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The Math of Gambling

Gambling and mathematics have always been closely linked together.  A new article from New Scientist explores some interesting examples of how using math can help you beat the odds at the Casino.  Here are some of the highlights. Roulette - Remember that guy that sold all of his possessions and put everything he owned on one spin of the roulette wheel?  Well, this is sort of like that, sort of.  What the article advocates is what I would call a “chase” system.  Basically, you pick... 

Casino Games & Bonuses: BookMaker Tournaments

One thing that there’s never a shortage of over at BookMaker.com is a wide variety of casino game tournaments.  With great prizes and cheap buy-ins, it’s a great way to have some fun and put some extra money in your pocket.  From now until the end of January there are some exciting tournaments on the horizon.  If you love craps, three-card poker, or Spanish Blackjack, you should open up an account and get started with the tournaments listed below.  The great thing about tournaments... 

Blackjack Tournament BetJamaica

We’re thrilled about our new Blackjack Tournaments at Betjamaica. Signup for an account today, then login and click on the Blackjack Tournament link on your home page to start playing. Here’s the basics for you to get started: Blackjack Tournaments are simple. The object of the game is to have more chips than your opponents at the end of a designated amount of blackjack hands. It doesn’t matter if you win by 1 chip or 750 chips, the winner is the player with the most chips when... 

Bodog Casino MacBook Prizes

From now until October 1st, BodogLife Casino will be giving out a $100 bonus each week to 10 lucky players at their blackjack tables.  That is $1,000 in total each week in bonuses!  But that’s not all, after six weeks of what will be intense play the top five Bodog Casino Blackjack players will be given a brand new Apple* MacBook® computer worth over $1,600!  You can join in on the action too, just head over to BodogLife and get signed up and start playing blackjack!  For a shot at $1,000... 

Odds on Video Blackjack

One major concern when people go to the casino or when they play online is that the odds are going to be different than if they are playing table blackjack with real cards in front of them.  However, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. If you are in Las Vegas, then it’s Nevada law, as well as most of the United States, that video representations of cards need to follow the exact odds that a real game with a human dealer would have.  The cards also need to come out in a completely... 

Two Deck Blackjack Strategy

To use the basic strategy look up your hand along the left vertical edge and the dealer’s up card along the top. In both cases an A stands for ace. From top to bottom are the hard totals, soft totals, and splittable hands. There are two charts depending on whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17. Key to table: H Hit S Stand D Double of allowed, otherwise hit Ds Double if allowed, otherwise stand P Split H/P Split if allowed... 

Single Deck Blackjack Strategy

To use the basic strategy look up your hand along the left vertical edge and the dealer’s up card along the top. In both cases an A stands for ace. From top to bottom are the hard totals, soft totals, and splittable hands. There are two charts depending on whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17. Key to table: H Hit S Stand D Double of allowed, otherwise hit Ds Double if allowed, otherwise stand P Split H/P Split if allowed to double... 

Four Deck Blackjack Strategy

To use the basic strategy look up your hand along the left vertical edge and the dealer’s up card along the top. In both cases an A stands for ace. From top to bottom are the hard totals, soft totals, and splittable hands. There are two charts depending on whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17. Key to table: H Hit S Stand D Double of allowed, otherwise hit Ds Double if allowed, otherwise stand P Split H/P Split if allowed... 

European Blackjack

The following basic strategy table is appropriate for European blackjack, at least the variation I saw played in Berlin and Hamburg. The specific rules are as follows: Six decks (this chart is also accurate for 4 or 8 decks) Dealer stands on soft 17 Player may only double on hard totals of 9-11 Player may double after a split No-peek (player loses total bet, including after doubling or splitting, if dealer has blackjack) The house edge under this rules is 0.62%.To... 

Blackjack Playing Advice

The Rules Blackjack can be played with one to eight ordinary decks of cards. Cards of rank 2 through 10 are scored according to their face value. All face cards are 10 points. Aces are semi-wild and can be worth either 1 or 11 points. The highest hand in blackjack is an ace and any 10-point card and is called a blackjack. A winning blackjack pays 3:2. If both player and dealer have a blackjack the bet is a push.... 

Blackjack Playing Tips

Keep your emotions under control. The dealer is only the messenger of fate. Don’t take you’re losses out on him.o Always remember you can win. You didn’t bring $100 to a casino to play with and lose. If you are losing at a particular table, set a three-losses-and-you-move routine. o Focus on the dealer and his up card, not your neighbor’s cards. If other players at the table are upsetting you with their playing ... 

Easy Card Counting

Being labeled as a “card counter” gives a blackjack player a bad reputation among casino owners and operators. It has always struck me as odd that a person who plays the game with a high degree of skill is subject to being banned from putting that knowledge to work. I cannot think of another pursuit where similar discrimination is enforced. A card counter keeps mental track of the cards that have been dealt in order to assess the collective value of the cards remaining in an effort to... 

12 vs 2 Blackjack

One of the most painful hands in blackjack is when you get a 12 versus a dealer who is showing a two?  Oh sure, there are plenty of hands out there that are worse mathematically, since by the book a 12 against a 2 balances out to a loss of just over $0.25 per dollar bet. Lots of player-dealer combinations are far more taxing. For instance, a 16 versus nine, 10, or ace is projected to cost above $0.50 on the dollar. And a 17, which many bettors erroneously think is a safe plateau, bears theoretical... 

Blackjack Variations

Most seasoned blackjack buffs either suspect or know for sure, that variations of the game occasionally popping up in casinos are gimmicks. They needn’t be math mavens to make this inference. Intuition born of experience suggests that the features mask a high house advantage. While this may be a deterrent for serious gamblers, it shouldn’t necessarily keep casual players away. For instance, “side bets” of various types promise huge returns on small wagers. But something must... 

Past Basic Strategy

Everyone who plays blackjack regularly has probably at least tried to learn basic strategy, but many fall short. Even people I have talked to who think they are experts miss up to 20 different hands on the chart, but before you take your game to the next level you need to be perfect. Now let’s say you happen to be that one player in 50 who plays all his hands correctly. What’s next? Most prevailing blackjack literature says that card counting is the next step, but in actuality there... 

Speed Count

True card counters at the blackjack tables are a rare breed, but they have the unique ability to get an edge on the casino.  Most people who try to count can’t keep an accurate enough number to make a difference, or they lose their concentration a little too easily.  You don’t only have to have the ability to count cards, but also have a big enough bankroll to sustain a large losing streak. Dr. Henry Tamburin, who for a very long time had success using the Hi-Lo system, thought there... 

12 Against A 2

We have said time and time again that the never-bust strategy in blackjack is a bad bet and the players need to focus in on playing perfect basic strategy.  This means that there are no real hard and fast rules that can be broken down in a single line, but there are a few nuances worked in.  One invovles a 12 against a two or a three.   Even if we do not consider the depletion of the deck, the 12 hand is different from most other stiff hands because you have 9 cards that will improve your hand... 

Research to Win at the Casino

Everybody likes to win money at the casinos. Second best is being able to participate in the action for a satisfactorily long session on a stake that seemed sensible before leaving home. A distant third is not tapping a spouse, friend, or debit/credit kiosk in the lobby in a desperate effort to continue or recover. Frequent players know they can enhance their prospects by diligently studying their favorite games. They learn or devise strategies for decisions, alternate wagers, and betting combinations... 

Tips for Occassional Casino Goers

There are plenty of players out there who only occasionally make a trip to the casino, and we want to make sure that if this is the case for you then you get the most out of your trips.  These are three strategies that we think you can put into play right away to win more and have more fun at the casino. Video Poker Over Slots Video Poker gives you the advantage of higher paybacks than if you play slots.  If you want to learn more about the game, pick up a few books from the experts and read some... 

Choosing a Casino for Blackjack

Smart players realize that not all casinos offer up the same kind of value when it comes to playing blackjack. There is some type of local government that regulates all casinos, but in most cases the casino itself sets its own specific rules for each game. In Nevada, riverboats, and even Native American casinos located throughout the country regulate their own games. Let’s take a look at Las Vegas, where most casinos on the strip require dealers to stand on all 17s, which includes a soft... 

Drawing Bad Cards

Winning gamblers often credit lady luck or some higher being who is responsible for miracles, but what’s happening even more often is they attribute their success to their gambling prowess. Losers on the other hand look to blame others, even when these people have absolutely nothing to do with their winning or losing. There isn’t a game that this is more apparent than in blackjack. If someone isn’t following basic strategy while playing blackjack they are are going to be blamed... 

Single Deck Blackjack

A common rule difference in today’s single deck blackjack games over the old days is that they pay six for five instead of three to two for blackjacks. Many players don’t think this is such a bad thing, but we are going to try to change your mind. The rule used to be it was always to your advantage to play on a game with the fewest decks. Compared to the math of a single deck game, that of a multi-deck game seriously handicaps your play: 0.35% for two decks 0.48% for four 0.54% for... 

Cards in Blackjack

There are readers who have plenty of questions dealing with cards in a blackjack game. We wanted to make sure that we cleared up all of these questions and then some so you can have some piece of mind at the tables. When the decks are placed on a game, do pit bosses check them beforehand to see if they are all there? Of course they are checking them before they shuffle the cards up and deal. There is no way that the casino would take the chance for the Gaming Commission to come in unannounced... 

Plugging the Deck

There are people who read the articles on this site who are fascinated with how the dealer shuffles up the decks.  One technique used by the casinos is when the cut-card is reached the remaining un-dealt cards inserted into the middle of the cards that have already been stacked up in the discard rack.  This method is called plugging the deck. Once the dealer reaches the cut-card (the cut card marks the place where play will be stopped and the cards reshuffled) the game is stopped, and the remaining... 

Dealer Rules on 17

A common question that blackjack players ask is if it is better for the dealer to have to hit on a soft 17 or if they have to stay. It is slightly better if you are sitting at a table where the house rules let the dealer stand on a soft 17 rather than hit on a soft 17.  If the dealer is hitting on a soft 17, then you give the house an extra 0.2% of an edge.  When the dealer has a soft 17 an A, 2, 3, or 4 improves the hand while a 10, Jack, Queen, or King leaves it the exact same.  Using that math... 

Lucky Ladies

There are several casinos out there who offer side bets on the blackjack table, and one that we are going to take a look at today is called Lucky Ladies. This is a side bet where you are hoping to see a natural 20 on your first two cards, if you do then the payback comes back at 4:1. The payout increases if the cards are suited (9:1), or matched (identical) and if you get two Queen of Hearts (the Lucky Ladies) then it is a whopping 125:1, unless the dealer has a blackjack that is, then it’s... 

Worst Bet in the Casino

There are plenty of bad bets that you can make in a casino, and by bad we mean they have astronomical house edges. However, the casinos don’t want to get rid of these games because the suckers keep on coming in and laying down their hard earned cash. We don’t want you to be one of those suckers so let’s take a look at some of the worst of the worst. Blackjack Insurance – Unless you now how to count cards, this is a wager that you are going to want to avoid. Depending... 

Mimicking the Dealer in Blackjack

There are people out there who mimick the dealer when playing blackjack and call that a strategy. Just because the dealer hits up to 16 and always stands on soft 17 or more doesn’t mean that you have to. Most Trusted Online Casino! The advantage the dealer has in blackjack doesn’t come from when they hit or stand, but on being able to go after the player has acted on his hand. Rule variations will have an effect on the player’s expected return, but the casino’s advantage... 

Royal Match Blackjack

The Royal Match is a side bet in blackjack that is based on the first two cards that are dealt to the players. The rules are pretty simple to understand and follow, if the player’s first two cards are suited, then the player is paid 5 to 2. If the player has a royal match (a king and queen of the same suit) then the bet pays out at 25 to 1. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose your hand since you are paid out on your side bet as soon as the first two cards are dealt. Get up to 145%... 

Ken Uston

Ken Uston is a legend of the Blackjack world whom everyone calls “The Master Of Blackjack”. Travelling over casinos in Nevada and Atlantic City, Ken and a number of teams of fellow programmers developed unique Blackjack strategies that basically made them rich. Using miniature computers hidden in their shoes for card counting and statistical analysis, fascinating teamplay and absolutely awesome mathematical layouts Ken and his people used to earn hundreds thousands of dollars in less... 

Hi-Lo Card Counting in Blackjack

We’ve had plenty of questions coming in to the site concerning card counting in blackjack so wanted to address the issue. It is thought that with a little bit of research and practice a common player can improve their game to the point where the game is a break-even situation or else they may get the advantage to their side. The casinos have other plans in mind, and try to curtail this practice at all costs. They think it’s cheating, but it really seems to be a skill that only takes... 

House Edge When Blackjack Pushes Go To House

Generally, charity blackjack events turn pushes into wins for the casino. Real casinos do not offer such a hard-line rule, because players would never belly up to the table when the odds are so stacked against them. There is an exception: Double Exposure blackjack. Here, as compensation for losing in pushes, all dealer’s cards are dealt face up, However, (there’s always an “however”) because you get to view both of the dealer’s up-cards, the playing rules are adjusted... 

11 against an Ace in Blackjack

What to do with an 11 against an ace? Do you double down or just hit? This is a question that even most pros disagree upon, but our recommendation is to play the hand differently depending on the number of decks in play. If you are in a multi-deck game then you should just hit the 11, but if you are in a single deck game then you would double down. The reason is that you are more likely to get a decent card on a single deck game than one using multiple decks. Let’s take a look at the number.... 

Single Deck Blackjack – Common Rules & House Edge

It seems like single deck blackjack games are becoming more common once again, but the trend in some casinos is to make the payoffs for blackjack 6:5 instead of the customary 3:2. Keep reading to see how this affects the overall dealer advantage. We advice players to play single deck blackjack games because if you play using perfect basic strategy on a single deck game the house edge shrinks to a meager 0.15%. Most casinos used to have single deck 3:2 games. But today, they are rarities, replaced... 

Basic Strategy When Can’t Double Down with Aces

There are some casinos out there who do not allow doubling down on soft hands. Your basic strategy cards probably don’t factor this in, so we wanted to make sure to clear a few things up in order to make sure that you are still getting the most out of your play. Some specific questions we received are for for playing an A, 7 against a 6 or an A, 6 against a 4 in these circumstances. Also, if your casino does not offer surrender on blackjack, but does offer insurance then we will offer some... 

Simple Basic Strategy for Blackjack

When people head out to Vegas they often want a crash course in how to play blackjack. Well it’s not quite that simple but we can make sure that you play as good as possible given your time constraints on learning the game. So here is the basic strategy that you are going to want to learn: If dealer shows 2 or 3 take cards until you have 13 or more. If dealer shows 4 5 or 6 take cards until you have 12 or more. If dealer shows 7 8 9 10 or Ace take cards until you have 17 or more. If you... 

Doubling Down After You Lose in Blackjack

Have you ever heard someone say that they have a foolproof way of winning at blackjack? The best part is that you don’t have to be very smart, good at math, understand probabilities, count cards, or even really know basic strategy. It’s one of the one of the oldest and obviously fallacious ones around, simply doubling your bet every time you lose. When you win, just go back to your basic betting unit, $10.00. Sounds too good to be true? That’s because it is. The system described... 

How Continuous Shuffling Affects the Odds

A common question asked is how big of a disadvantage does the blackjack player have who counts cards have against continuous shuffle machines? And a related question of how often do online casinos shuffle their cards? We turned to casino expert Mark Pilarski to allow him to help assist us with these questions and more. Casinos thwart card counters by using different countermeasures. They can use more decks, which decrease the player’s advantage, or they can shuffle prematurely. The downside... 

Video Blackjack Odds

If you want the video blackjack odds then take a look at the house edge and different strategies to help you win. We have frequently been asked about the house edge on Video Blackjack and how different rules and playing perfect strategy affect the odds against you. Many players like the smaller wager limits with the video version and the fact that they can play at my own slower pace.These visitors are right in that there are plenty of advantages to video blackjack with the low minimum bankroll... 

Super Fun 21

Super Fun 21 is a blackjack variation found at lots of casinos in Las Vegas. There are lots of liberal rules offset by most blackjacks paying only even money. The Rules Blackjack rules are followed with these specifics and changes: The game is played with a single deck of cards. Dealer hits a soft 17. Player may double after a split. Player may resplit to up to four hands, including aces. Player may hit and double down to split aces. Player may double on any number of cards. Player may take late... 

Splitting Eights in Blackjack

If you have ever taken a look at a basic strategy card, book on blackjack, or an experts column online then you will always see they recommend splitting eights against a dealer 10. However, many players realize that they are going to end up losing even with two different 8’s going against the dealer 10, so they depart from optimal play and just hit instead of splitting. While this is a hand that hurts most players, you have to realize that the perfect strategy tries to minimize losses at... 

Spanish 21

Spanish 21 is a variation of blackjack that is one of the best bets in a casino. In locations where the dealer stands on a soft 17 or redoubling is allowed, Spanish 21 is probably a better bet than blackjack, depending on the specific blackjack rules. If you are looking for a change of pace from traditional blackjack but insist on a game with a low house edge you may find new excitement in Spanish 21. The Rules Spanish 21 uses six or eight Spanish decks, each deck consisting of 48 cards —... 

Why Aces and Face Cards Help the Player

Card counters and even rookie players all seem to know that in blackjack, the more aces and face cards that are in the deck the better it is going to be for the player. If the deck is loaded with small cards, then most people know that the dealer has the edge. Many people change their bets according to how the deck is running, but do you know why it’s so advantageous to the player? Mark Pilarski dives in and explains. There are two reasons aces and face cards help the player: First, blackjacks... 

Online Blackjack

Betfirms is your one stop shop for online blackjack strategy. Our site is built for more than just online casino reviews, we want to help you beat the casinos that are the best ones on the internet. Blackjack is a fun game that gets played by more high rollers than any other casino game. You can and will get the odds over to your side if you use the tips and tricks on this site. The house does not need to have the edge if you take advantage of our blackjack tips and use them to your advantage.... 

Single Player Blackjack Versus Multiple Players

There are some of you out there that think it is easier to beat single player blackjack than when there are additional players at the table. Casino gambling expert Mark Pilarski takes a look at this question and gives his response below. The number of players on a game makes a duck’s egg difference in terms of the game being beatable. The house edge remains the same if there are one, two, three, or even five players on the table. However, because the speed of play slows with multiple players,... 

Win Percentage in Blackjack

Everyone who reads the articles on this site knows that we love games in the casino with a small house edge. One of these games is blackjack. However, we were recently contacted by a player who had tracked all of their hands over the trip and found that they lost a fair amount more hands than they had won. Of course they were frustrated with us because they felt they were getting bad advice, but hold on. One, the house edge needs thousands of hands in order to approach the approximate odds, so... 

Odds on Video Gambling Machines

There are some visitors who ask if the odds are the same on video games like blackjack and craps as their real-life counterparts. So let’s see if this is the case of the odds are altered to benefit the casino. It is a Nevada (and I’m sure most states follow suit) law that video representations of dice and cards follow the same odds as those in a real game with a human dealer. If the games are already profitable based... 

Easy Casino Games to Play

Some people want a challenge and some want easy casino games to play. Whatever your poison we want to get you aligned with the game that is the right fit for you. You most likely want the game that has the lowest house edge, so use that as your first hurdle to pass before getting your action. There are a lot of people who do not understand what the fascination is that people have... 

Difference Between Early and Late Surrender

If you play blackjack then you need to know the difference between early and late surrender. Then you need to know when you should take advantage of this opportunity to lessen the house edge by the casino. The option of surrendering seems like a good one when you have a 16 staring you in the face and the dealer is showing a face card. The casinos give you the option to give up half of... 

Casinos Hold in Blackjack

Even though there is a 1% or less house edge, the casino hold in blackjack is much higher. If you are interested to know what it is, or you don’t know what a casino hold is then keep reading this article so you understand more from the minute you walk through the casino doors or load up the software from your favorite place to play online. The average house edge for the game of blackjack is about half of 1%, yet the “hold”... 

Card Counting Online

Is it worth it to do card counting when playing online blackjack? The short answer is no, because the cards are shuffled after each hand. This is probably the worst situation you could be in if you want to try and count cards in order to turn the house advantage over and give it to yourself, because you are the only one playing at the “table” so you don’t even have the advantage of seeing how the other players at the table... 

Card Counting in Blackjack & Baccarat

There are many questions on card counting in blackjack and baccarat. We take a look at if a casino can reshuffle a deck before it gets to the cut card, and if card counting in baccarat can earn you a better return on your money. Remember that if you have any other questions, comments, or suggestions then you can always shoot us a quick email to learn more. When you are playing blackjack a dealer will normally insert... 

Blackjack Strategy Guide

A blackjack strategy guide is needed for all beginners who are interested in trying the game. We want to make sure that you have the best chance possible at winning at the tables and building your bankroll up and we are going to get started with the lessons with this article. Blackjack is one of the most popular table games in the United States and the rest of the world. You can be aggressive with your betting all the while making subtle... 

Odds on Continuous Shuffling Machines

In the game of blackjack, continuous shuffling odds are the same as when the dealer shuffles after the shoe has run out. However, there might be other disadvantages to both the player and the casino with this method that is growing in popularity around the country. These perpetual shufflers make it almost impossible for card counters, but the odds of the game are not affected... 

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