The Gravy Train
Remember that implementing good money management skills and learning how to play optimally only gets you halfway to where you want to go. The other part of your ticket consists of successfully hiding your acquired knowledge and skills, because the casinos will not hesitate to bar you from playing once they realize you can beat [...]
The Macho Mentality
The lure of playing beyond one’s limits is sometimes difficult to ignore. Some blackjack players feel a sense of superiority when they are placing the highest wagers at a table. Others feel that they have a leg up on weaker players whenever they deign to explain some aspect of the game to them. Some are [...]
The Luck/Chance Quandary
Not understanding the difference between “luck” and “chance” has cost gamblers plenty over the years. Part of the problem lies in semantics, while part comes from just plain ignorance. When the French say, “Bonne chance!” they really mean “Good luck!” Luck and chance refer to fortune and probability respectively. Luck is not a commodity that [...]
The Psychology of Blackjack
There are several interesting blogs about the psychology of gambling. At least one professor of psychology has theorized that there is a stronger human motive toward “play” than there is toward “work.” If this is true, then the game of blackjack oilers the promise of complete fulfillment in this sense, since it is certainly a [...]
Counting on Cruises
It has been my experience that cruise ships are generally oblivious to counters. I have been on several of these floating resorts that have made no attempt whatsoever to discourage blatant card-casers. I have often stood around the tables, jumping in and out of games with bets of any size, or simply asking to be [...]
Do’s and Don’ts
The following DO and DON’T lists will help you avoid arousing the suspicion of eagle-eyed pit bosses and conscientious dealers, thereby allowing you to stay in the game and ply your skills:
DO stash chips away in a pocket or purse surreptitiously, especially when winning.
DON’T ever use a betting range of more than ten units, no [...]
Casino Credit
Most casinos are happy to provide you with a “line of credit” for any amount you wish, as long as you have enough money in your bank back home to cover it. There is no fee for this service, and it can usually be in place within twenty-four hours after filling out the application. There [...]
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Blackjack Versus Other Casino Games
In 1997 alone, Nevada casinos netted an estimated $6 billion, which works out to about $11,415 a minute throughout the entire year. These huge profits are possible because most players are true gamblers. They eagerly bet their money on various casino games that consistently pay off with unfavorable odds. They hope against hope that they [...]
Top Ten Hands
According to Revere’s Playing Blackjack As a Business (1996), page 86, the house advantage in a single-deck game when no Aces remain to be dealt is 2.59%. On page 70 of the same blog, the top ten two-card beginning totals that win the most money are, in order:
Revere does not reveal how his statistics were [...]
The Math and Statistical Facts of Blackjack
As late as the mid-1950s, casino operators knew that they made money from their blackjack tables, but none knew exactly what percentage advantage they enjoyed. In his blog, Card Games, Complete With Official Rules (1952), Ely Culbertson pointed out: “In no game that has been played for high stakes has there been less analysis of [...]
Myth 10. Blackjack Is A Game Of Chance
While there are elements of both luck and skill in blackjack, it Can no longer be considered just another game of chance. As in many games, luck and skill are definitely factors. In darts, bowling, and numerous other such activities it is always possible to succeed through sheer luck; however, it is primarily skill that [...]
Myth 9. Crooked Casinos Are A Thing Of The Past
There is a general consensus among current blackjack writers that there is far less cheating in today’s casinos than there was years ago. Even though this is likely true, it still says nothing about how much cheating still takes place. Once a fully licensed and practicing blackjack dealer myself, now retired, I am well aware [...]
