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 or not to split low pairs. Some casinos do not permit soft doubling, i.e., doubling-down when an Ace is one of your first two cards. Still others allow doubling on two-card totals of 10 and 11 only. All casinos in Atlantic City have identical rules, but elsewhere it is advisable to check out individual casino rule variations before deciding to play seriously. These variations are covered in subsequent chapters, since such adverse playing conditions do have an impact upon the strategy you should use in resolving certain hands properly.
The Vegas Club
A small downtown Las Vegas casino called the Vegas Club claims to have “The Most Liberal ‘21′ Rules in the World.” There you can double-down after any two, three, or four cards, resplit Aces, and keep splitting any other pair as many times as you wish. If you draw six cards totaling 21 or less, you are an automatic winner regardless of what total the dealer achieves. The table betting limits are $3 to $500 for each hand. Vegas Club also offers the surrender option.
The obvious question arises, “Why would anyone play anywhere ehe if given the choice?” The Vegas Club has only six-deck shoe games in which dealers are required to hit soft 17s. Vegas Club dealers use two discard trays to hold the used cards while waiting for the shuffle card to appear, a practice designed to discourage counters who “track” shuffles (see tip #94, page 199). Also, the shuffle card is placed almost halfway up the shoe, and since this casino employs no shuffle machines, you waste a lot of time watching the dealers shuffle.
“Charity” Casinos
These attractions, which are becoming more popular every year, are usually held in local hotels or clubs under the auspices of a legitimate charity sponsor. Although a portion of charity casino winnings does go to the advertised charity (sometimes as high as 50 percent of the profits), you may wish to donate directly to these organizations rather than trying to make money from their blackjack games. Beware of certain tables whose rules are extremely bad; for example, sometimes all pushes lose to the dealer, or blackjacks pay only even money. Patronize these “fly-by-night” casinos and other “Vegas Night” galas only for the fun of it or to gain more playing confidence. They are good places to get real blackjack-playing experience without the risk of losing a lot of money quickly, since their table minimums are often as low as $1 a hand. But since the table maximum can be as low as $10, don’t expect to make much money at such events. Besides, for some people it simply doesn’t feel right to walk away with cash that the local charity needs and was hoping to win from unsuspecting sponsors like yourself.
Europe
In most European casinos, as in many local charity casinos, the dealer does not draw a second card (normally the unseen hole card) until after all players have completed their hands. So, if you were to double or split against an Ace or T, and the dealer eventually ended up with a blackjack, you would lose your original bet, plus your double and/or split wager as well. At the few Las Vegas casinos and others around the world that do not peek for blackjacks, only the player’s original wager is lost if the dealer winds up with a blackjack.
Dealing Down
One rule variation with which everyone should be familiar was mentioned in passing above and occurs mainly in single- or double-deck games. It is known as “dealing down.” In shoe games, you receive all of your cards face up and are never allowed to touch them. But when the dealer is able to hold in his hand all of the cards used, your first two cards are normally dealt face down. You then must pick them up, using only one hand. You ask for a hit by lightly brushing them toward you upon the table’s surface. If you decide to surrender, or you bust, then you are expected to toss your cards face up toward the dealer. When you want to stand, you indicate this choice by sliding your initial two cards face down under your wager. Double-down by pushing out an equal value of chips behind your original bet inside the betting box, then tuck your cards underneath it, still face down. You will receive your additional card face down and may examine it if curiosity gets the better of you, but normally it is left for the dealer to flip over when resolving the hand. Split by spreading your pair face up and putting equivalent chips up behind the second card, thereby making two separate hands. The rules at tables that are dealt down are usually slightly more restrictive than those for adjacent shoe games even in the same casino. It is common to disallow doubling after splitting. You may find that surrender is not permitted in single- or double-deck games, even if it is allowed elsewhere throughout the casino. Table limits are usually higher as well, so it behooves the card-counting player to consider the disadvantages along with the benefits to be derived from playing in down games.
Mid-Shoe Entry
Entering a game of blackjack is generally as simple as finding an open spot at a table and placing a bet in the appropriate area. After resolving the hand in progress, the dealer usually accepts any newcomer into the game for the next hand immediately. Increasingly, however, casinos are demanding that players enter the game only after a shuffle. Similarly, if a seated player decides not to play a hand, he may not be permitted to reenter the game until after the next shuffle is completed. Disallowing such midshoe entries is a practice more common in Atlantic City than Las Vegas at present but may be found almost anywhere. Casino managers believe that counters are thwarted by this measure, but for the facts see chapter 6. By adopting proper wagering practices, counters are unaffected except that “Wonging” is no longer possible.
