Author Archives: TravG

Playing to Win at Online Blackjack

September 5, 2013 – 11:40 pm

Online blackjack has increased in popularity in recent years thanks to the ease with which the games can be played and understood. But the vast majority of players around the world appear to neither understand the game nor play it sensibly, that is to give themselves the best chance of actually winning. While some high-rolling superstars might not care one way or the other whether they win or lose, for most of us the very point of playing is to go after a profit. So read on to find out how to increase your chances of winning when playing USA online blackjack.

One of the main appeals of the game of blackjack is that players have the power to decide what they do, in terms of whether they hit, stand, split or double. Knowing when to do each of these things to optimize your chances of beating the dealer is complicated as the rules vary between online casinos and indeed between the various versions of blackjack many of them offer. The number of decks used, whether the dealer must stand or hit on a soft 17, whether doubling up is allowed after splitting cards and other factors affect what your optimum strategy should be.

If all this sounds like far too much hassle to calculate, fear not: the Blackjack Basic Strategy is there to help you cut through the probabilities and permutations and give you the answers you seek. This strategy will minimize the house edge the casino gets from online blackjack, giving you the best mathematical chance of success. The casino will almost always retain an edge, meaning they will always win over the long term, but you can give yourself the best chance of short term gains this way.

Following the Basic Strategy, for instance, when two packs are used, the dealer stands on a soft 17, doubling after splits is allowed and surrenders are not, you would always stand on hard 17 and above, and would also stand after hitting as low as a hard 12 if the dealer card is a four, five or six. You would also hit on a soft 18 (against the instinct of many players) if the dealer’s card is a nine, 10 (including picture cards) or ace.

There are tables published on many casino sites for literally thousands of variation of rules, so the key to following the Basic Blackjack Strategy effectively is to know the rules of the particular online blackjack game you are playing. Oh, and be sure to make use of the all the bonuses and promotions you can get your hands on.

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Blackjack and Great Bonuses at BetOnline

September 2, 2013 – 1:46 am

BetOnline Casino ReviewBetOnline is a one stop shop for all your gambling needs and they welcome USA players. They offer sports betting, poker and of course, a great online casino with all your favourite games. Play USA online blackjack as well as slots and other table games like Roulette, Baccarat and Craps.

They are managed by an experienced team with industry experience going back to 1991 and are based in Panama City, Panama. The management at BetOnline is great and another reason we think BetOnline is worth signing up to and that is their great bonuses and live dealers.

The casino offers something for everyone so whether you are a high-roller or a smaller player, love roulette, slots or blackjack they have a bonus that will increase your chances of winning.

Start off with a $25 risk-free bet in their live dealer casino including live dealer blackjack. Just place a $25 wager and if it wins, well done, you’re off to a great start at BetOnline. If it loses you’re still off to a good start because BetOnline will refund your loss. Just email freeplay@betonline.ag with your account number and the bet reference and within 48 hours you’ll have your $25 back. There is a very generous wagering requirement of just six times with the refund so this really is a superb offer.

For high rollers, how does a $1,000 bonus every single month sound? Players who stake at least $75,000 a month will qualify for the High Roller bonus which starts at $50 but goes all the way up to a cool thousand bucks for the seriously high and mighty rollers out there. The bonus will be credited on the second of the month and is calculated on your previous month’s play.

For your regular player there are plenty of other promotions to go at, including a 25% reload on any casino deposit of at least $25. There is a 50x wagering requirement attached to this and Blackjack is excluded from the offer but with a $3,000 maximum this is a generous offer to play other games.

If you want to play more than USA online blackjack you can claim a bonus for slots. Slot players can use code SLOTS100 and claim a 100% bonus on every single deposit of $100 or more they make. The maximum here is $5,000 and with so many great slots to choose from you will be in Slot heaven!

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What Not to do Playing Blackjack

August 8, 2013 – 8:30 pm

Blackjack is one of the best games to play in an online casino because it is easy to understand, great fun and (best of all) has a very low house edge (the casino’s profit margin on the game). Depending on the exact rules of the variant of blackjack you are playing the house edge can be as little as 0.5%, or even less, meaning that if you played 100 hands at $10 a hand you would expect, on average, to be just $5 down. Obviously with a little luck or a generous casino bonus you could be up, but that would be the average expectation, blackjack bonuses aside.

However, to achieve that sort of result you need to be playing according to the mathematically proven rules of basic strategy. In any given situation there is a correct call, whether it is to hit, split, stand, double down or whatever. These “rules” are fairly easy but memorizing every call can be quite tricky. Obviously playing blackjack online there is no need to memorize it, you can easily have a basic strategy guide on hand but even so, many players prefer to use their own simpler strategies. Use our blackjack strategy chart to know when to hit, stand, split etc. to make sure you are playing with the best odds in your favor.

One such method of playing blackjack, which is very, easy is to simply follow the dealer. That is to say, always hit on 16 or lower and always stand on 17 (including soft 17) and higher, without ever doubling or splitting. While this is a simple way of playing and won’t require any charts or guides, it also has a fairly catastrophic impact on the casino’s house edge (from the player’s point of view). Playing this way puts the house edge up to around 5.5% – more than 10 times higher than playing basic strategy.

Another option that some players favour for its simplicity is to make sure they never bust and so always have a chance of winning. This means standing on any “hard” hand of 12 or higher and fares marginally better (assuming other calls employ basic strategy) but the casino’s advantage still rises significantly to around 4%.

The message is clear though – if you’re going to play blackjack online, make sure you play at a casino with a generous bonus, good loyalty scheme and, most of all make sure you play the optimum strategy and follow the strategy chart. The Diamond VIP and Grand Parker Casinos have great blackjack bonuses and both allow USA players for USA online blackjack. See our Diamond VIP review and claim up to $10,000 in bonuses for blackjack.

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Betting Blackjack

July 15, 2013 – 10:31 pm

The most effective way to win at online blackjack is to simply play the very best strategy for the variation of the game that you are playing. By doing that you can reduce the house edge to as little as 0.28%, assuming you are able to take advantage of the most player-favourable rules out there.

That means that for every $1,000 you wager you would expect to lose slightly less than $3. But factor in some of the amazing bonuses on offer from the various online casinos as well as the loyalty schemes and comp points they run and you can soon shift the odds in your favour. Hell, with a little bit of help from Lady Luck and you might even make some serious money!

However, whilst playing basic (optimum) strategy and perfect blackjack is one thing, many players like to vary their stake and think that can give them an edge. Here we take a look at some popular ploys and see if there is any real benefit to using them.

Doubling up on a loss

One of the most popular and abiding theories and betting strategies is to double your stake after losing, a form of negative progression. This, especially when applied to roulette, is known as the Martingale system, and is 100% doomed to failure in any game where a house edge exists.

It will invariably lead to a series of small wins but over time it is a mathematical certainty that one big loss will come along and wipe out all your wins… and more besides. Say you play $10 per hand and win the first hand. Great, you bank the $10 and bet $10 again. If that loses, you bet $20, then $40 if you lose again, then $80: in fact losing just six hands in a row has you staking $640 on the next hand, which is pretty big stakes when your wins are only scraping you $10 here and there.

Increasing stake as you win

This is a positive progression system whereby you increase your bet after a win. This funds bigger stakes from money you have won and is also less likely to wipe you out as you will only lose a large stake after a succession of wins. This is a more conservative method but certainly a better one in our opinion.

Flat stake

To go right back to the start, the best betting system to use in online blackjack is a flat stake with basic strategy. It’s not exciting but it is mathematically proven and winning is more exciting than anything else! Keep it simple and give yourself the best chance of success.

Find the best USA online blackjack sites available and also see other blackjack strategy articles.

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Playing Online Blackjack from the USA

June 27, 2013 – 7:04 pm

Playing blackjack online is one of the most popular casino options for many people. It’s not quite as glamorous as actually being in Vegas itself but it’s not far away! It’s still a lot of fun, with masses of excitement and a great chance of making a profit. Best of all, you don’t even need to leave the house and you can take advantage of huge bonuses that you won’t get in Vegas or at any land-based casino.

For the best USA online blackjack we recommend picking a casino that matches your needs. Some, such as Grand Parker, are good all-rounders, with huge sign-up bonuses, great deposit options for US players, a dedicated Mac version and nice game play. Others may be better for smaller stakes players, whilst some, such as BetOnline are great for people who like to play online blackjack but still like a real, live dealer.

The two most important things about the online casinos that we feature here is that they all welcome players from the USA and they are all great places to play online blackjack. These are the casinos we use ourselves because they are simply the best places to play online blackjack in the USA.

If you’ve never played online blackjack before then why not sign up today and give it a try? Of all the casino games you can play, blackjack has one of the smallest house edges going. Depending on the exact rules of whichever version of blackjack you opt for – and the different casinos offer a huge variety of slightly different blackjack variations – the house edge can be less than 0.5%. In real terms that means that if you played 1,000 hands at a $1 a pop you would “expect” to be down by just $5.

The house edge is effectively the casino’s profit margin and if you play to the correct strategy, called basic strategy and mathematically the best way to play, you minimise your chances of losing.

Of course, in the short term you would have a great chance of actually winning, and even more so when you factor in the amazing bonuses (up to $5,000) and promotions offered by the best online blackjack casinos in the USA. Throw in loyalty schemes and good old lady luck and not only could you have great fun, you could also make a nice little profit and hey, maybe even earn enough for a trip to Vegas!

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Play Blackjack from Your Mobile Device

May 31, 2013 – 1:09 am

Mobile BlackjackIf you want the ultimate in convenience now you can play online blackjack from your mobile device. Play USA online blackjack from your Apple, Android or Blackberry mobile device anytime the urge hits.

There are only a few USA mobile blackjack casinos but the good news is they are all very reputable and solid online casinos that have been in business for years. Play mobile blackjack at Bovada or Just Bet both of whom have been in business for over 15 years.

Playing mobile blackjack is just like playing from your computer at home, only the screen is smaller. Both casinos have developed very user friendly mobile versions of their software where neither speed or graphics are compromised. If you want the convenience of playing online blackjack from any location at anytime you want, using a mobile casino is the answer.

Both Bovada and Just Bet offer a blackjack bonus however it may not be best to claim it. Bovada offers a 100% match bonus up to $250 on your first 4 deposits for blackjack but the bonus requires an 80x’s rollover before you are able to make a withdraw. We would not recommend claiming such a bonus as by the time you meet the terms and conditions chances are your balance will be down to zero.

Instead of claiming a blackjack bonus take advantage of the 10% rebate offered by Just Bet. Just Bet will refund 10% of any casino losses you incur everyday. You do not need to request the 10% or enter any type of bonuscode. The 10% cash back will automatically be placed into your player account everyday. This is the best option for claiming any free money for playing blackjack. Most online casinos require a high rollover for blackjack because the house edge is so low. Before claiming a bonus make sure you know what the terms and conditions are.

So if you want to play real money online blackjack from your mobile phone use Bovada or Just Bet. You can play from anywhere you have cell service right on your phone. Another option for blackjack flexibility is using instant play blackjack casinos. While not as convenient as using your cell phone, instant play blackjack casinos allow you to play from anywhere you have access to a computer and an Internet connection.

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Play for Real Money from the USA

May 23, 2013 – 12:14 am

If you live in the USA and want to play real money online blackjack you have found the right website. All the online casinos we recommended here accept USA players and offer the best real money online blackjack available on the Internet. We have played at every online blackjack casino we recommend and all offer easy deposits and fast withdraws.

Playing USA online blackjack can actually be better than playing at a land based casino. Real money online blackjack casinos offer you the convenience of playing from your own home and offer outstanding bonuses where you can add thousands of dollars to your bankroll. The bonuses we have listed on our website are the biggest available from the best online casinos.

We highly recommend the Grand Parker casino for playing real money blackjack. We play online 90% of the time it is at Grand Parker. They offer great deposit options for USA residents and credit cards work very well. Deposit with your USA Visa or MasterCard and get it approved. If you have trouble in the past getting a credit card deposit approved you wont any longer by using Grand Parker. They have the best USA credit card acceptance rates in the industry.

Sign up through our website and receive a 125% match bonus up to $1250 on your first 4 deposits for a total of up to $5000. Grand Parker offers standard real money blackjack as well as many of the popular variations like Super21, Perfect Pairs and Pontoon to name a few. See our Grand Parker review for more details and claim your bonus.

If you want to play against a live dealer check out BetOnline. They offer live dealer blackjack where you can see the dealer and your cards being dealt in real time over a live streaming feed. The limits in the live dealer games are also increased where you can bet up to $500 per hand. See the BetOnline review for more details on the casino and play live dealer blackjack.

Both Grand Parker and BetOnline are great choices for playing real money online blackjack from  the USA. Save yourself a drive to the casino and enjoy playing blackjack from the comfort of your own home.

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Get Your MasterCard Deposit Approved

May 4, 2013 – 9:45 pm

If you have had trouble in the past getting your MasterCard deposit approved at online casinos check out our listing of MasterCard blackjack casinos. These casino accept MasterCard deposits and do an outstanding job getting MasterCard deposits approved. Get in the action at these casinos and get your MasterCard credit card deposit approved.

Our best MasterCard casino is Grand Parker. Grand Parker accepts both Visa and MasterCard credit cards and does an outstanding job getting both approved. Grand Parker has the best USA MasterCard credit card approval rates in the industry. We have never had a deposit declined.

Sign up at Grand Parker through our website and receive an $5000 blackjack bonus. The bonus is spread out over your first 4 deposits where you can claim a 125% match up to $1250 on each. We like that the bonus is available over 4 deposits which allows you to make a smaller deposit first to try the casino. We are sure you will and when your ready to make another deposit you still have a great bonus available. Grand Parker is our top choice for playing USA online blackjack.

Another great place to deposit with your MasterCard is BetOnline. BetOnline accepts MasterCard deposits and also does a great job getting them approved. BetOnline also offers Live Dealer Blackjack where you can bet up to $500 per hand. BetOnline has been in business since 2001 and has a solid reputation for easy deposits and fast payouts. You can request your winnings by cash transfer and have your cash pickup details within 72 hours. BetOnline also offers an online sportsbook and poker room and you can use all three from just one account.

So if you have had trouble in the past getting MasterCard deposits approved use any of our recommended USA blackjack casinos and get in the action. They all do a great job getting MasterCard deposits approved and offer a great online experience. Be sure to claim your bonus when signing up as it is free money.

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Claim Multiple Blackjack Bonuses

April 13, 2013 – 2:48 pm

If you play a lot of online blackjack you understand the importance of a great blackjack bonus. We especially like it when an online casino offers a blackjack bonus which can spread out over multiple deposits. There are quite a few USA online blackjack casinos that such a bonus.

Two of the best Blackjack bonuses in our mind are offered by the Grand Parker Casino and the WinPalace Casino. Both offer special bonuses for blackjack that can be claimed over multiple deposits.

At Grand Parker you can claim a 125% match bonus up to $1250 on your first 4 deposits after signing up. You can use the same bonus code on every deposit (GPTABLES) and add up to $1250 on each deposit for a total of up to $5000. Once you have claimed all of your sign up bonuses Grand Parker always has other special promotions offered daily and weekly. For example this weekend if you deposit $100 or more you can claim an additional 125% match bonus up to $1250 and then also receive a 100% cash back bonus on your second deposit! Just this weekend you could make two $100 deposits and end up with $425 to play with. Grand Parker is one of our top USA blackjack casinos.

Another great blackjack bonus is offered by WinPalace. WinPalace offers  a 100% match bonus on your first 10 deposits where you can claim up to $500 on each deposit. Claim a total of up to $5000 in total for blackjack using bonus code WINBJ.

Both casinos accept USA players and do a great job getting USA credit card deposits approved. They both also have a solid reputation and from personal experience can say they both process withdraws quickly. Both offer bank wires for withdraws and you will receive your payout within 5 business days from each. Play at either one of these great USA blackjack casinos and also claim a great bonus. For more options you can see all the blackjack bonuses offered by our recommended casinos.

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Claim a Huge Blackjack Bonus

April 5, 2013 – 12:28 pm

If you want some free money to play online blackjack claim a huge blackjack bonus at the Diamond VIP Casino. Diamond VIP offers the largest blackjack bonus of all USA online blackjack sites. Claim a 200% match bonus up to $7500.

Claim a 100% match bonus on your first deposit a 125% on your second, 150% on your third, 175% on your forth and a huge 200% match blackjack bonus on your fifth deposit. This is a great bonus scheme as you can claim a sign up bonus with your first deposit and if you like the casino you still have 4 more bonuses to claim. You can make a smaller first deposit to try the casino and then when make additional deposits your bonus keeps going up!

Diamond VIP also offers cash back bonuses on your first 5 deposits. Receive a 100% cash back bonus on your first deposit, 90% on your second and then bonus decreases by 10% down to a 60% cash back bonus on your fifth deposit. Cash back bonuses are great because it takes the risk out of playing. Make a deposit and if you lose you can simply request your cash back bonus. Then only wager your cash back bonus amount 1 time before being able to make to make a withdraw! Such a low wagering requirement is almost unheard of but Diamond VIP is so confident you will like their casino they know you will be back to play.

Diamond VIP uses the Real Time Gaming software and has a great selection of Blackjack games as well as other table games. If you also like slots you can find a full selection.

Diamond VIP accepts USA Visa and MasterCard deposits and does a great job getting them approved. Withdraws are offered by Bank Wire or credited back to your credit card up to the amount you deposited.

Diamond VIP is one of the best places to play online blackjack because of the great bonuses, easy deposits and great game selection. For more information see our Diamond VIP Casino review and then get started and claim the best blackjack bonus in the business.

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