for Blackjack. The other is late surrender, which allows you to surrender your hand before taking any cards. Surrender is a great option to have. Many players mess it up, but you want to have the option.
Earlier I talked about Vegas. One section hits on soft 17 and the other stands on any 17. This rule is printed right on the felt, so there’s no need to ask. Basically, by hitting soft 17, the house gets a little bit higher advantage. Therefore, try to play games where the dealer must stand on all 17s.
Finally, lookout for all games that don’t pay 1.5x on Blackjacks. They are starting to creep up. One popular variation is the 6 for 5 rule. A Blackjack on a $5 hand pays $6, not the original $7.50, so you get screwed. Casinos are slowly trying to put these games in. Right now, it seems to be mainly single deck games, but I won’t play them. The increase in house advantage is ridiculous. Stay away, far away.
And there you have it. These are some of the more popular Blackjack variations. As usual, you’ll find all sorts of things out there, like Royal Match. Good luck at the tables!
Tags: 17s, Ace, Blackjack, Blackjack Game, Cards, Casinos, Checks, Game Variation, Game Variations, Games, Money, Play Blackjack, Split Aces, Splits, Surrender
Categories: Blackjack, Card Games
It’s rare that any one gambler sticks to any one game. With that in mind, I’m going to share some various gambling tips with you today. I hope you enjoy them and don’t be shy about telling others. Today, I’ll keep the focus to Blackjack, Craps, Texas Hold’em Poker, and Roulette. Let’s rock n roll.
Texas Hold’em Poker Tips
The one tip I’d like to leave with you today is to always raise top hands pre-flop. Okay, there’s no “always” bets in gambling, but it’s in your best interest (until you’re a very advanced player) to make everyone else pay to see the flop or leave when you have a top hand (AA, KK, AK).
The raise is up to you, but three times the blind is a good idea—if possible.
Roulette Tips
Here’s a great tip for American players. Play Euro Roulette if possible. Most online casinos offer it and it’s to your advantage to do so as the European version only has one zero, unlike the American version with two zeros.
The house advantage is only about half (2.7%) that of the American version. It’s much, much better, so give it a try.
Blackjack Tips
First up, never take insurance. It’s a sucker’s bet. Why would you take insurance? Think about this for a minute. You put up 50% of your bet amount and if you win, you just get to keep wagering. How stupid is that? The best case scenario is you ended up risking 150% to win 50%. That’s just bad play. And if you lose, you’ve now lost an extra 50%. Just say no to insurance.
Second, stay away from “shoe” dealt games when possible. You want single deck Blackjack games and double deck at the max. Anything else swings the odds in the house’s favor too much. There’s plenty of single deck action out there, so go find it.
Craps Tips
Let’s close with Craps—a great game. I’ll give you two great Craps tips. First, don’t bet prop best (all those bets in the center of the layout, like Craps, Hardways, Any Seven, etc). Those are sucker’s bets and that’s how the house cleans up. Just stay way from them.
Second, the Field isn’t a good bet. Sure, it has most of the numbers, but it has less than a 50% probability of being rolled, because the numbers not in the field 5, 6, 7, 8 have the most combinations of being rolled. That’s why the Field wager area is so large. They want to entice you.
No matter what games you’re playing, do so responsibly and have fun. Learn as much as you can about a game before playing it. You’ll have a better chance of winning. Good luck at the tables.
Tags: Bets, Blackjack Games, Blackjack Tips, Craps Game, Craps Tips, Deck Blackjack, Double Deck, Gambler, Gambling Tips, Hold Em Poker, Online Casinos, Roulette Tips, Texas Hold Em Poker, Texas Hold Em Poker Tips, Zeros
Categories: Blackjack, Craps, Poker, Roulette, Strategies, Systems
Blackjack can be a fast game. As fast as it raises you up, it can take you down. Whether you play Blackjack in a casino in the real world or online, play is pretty much the same. Online Blackjack gives you the advantage of speed. You don’t need to wait for dealers to shuffle and deal or players to act—unless playing multiplayer Blackjack online.
That said, here are some fast Blackjack tactics that can be applied anywhere. Hopefully, you’ll find them useful.
Bankroll
Simply put, you need to budget your gambling money. Don’t just show up with an “open account” and start wagering. Every time you visit the casino, have a set amount in mind that you’ll willing to lose. And keep to it should the unfortunate happen.
Bet Right
If you have a $100 bankroll, don’t go playing $25 hands. In theory, you want to bet about 1/20th of your bankroll (1/40th if being really conservative). This is why setting up a bankroll is important. It’s okay to bet a little higher now and then, but never bet the farm on one hand.
Never Splits 10s / Faces
You have 20, the second best hand in the game. Never split 10s or faces, it’s just stupid. Don’t be greedy. That type of player loses far more than he or she wins. Be happy with your 20 and take it to the bank—even if the dealer has a 6 showing.
Always Split 8s – Not
Most Blackjack books say to always split 8’s. Do it if you want, but if the dealer is showing a 10 and I know there are big cards in the deck, I’m not doing it. Why get screwed twice in one hand?
Here’s a great rule for Blackjack: there are no “always” rules.
Double Down on 11
Ah, the famous rule that even non-Blackjack players know. Of course, most everyone says that you should “always” double down on 11. See the last rule for my theory on that. Yes, you can do it and you’ll do okay, but I’m not a greedy player. If the dealer has a 10 showing, I’d rather just hit and take my regular winnings if I win and lose my regular amount if the hand goes that way.
Take Even Money
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. If you have Blackjack and the dealer asks for insurance, take the even money payoff and move on. Think about this. You’re risking 100% of a wager (tie) to gain a 50% bonus. It doesn’t make mathematical sense. Just take your bet and move on.
There you have it. These are Blackjack tactics that you can use at any table in the world. Have fun playing Blackjack. I wish you the best of luck. Don’t split those 10s and faces!
Tags: Blackjack, Blackjack Books, Blackjack Casino, Blackjack Online, Blackjack Players, Cards, Game, Money, Online Blackjack, Play Blackjack, Play Casino, Playing Blackjack
Categories: Blackjack, Card Games, Strategies
Ever play in a Blackjack tournament? They are really fun. Over recent years, Blackjack tournaments have been offered at more and more gambling establishments-even online. While rare, some Blackjack tournaments have even been on TV. I like Blackjack tournaments, because they add a new dimension to the game-player verses player.
Money management becomes far more important (more so than it already is). As with anything in the world of Blackjack, there are loads of Blackjack tournament strategies. And once you’ve participated in a few, you’ll most likely develop your own Blackjack tournament strategies.
Blackjack strategies for tournament play are so diverse. I really don’t think there’s a right and wrong way to do things-as far as “all the time” strategy is concerned. Of course, if you win, it’s the “right” way and if you lose, it’s not.
For instance, let’s say you’re an all or nothing kind of player. The strategy you end up using for Blackjack tournaments will be large bets and highly aggressive play. This can work for or against you. On one hand, you can be out quickly. On the other, if you get a nice run of cards, you’ll be the chip king soon enough. It’s much better than being a player that always bets the minimum. Those players can hit huge runs of cards and still be just a little ahead.
In fact, if there’s one strategy I know doesn’t work too well, it’s the “hoarder.” This player will almost always bet the minimum and hope everyone else runs out of chips. This type of player rarely, very rarely wins anything. I’m not saying to be ultra loose, but if you play this tight, you’re just begging to lose. And who wants to do that? Plus, it’s not that much fun.
Overall, the best strategies for Blackjack tournaments have one thing in common. They all feature mixed play. You don’t want to be ultra conservative or mega loose all the time. Mix it up. For instance, you may play somewhat conservative until you feel a run of cards and then you’ll crank it up.
Whatever you do, don’t consistently bet more after a loss. We call this “chasing a win.” It usually leads to a quick exit. My personal favorite strategy is to bet just above the minimum initially and then increase my bet after each win. I don’t double up though. I always pull a little back into the bank. With this method, I’m setting myself up to win big if I get a good run of cards and I’m set up to last a bit if I don’t.
Tags: Bets, Blackjack, Blackjack Strategies, Blackjack Strategy, Blackjack Tournament, Blackjack Tournaments, Cards, Chips, Game Player, Money Management, Play Blackjack, Strategies For Blackjack, Tournament Strategies
Categories: Blackjack, Card Games, Strategies, Systems
Before we get started, counting cards isn’t about knowing what exact card is next (like the 9 of clubs), but about knowing what type of cards are left in the deck. It’s not like the movie Rainman. And it’s not going to help you unless you play at real casinos, not online ones. That said, let’s get going.
It’s pretty well known that Blackjack is a game that gives players a real advantage to win money. To win over the long run, you need to develop an optimal strategy. Counting cards will help you, if done right. Here’s the basic premise. Small cards help the dealer, big cards help you. When we count cards, we want to know if the deck contains more small cards or more big cards (or about even).
Since card counting is part of an optimal strategy, let’s go over a couple quick tips first.
When you have an 11, it’s generally a good idea to double down. Unless the dealer is showing a 10, then it’s your call. Next, never split anything above an 8. Ideally, you won’t split anything but Aces and 8’s. Think about it. There’s no reason to split 10’s as you have 20. Splitting 4’s just gives you two potentially very poor losing hands.
Counting
Card counting isn’t that hard. All you’re doing is assigning a number to each card you see. When you see a card, you’ll either subtract 2, subtract 1, add 2, add 1 or do nothing. Card counting strategies vary somewhat, but they all use a running count. You start at 0 when the deck or shoe is new and go from there.
Here’s an example of one card counting strategy for Blackjack:
1. Subtract 2 from the running count if the card is a 9, 10 or face.
2. Subtract 1 if the card shown is a 7 or 8.
3. Add 2 if you see a 2, 3, or 4.
4. Add 1 if you see a 5 or 6.
As mentioned, the more bigger cards that remain, the more likely you are to win and the more likely you are to score a Blackjack. Small cards can be the death of a player. So, when the count is high, you bet more. When it’s low, you reduce your bet.
In more advanced versions, you get a little more mathematical by figuring out what percentage of the deck or shoe is left and figuring that number into the count. While it does give you a more accurate picture, it’s too hard for novices, so ignore it for now.
One last note. When you count cards, you must count all cards on the table, not just your own. Good luck counting and may all your hands be winning ones.
Tags: Aces, Bet, Blackjack, Blackjack Game, Card Counting Strategies, Casinos, Counting Blackjack, Counting Cards, Money, Small Cards
Categories: Blackjack, Card Games, Strategies, Systems
| | | | |
