Blackjack - Splitting a pair.

"One of the most misunderstood aspects of playing Blackjack is that of splitting a pair of cards. Understanding when to split, and when to stay with what you have is crucial to your play. As ever, a lot depends on what cards you have and what the dealer's upcard is showing. A key aspect is to remember there are more cards with a value of ten in the pack than any other value. For a start, never split a pair of face cards or a pair of tens! With these cards you have a very strong hand of 20 and there is no point in ruining it by splitting. By contrast, always split a pair of aces. A single ace with another card is a much stronger hand than two aces and by splitting your chances of finishing with a high hand or even 21 are very good. A pair of 9s are best split if the dealer is showing a weak card of 2 to 6. If the dealer is showing an 8 you should also. Likewise, if the dealer is showing a 9 you should split because if the dealer has gets 19 it will beat your current hand of 18. If the dealer is showing a 7 then you should stand. Always split 8s even if the dealer is showing an ace. Your hand now stands at 16, which is very likely loser. You are better off taking a chance and splitting. A pair of 7s should be split if the dealer's upcard is 7 or less. A hand of 14 is a weak hand but by splitting there is a good chance you will convert that into a pair of 17s. If the dealer is showing an 8 there is a good stay with what you've got and be prepared to lose the hand. You are better off just losing the one hand against an 18 than losing two hands of 17 against a dealer's 18. Split a pair of 6s if the dealer is showing a 6 or less. It is risky to split 6s because you might end up with two hands of 16 so only do it if the dealer is showing a weak hand of below 6 that may lead to the dealer busting. Never ever split a pair of fives. Your hand is now a very strong ten. Keep the fives and take a hit. Do not split fours either unless the dealer is showing a 5 or 6. If you split a pair of 4s you are likely to hit a difficult 14. 5 or 6 for the dealer however is likely to give the dealer a difficult 15 or 16 so it is worth your while splitting. You should split 2s or 3s if the dealer is showing a weak upcard of below 7. By knowing when to split and when to take a hit with what you've got you can add decisive strategy to your Blackjack play." Some solid advice for when and how to split, I'd lov to see a stats sheet on this :) DL

Blackjack 101

"Today, blackjack seems to be one of the most popular card games. This is because playing blackjack is so easy to learn and play. Unlike poker, blackjack does not have any combinations to remember. In blackjack, the object of the game is to get the sum of the two cards close to 21. When a person gets cards that are over 21, he or she loses the game. Normally, a player receives two cards. After the players see their cards, they have to decide whether they would hit or stand. When a person says “stand,” this means the player thinks he or she is closer to 21 already. When a player says “hit,” this means that he or she still needs additional cards just to get close to 21. Players can draw as many cards as they want until they feel they are close to 21 already. A player who is nearer to 21 wins. However, there are people who have devised some tips and strategies to get an edge over the other players. There are times that these tips really can help some people win. Here’s a list of some tips that players may choose to use them so as to win the game. 1. If a player gets 17 or higher, it is always better to stand, and if the player has any number from 13 to 16 and the dealer’s card is 6 or lower, it would be better to stand. But if the dealer has 7 or more, it would be better for a player to hit. The theory here is that, if the dealer is showing a card of six or lower, the dealer may take a card, assuming that the dealer’s card facing down is a ten. The players, then, assume that the dealer is banking on a bust hand, so the other players have the tendency to maintain a lower card number. The rule of thumb: players should always assume that the dealer’s down cards is 10. 2. If a player has aces or 8’s, it would be better to split them regardless of the dealer’s showing card. 3. A player should remember not to split 10’s. Chances are, they might end up getting busted. 4. If the dealer is showing 4, 5, or 6, it would be better for a player to stand on hard 12, or hit hard if the dealer is showing 2, 3, 7, or higher. 5. In order to win, players should always remember not to split fours, face cards, and fives. Indeed, gambling is a game of chance, but with keen observation, winning is possible." I know this is uber basic, but I like to keep as much info as possible on this blog. Next week I'm thinking a strategy guide or two.... something a little more advanced. DL

BJ Strategies. Guaranteed winning at Single Deck Blackjack.

"No system will allow you to win every hand. The true method of beating the casino at Blackjack is to bet more on your winning hands then you do on your loosing hands. Controlling your bets is the key to walk away from the table with more money then you started with. The chart above shows you exactly which plays to make. Once this is done all you have left is to choose a betting strategy so you can come out a winner. Simple Betting Method To Beat The Casino When playing internet blackjack or blackjack at a casino begin betting with one chip and continue to bet using only chips of the same value throughout the game. In other words, if you choose to use $10 chips, use only $10 chips for the entire game as you apply this information. On every loss, increase your bet by one chip. Every time you win a hand, decrease your bet by one chip. When you win 2 hands in a row, start over from the beginning by betting 1 chip. If you get to an 8 chip level without winning then start over again with 1 chip. If you win a 6 or 7 chip bet, then start over again with 1 chip. Remember, the key to beating the http://www.popularcasinosonline.com casino is not to win more hands, but to put yourself in a situation where your higher bets are the ones that win. Good Luck……… Simple Betting Method To Beat The Casino In Blackjack, the objective is to try to beat the dealer by getting closer to 21. If the total value of your hand is closer to 21 then the dealer’s hand, you win an equal amount to what you have bet. If you have a blackjack which is a 21, you win 3:2 times your bet. E.g. – a $10 bet will give you $15 as long as the dealer doesn’t also have a blackjack. Aces have a face value of either 1 or 11. Face cards have a face value of 10 and the rest of the numbers are valued as their face numbers. If you receive an ace, you can either play it as 11 or 1 and that is why they are called a soft hand. If the total of your hand is over 21, you bust and you loose your bet. If you have the same card value as the dealer from 17 and up then it’s called a “push” and you receive your original bet back. The dealer must draw cards until he has reached 17 or higher. Blackjack Lingo HIT – If you are not happy with the two cards you are dealt, you can “hit” to draw additional cards until you “stand” or bust. STAND – If you are happy with the cards that you have received, then you can “stand”. DOUBLE DOWN – When you “double down” that means that you have to double your bet and you will receive only one card and your hand “stands”. SPLIT – If the two cards you are dealt are of the same value, you can split them into two different hands by placing a second bet of equal value. At most on-line casinos if you split two aces, you will only receive one card on each ace and you will have to “stand”. If you split aces and you receive a blackjack it is only considered a 21 and not a blackjack. Check out our Basic Strategy Card For Single Deck Blackjack And here's a hot tip, go check out www.galaxiworld.com they have a HOT single deck blackjack game that pays ridiculous amounts. it is paying single deck blackjack according to multideck standards. So they pay 2 to 1 on a blackjack instead of 6 to 5. They pay out percentage is actually over 100% and I am not clear whether that game is there by accident or whether it is meant to drive more traffic to other games. But if you're reading this article, i strongly suggest a visit. It is worth a shot." How many casinos offer single deck Black jack? If you know of any let me know, I'd love to test this out! The oly reason I crossed out galaxyworld, I can't check or verify it from this computer... for whatever reason. Let me know if you've had any experiences with them. DL

Counting Cards in Blackjack.

"Blackjack is a game that is geared to the house or dealer in a variety of ways. A player must go first and if they go bust their stake goes to the dealer even if he or she subsequently goes bust. Players have always tried to find a way to beat the system and card counting in blackjack is one of the most common strategies used. Card counting is a system or strategy used mostly in blackjack games, it takes a lot of practice to do however it can be used in other card games. The principal of card counting has been around since live blackjack started, and as soon as the game moved online as soon so did the card counters. Card counters try to memorise the cards that have come out so they can lower the casino edge by having a good clue which card will come out next, hoping to eventually memorise the order of each card in the deck. For example knowing if all of the high cards already been dealt out would logically lead you to believe the remaining cards are of lower values. Card counting was often easier during an online game as no one was watching you as long as you are quick to memorize the card or write it down - games give a limited amount of time to respond with hit or hold. Many have used this to their advantage and learned online before taking their skills into real casinos. This is a risky strategy to use in a land based casino as unlike virtual casinos staff will be on the look out for card counters and though not illegal the casinos owners may ask you to leave. So how has the latest gambling craze live webcam games responded to prevent players counting cards. Common methods include using multiple packs of cards, splitting the deck into 2 and shuffling them far sooner than it would happen during a game in a real casino. Casinos can often deliberately hide the remaining decks to put off card counters. It must be noted that card counting takes effort but is it rarely worth it; firstly you have to have a fantastic memory, and statistically it gives a 1% advantage to an experienced player under the best circumstances. Yet this is still not enough or only just enough to cancel out the house advantage in most cases." I'm curious as to weather it really is only 1%, if so, what's the point? Truthfully, it's something I've never learned to do, but it is on my list :) I'm pretty sure there is software for this as well... if not there should be @ on the idea!!! Tomorrow I will see if I can dig up some instructional videos, and we will see what looks good. DL

Blackjack tips and strategies

"Blackjack is one of the few casino games that are beatable in the long run. It means that by using a basic blackjack strategy you can have an advantage over the casino and eventually step away from the blackjack table as a winner. Here you can find the basic blackjack strategy explained in a simplified manner. The blackjack strategy is based on the mathematical probabilities of the game and it provides you guidance on the best decisions to make at every possible situation during the game. It takes about an hour to memorize this strategy but it is worth every minute. This does not man you will win every single blackjack game from now on, but with the help of the blackjack strategy, patience and persistence, you can significantly improve your chances of beating the casino in the long run. Note that some blackjack rules vary from one casino to another. In some casinos, both brick and mortar and internet casinos, blackjack is played with one card deck while in others the blackjack game occupies four decks or more. In addition, in some of the casinos the dealer hits on a soft 17 while in others he is required to stand and doubling after splitting is allowed only in some of the casinos. Here you can find a basic strategy to a single deck blackjack game where the dealer hits on soft 17. Playing other blackjack variants would require you to make some adjustments for a few borderline occurrences. First, here is a short introduction to the terms mentioned here: Hard Hand: two initial cards that do not include an Ace. Soft Hand: two initial cards that one of them is an Ace Stand: when a player is not asking to be dealt more cards after the two initial cards. Hit: when a player calls for an additional card to be dealt Double: when a player doubles his initial bet after the initial deal, but it requires him to hit only one card. Split: when a player separates the initial two cards into two individual hands and plays them as 2 hands. Finally, here is a basic blackjack strategy: When your initial two card hand sums up to 8 or less: hit When your hand sums up to 9 and the dealer hand value is between 3 and 6: double if else: hit when your hand sums up to 10 and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 9: double; if else: When your hand sums up to 11 and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 10: double; if else hit. When your hand sums up to 13, 14, 15, or 16 and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 6: stand; if else hit. When your hand sums up to 17: stand. when your initial two card hand contains Ace 2 or Ace 3 and the dealer has either 5 or 6: double; if else: hit. When your hand contains Ace 4 or Ace 5 and the dealer has 4, 5 or 6: double; if else: hit. When your hand contains Ace 6 and the dealer has 3, 4, 5 or 6: double; if else: hit. When your hand contains Ace 7 and the dealer has 2, 7 or 8: stand; if he has 3, 4, 5 or 6: double; if else: hit. When your hand contains Ace 8 or Ace 9: stand When your hand contains a pair of 2s or 3s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 7: split; if else: hit When your hand contains a pair of 4s and the dealer has either 4 or 5: split; if else: hit When your hand contains a pair of 5s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 9: double; if else: hit When your hand contains a pair of 6s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 6: split; if else: hit When your hand contains a pair of 7s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 7: split; if else: hit When your hand contains a pair of 8s: split When your hand contains a pair of 9s and the dealer hand value is between 2 and 7 and either 8 or 9: split; if else: stand When your hand contains a pair of 10s: stand When your hand contains a pair of 8s: split" It's the basics, but it's a great start... I have a weeks worth of postable strategies, so you will have a weeks worth of reading. DL

What happened when I tried the post from Sept 20 :)

If you can see what came up I goot 3 x 7, 3 x 0 and 2 x 24 in 17 plays, with single 0 table. Doesn't sound all that random though.... ties in a bit with what I wasaying about flash games yesterday. :) DL

Flash Casinos

Flash based online casinos have a distinct purpose to serve on the internet yet from numerous informal inquiries this writer concludes that in many cases the flash casino is not properly used to satisfy the need for which they are most currently necessary. It is true they were first designed so that there would be no need to download anything to your PC.This was necessary because back in the days when flash casinos first arrived upon the virtual gambling scene the download version of many online casinos was just too big of a file to merit keeping more than one casino on the home PC. The coming of the flash games changed the need for so much room to be available. In fact to play the flash games you didn't need to download anything at all. A common misconception about flash casinos is that they are faster than the download version. This is simply not true and in fact the download version (once loaded onto your PC which takes less than five minutes on my connection) is as fast as anything this writer has seen on the net. Flash casinos do need to download certain aspects of their games onto your PC although they may not make that perfectly clear because it all goes away when you close down the game. The point I'm making is that it takes time for these aspects to load onto your PC and this is a process which is repeated every time you change games or if you have to re-open the game you're currently playing because flash games are known to lose connection though this has been less of a problem in current times. In any case the flash games are going to take considerably longer than the downloaded version in terms of loading (by that and they are also slower in returning game results. and only offer you half the amount of choices. A good general rule of thumb is whatever amount of games are in the download version there will be about sixty-percent of those available in the flash casino. The actual time difference between going through the process to be able to play in the flash casino and the process to be able to play in the download version is about five minutes on a DSL or broadband connection. "What then is so important about flash casinos if they are not faster and can provide only about half the variety of the download? Convenience my friends. Although the flash casino is not as attractive for reasons already mentioned, it becomes ever so much more when the next choice is not playing at all. It is very hard to carry your PC with you at all times but if all you need to have available is your login and password and a means to access the net, then the prospect of gambling at your favorite online casino while away from your home becomes a very tangible option that many people take full advantage. This is the true manner in which the flash casino is valuable in these times because very few PCs are so stressed for space they can't easily afford the room to have a downloaded casino or even more than one." I do have a preference for flash games..... and they don't seem to get cut off as much. No more "disconnect" problems. DL