Millions Won in Blackjack

On 05.19.11, In Uncategorized, By Vivi

This is not a story of an online blackjack player, but the amount won was too high for me to ignore. At the end of April a player in Atlantic City, New Jersey won $5.8 million from playing blackjack. If there was ever a question of whether or not you can make money from playing blackjack, that should quash the notion that you cannot because yes, you can.

The win happened at the Tropicana Casino and Resort. The recession and struggling along economy has hit the second largest gambling center in the United States pretty hard. The New Jersey governor, Chris Christie, has even gone to the length of passing a few bills to revitalize Atlantic City. Atlantic City is one of the largest sources of income through tax revenue for the state.

In addition to the government’s efforts, the casinos themselves are doing what they can to help drum up some business. For the Tropicana, their tried offering high stakes blackjack games as a way to bring in patrons. It would be an attractive game but at the same time the higher than normal wagers would allow the casino to make some profit.

But that all backfired when the unnamed player won $5.8 million. The Tropicana summed it up as a stroke of bad luck for them; they reportedly would have made a nice profit in April had it not been for that $5.8 million. While I do not wish anyone any ill luck, this does give the Tropicana the chance to feel what it is like for a player to lose so harshly.

For players it does show that money can be made from playing blackjack. It is just a matter of skill and using blackjack strategy.

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Playing One Hand of Blackjack vs. Two Hands

On 05.05.11, In Blackjack Tips, By Vivi

There is a common myth in blackjack that a player can win more by playing more than a single hand. This myth advises to play at least two hands or more because it hordes more cards to the player thus giving them more opportunity to win.

Notice that I said ‘myth.’ Many blackjack strategies for online blackjack and casino blackjack are not real; they do not work and often cost players more of their bankroll. Such is the case with the idea of playing more than one hand per round.

The way this myth works is for the online blackjack player or casino blackjack player to place at least two wagers to which the dealer will deal them two hands. At that point players play out the hands like they would any blackjack hand.

The problem with this blackjack myth is that it sets the player up to lose more money.

Let’s say that you are playing $25 per hand. Two hands means you are wagering $50 per round. If you lost three rounds in a row—which does happen—you would only have lost $75 playing one hand per round, but have lost $150 if playing at least two hands per round. If you came to the casino or only have $500 as your bankroll online, you would run through your bankroll quite quickly.

The reason playing more than one hand is not a wise decision is because the odds, even with basic strategy, the casino still has the edge over the player. As long as the house has the edge in blackjack, there is still an average loss for the player per wager. Making multiple wagers per round sets the player up to lose more.

There is nothing smart about putting more of your blackjack bankroll at risk when there are no odds behind the decision.

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Online Blackjack Bonuses

On 09.24.10, In Online Blackjack, Online Casino, By Vivi

If you are a player who wants to play blackjack online something to keep your eyes open for when looking at online casinos are blackjack bonuses. Some online casinos offer players bonuses that are aimed at being used on a single popular casino game. And since blackjack is one of the most popular online casino games, some online casinos will offer blackjack bonuses.

One online casino with such an offer is Rushmore. For new blackjack players at their online casino they are offering a 200% deposit match bonus worth up to $1,000. This means that the maximum amount that a player needs to deposit to receive the maximum amount of $1,000 from Rushmore is $500.

Players can use the extra amount of money to extend their bankroll. The bonus money gives players more room to wager with, by either increasing the amount of time they can play or by allowing them to wager more per round.

However, online blackjack bonuses can only be used with online blackjack games. Players have wager requirements to meet before they are allowed to withdraw any of the bonus money. They can withdraw from the money of their own they deposited, but unless the wager requirement is met, bonus money cannot be withdrawn.

A wager requirement is a set amount of money that must be wagered on a specific type of game. In the case of online blackjack bonuses, players must wager in online blackjack games in order to meet the requirement on the bonus money.

Despite the sound of the wager requirement, online blackjack bonuses are beneficial because they do bolster a player’s bankroll. Not to mention that once the wager requirement is met, players can keep the bonus money. Special bonuses are another benefit of online blackjack.

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Splitting Pairs as a Part of Your Blackjack Strategy

On 09.17.10, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

Once a novice player becomes comfortable working with hard and soft hands in blackjack, the next part of their blackjack strategy to work on is pair splitting.

Kind of like how soft hands require a little extra thought to play at first, so too do pairs in blackjack. The biggest trap in dealing with a pair is the just knowing that it is a pair, and that you have an extra playing option that is not available with hands that are not pairs.

Because of having this extra playing option to split a pair into two new hands and possibly win twice as much in a single round, players make the mistake of splitting every pair. Unfortunately this is not good blackjack strategy.

Just because it is a power and the player has the power to split it does not mean that every pair should be split.

For example a pair of 5s and a pair of 10s should not be split. The pair of 5s can be played like a hard 10 and be doubled down on. Doubling on a pair of 5s has better odds of winning and making a profit than splitting the 5s does. Likewise, a pair of 10s is stronger as a hard 20 than split. This is because there are only two hands with which the dealer can beat you with: hitting to 21 or having a natural blackjack.

But then there are pairs that should always be split simply because the player has a better chance of building two stronger hands than beating the dealer by standing on the pairs. Those two pairs are a pair of Aces and a pair of 8s. It is more advantageous to split those two pairs.

Basic strategy is a good pair splitting strategy tool. It should be used as the base of your blackjack strategy because it tells players the most advantageous play to make.

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Odds of Winning Insurance Bets and Why Not to Include it in Your Blackjack Strategy

On 09.10.10, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, By Vivi

Insurance is the one play in a regular game of online blackjack that needs to be talked about a lot. Many players truly do not understand why insurance is so bad for their blackjack odds and why they should not include it in their blackjack strategy.

In their eyes they are not losing money if the dealer does have a natural blackjack since they are getting the amount of their original wager back. Yes, with insurance you do break even, but the dealer has to have a 10 for a hole card in order for that to happen. And the odds are actually not in the house’s favor to have a 10 hole card.

There are thirteen different types of cards in a deck, with four of each type. Of those thirteen cards only four are worth 10 in blackjack and could create a natural blackjack when the dealer is showing an Ace: 10, Jack, Queen and King. So that is four out of thirteen cards, or a 31% chance of the dealer getting that natural blackjack.

On the other hand the other nine cards would keep the dealer from having a natural, which would cause you to lose your insurance bet, which is a 69% chance of losing the insurance bet.

Just looking at the odds you can see that the odds are in favor of the player losing their insurance bet, which is what casinos and online casinos want since insurance is a money-maker for them.

And speaking of money, let’s turn those odds into money so that you can see what a player stands to lose blackjack odds-wise from insurance.

If you were wagering $10 game of online blackjack, insurance would cost $5. Based on the odds, you stand to win $10 (insurance pays 2-1) four times for a total amount of $40 won. But you would have odds of losing your insurance wager nine times, which totals for a $45 loss.

Even if you won insurance four times and then lost it nine times, you still would not break even—you would still lose money. Which is exactly why insurance should not be a part of any players blackjack strategy. The odds are designed for the player to lose.

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Surrender as a Part of Your Blackjack Strategy

On 09.03.10, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

Eventually novice blackjack players will come upon surrender. This is a play that is not always available in blackjack games, although it is available more often in blackjack games in brick and mortar casinos than it is in online blackjack.

Surrender is a blackjack play that should be a part of your blackjack strategy, ready in the wings should you find yourself in a blackjack game that allows for it. In a basic definition, surrender is when a player gives up half of their wager to give up playing out the round. It is similar to folding in poker, only your entire wager is not lost.

There are two types of surrender in blackjack: late and early.

Late surrender is only possible after the dealer has checked to see if he has a natural blackjack. If he does not, then players can surrender if they would like. But if the dealer does have a natural blackjack surrender then there is no surrender, and chances are you are going to lose the round. When made at advantageous moments, late surrender can hit the house’s edge for 0.08%.

On the other hand there is early surrender. This type of surrender differs from late surrender in that players can choose to surrender before the dealer checks to see if he has a natural blackjack. Even if he is showing an Ace and your hand is one that basic strategy says to surrender, you can still surrender and keep half of your wager. And you have the satisfaction of hitting the house edge for 0.6% as well.

And speaking of basic strategy and knowing when to surrender, those times are as follows:

Hard 15 versus a dealer 10
Hard 16 versus a dealer 9, 10 or Ace

The important thing to understand about surrender and your blackjack strategy is that you should only surrender when it is advantageous to do so. Surrendering just because you do not like the cards you have been dealt is not a reason to do so. Keep it in your blackjack strategy to only surrender when those four hands and dealer up card combinations are on the table.

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The Importance of Doubling Down in Blackjack

On 08.27.10, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

Unfortunately many novice blackjack player—both online blackjack players and blackjack in a brick and mortar casino—tend to stick to basic plays, limiting themselves to hitting or standing. This is like learning to swim and then never leaving the shallow end of the pool.

But there are other blackjack plays out in there and they do offer benefits that basic plays do not. Again, this is like how you can dive for diving sticks in the deep end of the pool when you really cannot in the shallow end.

One of those other blackjack plays is called double down. With this play, a player doubles that amount of his original wager. So if you were playing blackjack online and were wagering $10 on a hand and wanted to double down, your wager would increase to $20.

Once the wager has been doubled the player only receives one more card before having to stand. There is no more hitting after you double down. It is a play to end your turn.

But it is not a bad play. In fact, it is highly advantageous to use when used at the right moments. And such moments are not difficult to know. All a blackjack player needs to do is look on a basic strategy chart to know when the best times to double down are.

What makes doubling down so advantageous is that when you win you receive the same amount that you would receive if you had won two rounds. This is because your payout is based on that $20 and not the $10, even though you only have one hand on the table.

Because you are making more money in the payout than you would normally have made, the house’s edge is hit harder. Doubling down at the right moments will knock 1.6% off of the house edge. That is how important this play is.

Follow a basic strategy chart to know the best times to double down, and enjoy receiving a larger payout and knowing that you have knocked the house’s edge down. So do not be afraid of the deep end of the pool, swim out and start doubling down

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$0.99 Online Blackjack Tournaments

On 08.20.10, In Online Blackjack, Online Casino, By Vivi

For players who are just breaking into and learning how to play online blackjack, tournaments might seem a bit on the daunting side.

Online blackjack is a solo casino game, meaning that it is just the player versus the dealer. Novice players become quite used to this and feel comfortable. Unlike online poker, there are not other players at the virtual table to criticize a new player who might not always make the best play.

So novice blackjack players become comfortable in their one-on-one play with the dealer. But eventually the thrill of the tournament calls, and novice players find that they want to experiment with them. But a tournament is different than playing one-on-one. There are other players involved, others that are being played against, and the comfort of one-on-one play is gone.

The other aspect of an online blackjack tournament that seems daunting is cost. Players have to pay an entry fee to play and there is no guarantee that you will win. At least when playing one-on-one you know you stand a chance of winning something. But in a tournament you either play well enough to win or you do not win.

Thankfully Go Casino offers up a solution for novice online blackjack players who want to try their hand at online blackjack tournaments: $0.99 Blackjack Tournaments.

These online blackjack tournaments are hosted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8pm on the starting day to 8pm on the next day—in other words, these are 24 hour tournaments.

The best part is that the entry fee is only $0.99. This is good for players who are new to online blackjack tournaments because it allows them to try it, and if they lose they have not lost a lot.

The $0.99 entry fee gives a player 50 tournament credits to play with. If a player runs out, he can buy another 50 tournament credits for $2.49. But rebuys are not mandatory.

A player who is only starting to try their luck in blackjack tournaments might only play through their first 50 credits and stop if they run out. There is no rule that says that a player must make rebuys. This still allows players to try playing in a tournament without losing a lot.

The $0.99 online blackjack tournaments at Go Casino are a nice way to try out and become comfortable playing in an online blackjack tournament at a very small amount of risk. And for experienced tournament players, it can serve as a form of tournament practice or as playing in a tournament for a bit of fun.

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About Online Blackjack Games and Variations

On 08.13.10, In Blackjack Rules, Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, By Vivi

Those who play online blackjack are bound to see blackjack variations from time to time. They crop up everywhere, in the majority of online casinos. They are out there—Face Up 21, Super Fun 21, Blackjack Switch and more. The problem is that not all novice online blackjack players truly understand these blackjack variations and the impact their rules have on their blackjack odds.

One of the biggest hits to a player’s blackjack odds comes from the payouts offered by these blackjack variations. Whereas in regular online blackjack games, a natural blackjack receives a 3-2 payout, in the majority of variations the blackjack payout is an even money payout.

And an even money blackjack game will take 2.27% off of a player’s blackjack odds. If you are playing according to basic strategy, the house’s edge will go from 0.5% back up to 2.77%. Playing in a game with an even money payout like that is only handing your edge right back to the house.

Another common rule found in blackjack variations pertains to doubling down. Many variations only allow players to double down on 9s, 10s or 11s. This impacts the player’s blackjack odds in a negative way again, taking 0.18% away from the player’s odds.

Typically doubling down can take 1.6% from the house’s edge. That is a big hit to their edge. And that is why many blackjack variations will only allow doubling down on 9s, 10s and 11s only.

The key thing to understand about blackjack variations is that they were created to take players’ money faster. And while they can be fun to play from time to time, they should only be played for fun in practice modes so as not to risk losing any money; or to play blackjack variations at low stakes. That is how you handle your blackjack strategy in regards to blackjack variations.

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Differences Between Blackjack and Online Blackjack

On 07.30.10, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, Online Casino, By Vivi

As players learn blackjack they like to try out what they learn. You could call it practicing, which is necessary in a game of skill. Some novice blackjack players will practice in the free play modes offered by online casinos. Others will play in low stakes games at brick and mortar casinos. But there are a few differences between the two that players should be aware of so they are ready if they switch back and forth between the two.

We will start at the beginning. In a casino blackjack is played at a table with up to six other players, for a total of seven players. When playing blackjack online, you would be playing one-on-one with the dealer. This difference affects your rate of play.

Online blackjack tends to be played at a faster rate because it is just you and the dealer. In order to not let this impact your blackjack odds, slow down your rate of play—play slower and take breaks. It will have the same impact of playing with other players because in a casino, the more players there are at the blackjack table the longer a round takes and your rate of play drops.

Another difference: at some tables surrender is allowed. This is advantageous to players as they can bow out of a round losing only half of their wager rather than all of it. Surrender is not offered in online blackjack.

Because this is a house rule there really is not a way for online blackjack players to compensate for it, other than playing according to basic strategy every time.

All this sounds like there is no advantage to playing online blackjack, but it does have some. For one thing you can play for free, which you will never find in a brick and mortar casino. There is also the aspect of convenience that comes from playing on a computer; as long as you have internet access, you can play blackjack online.

Knowing the differences between playing blackjack at an online casino and a brick and mortar casino helps to avoid mistakes made from being unfamiliar with one or the other. It never hurts to keep yourself informed.

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