Blackjack by DC

Blackjack is fun in the casino’s — it really is, but, just like poker — there’s quite the range of possibilities to enjoy a game of blackjack in your own home… It’s obviously not the most legal activity in most countries if there’s real money involved — but as long as you keep it private, you should be ok.

Anyway, what you need:

• One or more decks of cards
• A table
• Casino chips (poker chips)
• Maybe even a blackjack table lay-out

I suggest using a single deck setup for homegames. It allows for more suckout and makes card counting way easier. It does mean cards should be shuffled, which could slow down the game somewhat. If you want to play at high velocity — use multiple decks.

And… have fun!

Using free online blackjack games to learn the finesses of the game can be a good thing — but sometimes it’s even better to use trainer software to really finetune your game and lean basic strategy by heart. I’m working on an extensive list of online and desktop free blackjack games to allow all of our readers a good free way of upping their skills — but I might need some help…

If you know of specific blackjack trainer games (free!), and want to make sure I include them in my list — holler at me using the comment system. I’ll make sure to add any relevant link!

Being a semi-professional gambler it’s always hard going through periods of cold play. My first week of 2008 was a cold one — and it pretty much started with a hand I never expected to lose…. I’ll run you through it:

3 players at the table, I’m playing 3 boxes — all in front. Two other playes both play a single box — one is behind me on one of the boxes.

Cards come out — I’ve got:

- A/A
- 7/3
- 6/6

Dealer’s upcard is a 6.

Yay — that’s excellent news! I split the aces — and in the casino I’m playing that means ONE card extra only — no blackjacks. I get a 7 (18) and a 9 (20). Not awesome — but good enough against a six.

Second box is an obvious double down. I get a ten. 20.

Last box isn’t too tricky — i split my sixes. First card: 5. I double down on 11 and get a 3. 14.  Second split six gets a 4. I double down on ten and get a 10.  20.

At this point, there’s a good deal of money on the table due to all the double downs and the splits.

Dealer goes:

6-10-5.

I’ve seen this happen before (it still hurts but oh well), but that seemed to be the start of a cold run for me. I went on to lose more than I wanted to that night — and have decided to take the second week of January off from playing blackjack and play some low-stakes poker… Let’s turn the tide!

This is quite an interesting video considering Fox being the source. The interview about Mike, a former MIT Blackjack team member, a bunch of geniuses counting cards in Vegas…

The MIT team is now banned in a lot of casinos, which is sad…

Good to see mike stressing the basic strategy… It’s SO important, even when card counting!

Many casinos offer the option to double up on a single hit card. Some of us look to divine inspiration on when to double up, others use a lucky charm, I myself like to use mathematics.

There are some hard and fast rules about when to Double Down. They are as follows.

If you have 11 you can double. There is a 30% chance of making 21 and no way to bust out. If you do make 21 the dealer can only beat you with a Blackjack and even then you’ll have your money returned.

If you have a hand of 10 you can double. The odds of winning are similar to that of if you have 11 and you have no chance of going bust.

If you have 7/8/9 don’t double. As tempting as it is that you might make 17, 18, 19 or even 20 it is unlikely. Any card other than a 10 will leave you with a vulnerable hand. The only exception to this is if you have a nine and the dealer had a low (2-6) up card and thus has a good chance of going bust.

If you have 12 or more DON’T DOUBLE. As tempting as it may be when you see the dealer has a card that means he is likely to go bust. You also have a high chance of busting and losing out.

What you must remember with Doubling Down is that you can only have one further card.

I would stress that doubling up can also affect the effectiveness of your betting strategy. Especially if you are using the Paroli or Martingale system. You should make the decisions about when you are going to Double Down and stick to them so you don’t click the double button on a whim.

There are several betting systems floating around to help you maximise your profits from playing Blackjack. Here we look at the good the bad and the ugly.

Lets start with the most well known; the Double-Up. It is actually known as the Martingale system. You start with a one unit bet ($1 if you are me or $1000000 if you are the Sultan of Brunei – you base your unit amount on your bankroll). If you win you make the same bet. If you lose you double the previous bet continuing to double until you win. When you win you start again with one unit. This betting system is madness and you have to have a huge bankroll to make it work. It is not uncommon to lose 8 hands in a row, by which time you will be betting with 128 units! In the long run you will not make money this way. Your bankroll will be broken in no time at all –unless of course you are the Sultan of Brunei.

The Paroli betting system is the opposite of the Martingale system. This time you double up when you win. To use this system you need to decide how many you times you double up before you start again. This system can be effective as it is simple to use and easy to remember. You also don’t need a large bankroll to play in this way and it can make a lot without risking too much.

The Parlay betting system is comparable to the Paroli system. It is simple and easy to remember. You base your bets on your profit, so you make a bet where your original bet plus your original winnings are used for your next bets. To use this system, you simply start by making a bet of any size. If you win with this initial bet, you use the original bet and part of the profit to place your next bet with. For example you bet £10 and win, for your next bet you use the original bet, $10 and part of the profit say $5 to make the next bet (Total $15). This way you are not always risking your profit. As with Paroli you need to decide how many times you will do this before you start again. Although you won’t make as much profit as with Paroli you will be risking less of your profit.

The Parlay betting system takes a little thought before you hit the tables but in the long run it can be a good option for beginners and seasoned players alike.

A pretty good lesson on single deck blackjack by the Sahara casino. Obviously in these tutorials you’ll see everyone winning and the bank pretty much busting all the time — but hey — we all know that’s not too reaslistic hehe!

Still, a pretty solid first tutorial for anyone who never played single deck blackjack before — so check it out if you’re new to the game!

By the way — excellent dealer skills!

I mean the systems they’re showing don’t all work in today’s casinos around the globe — seeing as most blackjack tables have automatic systems shuffling or at least dealing the cards, but still — a great video on turning the odds in your favor, and winning at blackjack!  Enjoy!

We have all played 21 as kids and so the rules of blackjack shouldn’t be too daunting. Before you play for money you should learn the lingo and the rules to look out for.

The object of blackjack make the highest total you can without going over 21 (going bust). Simple.

Each numbered card 10 and under, has a value equal to the number on the card. All the face cards count as 10. This leaves the magic Ace which can count either as 1 or 11, depending on what helps your hand the most. A hand that is 21 is called ‘blackjack’. If you are dealt blackjack you are paid immediately (and you get to do a little dance).

There are 2 ways to win. Either you have the highest total or the dealer goes bust. You can play with other players at the table but you are only trying to beat the dealer. If the dealer gets a blackjack, the players automatically lose unless they have a blackjack too.

Each player receives 2 cards (usually face up) on the table. The dealer receives 1 card face up and 1 card face down.

The player has the following options while playing blackjack:

• Hit Taking another card
• Stand You have made your best hand
• Double Down Doubling your bet and taking one more card
• Split Splitting your pair into two separate hands
• Surrender Surrendering half of your bet and giving up your hand right then

You have the option of taking as many hits as you want as long as you don’t go over 21.

The dealer must play his hand according to the house rules. Usually the dealer must hit until he has a total of 17 or higher. If the dealer starts with a total of 17, he stands.

See simple. This seemingly easy game has driven grown man too tears with joy and despair. Try it and see how you fair.

Isn’t always the way? With blackjack your bankroll needs to be sufficient to bear up under the normal fluctuations that happen during blackjack. You need to understand that you will not always win, even if you stick to the Basic Strategy charts. I’ll say it again, you will not always win. Sticking to the Strategy only increases the likelihood of you winning.

Only Play with Money that you don’t need
Never gamble with money you can not afford to lose. Gambling with rent, bills or food money is bad. If you are doing that, you might want to consider taking a break from gambling for a while. If money in your bankroll has an emotional attachment you will make bad decisions. Bad decisions lead to losing play. You need to think of you gambling bankroll as units to play with, not as the amount of stuff it can buy you.

You need to have enough
You need a bankroll large enough to sustain the short swings of bad luck that you will encounter at the blackjack tables. You still need money to keep playing and ride out the short swings. You need to have at least 30 times the amount you bet at the table and the same again in your bankroll for reloading. So if you bet in $1 bets then you need at least $30 at the table, if you bet in $20 bets than you need $600 at the table.

Don’t Bet Too Much
Don’t double up or triple up to try an regain your losses. You will lose more money and then you will be grumpy. Stick to your betting system. Have a fixed amount that you will lose in a session and when you reach it WALK AWAY. Write yourself out some little guidelines and stick to them. Many players will accept 20 times the amount they bet at as a loss but no more. Set up reloading limits if you play online. Many sites will help you restrict the amount you can reload in 24 hours.

If you are winning, put aside some of your spoils to use another day. Have guidelines about what to do with your winnings and stick to them. Don’t use a winning streak as an excuse to increase your betting: you will regret it.