Playing First and Busting

On 05.28.10, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, By Vivi

Like any casino game—does not matter if it is online or not—blackjack is constructed so that the house starts off with the edge. While the 3-2 payout helps to boost the player’s online blackjack odds, the game has two aspects that feed into the house’s edge more naturally than rules that favor the house.

Those two aspects are playing out your hand before the dealer and busting. And they can go hand in hand really.

Let’s look at an ordinary game of online blackjack. It is just you and the dealer. You are dealt your two cards and the dealer has an up card and a hole card. Once the cards are dealt you must play out your hand before the game can continue. There is no way around it.

I know, this seems so trivial. How can playing out your hand first impact your online blackjack odds?

Well, let’s say that you hit and hit again and wind up busting. At that point your wager, your money, belong to the house. And it does not matter whether or not the dealer busts. In fact, the dealer can bust when playing out its hand after you have already busted and your money will still be collected for the house.

And that is the disadvantage of playing out your hand first. And because you are playing first and could lose your money before the dealer plays out its hand, it is considered a disadvantage. Disadvantages are what lower the player’s blackjack odds, while advantages, such as doubling down, increase the player’s odds.

In a way you could consider playing first the trade-off to receiving 3-2 on a natural blackjack. But then that really is not that fair of a trade since you play first in every game while you do not receive a 3-2 payout in every game. And that is why playing first and busting feed into the house’s odds.

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Worst Blackjack Payout

On 05.21.10, In Blackjack Rules, Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

Do you know what the worst blackjack payout is?

It is not the infamous 6-5 payout that everyone has heard of, which might surprise you. No, the worst blackjack payout is actual a lot more common than the 6-5 payout. It is also more abundant than the 6-5 payout because it is found in blackjack variations, which are found in brick and mortar casinos as well as in online blackjack games.

So what is the worst blackjack payout? It is an even money payout, also known as a 1-1 payout.

The reason for this goes hand in hand with you receiving less money and your blackjack odds. On the surface just being paid less money for a natural blackjack is bad enough. After all it is the highest hand in the game and an instant win. It just feels like such a letdown to be dealt a natural blackjack and then only get a tiny payout.

But the amount of your payout is only part of why an even money payout is so bad for you. The other reason is that it hurts your blackjack odds. And more than a little.

Just playing in a game of blackjack with an even money payout will reduce your blackjack odds by 2.27%.

The reason for such a big hit to your odds is because of how much drastically smaller your winning payout is. Your blackjack odds are based on your opportunity for making money off of the game. When the opportunities, such as rules and payouts, are in your favor to make more money, your blackjack odds go up.

But when the opportunities favor the dealer then your blackjack odds go down because you have fewer chances to make money. And this is the case with an even money payout. It hurts your blackjack odds so much because it reduces the amount of money you are have a chance to make.

With your blackjack odds and your bankroll being hit so hard it makes an even money payout the worst payout in blackjack.

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The Ugly Side of Blackjack Variations

On 05.14.10, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, By Vivi

Blackjack variations can present some exciting playing options both for online blackjack and for blackjack played in brick-and-mortar casinos. These variations can range from full-on changes in the game, such as Pontoon (a UK version of blackjack) and Spanish 21, to additions to the game, such as Streak and Perfect Pairs.

While blackjack variations that have full-on changes are not too bad—they are usually culturally different in slight ways, the variations with additions are problems in disguise.

Additions will usually come in the form of side bets. Side bets add an extra thrill to the game because it is not only about winning the round of blackjack, it is now also about winning the extra bet.

Unfortunately, these side bets are bad for your bankroll.

Side bets in blackjack variations are another way for online casinos and brick and mortar casinos to squeeze some more money out of players.

Streak, for example, is a side bet in which players make a separate wager on how many rounds of blackjack they will win in a row. If they do win that many rounds in a row, they will collect on the side bet. If they lose a round before reaching the number they wagered on they will lose their wager. The streak side bet carries an edge of 9.7% up to 14.3% depending on how many rounds in a row you are wagering.

Another variation found mixed in with online blackjack and casino blackjack is Perfect Pairs. In this variation of blackjack, the game itself is played the same as a regular game but offers players a side bet. The side bet is based on whether the player will be dealt a pair in their first two cards.

This side bet is independent of the game itself, meaning that it does not matter if the dealer won or not. The side bet, the point of this variation, is on whether or not those first two cards will be a pair. If they are the player collects on the side wager, otherwise the casino merely collects it.

Because additive variations are meant to take more money from players it is best to avoid variations of blackjack when you encounter them online or in a casino.

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How to Play Online Blackjack

On 05.14.10, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, By admin

The objective of online blackjack is to beat the dealer without your card total going over 21. Going over 21 is called busting and means that you lose that round. If your total stays below 21 you have a shot at beating the dealer. But the dealer must either have card total less than yours or bust himself.

The game begins with you placing your bet buy clicking on the appropriate betting options. Once you have placed your bet, click the “Deal” button. Two cards will come sliding onto the screen face up; these are your cards. Two more cards, one face up and one face down, will be dealt to the dealer. If the two cards you have total 21 by themselves you have been dealt a natural blackjack, and you win the maximum payout, usually 3:2. The only time a natural blackjack does not win is when the dealer also has a natural blackjack. In that case there is what is called a push, and your bet is returned to you.  Once your hand has been played and the dealer’s hand has been played the round is over. If you wish to play again, start over with making another bet.

There are some terms that you will want to be familiar with when learning how to play online blackjack:

Stand: Standing means that you do not want anymore cards dealt to you. All you have to do is click the “Stand” button, and your card total will stand against whatever the dealer winds up with.

Hit: To hit is to be dealt more cards in hopes of raising your card total, but you will want to be careful that you do not go over 21. To hit all that is necessary to click on the “Hit” button until you have a card total that you feel is high enough to beat the dealer.

Usually the next few options are available in most online blackjack games.

Split: If you are dealt two cards with the same face value each they are a pair. And if the option is available you can split them into two separate hands. If splitting is available a “Split” button appears and you can click it if you wish to split your pair; when splitting, another bet equivalent to your original bet will be made.  You will be allowed to play each hand out just like you would if you only had one hand.

Double Down: This means to double your original bet; should you win that round you would win a 3:2 payout based on the combined bet. But when doubling down, you only receive one more card and then you have to stand.

Insurance: This option is only available if the dealer’s up card is an ace. Because an ace is necessary to have a blackjack, the online casino will offer you insurance. The purpose of insurance is that you will not lose your bet if the dealer does have blackjack.

An advantage to knowing how to play blackjack online is that you alone are playing against the dealer so there are no distractions on the casino’s side of the game. And you have as long as you would like to play out your hand. You can also have a basic strategy chart pulled up in another window that you can use to play with.

 
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Dealer’s Chances of Busting and How it Affects You

On 05.07.10, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

Just like how you have playing odds as a blackjack player, the dealer also has such odds. The ones that we are going to look at today have to do with when the dealer will bust.

While we would all love to know exactly when the dealer will bust, no one can predict exactly when. The best we can do is to know when his chances of busting are higher and lower. It helps to understand how the dealer’s chances of busting impact the play made by the player. But before I discuss that, here are the percentages of when the dealer will bust:

2: 35%
3: 37%
4: 40%
5: 42%
6: 42%
7: 26%
8: 24%
9: 23%
10: 23%
Ace: 17%

Notice how the low to mid cards cause the dealer to have a higher chance of busting. This is because the chances of his hole card giving him a stiff hand that he has to hit will most likely bust him.

Now when we look at a basic strategy chart we see that when a blackjack player has a stiff hand and a dealer’s up card of 2 through 6 you can see that the recommended play is to stand. This is because the dealer has a higher chance of busting with those cards showing. So the player is gambling on standing and letting the dealer bust.

You can also see that with a stiff hand faced with a dealer’s up card of 7 through an Ace, the recommended play is to hit. This is because the dealer has less of a chance of busting and you have a greater chance of losing. This makes it acceptable to hit and try to improve your hand. Even if you do not you can at least say that you tried.

Keep those percents in mind when you are playing blackjack so that you can use that knowledge in your blackjack strategy. It gives you an advantage in that you can use it to affect your plays. It does not matter if you are playing blackjack online or in a regular casino, the dealer’s chances are the same so you can put this knowledge work in both instances.

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