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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Rule Variations
The general rules and procedures of blackjack mentioned above are adopted globally. There are, however, some exceptions that should be noted.
A few casinos still do not allow you to double-down after splitting a hand, but the trend is definitely toward the more liberal rule application. This is an important factor to consider when deciding whether [...]
The Most Common Blackjack Rules
The Table
A typical blackjack table layout is shown below.
The Cards
Standard poker-sized playing cards are used. Finding a game played with just one deck, however, is getting more difficult these days. Some casinos offer double-deck games, and you are usually better off to play there after familiarizing yourself with the “face-down” procedures that are normally used [...]
Modern Rules, Procedures, and Variations
Originally, the rules of blackjack were as varied as the individual casinos that first offered the game. Over the years, as players became more knowledgeable and demanded more consistent and favorable playing odds, the rules as outlined below became generally accepted. These have emerged as the most widely offered rules of the present day, but [...]
The Future of Blackjack
Thankfully, most casinos nowadays have adopted very similar rules. It is, therefore, a much easier job to determine the relative advantages of the assorted minor rule variations that still exist. Presently, the Vegas Club, located near the end of Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas, boasts “The Most Liberal ‘21′ Rules in the World.”
Blackjack is [...]
Early Casino Advantages
The blackjack game we have grown to enjoy today was called simply “21″ in North America until World War II began. John Scarne describes how the game became known as “Black Jack” in his New Complete Guide to Gambling (1961). According to Scarne, the horse-betting rooms around Evansville, Indiana, began offering payoffs of 3 to [...]
