18/06/2008 by Alex.

The Need for Advanced Blackjack Strategy

As you know, having the right strategy in place is critical to increasing the chances of your winning in Blackjack. There are strategies for beginners, intermediate players, and also advanced players in blackjack. Advanced blackjack strategy helps you understand the finer points of blackjack and tells you how you can optimize your winning chances at Blackjack.

You should look at learning about advanced Blackjack strategy once you are thorough with the strategy for beginners and intermediate players. What this effectively means is that you should be thorough with the concept of card counting before you proceed to learn about advanced Blackjack strategy. In this article, we will discuss about advanced blackjack strategy.

Some Advanced Blackjack Strategies

The first advanced Blackjack strategy you should know about is when to take insurance against the dealer’s Ace. Usually, the tendency is not to take insurance against the dealer’s Ace. That is not necessarily the case always, however. There could be times when you are better off taking insurance against the Ace. One of the best instances is when the deck is a positive one, i.e., there are a large number of 10s left. The best way to go is to establish a rule of thumb for yourself and take insurance against the dealer’s Ace whenever the card count is a minimum of +4.

Here is another advanced Blackjack strategy to follow. Usually, if you are a Blackjack player at the beginner level, you may tend to hit whenever the dealer is showing some card and you happen to have a total of 16 against his play. However, that is not something you need to do regularly. Sometimes, you can afford to stand with the 16 when faced with a 10 from the dealer when the count is positive and the count is zero, i.e., there is just one more 10 card left than normal. What it boils down to is this: you should not be taking a card when your hand shows 16 against the 10 of the dealer when the count is a minimum of +1.

More Advanced Blackjack Strategies

Another instance when you can afford to stand instead of drawing is when you have a hand of 15 against the dealer’s 10, and when the card count is a minimum of +4. This play is much like the one for the 16-vs.-10 scenario discussed above. We usually tend to go ahead and pick a card in this situation, as you may find it to be risky. However, you can afford to stand with the 15 if you know the card count to be high.

Here is another advanced Blackjack strategy for you. It is a good idea to split the 10s when your dealer’s hand shows 6. The hand of 6 is not the best place for the dealer to be in. Once you split the 10s, the dealer could be pressurized into going bust, especially if there are a number of 10s still remaining in the deck. If there actually are a lot of 10s still left in the deck, you could even go ahead and try to split your 20s. However, this is a good move only when you know the card count is a minimum of +5.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

08/05/2008 by Alex.

As promised here is the second of my three blackjack strategy articles

An Introduction to Blackjack Strategy for Intermediate Players  Knowing Blackjack strategy is important regardless of whatever level of player you are. It works for beginners, intermediate players, and also players who are expert at blackjack. There are different strategies you can adopt for Blackjack if you are an intermediate player. One such strategy is the Hi-Lo card counting system, one of the most commonly used blackjack strategies by teams.

Posted in online blackjack, Gambling stories, Blackjack Strategy | 2 Comments »

01/05/2008 by Alex.

After being hounded by the readers of this blog for more blackjack strategy articles I have sat down and written 3 articles which should appear to everyone as it cover beginner, intermediate and advanced blackjack strategy. I have posted below the first one of three and will post the second in a few days.

An Introduction to Blackjack Strategy for Beginners Blackjack as a game is very interesting and fun to play once you learn how to play it and know all the nuances associated with it. However, if you are new to it, the game can be intriguing and also intimidating. As a beginner, it is important that you know the strategy associated with playing blackjack. Strategy for blackjack can be at multiple levels – beginners’ blackjack strategy, intermediate blackjack strategy, and advanced blackjack strategy. 

In this article, we will discuss the beginners blackjack strategy. This strategy is what beginners can familiarize themselves with before sitting down to play a game of blackjack. 

Basic Blackjack Strategy for Beginners Wagering is one way of making a game of blackjack even more interesting. However, for a beginner, wagering can be a tricky issue. One of the first things you should learn as part of beginners’ blackjack strategy is the correct amount to wager for a particular hand. Do not place high bets when you are still a beginner; there are strong chances you will lose the game and also a lot of money in the process. 

There are other strategies related to the way you play the game itself, not related to wagering. There are some complicated strategies you can adopt once you know the game, such as accurately counting the cards while playing, with a bit of math thrown in, to increase your chances of winning. However, at a basic level, you do not need to indulge in card counting and other such complex maneuvers.   For starters, you can make use of a card that lists out how the different cards play in the game of blackjack. This kind of a card usually comes with plastic lamination, and is more like a ready-reckoner for you to use as a beginner. When you are playing blackjack, you can refer to the card whenever you have a doubt. 

Some More Blackjack Strategy for Beginners Apart from using a card, you can also try another approach, called Wonging. The name comes from the author and blackjack player Stanford Wong. This works at a land-based casino, usually. Wonging usually involves having a card counter.   The card counter does not get into a game straight away, but counts the cards instead. The card counter sits in at a game once the card count becomes positive, i.e., there are a surplus of 10s and aces that are still to be dealt. The card counter buys in and continues to play until the count goes negative again. An option you can have as a beginner is to figure out if there is a card counter at the table, and if there is one, make use of his strategy and play the game. You may not be able to locate a card counter at your table right away. There are a few moves that can give a card counter away. These include facing off a dealer’s 2 hand with a 12, doubling a 10-hand against an ace, doubling a 9-hand against a 7, and so on.

Posted in online blackjack, Blackjack Strategy | No Comments »

18/03/2008 by Alex.

After reading Bringing Down The House 2 years ago I straight away thought this could be awesome film and at last it is made and about to be released - Looks a little different from tehbook as it always was going to be but still there is loads of money, blackjack, card counting and Vegas so who’s complaining!!!

If the You Tube screen above doesn’t work just click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRzZX2aN3I0

Posted in BlackJack News | No Comments »

18/03/2008 by Alex.

I just received a news release for a really cool version of online blackjack called Double Attack Blackjack which brilliantly includes loads of player advantage features - Just what I wanted to hear! The main differences are:

1. You can double your bet after seeing the dealers up card
2. You can double down or surrender after any number of cards

Even better insurance pay has been boosted with a three to one payout which means the insurance bet oddly enough is actually a smart one to make on this version.

Beyond that it is much the same as any-other blackjack game online except for some really great sound and graphics but hey what difference do they make when you are losing SO if you are interested in playing Double Attack Blackjack check any of the sites listed on the Wagerworks site or get over to Virgin games who already have it liver - Their domain is www.virgingames.com

Enjoy!!

Posted in online blackjack, BlackJack News | 1 Comment »

27/02/2008 by Alex.

FINLAND — (PRESS RELEASE) — Online gambler wins highest ever progressive poker jackpot at Blackjack Ballroom, with a life changing $309,766 prize payout.

Blackjack Ballroom offers all new players 1 hour and $500 free of charge to use at their casino. With more than just online blackjack, Blackjack Ballroom features 15 progressive jackpot games, including table games, slots and card games catering for every player. R.R. from Finland started with the $500 free play, hitting the jackpot on Poker Ride with the best possible hand, a Royal Flush. In the very same month, a UK player at another online casino in the Casino Rewards Group went against all odds with another Royal Flush and a $194,000 jackpot win.

Progressive jackpots increase constantly with every game played, with online casinos such as those showcased by Casino Rewards/Rewards Affiliates able to offer colossal payouts due to numerous players contributing to the jackpot simultaneously. At present, due to its sheer popularity, the total progressive jackpot on offer at Blackjack Ballroom is over $8m.

Posted in Gambling stories, BlackJack News | No Comments »

27/02/2008 by Alex.

At Worth County District Court in Iowa a guy called Steven Stotts has just been sent to prison for cheating in a game of blackjack at the Diamond Jo Worth Casino in Northwood, Iowa. Stotts, 57 from Mason city was actually caught by the surveliance cameras since the casino was too crowded for the “Casino Spys” to see the action at the blackjack table.

Stotts used a very simple style of cheating which has been around for ages and ages - He was capping and pinching which is when you “pinch” some or all of the bet away when you realise you have lost or alternative “cap” the bet if you realise your blackjack hand will beat the dealers. This sounds simple and something that could easily be noticed but in a busy loud casino it is often not noticed by the dealer or the pit boss.

Posted in BlackJack News | No Comments »

18/02/2008 by Alex.

Read a great little article in the Short-list magazine they hand out in London which listed the top ten gambling highs and lows - here are a few:

1. A load of bells
King Henry VIII actually lost the bells of old St Pauls Cathedral as well as money which was to pay for the construction of Westminster Abbey from dice playing.

2. Largest Debt
Chinese-Mexican “alleged” drug smuggler Zhenli Ye Gon has reported debts of over £60 million in Vegas!!

3. Worlds Biggest Gambler
Often accused as the worlds biggest gambler Akio Kashiwagi a Japanese real-estate magnate once bet an average of £7m an hour at the baccarat table even losing £5m in 5 days, the biggest baccarat loss in casino history.

4.Whale is extinct
Fouad al-Zayat a syrian billionaire staked £91m and lost well over £23m at London casino Aspinalls during a 12 year period but after a cheque bounced by mistake al-Zayat swore he’d never gamble again in London - He has never been seen since in a London casino.

5. Londoner doubles up
London gambler Ashley Revell unbelievably sold all his possessions and raised £76,840 - He then took all this money to Vegas and amazingly bet on a roulette wheel but even more amazing walked out with £153,680.

6. Everything comes in threes
Media mogel Robert Maxwell once lost over £1.5m playing three roulette wheels at the same time. Now that is brave.

7. Biggest ever Super Bowl bet
The biggest ever Super Bowl bet was placed by an anonymous gambler in the Mirage in Vegas back in 1995 where he bet $3m on San Francisco 49ers would beat the San Diego Chargers however as the odds were so bad he only won $300,000. I say only!

8. £50,000 tits!
Back in 1996 Brian Zembic had a £50,000 bet with his mate that he would get breast implants - He ended up with a beautiful set of 38C implants but as of 2006 he still had the implants in!!! He said he’d “grown too attached to them.”

9. Biggest lottery win
The largest single win in the lottery was won by a Sue Dooley of West Virginia who won £157m in 2002 in the US Powerball Lottery

10. Biggest ever slot machine win
Back in 1998 the bandit jackpot machine in Vegas was hit for $14m by a Californian man on a weekend trip.

Posted in Gambling stories | No Comments »

14/02/2008 by Alex.

Finished £170 up on the £5 blackjack tables at the Empire in Leicester Square yesterday - Woo Hoo!! Always good to beat the casino and although I took a couple of small risks I played consistently throughout and was never really down at any point. Perfect blackjack! I even lent the person I was with £20 who managed to work that into £200 so the table was certainly playing well for us.

 One of the things I want to point out is the dealer we had was awesome. He genuinely raised the atmosphere at the table and made into a great game as well as an entertaining experience; I also got a genuine feeling he was wanting us to beat the house. At one point a Chinese lady joined our blackjack table making it a total of 4 people playing, I was playing 3 boxes at that point and she just wouldn’t shut up saying it would be luckier if I played just one making the total four and having a go at people if they asked for a card or stuck when it didn’t benefit here. She was obviously a regular at the casino but the dealer didn’t let her shit go and immediately told her to be quiet not ruin the fun atmosphere and smiles at the table….Just the sort of dealer I needed after quite a few glasses of wine.

 The dealers name was Joe and I believe was from up north somewhere so if you go in there look for him and say hi - The only ridiculous and annoying thing is that you can’t tip the dealers in The Empire so we wern’t able to express our thanks to him with chips….what a load of rubbish!!

Happy Blackjack playing

Posted in Blackjack Diary | No Comments »

11/02/2008 by Alex.

I will be adding alot more blackjack strategy articles to my blog because fundamentally unless you can get your head around these you are not going to beat the casino which is of course achieveable and actually not that hard if you stick to what I teach you. Below I have listed a couple of very simple charts to get you going and help you make the right decisions when you are playing Blackjack online or offline - 

Posted in Blackjack Strategy | No Comments »