Blackjack Slots Strategy
Basic strategy is not enough! We get emails from people all the time talking about how they downloaded our blackjack charts, took them to a casino, and won some money. That’s great news for them, but it could have easily gone the other way. Basic strategy cannot overcome the house edge even if you get lucky with it from time to time. Blackjack is a card game that, along with Roulette and Slots, is one of the most popular games in casinos, both online and offline. The game is played against a Dealer with the aim of getting a higher score than them and as close to 21 as possible without ‘Busting’ – going over.
Basic Rules: Liberal blackjack game. Rules include: multiple 48-card decks (10s are removed from play), player 21 always wins, player blackjack beats dealer blackjack, player may double after splitting, double down rescue, five-card 21 pays 3:2, six-card 21 pays 2:1, and seven-card pays 3:1. Game: Super Fun 21.
Tips for beating one of the world’s toughest card games
By J. Phillip. Vogel
Like many of our favorite casino games, the exact origins of blackjack are forever lost to history. One of the first recoded descriptions of the game places its appearance in France during the 17th century, where it thrilled gamblers under its simple, yet appropriate appellation “vingt-et-un.” Some gaming historians, however, contend that rather than originating in France, vingt-et-un was nothing more that a variation of Spain’s already popular game “One and Thirty” or perhaps even a spin-off of Italy’s baccarat.
Regardless of its origins, so popular was the game that it quickly emigrated globally, taking on slight changes in both name and rules to suit regional appetites. In Russia, the game was called “Ochko” (roughly translated as “the hole’). In England, where players were rewarded for drawing both the jack and ace of spades as their first two cards, it became known as “blackjack.” But whether it’s “21” “California Aces” or even “Ochko,” blackjack continues to be one of gambling’s perennial favorites.
Blackjack Basics
In its most basic form, blackjack is one of the easiest casino games to learn. The objective is to attain a hand value that is greater than that of the dealer, yet does not exceed 21. It can be played using anywhere from one to eight standard decks, with cards of rank 2 through 10 scored according to their face value, while face cards—jack, queen, and king—are valued at 10 points. Aces can be worth either 1 or 11 points. The game is further governed by the following rules:
- Players win if their hand has a greater total point value than the dealer’s, without going over 21.
- The best possible hand is called a blackjack. It consists of an ace and any 10-point card. A winning blackjack pays 3:2.
- If both the player and the dealer have a tie—including with a blackjack—the bet is a tie or “push” and money is neither lost nor paid.
- All other winning hands pay even money, 1:1.
- If either the player or the dealer exceeds 21 or “busts” the hand automatically loses.
- If both the dealer and player bust, the player loses.
A round of blackjack begins with the player placing a bet in the circle or designated betting area in front of him. Every player will then be dealt two cards (both typically face up) while the dealer receives two cards, one of which is exposed and the other (known as the “hole” card) face down. If the dealer has a ten or an ace exposed, he will check for blackjack, in which case all player hands lose, except another blackjack. However, should the dealer have an ace exposed, players may take “insurance,” a side bet that pays 2-1 and hedges the initial bet against a dealer blackjack.
If the dealer does not have blackjack, play continues starting with the player seated immediately to the left of the dealer. The following options are then available:
Stand. If the players decide their hand is sufficiently strong, they may opt to take no additional action.
Hit. Players may draw additional cards until they either bust or decide to stand.
Double down. If players hands warrants, they may opt to double their current bet and receive one additional card. This option is only offered on the first two cards, and in some cases on the first two cards after splitting.
Split. When a player’s first two cards are of equal point value, he may separate them into two hands with each card being the first card of a new hand. To split, the player must make another wager of equal value to the initial wager for the second hand. In cases where another identical point valued card is dealt following the split, re-splitting may be allowed. (Re-splitting aces is often an exception.) When allowed, players may also double down after splitting.
Surrender. In certain versions of blackjack, players may surrender or yield a poor hand on their first two cards, rather than play against a potentially superior hand. Surrendered hands return ½ of the wager to the player.
Once all players have acted, the dealer will then complete his hand. Unlike players, the dealer has no freedom to determine the best course of play and must abide by the house rules which govern all actions. Usually the dealer must hit until his cards reach a total value of 17 or more. In some casinos or game versions, if a dealer is dealt a soft 17 (an ace plus cards totaling six additional points) he must also hit. If the dealer busts, all players active in the hand win automatically.
Basic Strategy
Despite its simplistic premise, blackjack is one of the most difficult games in the casino. But with an extremely low vigorish—sometimes reaching 0.18%—it can also be one of the most profitable. Or at least it is if you master basic strategy.
Although daunting and at times confusing, basic strategy is really nothing more than a breakdown of the optimal way to play every possible situation based on the house’s rules, your current hand and the dealer’s exposed card. Table A and Table B are a sample basic strategy table for use with multiple deck games.
Remember, optimal basic strategy varies with the version of the game you play, and there are tables such as these that outline exactly what action to take given the circumstances. And while they may be challenging to memorize, if making money as a blackjack player is your ultimate goal, there’s simply no other option.
Blackjack Slots Strategy Games
Strategies to avoid
A lot of new players can be taken in by seemingly sound strategies that actually have no real place at the tables. Avoid the following dangerously ineffective methods:
Play as the dealer plays. Some people think because the house has an edge on the game that by playing according to the dealer’s rules (such as always hitting 16 or less, or never doubling or splitting) that same edge will apply. Wrong. Remember, the player acts first, and even if both you and the dealer bust, the house wins the hand. Such strategy results in a house edge of approximately 5.5%
Martingale System. Some players advocate an age-old, misguided betting system design ostensibly to guarantee winning. Called the “Martingale System,” this method requires players to double their bet for every hand following a loss. The theory is that by doubling the bet you will eventually win a hand and recoup any previous losses. Although it sounds powerful, this system is flawed and ineffective, and fails to take into account high-risk bets, a moderately bad run of cards, and table limits.
Never draw to a hand that can bust. Rather than take a card that could break the hand, some players prefer to always stand pat on hard totals of 12 or more. Such play is harmful in the long run and results in a vigorish of approximately 4%.
Although these and many other half-baked strategies may sound good in theory, at best they’re mildly innocuous and worst devastating. Stay clear of tricks and systems and stick with basic strategy, the only proven method of minimizing the house’s edge.
Variations on a Theme
While the traditional version is often the game of choice among blackjack enthusiasts, there are many other exciting and profitable variants available in both traditional and online casinos. Although the basic premise for each variation is akin to traditional blackjack, each has its own set of rules and strategy.
Game: Blackjack Double Exposure
Basic Rules: Offers many of the same traditional blackjack rules except: Both dealer cards are exposed, dealer wins all ties except on a natural blackjack, players may split only once, player blackjack pays 1:1.
Game: European Advanced Blackjack
Basic Rules: Available in regular and high limit versions. In this double-deck game blackjack pays 3:2, the dealer stands on soft 17, and both double down and
split options are available.
Game: Spanish 21
Basic Rules: Liberal blackjack game. Rules include: multiple 48-card decks (10s are removed from play), player 21 always wins, player blackjack beats dealer blackjack, player may double after splitting, double down rescue, five-card 21 pays 3:2, six-card 21 pays 2:1, and seven-card pays 3:1.
Game: Super Fun 21
Basic Rules: Very liberal single deck version of blackjack. Rules include: Dealer hits soft 17, player may double after a split, doubl on any number of cards, late surrender is available, as is double down rescue. Blackjack pays even money.
Gambling often requires that a player plan out a strategy before commencing the play. If a player has a blackjack strategy or a slots strategy then his chances of winning and in that process making money becomes a lot higher.
In a game of blackjack there can be three kinds of hands, namely, hard hands, soft hands and split pairs. The blackjack strategy that you need to know before playing the game is as follows:
If you have a total of eight or less then you should always hit.
If the dealer has a number between three and six and you have nine then you should double it otherwise hit.
Knowing blackjack strategy will help you win more often and in the course will help you earn more money.
If you have points between seventeen and twenty one then you should always stand.
The above mentioned blackjack strategy should be incorporated while playing a hard hand.
Your hand will be called a soft hand if one of your starting cards is an ace. In this scenario if you have an ace and a two or an ace and a three and the dealer have five or six you should stand otherwise pick another card.
If you have an ace and a six, double it if the dealer has three, four, five or six, otherwise hit.
If you on the other hand have an ace and an eight or an ace and a nine then you should always stand.
Blackjack Slots 21
Today because of the popularity of gambling as a whole many people are writing about blackjack strategy as well as other slots strategy in their websites.
Now we discuss a blackjack strategy when played in pairs. If say you have an ace and an eight you should always split.
If on the other hand, you have a pair of twos and threes then you should only split if the dealer has two, three, four, five, six or seven.
If you have a pair of nines then you should only split if the dealer has two, three, four, five, six, eight and nine and should stand if the dealer has seven, ten or ace.
But if you have a pair of tens then you should always stand.
In case of a slot machine the spins of the wheels of these machines are programmed randomly by computers. The slots strategy that can be used to maximize returns is very simple. Most slot machines reward the player who plays the maximum number of coins. For example the jackpot may pay 1000 coins for every five coins played and 2000 coins for every eight coins played. So the slots strategy that works here is to play for the maximum amount of time.
If you are not comfortable spending too much money in the slot machines then instead of choosing ‘a dollar slot’ you can go for a slot machine that would accept lesser denominations.
Blackjack Slots Strategy Tactics
Therefore, by knowing blackjack strategy as well as slots strategy you can easily earn a lot of money.