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 one color and bet it with $10, for example.  If the bet wins, great, bet $10, however, if the bet loses, double your bet to $20, if that one loses, double that bet to $40, and on and on until you win your original bet back.  The idea is that you have about a 50 percent chance of winning on each spin (slightly less if the wheel has a zero and/or double zero), and that probability says, so long as you have deep enough pockets, you’ll always eventually win your initial bet back.  I would keep in mind that most casinos have table limits to try to guard against this to an extent, but it isn’t a terrible idea, anyway.

Blackjack - According to the article, using basic card counting can increase your odds to win at blackjack by up to 5 percent.  The strategy is pretty straightforward.  Start at 0, then add 1 when you see a low card (2-6) and subtract 1 when you see a high card (10s, face cards, and aces), and don’t add or subtract anything on 7-9.  When you total gets high, you increase your bets, likewise, when you total falls to the low end, you’ll want to decrease your bets or find another table.   The idea is that you will increase your probability of receiving high cards when your total is highest, increasing your chances to win.

Try these strategies out by playing roulette and blackjack online at Bodog Casino.

Lottery - This idea isn’t so much to increase your chances of winning the lottery, but to maximize your winnings if you should be so lucky as to hit the lottery.  The concept here is that you want to pick numbers that aren’t commonly used.  The number 7, for example, is a no-no because it is so common.  The article also suggests staying away from numbers between 1-31 because people often pick the numbers in their birthday for the lottery.  The purpose of this is to avoid sharing your winnings if you do win the lottery.  You’re odds aren’t very at winning to begin with, so why not make sure you are the only one getting paid if you do win?

Be sure to check out more of our articles on black jack advice and roulette strategy.

Related posts:

1. Casino Games & Bonuses: BookMaker Tournaments
2. College Football Gambling
3. How to Beat Gambling Point Spreads

January 24th, 2009
Craps/Daily Tournament
Buy-in:  $20
Re-buy: $10

1st: $400 Cash Prize
2nd: $200 Cash Prize
3rd: $100 Cash Prize
4th-10th: Realtime Blackjack Network Entry + 2 Office Pool Squares

January 24th, 2009
Three Card Poker/Daily Tournament
Buy-in:  $20
Re-buy: $10

1st: $400 Cash Prize
2nd: $200 Cash Prize
3rd: $100 Cash Prize
4th-10th: Realtime Blackjack Network Entry + 2 Office Pool Squares

January 25th, 2009
Three Card Poker/Daily Tournament
Buy-in:  $20
Re-buy: $15

1st: $700 Cash Prize
2nd: $400 Cash Prize
3rd: $200 Cash Prize
4th-10th: Realtime Blackjack Network Entry + 2 Office Pool Squares

January 25th, 2009
Spanish Blackjack/Daily Tournament
Buy-in:  $20
Re-buy: $10

1st: $700 Cash Prize
2nd: $400 Cash Prize
3rd: $200 Cash Prize
4th-10th: Realtime Blackjack Network Entry + 2 Office Pool Squares

Bookmaker also offers cash bonuses for new accounts!   BookMaker Online Casino brings you the best in online gaming! Whether you are looking to play classic casino games like blackjack, roulette, online slots, video poker or if you want to try your luck at shooting craps, BookMaker is a great choice!

Now you can play all your favorite casino games in one of the most reputable and trusted casinos online.  BookMaker online casino is all about fair gaming.  Their software is designed for true randomness and fairness on all casino games.

* Join the BookMaker Casino!

Related posts:

1. Freeroll Tournaments: BookMaker.com
2. Bookmaker Casino Bonus
3. Football Betting: Bookmaker Bonus Codes

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 the rounds are complete.

All players play against a dealer, but there is no house advantage.

You compete against other players chip amounts. It’s a strategic game of blackjack and chip management.

Good Luck!

Getting Started

• We currently offer 2 Types of Blackjack Tournaments: Single Tournaments & MultiTournaments.
• To select a tournament, move your cursor along the menu and select the highlighted game you wish to join. Click to select a game.
• To Play or Watch a game click the “Join” button. A ‘Helpful Hints’ page will appear before joining the table. ‘Helpful Hints’ are useful! We encourage players to read these ‘Helpful Hints’ before participating.
• We have FREE GAMES (Entry fee uses ‘Play Money’) and we have REAL MONEY GAMES (Entry fee uses ‘Real Money’ balance).
• REAL MONEY Games require you to have an active balance in your account. If you do NOT have an active balance you will not be able to take a seat for insufficient funds.
• Players are not charged for sitting at a table until after the Countdown Clock has expired. Once this clock has expired the players account will be charged. You may leave a table by clicking ‘Quit’ or clicking the ‘X’ to end the table session.
• This is a one wallet system. Your Blackjack Wallet is linked with your active balance and current account. There is no need to fund a separate wallet.
• Players have 20 seconds to make a decision. If a player does not make a decision the software will place a minimum bet for the player.
• 1st Base is a button that moves clockwise each round of play. Players with 1st Base have to bet first and play first.

Single Tournaments

Single Tournaments run 24 x 7 in two different formats, Head to Head play (MANO a MANO) and SIT n GO’s. Prize details are located to the right before joining the table.

MANO a MANO

• Requires a minimum/maximum of 2 Players.
• 10 second countdown begins once 2 Players have joined.
• Single Tournaments last 10 Rounds.
• Winner takes all.

SIT-n-GO

• Requires a minimum of 3 players to start. Maximum 8 Players.
• 2 Minute Countdown begins once 3 or more players have joined the table.
• Single Tournaments last 10 Rounds.
• Top 2 Players get paid. Prize details are located to the right

MultiTournaments

MultiTournaments are always scheduled events. Click on the MultiTournament Tab to access the games menu.

To register for a MultiTournament, higlight the tournament you wish to enter.

• Click Register.
• Accept or Decline registration.
• Tournament will begin within 10 minutes of scheduled time.
• The Tournament Director will provide tournament details in a broadcast message as Tournament Levels are being determined.
• Once Tournament Levels have been established, the players seat will be identified by a (YOU) on the table ID you are playing.
• If you advance to the next level of a MultiTournament, please wait as other tables finish.
• Prize Purses vary depending on amount of Players

Loyalty Point Tournaments

• Players accumulate Loyalty Points during Blackjack Tournament play. The more you play the more points you accumulate. Loyalty Points earned in Blackjack Tournaments can only be used within the Blackjack Tournament Game.
• Every month we host a Loyalty Point Tournament, and give away cash to the winners.
• Use the Loyalty Points you earn to enter the Loyalty Points Tournament, and take a shot at winning cash.

Victory Point Tournaments

• Players accumulate Victory Points during Blackjack Tournament play. The more games a player wins, the more points the player accumulates. Victory Points earned in Blackjack Tournaments can only be used within the Blackjack Tournament Game.
• Every week we host a Victory Point Tournament, and give away cash to the winners.
• Use the Victory Points you earn to enter the Victory Points Tournament, and take a shot at winning cash.

General Rules

1. To ensure a fair and honest playing environment, we have established rules governing player behavior, handling loss connectivity, how specific situations are addressed, and policies against illegal funds and unlawful activities.
2. Your User Name is the identity by which other players can get to know you. Part of the game is to understand how other players bet under different conditions. Therefore, we do not permit players to change their user name, except under extraordinary circumstances.
3. We offer players from around the globe the ability to play blackjack from the comfort of their own home, office or at their local Internet Cafe. It’s not necessary to travel to a physical blackjack room. Along with the convenience of the virtual blackjack room come some opportunities for the unscrupulous. Rest assured that we actively guards against unfair behavior. Hence, we will not tolerate cheating.
4. The following, although not limited to the following, will be considered forms of cheating / unfair play and are subject to removal of privileges and/or confiscation of all or partial funds: collusion (playing in joint effort with other players in order to gain advantage over the rest of the players), a single person using multiple accounts for the aforementioned purpose, using software to gain advantage over other players (including, but not limited to card-counting software, probability-calculating software, artificial intelligence / robot software), losing on purpose as a form of transferring fund to another account (chip-dumping), and / or any other method that may give a player an unfair advantage over other players.
5. The Company is entitled to remove privileges, close, or block the account of any player and withhold partial or full funds of any player that the Company suspects of committing any of the acts mentioned in the previous paragraph.
6. Using the Internet, there are times when players may lose their connection to the server. This may occur for any number of reasons including: Dropped modem connection, routing problems at the local Internet Service Provider (ISP), Network congestion somewhere on the Internet, home computer hangs, freezes, or crashes. When this occurs, or if you experience a broken connection due to another cause, the game will wait a reasonable amount of time for your connection to be re-established. It will also alert you, and wait a reasonable amount of time for you, should you experience a slow connection, or a distraction at home.
7. When a loss of connection is experienced, the player may re-enter by going back to the lobby and reconnecting to the game. The player will pick up the game in progress when he/she re-enters. If you cannot or do not respond the software will automatically continue to make the minimum bet for you and will always hit on 11 or under and will always stand on 12 or over. The player will be marked as offline as well.
8. It is poor etiquette to deliberately slow a game down and the company may take action against a player doing so based on its own discretion.
9. In those and all other circumstances, its affiliates, agents and licensors shall not be liable for any loss resulting from delays or interruptions to play due to failure breakdown malfunction or interruption of electronic or mechanical equipment, telephone internet connection or other communications facilities, or to storms, strikes, walkouts or other causes over which they have no direct control or to loss resulting from erroneous statements or to errors in transmission (”force majeure”). We will at all time use reasonable endeavors to overcome any event of such force majeure so far as it can, but does not guarantee its ability to do so.

Single-table Tournaments:

1. In a Single-table Tournament, if two or more players fall below minimum bet amount before the last hand of the tournament, then a draw / tie will be called between them and winnings will be shared accordingly, even if the remaining chip balances of the players are not equal.
2. If a Player had chips at a table during a server crash, one of two actions will be taken:
   1. If the table has not passed the 7th hand, then the Game will be cancelled and all entries at the table and in play will be returned to the Player’s account.
   2. If the players have completed the 7th hand, then the ending chip balance of the last complete hand will be taken as the final and determining chip count. Winners will be paid accordingl

Multi-table Tournaments:

1. We reserve the right to deny and/or disconnect any player from participating in a Multi-Table Tournament when the player’s internet connection or style of play slows down the game to unacceptable levels. Unacceptable levels will be defined and decided at our own discretion.
2. If you have registered for a multi-tournament, you are expected to play in that multi-tournament. Disqualification will apply to anyone with an “offline” or a “non-active” status through the 10th hand of any given level, except for the last level, of a multi tournament. This includes, but is not limited to, players who are present at the table, but do not act and let the decision time run out.
3. Disqualification will apply to anyone with an “offline” or a “non-active” status through the 5th hand of the last level of a multi tournament.
4. In a Multi-Tournament, if various players do not make it to the last round, the one who reached the furthest will be the one to advance. Hence, if a player runs below minimum bet balance and cannot advance, he will lose to a person who reaches a further hand in the tournament, even if the other person ends with a lower chip count.
5. If two or more players fall below minimum bet balance in the same hand of a multi-tournament, then the player with the higher chip count has the higher ranking.
6. If two or more players fall below minimum bet balance in the same hand of a multi-tournament, and they end with the same chip count, then the player who was previously the chip-leader will have the higher ranking.
7. If server issues are experienced during a multi-table tournament and the tournament is not 100% complete, then all entry fees will be reimbursed and the multi-tournament will be cancelled.

Chat Feature in Blackjack Tournament:

1. The Company reserves the right to review the Chat facility in relation to any game on the Site and to keep a record of all statements made on such facility.
2. The Company reserves the right to remove the Chat privileges for any customer upon its own discretion and for as long as the Company deems necessary.
3. In the event that you use the Chat facility on the Site you shall be bound by the following rules:
   1. Polite Chat: Users can not make statements that are sexually explicit or grossly offensive, including expressions of bigotry, racism, hatred or profanity. Users shall not make statements that are abusive, defamatory or harassing or insulting to others. Users shall not make statements that advertise or promote any other online entities. Users shall not make statements that are disparaging of the Company or the site or any other internet site connected to the Company.
   2. Kibitzing: Only players who are remaining in a hand should make comments on the current hand. Observers, including those who have folded, must not comment about the play, or style of any player, or how the game is being played.
   3. Coffee housing: Players are asked to refrain from “table talk” or “coffee-housing” or talking during a hand in a way that compromises and opponent’s hand. This applies to players playing in the hand or watching the hand.

Promotions and Promotional Events:

1. All promotions, bonuses or special offers are subject to promotion-specific terms and conditions and we reserve the right to withdraw them at any time. All prizes must be claimed within 30 days of the event in question.
2. Rollover Policy:
   1. Free tournament winnings will have a 5-time rollover requirement before a withdrawal can take place. These include, but are not limited to, the Loyalty Points Tournament and the Victory Points Tournament, and any other free-roll or promotional tournament in general.
   2. For promotional tournaments, you will have to put up at risk the equivalent of 5 times the amount won in order to complete the rollover.
3. Promotions, awards and rewards for promotional events will be given or denied at our own discretion. Violation of any of our rules may result in a removal of any the aforementioned.

Related posts:

1. Casino Games & Bonuses: BookMaker Tournaments
2. Conference Champions in the NCAA Tournament
3. Freeroll Tournaments: BookMaker.com

You can even check out how you are doing by visiting the Bodog Casino Blackjack Leaderboard, which wil be updated daily and will give you the ability to track just how you are doing in comparison to the competition.  The contest will run each Wednesday through Tuesday and at the end of every week of the promo, the top 10 players who’ve hit the most natural two-card Blackjacks in the preceding week will be awarded a $100 bonus. After each week’s bonuses have been awarded, the leader board is reset and the weekly competition starts all over again. Best of all, there is no limit to the number of times a player can win. Ending up in the top 10 each week for six weeks straight could bank a player $600 in bonuses and a shot at one of five grand prizes of an Apple* MacBook® computer worth over $1,600!

After six weeks, when the competition comes to a close on Oct. 1, the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the top five players to hit the most natural two-card Blackjacks over the course of the entire six week competition will each be awarded a brand new Apple* MacBook® computer valued at more than $1,600.

“Blackjack has always been one of Bodog’s most popular casino games,” says Morris Mohawk Gaming Group CEO Alwyn Morris. “So we’ve decided to sweeten the pot for new and existing Bodog Casino Blackjack players by offering up some fantastic prizes. Players have a shot at winning $600 worth of bonuses and a beautiful new MacBook® computer.”

To give players an extra leg up, Bodog Casino has released a downloadable interactive Blackjack strategy card – Blackjack Mastermind – with preset suggestions on how to play any given Blackjack hand. Blackjack Mastermind is completely player configurable, giving players the ability to adjust and change the default suggestions to match their own preferences and use as a guide while playing. To download Blackjack Mastermind and for more details on Bodog Casino’s Blackjack competition, visit Bodog now!

Related posts:

1. Casino Games & Bonuses: BookMaker Tournaments
2. 2009 WSOP Qualifiers at Bodog Poker
3. Bodog Opens in Canadian Market

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 random manner.

What you need to worry about are the rules of the game.  There are some video blackjack machines that don’t offer 3 to 2 on blackjacks, and that could hurt you in the long run by altering the house edge by 2.3% in the bad way.  Most online blackjack sites will give you better odds than you will find at the local casino, so that’s one more reason to get signed up at a quality online casino like BetUS.

You’ll find solid odds on video blackjack as long as you play at BetUS, but if you choose to play elsewhere then play close attention to the payouts or else you’ll be in for an unpleasant surprise.

Related posts:

1. Casino Games & Bonuses: BookMaker Tournaments
2. Video of Lebron James Getting Dunked On
3. The Math of Gambling

Key to table:

Related posts:

1. 2009 NFL Projected Win Totals
2. The Math of Gambling
3. Red Sox & Angels NLDS Predictions

Key to table:

Related posts:

1. 2009 NFL Projected Win Totals
2. The Math of Gambling
3. Red Sox & Angels NLDS Predictions

Key to table:

Related posts:

1. 2009 NFL Projected Win Totals
2. The Math of Gambling
3. Red Sox & Angels NLDS Predictions

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 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.

Key to table:

In the United Kingdom splitting fours, fives, and tens is not allowed. This only affects the basic strategy player with fours. So in the UK always hit two fours, which increases the house edge by 0.003%.

Related posts:

1. The Math of Gambling
2. Flat Betting v. Rating System
3. Can You Win With Bonus Hunting?

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. Aside from a blackjack a winning hand pays even money. The player wins if his hand has more points than the dealer, without going over 21. Thus a 21-point hand is the highest and is why the game is sometimes called 21. If either the player or dealer go over 21 it is called a break or bust and automatically loses. If both the player and dealer bust the player loses, where lies the house advantage. If the player and dealer tie the bet is a push.

A round of blackjack begins with each player placing a bet in the circle or logo directly in front of him. Then the dealer will give each player and himself two cards. Player cards are usually dealt face up. One dealer card is dealt face up (the up card) and the other face down (the hole card). If the dealer has a ten or an ace as the up card it is possible he has a blackjack in which case all player hands will lose except with another blackjack. In the U.S. the dealer will check for blackjack immediately if one is possible and will collect all losing bets immediately if he does have a blackjack.

In the event the dealer has an ace as the up card he will allow the players to insure their hands against a blackjack. This is much like any insurance policy in which you are betting something bad will happen. The insurance bet in blackjack pays 2:1 if the dealer has a blackjack. If the dealer has an ace showing and a player has a blackjack the dealer may ask “even money?” This is because if the player has a blackjack the net result of both the blackjack and the insurance bet will be an even money win regardless of whether the dealer has a blackjack. After all players have had a chance to accept or decline insurance the dealer will check the hole card.

After it has been established that the dealer does not have a blackjack the player in turn may play their hands. The following options are available.

Stand: If the player is satisfied with his hand as-is he may stand pat. To signify you wish to stand wave your hand as if to wave the dealer away. In a single deck game tuck your cards face down under your bet.

Hit: If the player wishes to take another card he may continue to do so until he either stands or busts. To signify you wish to hit tap the table with your finger. In a single deck game scrape your cards lightly against the felt.

Double: If the player feels he needs one and only one more card then he may double his bet and be dealt one more card, good or bad. This option is only offered on the first two cards, and sometimes on the first two cards after splitting. To signify you wish to double place another wager next to your original wager of equal value. In single deck place your cards face up by your bet.

Split: If the player’s first two cards are of equal point value he may split them into two hands. In this event each card is the first card of a new hand. The player must also make another wager of equal value to the first for the second hand. The player may usually resplit up to 2 or 3 times if another splitting opportunity arises. Doubling after splitting is usually but not always allowed. To signify you wish to split put the additional wager next to the original wager. In single deck place your cards face up by your bet.

Surrender: Finally some casinos offer the player the option to surrender on the first two cards. If the player does not like their prospects he may forfeit half the bet as well as his cards. This option is generally only offered after the dealer checks for blackjack, known as “late surrender.”

After all players have played their hands, from the dealer’s left to right, the dealer will play his hand. The dealer has no free will but must always play by certain house rules. Usually the rule is that the dealer must hit until he reaches a score of 17 or more. Some casinos stipulate that if the dealer has a soft 17, consisting of an ace and any number of cards totaling 6, he must also hit. If the dealer busts all players that did not bust automatically win.

The Basic Strategy

The most important thing to know about blackjack is the basic strategy. This strategy is simply the best way to play every possible situation, without any knowledge of the distribution of the rest of the cards in the deck. Following is the basic strategy for four of more decks when the dealer stands on soft 17. Links are also provided to more basic strategy charts for other rules. However the most common game is the multiple deck game (4 or more decks) where the dealer stands on soft 17. If you only memorize one table I would suggest the one below. It can be played effectively under any rules.

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. Rule variations can have an effect on some borderline situations. The most flexible rules are the number of decks, whether the dealer hits or stands on a soft 17, and whether doubling is allowed after splitting.

Key to table:

Some obvious situations have been left out to keep the chart as small as possible. I have more basic strategy charts for other numbers of decks, as well as European blackjack.

• 1 deck
• 2 decks
• 4 or more decks
• European blackjack

The best way, I have found, to memorize the basic strategy is notice patterns and to try to understand why you should play every situation as the chart says. Then make flash cards and go over and over them until you know it cold. Do not deal out cards to yourself because the soft totals and the pairs will not occur often enough to test your knowledge.

Many people do not believe in the basic strategy because they once took the advice of someone who knew it and then lost the hand. Let me make something perfectly clear, you will not win every hand with the basic strategy! In fact you won’t even win half your hands. However I can personally testify that while you will have short term ups and downs over the long run you will roughly break even using it.

Insurance

Do not take insurance, even if you have a blackjack. Card counters can get away with making smart insurance bets when the deck is rich in tens but the non-counting player should always decline it. The following table shows the house edge on the insurance bet depending on the number of decks used.

Surrender

Sometimes in a 6 or 8 deck game the player has the option to surrender. To be specific the player may forfeit half their bet to be excused from playing out their hand. Obviously this option should only be taken in the worst hands when the net return is less than 50%. In late surrender (the only kind I have ever seen) the player may only opt to surrender after the dealer checks for a blackjack. The following table is a basic guide for when to surrender (Y=yes, N=no).

Appendix 6 shows more details depending on exact card composition and the number of decks.

House Edge

See my Blackjack House Edge Calculator to determine the house edge under 360 possible rule combinations.

Rule Variations

Rule variations will have an effect on the player’s expected return. The numbers below show the effect on the player’s return under various rules and after taking into consideration proper basic strategy adjustments. These changes are relative to the following Atlantic City rules: 8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, player may double on any first two cards, player can double after splitting, player may resplit to 4 hands.

A “five card Charlie” is an automatic winner on any five card hand that has not busted. This rule does not apply after splitting or if the dealer has a blackjack. A few days in 1999 Binion’s Horseshoe offered this generous rule (I was fortunate to be there at the time).In European blackjack and in many online casinos the dealer does not check for a blackjack after dealing the cards. This is referred to as the “no-peek” rule, because the dealer doesn’t peek to see if he has a blackjack. In this case, after the players have played their hands, if the dealer does have a blackjack, then the player loses the full amount bet, including the additional bet if the player doubled or split.

Beware 6-5 Single Deck Blackjack

Many casinos in Las Vegas have prominent signs saying “Single Deck” blackjack. However on a much smaller sign it says “Blackjack pays 6 to 5.” Aside from the 6-5 rule the house edge would be 0.05%. However the 6-5 on blackjacks costs the player an additional 1.39%, for a total house edge of 1.44%. At some tables a player blackjack always wins, which lowers the house edge by 0.21% to 1.23%. Either way this is by far the worst blackjack game in the city and I urge you to avoid it.

Bad Strategies

Three popular bad strategies encountered at the blackjack table are never bust, mimic the dealer, and always assume the dealer has a ten in the hole. All three of these are very bad strategies. Following are my specific comments on each of them, including the house edge under Atlantic City rules (dealer stands on soft 17, split up to 4 hands, double after split, double any two cards) of 0.43%.

Never bust: For my analysis of this strategy I assumed the player would never hit a hard 12 or more and based all other decisions on maximizing expected value under this assumption. This results in a house edge of 3.91%.

Mimic the dealer: For my analysis of this strategy I assumed the player would always hit 16 or less and stand on 17 or more. The player as well as dealer stood on soft 17. The player never doubled or split, since the dealer is not allowed to do so. This results in a house edge of 5.48%.

Assume ten in the hole: For this strategy I first figured out the optimal basic strategy under this assumption. If the dealer had an ace up I reverted to the proper basic strategy assumption of assuming the dealer did not have a ten. Then I went back and used this strategy under regular playing conditions. This results in a house edge of 10.03%.

Card Counting

Let me say loud and clear that card counting is hard and is not as rewarding as television and the movies make it out to be. If it were an easy way to make money everyone would be doing it.

If you do not know the basic strategy trying to count cards is highly ill-advised. Experienced card counters still play by the basic strategy the great majority of the time. There can be no short cut around learning the basic strategy, those who attempt card counting without a firm foundation in the basic strategy are making a big mistake.

To be a successful counter you have to be able to count down a deck fast and memorize large tables of numbers as well as make it look like you’re just a casual player. Furthermore, with today’s rules, a realistic advantage the counter will have is only 0.5% to 1.5%. You will not win money slowly and gradually but your bankroll will go up and down like a roller coaster in the short run. Only in the long run over hundreds of hours of playing can you count on winning.

The underlying principle behind card counting is that a deck rich in tens and aces is good for the player, a deck rich in small cards is good for the dealer. The reason for this is complicated but to give just two examples: (1) Blackjacks are more common in ten and ace rich decks, which benefit the player more than the dealer. (2) The probability of busting a stiff hand is greater. The dealer is forced to hit a stiff hand and the player is not.

To gauge the richness of the deck in good cards the player will keep track of the cards the are already played. Strategies vary but all assign a point value to each card. For example the Ken Uston’s Plus/Minus strategy assigns a value of +1 to 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, and -1 to tens and aces. Everything else is 0, or neutral. At the beginning of a deck or shoe the count is 0. Then the counter constantly adds and subtracts from the count according to the cards played. This running total is called the “running count.” A positive count means that a disproportional number of small cards have already been played which means the deck is rich in large cards. To determine the “true count” divide the running count by the number of decks left to be played, or in some strategies the number of half decks. This will tell you the relative richness of the deck in good cards.

The true count is used in two ways, to determine how much to bet and how to play your hand. Unless it is obvious every situation has a line in which you should play one way if the count is above the line and another if below. For example a 12 against a 6 may dictate that you stand if the true count is +1 or greater and hit if the true count is less than +1. The counter will also bet more when the deck is rich in good cards.

A problem arises when it comes to treating aces. The player should bet more when the deck is rich in aces since they add to the probability of getting a blackjack. However, when it comes to playing your hand the number of aces left is not nearly as important as the number of tens, so it is desirable, but not necessary, to distinguish between tens and aces. Some card counting strategies keep a side count of aces. In the Hi-Opt I and Revere Plus/Minus aces are counted separately and only considered when making the wager. This is a more accurate and powerful way to play than assigning a negative value to aces and not keeping a side count, as some strategies do. Yet many people feel that for the beginner it is too confusing to keep two counts. A player is more likely to make mistakes keeping two counts and that costs money. The efficiency of a strategy that does not keep a side count of aces is only modestly less but you likely will gain more from fewer mistakes made. Different experts fall in various places in the spectrum in terms of what to recommend for the beginner. The Zen Count takes the middle ground and gives aces a value of -1 and tens -2. Personally I have tried both and would recommend against a count that requires a side count of aces to a person ready to take up card counting. The Uston Advanced Plus/Minus is a good strategy that does not involve an ace side count and can be found in the book Million Dollar Blackjack. How well you know a counting strategy is much more important that which strategy you know.

Legally speaking the player may play blackjack any way he wants without cheating or using a computer, and the casinos may do anything from making conditions unfavorable to barring in an effort to stop anyone who they deem has an advantage over the game. Much of the challenge of card counting is avoiding suspicion that you are anything but a normal non-counting player. The most obvious indication that somebody is counting is that they make a substantial increase in bet size after a lot of small cards leave the table. Although the greater the factor by which you can increase your bet the greater your odds of winning, more than doubling your last bet is a fast way to arouse “heat” from the dealer and pit boss. Usually when casinos do realize you are counting they will either shuffle the cards whenever you increase your bet, essentially removing any advantage, or ask you to leave.

This is only scraping the surface of the subject of card counting. To learn more see my book review section for suggestions on good blackjack books.

Related posts:

1. The Math of Gambling
2. Flat Betting v. Rating System
3. NCAA Tournament Betting Advice