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...
Read more about The Math of Gambling Two Deck Blackjack Strategy - July 21, 2008To 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 after a split, otherwise hit H/R Surrender...
Read more about Two Deck Blackjack Strategy Single Deck Blackjack Strategy - July 21, 2008 Read more about Single Deck Blackjack Strategy Four Deck Blackjack Strategy - July 21, 2008To 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 after a split, otherwise hit H/R Surrender...
Read more about Four Deck Blackjack Strategy Blackjack Playing Advice - July 21, 2008The 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...
Read more about Blackjack Playing Advice Blackjack Playing Tips - July 21, 2008Keep 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 strategies, you can move. o Drinking and gambling do not mix....
Read more about Blackjack Playing Tips Easy Card Counting - July 8, 2008Being 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...
Read more about Easy Card Counting 12 vs 2 Blackjack - July 8, 2008One 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...
Read more about 12 vs 2 Blackjack Past Basic Strategy - July 8, 2008Everyone 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...
Read more about Past Basic Strategy 12 Against A 2 - June 23, 2008We 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 involves 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...
Read more about 12 Against A 2 Difference Between Early and Late Surrender - February 18, 2008If 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 ...
Read more about Difference Between Early and Late Surrender Blackjack Strategy Guide - February 18, 2008A 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 moves with strategy to help increase your winning percentage....
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