Category Archives: General

General

Latest Blackjack News

March 4, 2015 – 10:24 am

We have a lot of articles on this site about blackjack tips, strategy, what game variants to play, which not to play and how to use blackjack bonuses; but sometimes it’s nice to take a break from the tables and see what’s going on in the world. The blackjack world, obviously. So here are some of the latest news stories from around the globe about our favorite casino game.

Man Ejected From Hollywood Casino For Touching Other Players

A 51-year-old man was ejected from an unnamed Hollywood casino last Saturday after “touching” other players at the table. He was reportedly being very loud and demonstrative and then his behavior worsened to the extent where he was asked to leave the casino. When he refused casino staff attempted to escort him from the premises but he began flailing his arms around before head-butting one of the gaming agents in the face.

Trent Koss was arrested on various charges including aggravated battery and disorderly conduct and was taken to the police station, where he claimed that someone had stolen money from him in the casino, before being taken to the county jail. Sounds to us like another reason to play online in the comfort of your own home!

Seminole Tribe Not Giving Up Blackjack Without A Fight

The Seminole Tribe of Florida has released a TV ad that claims banked card games (essentially referring to blackjack in the main) should remain legal within state casinos, exclusively in their operations, claiming it’s “a partnership that works for Florida.”

Lawmakers are attempting to introduce a major overhaul to gambling legislation that would threaten the tribe’s exclusive deal to offer such games. Despite the fact taxation from such games has reportedly added more than $1bn to state finances, it seems likely the tribe will fail in their bid, but they sure won’t go without a fight.

Australia Doesn’t Want Kids Playing Blackjack!

Australia’s South Australia state government is seeking to ban casino-themed toys, claiming they encourage children to gamble. Draft regulations will outlaw toy roulette wheels, poker and blackjack games and toy gaming chips, whilst advertising will also be severely restricted for related products aimed at adults. Consumers’ Minister Gail Gago said, “This government will not sit back and watch children become gambling addicts.”

Tags | Permalink | Comments Off on Latest Blackjack News
General

Blackjack in Hollywood

January 9, 2015 – 10:13 am

Casinos are generally thought of as glamorous places and there are countless depictions of casino games in movies. Here we take a look at some of the best blackjack action from the silver screen, ranging from the tense to the thrilling to the comical.

21

21 is based on the brilliant book Bringing Down The House and whilst many will argue that the book is considerably better than the movie, in our opinion you can’t talk about blackjack on screen without starting here. This 2008 film starring Kevin Spacey and Laurence Fishburne is based on the true story (although the movie, even more than the book, is somewhat liberal with the truth) of the infamous MIT blackjack team who used their intellect for things far more exciting – and lucrative – than engineering and science.

They used basic strategy and advanced card counting and tracking methods to take casinos worldwide for millions of dollars, with the biggest win on just one trip reported to be $500,000! It’s a great movie and an even better book – check them out.

The Hangover

If you prefer comedy then you’ve probably seen The Hangover and it’s undoubtedly a classic. The blackjack scene is a nod to the brilliant Rain Man which could also feature on our list but hey, they got Oscars – they don’t need us. In The Hangover the unlikely team manage to win an impressive $80k while card counting in Vegas, which they needed to “buy back” their buddy who had been taken hostage. If only card counting and making almost $100,000 was so easy!

Austin Powers

Blackjack only features briefly in this cult comedy but the scene is a classic. The cheating Bond-style bad guy hits on 17, making 21, remarking he “likes to live dangerously”. Powers – who doesn’t know the rules – stands on five, delivering the following line with perfect comedy timing.

Dealer – I SUGGEST you HIT sir

Powers – I ALSO like to live dangerously…

Casino

If you prefer mobster action with a side order of violence, Casino is more likely to be your sort of movie and the blackjack scene where Joe Pesci catches customers cheating at blackjack is superb. It’s Joe Pesci, he’s a gangster, he does what Joe Pesci playing a gangster does!

Permalink | Comments Off on Blackjack in Hollywood
General

What’s so good about Live Dealer Blackjack?

January 5, 2015 – 10:37 am

Since the arrival of online casinos in the mid-1990s, operators have been developing new ways to make the online gambling experience more authentic. The idea is that the online casinos try to get as close to the experience of visiting a real life, bricks and mortar casino, to bring the atmosphere and buzz on which such establishments have prospered for decades. Of course, there are some things that online casinos will never be able to do, such as give you free drinks or let you hold the chips in your hand, but with the advent of live dealer casinos, playing blackjack online has never been more, well, real.

So what is different about playing live dealer blackjack compared to the standard online blackjack that is so popular? Well, the clue is in the name: live dealer blackjack has actual real, live people – usually rather attractive young ladies – to deal you the cards. These dealers are still on your computer (or mobile) screen, of course, but instead of the game being produced through computer-generated graphics and random number generators, you view a video feed of a real blackjack table with real cards and a real dealer. So it’s all very real, really!

You can even interact with the dealers, as well as the other players, as you would in a bricks and mortar casino, giving you a much better sense of community than can be gleaned by playing simply in isolation on a standard online blackjack game. Some also feel that watching a live dealer physically deal out the cards reduces the risk that the games have been in some way set up or titled in the house’s favor, but we are very confident that all the casinos featured on this site are 100% fair and open for all their games, so that – in our view – is not an issue.

Three of the best US-friendly online casinos that feature live dealer blackjack games are Grand Parker, Bet Online and 5 Dimes Casino, all of which are reviewed in detail on this site. So if you fancy trying out some live dealer action why not head to one of those online casinos today and see if the reality lives up to the hype?

Tags , | Permalink | Comments Off on What’s so good about Live Dealer Blackjack?
General

A Brief History of Blackjack

May 12, 2014 – 10:27 pm

Blackjack has become one of the most popular games played in online casinos over the last decade or so, but when and where did the game actually originate? Read on for a brief history of blackjack and an introduction of this fascinating and enthralling game. Then choose from any of our recommended online casinos to play USA online blackjack.

The origins of the game of blackjack that we know and love today are steeped in mystery and folklore, but research has suggested that it is an adaption from the game of “21” which came from France and spread to Spain and other parts of Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. This game in turn appears to have grown out of others which pre-dated it, notably “quinze” (meaning “15” in French) which was also known as Ace-low and was popular in France in the 17th century.

The oldest game to which blackjack bears a remarkable resemblance, however, is the Spanish game “trente-un” (meaning “31”), which was referenced by a priest way back in the year 1440 and – more famously – by Miguel de Cervantes in 1570. Either way, all these games were similar in that they involved players using the value of their cards to get as close as possible to a specified total.

As many Europeans emigrated from Europe to America, they brought the game of 21 with them, and it soon gained new rules which made it more interesting and – crucially – more winnable. Notably, players were now able to see the dealer’s first card before deciding what to do with their own hand, something that wasn’t allowed in the European versions of the game.

Another innovation when the game came to America, that was introduced around the time of the First World War, was the addition of bonuses for hitting certain combinations of cards, such as when being dealt an ace of spades and either a jack of spades or a jack of clubs (which is where the name blackjack comes from).

Since then, there have been all sorts of additional rules and variations on the game that sometimes work in the players’ favor and sometimes help the dealers. One thing is for sure, though: you certainly have more of a choice than they did in 17th century France, and with many of the online casinos featured on this site offering excellent welcoming bonuses for blackjack players, we suspect you also have a much better chance of making a big profit too.

Tags | Permalink | Comments Off on A Brief History of Blackjack
General

Is Insurance the Right Bet?

November 4, 2013 – 10:11 pm

This could be a really short feature and I won’t mess around, the short and deliciously simple answer is… no. You should never, ever take insurance when playing blackjack, be that online, in Vegas or anywhere else.

The logic and reasoning is down to very simple math and the fact is that by taking insurance you give the house a huge edge of around 6% depending on what variant of the game you are playing.

With the dealer needing a card worth 10 to make blackjack there are just four cards that can hurt you, a 10, jack, queen or king, while there are nine cards that will leave the dealer still playing. Given insurance pays out at 2/1 it is plain and simple a bad bet based on the probabilities of the cards.

Unless you are a professional card counter and know the deck is stacked with 10s you should never take insurance if you want to win at online blackjack. This applies to the same degree whether you are holding 17, 12 or 20. In fact, ironically, taking insurance on a hand with one or (especially) two 10-value cards is the worst value bet of all. Without the need for card counting, you know that there are one or two 10s the dealer has no chance of hitting – the ones in front of you!

Another thing you should never do is take even money if you are already holding blackjack. Many players favour the certainty of an even money payout but over time this will cost you money. Again, it’s simple math and will lose you around 4% of the value of your hand (bet) in the long-term.

These are very simple things to remember and if you can’t be bothered to learn perfect basic strategy or – easy if you are playing online blackjack, keep a blackjack strategy chart handy – then just remembering these things will help you out.

Another very simple strategy to follow is always hit on less than 17 if the dealer is showing a seven or above. That is probably the simplest basic principle of blackjack but it’s amazing how often you see players standing on 16.

Blackjack is a great game to play at an online casino and with amazing free bets, bonuses and promotions, if you’re prepared to learn a few basic rules you have a great chance of profiting as well as having fun.

See our recommended USA online blackjack casinos and claim a great bonus.

Tags , , | Permalink | Comments Off on Is Insurance the Right Bet?
General

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.

Tags , | Permalink | Comments Off on Playing to Win at Online Blackjack
General

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.

Tags , , | Permalink | Comments Off on What Not to do Playing Blackjack
General

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!

Tags , | Permalink | Comments Off on Playing Online Blackjack from the USA
General

Blackjack Strategy and Poker

February 5, 2013 – 3:00 pm

Any good blackjack player knows the importance of using a solid strategy when playing blackjack either online or at a traditional casino. Strategy can make all the difference between having an OK or losing day to winning a great deal of money. Blackjack and poker have some things in common with the biggest commonality being math. Math plays an important part in both games.

Math is of of the “trues’ in the crazy world we live in. Right is right and wrong is wrong. This is no gray area and math does not change or lie. When you are playing Blackjack or poker it is a game of probabilities. In either game you can simulate hundreds upon hundreds of hands and determine what the odds of a particular card or cards will be next and we have done a simulation which shows this.

We have put together a blackjack strategy chart that tells you what the odd are for playing a particular hand. Check it out as it is an easy reference to determine when to hit, stand, double or split. We do not believe in surrender and have not included that option on the chart. There is also a printable version of the chart available so that you can keep in your wallet or purse and reference it while you are even playing at a land based casino.

While math also plays an important part in poker, it is less relevant than in blackjack. It is important to know pot odds and implied odds when playing poker, but skill is a very important part of poker. Being able to “read” your opponent and make moves whether it is slow rolling, betting aggressively or entirely bluffing is a huge part of poker. Unlike Blackjack it takes some time to truly learn how play solid poker. If you are new to the game play at low limit tables and small buy-in tournaments to start. Do not play for free as the game is entirely different than real money play.

Check out our Blackjack strategy chart mentioned above and play USA online blackjack. It is a great reference and you will see your winning streaks become longer and losing streaks become shorter. While your in the strategy section of our website there is also an article regarding progressive betting. It is worth checking out to maximize you winning streaks.

After you have mastered blackjack try online poker and test your skills. If you entirely new to the game be sure to start small. As you gain some experience and sharper your skills you can move on to higher stakes tables. If you live in United States there is a great listing of USA online poker sites on our sister site Play USA Online Poker. On that site you will also find a huge amount of information to sharpen your poker skills.

As we post more strategy articles we post them here in our news section first so check back often.

Tags , | Permalink | Comments Off on Blackjack Strategy and Poker
General

Betting on Sports

January 22, 2013 – 1:40 pm

This is a great time of year for sports betting. We have the Super Bowl coming up in less than 2 weeks, the NHL season is finally under way after the lock out and the NBA and NCAA basketball season is in full swing. Betting on sports is not only an adrenaline rush while you are watching the game, but you can be a successful bettor and make money over the long term if you have the proper information. Anyone can have a good weekend, but to win consistently over a long period of time, information is the key.

Any successful sports bettor will tell you it is hard work to pick winners on a consistent basis. The amount of information available through the Internet is a huge advantage these days and must be taken advantage of. Researching and examining the information can be a full time job and if you work a regular 9-5er chances are you do have the time it requires to do so. To fully examine and handicap a full slate of games can take hours upon hours.

Luckily there are programs and tout services out there that do scour the Internet and have contacts in the front office that do pick winners for a living. If you are even a weekend warrior these services have a wealth of information available to them and are most likely much more informed than you are. They take sports betting seriously and treat it as a full time job.

The best of these services are not free by any means and the good ones can be quite expensive but if you are betting several hundred dollars over a weekend they can quickly pay for themselves. Remember the old adage you get what you pay for. Stay away from 1.800 services because you want an actual human being tell you who to pick. Many services will have dedicated account managers and they will be the only rep you speak to when they are offering their picks. Some services will give you free picks to start so you can see what they are capable of.

Tags | Permalink | Comments Off on Betting on Sports

« Previous Page — Next Page »

« Previous Page — Next Page »