Online Casino Blog » Blackjack

The Casino Smoking Debate: Should There Be a Ban on Smoking?

Mike Smack — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:02:15 +0000

We know the studies about second-hand smoke. We know that there have been numerous studies worldwide proving that secondhand smoke is much more dangerous to the health than most of us thought. Tons of illnesses are associated with it. But a lot of times it seems like casinos and cigarette smoking goes together (and a nice cigar as well). Players know second-hand smoking is a bad thing - but it usually seems like most players even though aware of the risks hardly care.

Wherever you go in most casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or any major casino around the world you’ll find cigarette bunnies walking around the casino area selling nicotine-based products. With all the tension around the tables (poker, blackjack and baccarat tables for example - especially high limits) grabbing a quick smoke can sometimes seem irresistible for players when they’ve had a couple drinks of alcohol and really enjoying themselves - or are really depressed from horrendous play. Well, this whole smoking debate is causing legislators to come up with laws pertaining to secondhand smoke in casinos. Anti-smoking laws are being pushed for implementation in some states and cities.

There’s been some major debate among top professional casino players whether regulations to stop smoking inside the casino gaming area should be implemented or not. You’ll find opinions on both sides of this matter. There’s awareness of players on the dangers of second-hand smoking. There’s also been wide-reaching information campaigns on smoking in casinos and helping to educate players on the risk that second hand smoke could give to other players. The main issue rests with legislators. Many interest groups advise the complete ban on smoking on different events and casino conferences.

There have been studies and research conducted that have concluded that casino workers on the casino floor where smokers are present have a higher rate of exposure to second-hand smoke than an average person. It’s also been proven that people exposed to second-hand smoke have a greatly increased risk of developing cancer and heart disease. On the other side of this debate, we have casino owners that, while stating their concern on the risk of casino second-hand smoke, have also stressed the potential loss of revenue that a smoking ban may result into the casino businesses. Although they would like to be a part of this no-smoking campaign, the fear of having a low business turn out is greatly feared.

What makes the issue even more complicated is that many casino workers are against a smoking ban! They are hesitant to agree on no-smoking policies and regulations because they know what might happen - less tipping from casino players who used to buy dozens of cigarettes and even possibly losing their jobs from less people frequenting their casinos and possibly going strictly to online casinos.

Those that smoke in casinos know the problems associated with heavy smoking but it’s just an accepted casino fact that smoking has always been a part of gambling - for better or worse. There’s so many casino players that couldn’t imagine themselves throwing down a game of blackjack or poker or slots without having a puff on their cigarette or cigar. A lot of players concentrate on their game by puffing on their favorite companion - a cigarette from their pack of smokes or a nice cuban cigar. Whether you agree or disagree with a casino smoking ban let’s have an open discussion on all possibilities on this topic. These discussions need to be properly heard by our legislators and discussed in an open forum.

Do you think smoking should be banned in brick-and-mortar casinos?

Insurance and Even Money: Bad Bets at the Blackjack Table

Mike Smack — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 01:40:00 +0000

The truth is that consistently winning blackjack games deals with both luck and chance. It’s always been a popular casino game – perhaps due to its reputation of being called one of the easiest card games in casino. But it’s not just a plain game of luck. Understanding the rules is a must and it entails that a player must have tight blackjack skills when playing.

One of the trickiest parts is the blackjack language and the various blackjack bets you can make. Beginners have trouble with this since the game in itself is a game of chance and the players are expected to be knowledge in tactics that improve your chances of winning the hand. In playing blackjack, you’re trying to get a good winning hand of cards – this means that you should have cards that total as close as possible to or matching twenty-one but never above it. Having a hand of cards with a total more than twenty-one means you just busted and you lost.

One of the hottest blackjack strategies making a comeback is card counting. Beyond this though, even with this knowledge, it is still hard for some people to actually know when to bet and when not to. The tactic of blackjack card counting may not help you as much you might think since it can never be perfected.

Consequently, one of the hardest aspects of playing blackjack is the complex ideas laid out in the game - two different terms may mean the same thing or completely different things.

There’s two blackjack definitions that we all need to know: Even Money and Insurance bet. Can you imagine playing a game like basketball and just ignoring the three point line the whole game just because you don’t know what it’s for? That’s just like how it is when you play blackjack without knowing what these two terms stand for. It could affect your bankroll in a big way.

In our examples here, we’ll be playing Classic Blackjack Gold Series at Casino Classic (1 Regular Deck; Blackjack 3:2; Insurance 2:1; Other win 1:1; Dealer stands on Soft 17).

Insurance Bet

Let’s say the dealer reveals his card, and it’s an Ace. You’ll now get the option of making an insurance bet before the hole card gets checked by the dealer. In an insurance bet, you bet an amount up to half your original bet. There’s a separate special area of the table usually carrying the words “Insurance Pays 2:1″ – this is where the insurance bet gets placed. By you taking insurance you’re betting that the dealer gets a “natural” which is a two-card 21, a blackjack. If you win this insurance bet, you get 2:1 on your bet. It’s insurance because the point of it is to protect the original bet you made if the dealer has a blackjack. If you decide to bet the full half of what your original bet was, then you win the same amount back in the insurance bet. Let’s say you don’t have blackjack, the dealer does, and you took the insurance bet. In this case, you’ve lost no money. Worst case scenario is that you take the insurance bet, the dealer doesn’t have blackjack and you lose. Then you just lost BIG.

Even Money

Now let’s say you have a natural 21 (an ace and a ten or face-card). The dealer has revealed his upcard and it’s an Ace. You have the option of taking even money. If you take even money, you’re going to get paid 1:1 right away for your natural 21, whether or not the dealer gets a blackjack. This means that if you accept even money, you’re getting the same payout as if you were getting insurance. Think about it this way, if the dealer doesn’t get a blackjack, you forfeit the insurance bet and win 3:2 on the natural 21 – this is payout equal to your original bet. If the dealer did have a blackjack, you push on the natural 21 and win 2:1 on insurance, getting a payout which is the same as the original bet.

The Value of Insurance Bets and Even Money

Unless you’re card-counting, stay away from both insurance bets and even money. These bets have a house edge of 2% to 15% – depending on how many decks the casino is using and the number of 10-cards visible. If you are card-counting, only bet on these if you know that more than a full third of the deck is 10-value cards.

Playing basic blackjack might be easy and the rules are generally easy to understand. But by understanding new tactics and casino techniques you have the chance to tilt in many ways possible the odds to your favor.

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Blackjack Switch: The Blackjack Spinoff Casino Game

Mike Smack — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:30:50 +0000

This one goes out to you blackjack-heads out there. Have you heard of the blackjack switch? This game is another variant of the blackjack game – the differences being that you are allowed to switch cards and you are dealt two hands.

Now, to the blackjack purists this might sound like cheating but for the people that play this blackjack spin-off casino game on a regular basis, it really isn’t. Blackjack switch also has a more conservative style of play as compared to the original blackjack. A classic example of playing blackjack switch would be this: if one player has been dealt his cards which form his two hands, that are 6-10 and 10-5, he can immediately swap the top two cards so that he would have a hand of 6-5 and 10-10.

A blackjack switch game starts when the player makes two equal-sized bets. Then the player is dealt two hands. Here’s where it gets interesting: the blackjack switch player now has the option to change the second card he is dealt with. For example, if you are dealt cards 5 and K, and T and 6, you are able to switch the cards around so that you can form 5 and 6, and K and T. After all, in this game, it is better to have 2 hands that total 11 and 20 respectively, than having hands that total 15 and 16.

Blackjack Switch Changes Overview

This blackjack creation has undergone a lot of changes, with the game’s main intention to help players win easily. First of all, blackjack switch evens the playing field with a ratio of 1:1, rather than the standard 3:2 ratio. This is because it’s easier to win blackjack (forming a total of 21) when you have the ability to have your cards switched around.

Here’s another twist to blackjack switch: if the dealer gets 22 then all bets are immediately pushed and if dealer gets blackjack then they pay even money. Currently, the blackjack switch house edge is 0.16% with six decks and 0.18% with eight decks. After you have done the whole switching of your cards deals, the regular play of the blackjack game then follows suit. One of the options that makes blackjack switch interesting is its use of a “Super Match” bet, which is a side option. The Super Match bet still involves the four cards that you are dealt with. First off, if you own a pair, then you instantly win it. Here is the following table when dealt the “Super Match” bet: Pair (1-1); 2 Pair (8-1); 3 of a Kind (5-1); 4 of a Kind (40-1).

For those of you who like a little change in their online betting life, then blackjack switch is the perfect game for you. The fact that you are allowed to keep on switching cards is already interesting enough – this increases your rate of winning and just makes it damn fun. Try playing this game now and see how exciting it gets!

Blackjack Switch Rules and Regulations

6-8 decks are used
You must make two equal-sized bets
You may switch the second card dealt to each of your two hands – even to form a blackjack
You may double on any 2 cards you receive
You may double after a split
You may resplit up to 4 hands
Cards are dealt face up
Dealer hits soft 17
Dealer 22 will push against your total of 21 or less
Dealer peeks for blackjack with a ten or ace up
Blackjacks for the dealer means all player hands will lose, however a player blackjack will push
Blackjacks for the player will beat a dealer’s 22
Blackjacks for the player pay even money

Blackjack switch is now being played in online casinos and casinos in Las Vegas (Casino Royale, Harrah’s, and Tropicana) and Russia. Internet casinos that currently offer blackjack switch include Playtech casinos Golden Palace, Bet365, Slots.com, and Hard Rock Casino.

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Inside Casino Promotions & Bonuses: Sportsbook.com

Mike Smack — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:00:00 +0000

We all know the craziness we can find on the internet.

Besides watching a little James Bond and finding out that casino cruise ships save people’s lives, there’s some great savings and bonuses for those that keep their open – especially for online casino gamers.

The main way you’re going to get special treatment at online casinos is the same way you get special treatment in standard brick-and-mortar casinos – being loyal to the same casino websites over and over again. Most of the big dog online casino sites give out bonuses to its users. But before you just jump into the first “bonus” you see offered,you gotta get yourself acquainted with the details in the bonuses offered. In some of the less reputable casinos, they don’t offer a real bonus, but instead they just offer some deals that really just benefit the casino and not the users. Of course, most of the big names in the casino world take care of their users well, but it pays to pay attention.

Inside the world of casino bonuses and promotions

Today we’re going to be getting deep into the promotions offered by Sportsbook.com – looking at all the bonuses and promotions and seeing which really are the ones to take advantage of. Licensed since 1997 by the Government of Netherlands Antilles in the Curacao Island (and completely open to all United States players) they’ve been featured in tons of television programs and newspapers in the United States like CBS 60 Minutes, SNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, and USA Today. They’ve got a nice interface, a nice amount of players at any one time and they’ve been twice labeled as the “Best United States Sports Book” by eGaming Review.

The reason why we’re taking a look at Sportsbook.com is because they have a crazy amount of bonuses and promotions going on at all times – you gotta keep yourself locked to the website so you know what promotions are going on. They offer casino, poker, horse racing (racebook), and sportsbook, so we’ll cover each section and the promotions offered.

Sportsbook.com Deposit Bonus

They have a standard instant 10% sign-up bonus to any initial deposit you make. This means whatever you deposit into Sportsbook.com, they hook you up with an extra 10% of whatever you deposited (e.g. you deposit $1000, they give you an extra $100 for you to play with).

If you’re going to playing poker, they hook you up with a 100% bonus up to $650 of your deposit. This means you deposit $650, they give you an extra $650 – total of $1300. To get the bonus, log-in to Sportsbook.com, make a real money purchase, click on the Rewards tab, then the Deposit Bonus tab in the poker lobby and then enter the code FIRST100 into the bonus code box. Check out how it looks in the image below:

You’ll also get a free seat into the Sportsbook.com weekly $500 “Welcome Freeroll” poker tournament – with a $500 prize pool. This freeroll is free to all brand new Sportsbook.com members that have made a real money purchase – running every Wednesday at 10:30 EST. To get into the freeroll poker tournament, hit the Private tab before the tournament start time, double-click on “Welcome Freeroll” and register for it.

Sportsbook.com Sportsbook Promotions

Here’s a limited time sportsbook promotion going on with an odd little twist. They call it Lucky 7 Seventh Heaven. If your BET ID ends with 7, 77, 777 or 7777 (this means if any of these are the last digit(s) of your BET ID) you get hooked up with more money if your bet wins.

For example, if you do a Straight, Parlay or Teaser bet of $25 or more that wins and ends in a 7, 77, 777, or 7777 you win the Lucky 7 promotion bonus. If your Bet ID ends in 7 you receive a 25% win bonus, if it ends in 77 you receive a 50% win bonus, if it ends in 777 you receive $100.00 cash, and if it ends in 7777 you receive $500.00 cash.

If you’re betting on baseball, they hook you up with their MLB Bad Beat Bonuses with one of the top ones being called Extra Inn-sults. If you bet the under on a Major League Baseball game and your bet loses because the game went into extra innings they give a 25% cash back bonus. Another one is the Complete Shutout bonus – if you bet the money line or run line and the baseball team you bet on got shutout by the opposing pitcher they’ll hook you up with a 25% cash back bonus. Another bonus is the Walk-off Loser – if you bet the money line and your team is ahead but ends up losing because of a walk-off home run, Sportsbook.com will hook you up with a 25% cash back bonus.

A nice one is the Fall Classic promotion. In this one, every $20+ bet on MLB will give one extra entry into this drawing. If you win, you get a $5000 prize pack which is two tickets to watch the Major League Baseball World Series along with airfare and hotel accommodations.

Another baseball promotion on Sportsbook.com is the $40k MLB Handicapping Challenge. In this one, when the baseball regular season is over, the casino player with the most points gets $6000 points. If you finish from 2nd to 5th overall you get $1100 cash. Even if you finish in the top 2000 of the overall leader-board gives you an automatic entry into the $10,000 MLB poker tournament that Sportsbook.com will be doing in the near future. The monthly prizes vary depending on where you place: 1st gets $500 Cash (+10% Reload Bonus on your next deposit), 2nd-10th gets $200 Cash (+10% Reload Bonus on your next deposit), 11th-20th gets $50 Cash (+10% Reload Bonus on your next deposit), 21st-50th gets you a 10% Reload Bonus on your next deposit, and 51st-onwards gets you a 5% Reload Bonus on your next deposit. You earn points on this promotion first on wagers of $20 or more with at least 10 qualifying MLB wagers in the month. Each month, the Sportsbook.com player with the most points accumulated wins. ML wagers get you 1 point, run line wagers get you 1 point, total wagers get you 1 point, 2-4 team parlays get you 3 points, 5-7 team parlays get you 6 points, 8-10 team parlays get you 12 points, and 11-12 team parlays get you 24 points.

Sportsbook.com Casino Promotions

24 blackjack winners get rewarded every 24 hours with various prizes, with the prize pot hitting $24,000. The games you can hit the bonus on are Blackjack 52, Blackjack, Blackjack Switch, Spanish Blackjack, and Blackjack 7s. So far, there’s been 244 winners on this one.

If you like slots, Sportsbook.com has the $24 free to play slots promotion offer you get with as well. This means that you get $24 free when you transfer at least $24 to play with some hot slots. Enter coupon code 24FORFREE at the Redeem Coupon tab in the Cashier to get hooked up with this promotion. (NOTE: Do not put this coupon code in the join form area if you’re a new customer, do this once you’re a member)

Sportsbook.com Racebook Horse Racing Promotions

The big one that Sportsbook.com offers for racebook fans is the 3% rebate program. Every day, whatever you bet on the previous day with horse wagers, they give you a 3% deposit on that right into your account. Whether you win or lose on the racebook, you’ll know you’re going to get something the next day.

Sportsbook.com Poker Promotions

There are TONS of poker bonuses going on at any time. One of the bigones is the $100,000 gold card giveaway. With a $100,000 prize pool and a minimum payday of $100 this is one to definitely get into. You win gold cards by playing in the real money poker ring games. The gold cards get chosen via a random number generator (RNG) when a certain rake has been collected (higher limits you play mean the faster that this amount gets reached). When the rake’s been collected, a gold card will be randomly selected and displayed to the players at the poker table at the end of the hand. If you match that gold card with one of your hole cards you get that gold card, even if you had folded your hand.

Another poker one is the Big Hands Win Big Bucks promotion. In this one, if you get 4 jacks or better in any of the Big Bucks cash game tables you get free entry into the Sportsbook.com $5000 private freeroll.

You’re also going to want to get acquainted with Frequent Player Points (FPP’s). The more you play, the more rake the casino is getting, so the more FPP points you’re going to be getting. The more FPP you have, the more gold chips you get. For every dollar dropped into rake (even fractional points), you’ll get 1 FPP – with a maximum of 3 FPP per hand. If you play in poker tournaments, you’ll get 7 FPP’s for every $1 in tournament entry fees.

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21: Inside the World of Card-Counting

Mike Smack — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:00:00 +0000

Blackjack has been always been one of the most popular games played in casino houses. It’s a popular game all over the world – the simplicity of blackjack has a lot to do with it. But mastering the game is a crazy hard thing to do. The main objective of the game is to beat the dealer which can be done if the total of the cards at hand is close to 21, but never above that number – if you do, it’s bust. Along with its popularity, one of the best things about the game is that it’s also easy to play for beginners, and it’s a pretty deep game below the surface.

The Blackjack Movie – 21

This growing popularity of blackjack has even reached the online community and at present day, many internet sites offer blackjack games (try BetUS and Casino Classic). Aside from the Internet, its also been a topic of tons of books and even movies. One of the movies that tackled blackjack recently is the movie 21 (available on DVD and Blu-Ray). Starring Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, and Aaron Yoo, the flick shows the different styles of playing the game especially the card-counting technique – which everyone associates with blackjack “cheating”. It’s entertaining – and even better is that at the same time you might be able to learn a thing or two from watching it. The movie is also based on a real story – so that makes it a little more engaging as well since it has that angle.

Learning About Card-Counting

All of us in the casino gaming world know about the technique known as card-counting - and it’s also acquired the interest of many people who love to gamble, even the casual casino gamer. But before believing every detail of the movie it’s first important to always remember that blackjack, like any other casino game, is a gamble. A person has both the chance to win or lose. You just gotta know how you’re gonna balance his skills and gut feelings.

The premise behind card-counting is that a player is going to keep a record of the cards that have been used in the game. This way, it’ll be easier for you to know if the cards will be in your favor or not, thus betting would be easier. Although this card-counting technique is easy to learn, it is still not easy to master without you going through some losing streaks along the way as you get a handle on the technique. If you just completely depend on card-counting, then winning lots of money in blackjack may not be that easy.

The Card-Counting Popularity Explosion

This technique has tapped the minds of many players – many think you can have the chance of winning millions by simply following the rules in card counting. The things is that there are gonna be instances that using this technique may not work for you. Simply put, not all people are going to have luck on their side when using the card-counting technique. Blackjack is a gamble in its essence and casinos want to keep their customers coming back. These two facts should never be forgotten by aspiring blackjack card-counters. So, it’s important not to depend too much on the skills of card-counting – widen your blackjack technique game. Make sure that the money you’re dropping on each hand is budgeted and always keep a limit of the amount you can afford to lose in one night in mind when playing.

The easiest way to practice card counting is online through internet casinos. Of course, the mechanics of online blackjack compared to blackjack in brick-and-mortar casinos is always going to be different… but you can still get a feel and practice your card-counting game.

Instructional Video on Card-Counting:

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Devious Blackjack Dealers: Cheating Strategies You Need to Know

Mike Smack — Mon, 05 May 2008 22:00:07 +0000

Of course, you can imagine that all major casinos ensure that no cheating takes place in their premises (::cough cough:: APS). As the law requires, the casino’s gambling license will be forfeited should it cheat any of its players. Mind you, not only do the actual players execute some pretty elaborate cheating plans but the boxmen, dealers, and other employees of the casino may get into the cheating action as well. However, it is less probable that any of the Atlantic City or Nevada casinos do so - they have too much at stake, plus they make boatloads of money anyway without having to resort to casino cheating tactics! Those which are not governed and monitored by the Nevada Gaming Commission, such as cruise ships, are most likely to commit this type of criminal act.

The reality is, casinos do make HUGE amounts of money. And I mean GINORMOUSLY HUGE. So these massively profitable casinos don’t have to resort to cheating to make their cash on the casino floor. Anyhow, the blackjack game, compared to most casino card games, is a little more prone to cheating - many times through the tag-team of a cheating player combined with a cheating dealer.

The Two Biggest Blackjack Cheating Strategies

Let’s talk about the blackjack cheating technique known as the “second deal”. This cheating technique makes it appear that the blackjack dealer is giving you the top card but in fact what is dealt is the card that lies under it. Just think about money that can be made when you get a low card at the precise time you need it and how you also crash on a high card when it comes up at an inopportune time. Well, a top-notch and brainy “second dealer” can turn the fates of even the most notable blackjack player upside down in a very short period of time.

The other blackjack cheating technique is termed as “high-low pickup”. It’s usually done in an environment where there’s hundreds of distractions swirling around. The “high-low pickup” is done through the “false shuffle” wherein the blackjack croupier (dealer) makes it appear to reshuffle the cards when in fact the decks remain in their original position.

Why I’m telling you this: It’s good to know

I’m not telling you these techniques in order to scare you from playing blackjack at live tables, nor am I telling you this so you can start a blackjack outlaw crew and learn some dirty casino strategies. It’s good to know what’s out there though and what you might encounter in the real world of casinos. If you know these are tactics that some unscrupulous blackjack casinos and dealers do, then you are more aware and you won’t fall for it. Worst thing to have in the world of casinos is ignorance. If you’re smart, you can make your bets, have some fun, make some money, and not succumb to these cheating tactics.

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Hold’em Blackjack: How 7-Card Charlie is Worthless

Mike Smack — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 14:00:40 +0000

From luckydonut:

One of the online casinos I have been bonus-whoring at has a hold’em blackjack game with a “7-card Charlie” rule. If you manage to draw seven cards without busting, your hand is automatically a winner against anything except a dealer blackjack.

I know every little is meant to help, but according to The Wizard of Odds, this rule is virtually worthless. It reduces the house edge by just 0.01%.

If you think about it, even with six decks of cards there’s only a very small number of ways you can be dealt a seven card hand like this if you’re playing basic strategy.

You could do it just with 2s and 3s, but it’s going to help if there’s at least a couple of aces in there, and if your first two cards are aces, you always split them so any combinations beginning with AA are never going to go to seven cards.

Often you’ll split pairs of 2s and 3s too, and you’ll double down for one more card on your A2 and A3 against a dealer 5 or 6.

If you start with just one ace, you’ll stop drawing cards on a soft 17 or 18 against most of the dealer’s up cards, and you’ll always stand on a soft 19-21. So to get a seven card hand, you have to skip past that “standing zone” quite specifically (for example: A, 2, A, 2, 6) and then carry on taking cards once you get to 12 or higher.

Because you’re always going to stand when you get past hard 17, the only way to get for a 7-card Charlie is to pull a six-card hand totaling 16 or lower, and then hit for one final card that doesn’t bust you.

And once you’ve got that close, a fair amount of the time you’ll hit up to 20 or 21 anyway, which means the value of the Charlie is really very small indeed. A seven-card 20 or 21 would beat most dealer hands regardless of the special rule.

If the rule was for a 6-card Charlie, it would (according to The Wiz) improve the game by 0.16% - still tiny, but just about significant enough to adopt some strategy changes to take advantage of the rule.

If the house offers a five-card Charlie, they give the player back a theoretical 1.46%, and in most games this rule alone could push the game into a positive expectation. Which explains why I’ve never seen it offered in any casino, live or online.

So then, what is the point of a ten-card Charlie rule? This is a variation of the rules in just one game at an online casino I like very much (they have a $100 bonus that can be easily cleared in a few hours and don’t ask for ID to withdraw!). The help pages say:

It is theoretically possible for the player to draw 10 cards without going bust.

Well, yes it is, but if you are following basic strategy, I have only found of a tiny number of ways that this will ever happen. As you might expect, it involves a whole bunch of aces, and there’s no way it’s ever possible in a single-deck game.

If the dealer upcard is a 2 or 3, we have to stand on a hard 13 or higher, or a soft 17 or higher. There is no possible 10-card hand that can be made against these cards. In fact six cards is the most possible if you start with an ace: A, 2, A, A, A, A = 17. Begin with a 6-card 12 (2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2) and hit once more and you can make a 7-card Charlie.

When the dealer shows a 4, 5 or 6, we double down any soft total if the rules allow it. If it’s not allowed we have to stand on a soft 17 as well as a hard 12, and this still only leaves us a 7-card hand at best: A, 2, A, A, A, 6, A = 13.

If the dealer upcard is 7 or 8, we can hit soft 17 and all hard totals up to 16. Now we’re in business:

- First, we have to be dealt precisely an A, 2 (cards: 2, total: 3).
- Next we have to be dealt 3 more aces, or two aces and a 2 (cards: 5, total: 6 or 7).
[Or four aces is also possible here for a 6-card soft 17]
- To avoid standing on soft 18-21, the next card has to be a 5 or 6, whichever makes the total up to 12 (cards: 6 or 7, total: 12)
- We then need either A, A, A or A, A, 2 (cards 9, total: 15/16)
- Finally we can pull one more card and hope to not bust (cards: 10, total 16-21)

We could also start with a six-card 12 or 13 (six 2s, or five 2s and a 3) to avoiding all the soft totals that would require us to stand, and then draw three aces and one final small card.

Given the very small number of possibilities, it’s quite possible to calculate out the actual probability of getting dealt a winning 10-card Charlie. I’m going to lose marks for not showing my working, but I get an answer in the region of trillions to one. I don’t think the precise number matters particularly when it’s so extremely rare…

If the dealer upcard is 9, T or A we actually have a few more options than for a 7 or 8, because we have to hit soft 17 and 18. For example: A, 2, A, A, A, 2, 4 is a possible a 7-card 12, then three more small cards make a winner.

But even if it’s only in the order of hundreds of billions to one, what is this actually worth? The dealer will bust from a 7 thru A about 21% of the time anyway and roughly half the time your made hand will already win, or at least tie. Roughly. I really can’t try to think about how the deck composition after our ultra-low 10-card hand has come out might affect it.

So I’m going to approximate and just round down to zero. You can be absolutely sure if I ever pull a ten-card hand in blackjack, there’ll be a screenshot coming!

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4 Ways to Maintain the Winning Edge While Playing Online

Mike Smack — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 00:30:38 +0000

Rest

When you’re winning just keep riding that winning wave. But if you start losing, stop and rest up. Use your time to do relaxing things like hitting your bed to take a power nap, watch some television, or get a snack. If you think of it like if you’re a computer, you’re “resetting yourself”. You come back to the game and the winners have dipped from the table and the losers are depressed so now’s your chance to get the edge.

A lot of times, just taking a break from the action and doing something else - getting your mind off the poker, blackjack, or baccarat game - can really put you in the right mindset you need to be in to do your best. A common event that might happen to is let’s say you start losing. You start getting pissed, “Damn it, why do I keep losing? I always suck at this hour - damn it!”

Take a breath - and take a break. Maybe sit out the next hand and take a nice walk outside if its a nice day out. Think about the other times in the past you’ve been able to bounce back from a rough start. Then when you’re ready, come back, fire up the software, and you’re likely to do well

Study

Take a look around at the other players seated at your table online. If your software has a notes feature, use it. Take notes on their playing styles and their tendencies. If they are unfamiliar to you, pay close attention on how they play their hands - take notes on that. If your game is going bad, don’t hesitate to switch to another table. Sometimes a change of the players surrounding you makes your game better.

Of course in the study category, you have got to improve your overall knowledge of the game. Lots of great books on the subject have been written, you can check your local library for some great classics. There’s also some pretty good ebooks online if you’re not into the library. If you’re into learning poker techniques for example, you can grab the ebook (comes in PDF form) Danish Dragon Poker Strategy by Kim Birch, the “Danish Dragon”.

Manage

Set yourself with an amount of money you want to spend that day - whether its big bucks or only pocket change. Once this is done, take your winnings or just stop if you’ve used up all your money. I know PokerStars has a feature called Responsible Gaming that does this. You access this by opening up the PokerStars software after you’ve downloaded it, then click on Requests in the menu above, then click Responsible Gaming. There you can choose Restrict Deposit Limit and Exclude Me From Playing.

Another part of managing is to manage your game. Think, are you playing solely to win, or do you want to learn? If you’re playing to win, then play your best games (let’s say you’re great at Texas Hold’em, well, play that). If you’re playing to learn, why not try a new game? Try Omaha Poker, Stud Poker, Blackjack, Baccarat, HORSE, etc. Try something new - you might realize you’re actually good at it!

Don’t Drink and Play

This one should be obvious but I’ll say it anyway: keep the liquor to a minimum while playing. Yes, I know, you have some buddies over, you’re having fun and you throw back a few. That’s all good, but if you’re playing to win, then hold back on the alcohol. A common mistake you might make while drunken is placing a large bet for bad cards - just don’t do it.

And if you do really bad at the tables, definitely don’t drink yourself to a drunken stupor. Keyboards don’t work well when they’re sticky from last night’s dinner.

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Eric Snider’s Blackjack Palm OS Software Review

Mike Smack — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:00:08 +0000

Review courtesy of treonauts and PocketGoddess:

Although games do not take center stage on my Treo they are nonetheless a welcome bonus during idle moments and I like to keep a collection of ‘classics’ at hand such as cards, dice, word and board games of various kinds.

After some thorough ‘idle time testing’, I recently added Eric’s Blackjack to my permanent collection.

Eric’s Blackjack ($14.95) by Sniderware is one of the most elegantly designed card games that I’ve come across with superb graphics, animation, sounds as well as customizable play features that has repeatedly had me glued (sometimes hours on end) trying to recoup my losses (as opposed to counting my winnings…).

The layout is simple and straightforward with the croupier position at the top of the screen and your own hand at the bottom while the center section will display a banner for play messages as well as statistics.

A new table opens with $1,000 in chips but you can add to this in $100 or $500 increments. Playing chips are available in $100, $25, $5 and $1 and the maximum bet is set at $500. I particularly like the ‘Casino Options’ which among others allow you to select the number of decks (between 1 and as well as the ‘depth’ to shuffle (from 30% to 70%) - where various combinations make for significantly different Blackjack ’strategies’.

Each hand provides you with the option to Double, Hit or Stand and also to Split up to two times with pairs. Accessing each of these options is made easy thanks to full 5-Way nav button support which also makes Eric’s Blackjack particularly attractive for playback on my Treo.

Probably the only feature request that I would have for Eric’s Blackjack would be the ability to add one or two ‘virtual’ players as being the only one losing repeatedly against the croupier can at times prove somewhat demoralizing even if I am only playing with virtual dollars…

On another note, I am still looking for that perfect Chess and Backgammon application so please let me know if you happen to have found one that you like.

I’ve come to have very high expectations for Eric Snider’s games, and Blackjack certainly doesn’t disappoint. The graphics are beautiful, as always, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more realistic “card shuffling” sound in any electronic game. What I like the most though are the little touches throughout that mark this incarnation of a casino favorite as a true Eric Snider original. For starters, it looks like you’re playing at an actual Vegas table, instead of staring at a generic background. You can see the cards in their holder and you tap on chips at the bottom of the screen to place your bets, instead of generic number buttons.

All of the regular options are here, just as you would expect— you can split your cards, or double your bet, or buy insurance if it looks like the dealer is going to hit Blackjack. All of your statistics show up on the middle of the screen; the game tracks everything from the number of hands played to your win/loss ratios, profit (or loss!) and the average return on each bet you place. On the Preferences menu you can set up how you want the game to look by choosing whether or not you want sound effects, animation, message bar statistics, and totals for your hand. You also have some control over the rules with the ability to set casino options regarding whether or not insurance is offered, allowing doubles after a split, the number of decks in play at one time, and the depth (which controls the number of hands played before the dealer shuffles again).

If you like blackjack, you’ll probably love Eric Snider’s Blackjack. You might also want to try some of his other games, such as Eric Snider’s Solitaire and Eric Snider’s Video Poker. The game requires 315K of space on your Palm OS handheld and works with a wide variety of devices. It’s simply stunning on my Tapwave Zodiac, and Treo owners will be glad to know that with the advanced five-way navigation they won’t even need a stylus to play! Eric Snider’s Blackjack is $14.95 and is available now from the SniderWare web site.

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Johnny Chan Academy: Casino Dealer School

Mike Smack — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 21:00:06 +0000

Who’s Johnny Chan?

He’s a professional poker player, born in Guangzhou (Canton), China in 1957 and now living in Las Vegas, Nevada. His name in Traditional Chinese is ???. Yeah, I’m international like that.

He’s got 10 World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, two WSOP championship titles (1987 and 1988) and founder of online casino ChanPoker.

What’s the Johnny Chan Academy about?

The classes teach subjects such as how to shuffle correctly, how to handle cheques (chips) in the right way, dealing the game, and proper casino procedures. They give you intimate knowledge of whatever game you choose (poker, blackjack, baccarat, etc), tips on how to be a professional when hairy situations arise (like crazy players), and assistance and knowledge on how to find a casino job.

Poker dealer training

The poker classes teach you Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and 7 Card Stud, how to fan the deck, rake procedures, table fees and using the table bank. It also teaches you how to regulate player betting procedures, and how to handle yourself in the dealer’s seat, plus the ever-important security issues you need to be aware of as a casino dealer.

Blackjack dealer training

Blackjack dealer classes teach you about the opening shuffle and wash, shuffling procedures, performing the strip, the lace, the roll, cutting the deck, burning cards, setting up the Blackjack Shoe, player’s wager placement, card deliver, doubling down, splitting hands, player breaks, hitting the dealer’s hand, clearing the layout, proper cheque cutting techniques, fast adding, taking and paying cheques, proper card reader procedures, Ten Value procedures, Ace procedure, Blackjack procedure, insurance, coloring in, conversions, dealer relief procedures, pacing the game, rack maintenance, opening and closing a table, folls, credits, markers, “No Mid-Shoe Entry” games, tokes, minimum and maximum bets, Super Sevens, and multi-action Blackjack. Yeah, that’s a lot. And that was a huge run-on sentence.

Baccarat dealer training

Looks like they forgot to write anything for this section. D’oh! Probably goes into valuation of hands, variances, etc.

Making the money

Supposedly you can make $40 dollars an hour in hourly salary through the Academy. They have “immediate openings for poker dealers in New York, West Virginia, Las Vegas, California, and Indiana casinos”.

I wonder how it’d be like to be a casino dealer for a day. Make some money, get involved in some games. Might be fun.

UPDATE: The Johnny Chan Academy is no longer operational. For poker tips, techniques, and strategies from Johnny Chan go to Chan Poker and then click on Poker School.

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