The game of Blackjack was introduced to the United States in the 19th century but the origin of the game is still much in dispute. Blackjack can be traced back to several European card games including the French ‘Vingt-Un’ (21), ‘Trente et Quarente’, and ‘Chemin de Fer’ (Railroad), as well as the Spanish ‘One and Thirty’, Italian ‘Baccara’ and ‘Seven and a half’ which all have similarities to modern Blackjack.

When gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1934, Blackjack screamed into popularity and was most commonly played with one or two decks of cards. Roger Baldwin published a paper in 1956 which explained hot to reduce the house advantage based on probability and statistics which was quite confusing for those who were not mathematicians.

In 1962, Dr. Edward O. Thorp used an IBM 704 computer to refine the mathematical strategy in Baldwin’s paper and also developed the first card counting techniques. Dr. Thorp wrote a book called “Beat the Dealer” which outlined card counting techniques and the strategies for reducing the house advantage.

This spawned a huge increase in Blackjack players at the US casinos who were trying to implement Dr. Thorp’s strategies, much to the consternation of the casinos. The system was difficult to understand and hard to implement and thusly increased the profits for the casinos as more and more people took to playing Blackjack.

Blackjack is the most popular table card game in the United States today which was transformed from the one table game that used to be stuck in the corner of most casinos. The term Blackjack comes from the ‘natural hand winner’ of the earlier versions of the game when a player was dealt the Jack and Ace of Spades in his initial two card hand. The player was declared an automatic winner and was paid a bonus. In today’s version of Blackjack, any ace combined with any ten point value card-10, jack, queen and king, counts as a natural Blackjack, except after a split.

Blackjack is a widely popular game around the world and has only seen an increase in players as the years progress. What once was a game that was not popular and seemingly too difficult to play with ‘strategies’ and ‘counting cards’ it is now the most popular card game to play at a casino in most of the world.

As the years fly by, more and more people play online Blackjack. Unfortunately, many of these people fly into Las Vegas (or their local establishment) and expect real-world Blackjack to be just like it is online-it’s not.

I love playing Blackjack online, but nothing compares to playing at a real casino when the atmosphere is just right. It’s a feeling that’s hard to capture at home-although you can do things to get close. When you play solo online, it’s all you. There are no other players taking cards. This can be a great joy or major source of pain offline.

Heck, when you play online, you can hit with 16 and the dealer showing a 6. No one cares, but you. When you step to the big boy tables in Vegas, you need to be more thoughtful-otherwise the table will hate you.

If you’re about to sit at a real table for the first time, here’s a great tip-sit in the middle. The spots immediately to the left and right of the dealer have a little pressure attached to them. First base (seat that gets the first card) is a crappy position as far as I’m concerned. And third base (seat that acts last, before the dealer) should only be occupied by someone who knows how to play. This seat is coveted by Blackjack players the world over.

Think I’m making it up? In Las Vegas, I’ve seen entire tables (yes, every single player but one) get up and locate to other tables, because some knucklehead made an incredibly bad move at third base. It happens, just don’t let it happen to you. That’s the worst feeling I’m sure. I’d recommend following this special tip. If you don’t know what play is the right one, ask other players. Some will say they don’t care (that’s crap, they do). Others will offer advice.

As a personal rule of thumb, if someone is at the table with say 10-20x my wager, I’ll ask for their opinion. Sometimes I’ve even cut deals for the big bettor on the hand (buying my hand basically). It’s not just about you. It’s an energy if you will. Try to keep harmony when you can.

Another big advantage of playing at a real table is seeing the cards in play. Online Blackjack tends reshuffle all decks used after each hand. When you play in the real world, strategy like counting cards comes into play. However, online blackjack nullifies this strategy (that’s why they reshuffle after each hand).

Whatever you do, remember that Blackjack is fun. Have a blast at the table and try different tables until you find the atmosphere you love.

Gambling can be a lot of fun. But it isn’t when you are always on the losing end. If you can not afford to lose your money, never mind gambling. But you can make serious money in betting. Well, you can even be rich.

Contrary to the usual belief that you gamble solely on pure chance and luck, adding in a little mathematics and some proven game strategies will not hurt. In fact, it can guarantee you a good pay out.

Here are some secrets to win any kind of gambling.

* Know the right type of gambling for you.
There are hundreds of gambling games that you can try for yourself. Casinos, sports betting, or even arbitrage betting. If you pick one, master it.

* Learn about the game.
Read related materials of the game such as basic rules and tips. As the old cliché goes, knowledge is power. You can have the edge by investing on good books or download tips and secrets on the web.

* Set a minimum bet in every game.
After a win, bet only half of the pot you put in the previous round. When you lose, go back to your least bet. This is often regarded as progressive betting. Use it rather than straight betting.

* Always check the odds.
Choose a betting game that has 3 percent or less casino advantage. Among others, popular games are poker, black jack and craps.

* Watch the trend
Be attentive to your winning and losing trend. Get the probability and ratio of your winnings and losing. If you think that you are on the brink of losing, then don’t bet.

* Stick to a strategy.
Pick a strategy that works best for you. There is no such thing as the greatest strategy but there are proven ones. Collate all known gaming strategies and select the one that is effective and works for you.

* Don’t be overly greedy
Being greedy might give you a couple of dollars more but being overly greedy might cause you to lose them all.

* Be optimistic
Muster some confidence that you will win those dollars. This attitude would keep you betting until you get some good pay. But never expect to win all the time, which barely happens. You lose some, you win some.

Keep in mind that winning doesn’t mean you have to win a bet every time. What matters most are your total net profit earnings.

The first thing you need to do is decide what your stake is. Maybe you are going to Las Vegas for 4 days and your “play money” is $1,000. If you are smart, you will divide this up equally and only play with $250 per day. If you lose your $250 the first day, stop. Wait until the next. This is probably one of he biggest tests of self-discipline.

The next thing you want to do is avoid blowing your daily wad in one sitting. With your $250, take out $100 and get your chips and start to bet conservatively. You want to stretch out the playing experience and play the ups and downs. Make sure you check out the minimum amount for the table.

Let’s say you take your starting $100 and bet $5. You lose the first hand. What do you do next? Many players will double their bet hoping to break even by winning. This is commonly called throwing good money after bad. What you should do is continue to bet the $5 and if you lose 3 or 4 hands in a row, change tables or take a break.

Never send good money after bad.

Now, let’s say you win that first $5 bet. The next hand you should increase your bet and make it $10. If you lose, go back to your original $5 bet. If you win, continue to increase your bet. Don’t double it each time; just make it a bit bigger. So, this time you wager $15. Again, if you lose, go back to the initial $5 bet. If you win, bump it up to $20. This way you are increasing your bet and still retaining some of your winnings. Always go back to your initial bet once the streak is over. Don’t walk away from table saying “I wish I had bet more”.

When you play blackjack, you will find that there are up and down streaks. You want to minimize your losses during the losing and increase your bets when you are winning.

I can remember playing in Canada, and there were five of us on the table. I had been having a bad day and just sat at this table and immediately started winning. This was a $5 minimum and that is what I started with. I kept increasing my bet as I was winning and in about an hour, I won over $3,000. My tablemates were all buddies and were betting $5 per hand whether they won or lost. They all won, but not much. They could have won so much more but didn’t know the correct strategy.

So, plan your money strategy as wisely as you plan your playing strategy. Smart betting, self control, and riding the winning streaks, will net you much more money. Good luck.

Whether you’re playing blackjack online or you’re under the roof of one of a beautiful casinos in Las Vegas or Monte Carlo, the good news about blackjack is that the rules are not only universal, they’re also universally easy to understand. In fact, a kid of eight can easily master the skills necessary for winning blackjack. Better yet, blackjack is very fun to play, so it’s rare that you’ll find yourself bored when playing this game.
The Primary Objective of the Game
In poker, the primary objective would have to be something vague such as “getting the best hand possible”. But when it comes to blackjack, the objective of the game is simple: the cards with an equivalent value to 21 or the one nearest to it wins. Simple to understand, isn’t it?
Who is Higher and Who’s Lower?
In poker, you have to familiarize yourself with what a flush looks like and what a full house compromises, then remember which one is higher. In blackjack, however, there are no card combinations to memorize. In fact, all you have to do is compute what the value of your cards is and if you still need to improve on it or stick with what you have.
The counting system for blackjack is just like how it is with Lucky 9, only it’s a wee bit – emphasizing the wee here – more complicated. Cards numbering two to ten are counted as they are. Face cards – that would be the royal couple, the king and queen, and of course, the third wheel, the jack – are equivalent to ten while the ace can be calculated as one or eleven. You alone shall be able to determine whether your cards would be better off with an ace worth one point or eleven.
Who Wins and Who Doesn’t?
In poker, people who believe that their cards are not that strong or up to par with their competitors’ immediately choose to fold or give up. In blackjack, while there’s no such thing as folding, there is such as thing as an immediate game loss – this is what happens when your cards are busted. Cards are busted when the value totals something more than twenty-one.
If you have busted cards, you lose right away or have to wait for the next round to play.
Betting
Before you can play blackjack, you must always place your bet on the table first.
Lastly, if your first two cards are identical, you can divide them and play them separately.

There are some basics in blackjack. Splitting aces and eights only makes senses since a hand equaling 2 or 12 compared to having two hands of 11 is a no brainer. Even though you only receive one card to your ace, the chances of getting 21 or a relatively decent hand are good.

Splitting eights all the time is a bit riskier. Some blackjack studs say not to split eights if the dealer is showing a nine or a ten. For me, it depends on how the cards are flowing that day whether I will split the eights all the time or just when it feels right against that dealer nine or ten.

Probably the most important strategy for wining blackjack is to always play the dealer for a ten in the hole. This will be the basis of your winning strategy. If the dealer is showing a ten, you play him as if he has twenty and hit or stay accordingly. The same rule applies if the dealer is showing a six or any other bust combination (12, 13, 14, or 15). You always have to play as if you had x-ray vision and could see the dealer’s hole card.

Playing hunches will kill you. You have to have a plan and stick to it. And your plan should follow the basic rules. Granted there will plenty of times that the dealer doesn’t have that ten in the hole, but you have to stick to your guns and play it that way.

One mistake that I see a lot of novices make is splitting tens or face cards. They will do this mostly when the dealer is showing a bust card. They think they will be able to double their money hitting each one of their tens. This is ridiculous. Who splits the second best hand in blackjack? Definitely not me.

Besides doubling down on tens and elevens, if the house allows it, I love to double on soft 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 if the dealer is showing a 3, 4, 5 or 6. There is a good chance the dealer will bust, and also a good chance you will improve your hand, or get a ten and it remains the same.

I have always held if I had twelve and the dealer showed a bust card. But, recently I read that you should hit a 12 against the dealer when he shows a 2. I was a bit hesitant to do this since there was a chance that I would bust. But, playing this way, I have found out that I have won more than I have lost. This strategy you will have to decide for yourself if it right for you.

These are some of the basic blackjack strategies that you can apply. The key is to remain consistent even when the cards are against you. If you hit a bad run, get up from the table and take a break. Don’t keep throwing your money away when a dealer is hot.

Money, Money, Money

One of the main reasons that people play blackjack is because it’s fun. Another reason could be for financial gain. If this is your reason, you will need some expertise in this field. The best way to win at blackjack is to know the ins and outs of the game. Once you know the strategies of blackjack, you will win money instead of losing it. Playing blackjack can be a good way to earn extra income on a regular basis. Although, the only way to accomplish this is to master the blackjack techniques. Everybody wants some extra pocket change. Learning how to play blackjack can help you put that extra money in your pocket. If you take the time to learn the game and its strategies, and choose where and when to play, there is no reason why you can’t use your winnings to enjoy the finer things in life.

Entertainment

Another reason to learn how to play blackjack is entertainment. There are people who play blackjack as a hobby; they use the game as a form of entertainment to occupy their leisure time. Blackjack can be a very challenging game, but like anything else, the best way and usually the only way to improve your skills are to practice. You can improve your skills two ways. First, learn as much about the game as possible. Second, challenge yourself continually. By following these rules, consistent winnings are just around the corner. Some of the benefits of playing blackjack on a regular basis, and learning the strategies, are improving your reasoning and calculating skills. The extra money you make will just be a bonus. That’s not too bad for a hobby.

What’s More Fun, Winning or Losing?

Last but not least, the final reason to step up your blackjack playing abilities is because winning is much more fun than losing. What could be more satisfying than leaving the casino with your pockets full of their money? When you become an expert in blackjack strategies, you will enjoy the feeling of knowing that you beat the casinos at their own game. It will take a lot of hard work and diligence to become a blackjack expert. If you apply yourself, the rewards you receive will outweigh your efforts to learn tenfold.

There are many more reasons why people play blackjack. We don’t need to touch on all of them. The reasons stated above should be enough to motivate you to be the best that you can be, to show the casinos they can be beaten. There are many ways to make money, none of them are easy, some of them are fun. Blackjack is a great way to combine entertainment and money making. Good luck.

Blackjack card counting is an advanced technique to win on blackjack. A player must first learn the basic strategies of blackjack before learning “counting”. By learning the technique of counting you will have the odds with you.

The basic concept of blackjack counting is that a deck filled with 10s and aces will be to your advantage. While the deck of the dealer is filled with smaller cards but is to the dealer’s advantage. Simply put, when the deck is in your favor bet to the maximum, when it’s with the dealer’s bet minimum.

This is because a deck filled with 10 increases the chance of the dealer getting bust. You on the other hand can just opt to stand. In an opposite manner, a deck filled with smaller cards makes the dealers chance to bust less. If you know the deck is filled with 10s or smaller cards, this can give you the advantage of knowing what strategy to use.

The dealer must then always hit until having a soft 17. To hit with a hand of 10 & 6 and knowing the deck is filled with 10s is a bad idea.

If the deck is filled with aces, there is high chance that you’ll hit blackjack. When the player has blackjack, the pay off odds are 3:2. The dealer will only win on the other hand if he also gets a blackjack. That’s why a deck filled with aces is always to the player’s advantage.

Blackjack counting is not done by memorizing each card that has come out of a 6 deck shoe of cards. If you are able to do that, I’d be in awe: you should be in the world records book or maybe even the loony bin.

Blackjack card counting is done by assigning the different card numbers with different point values. Always remember to pick a system that is easy to remember. This will cause fewer mistakes and you will lose less money.

As stated above, you will assign a point value for each card and you will have to add the value of the cards that have come out. This is called the running count. Based on the plus/minus strategy, here are the values assigned.

2, 3,4,5,6 = +1;
7, 8, 9 = 0;
10, J, Q, K, Ace = -1

To illustrate this more clearly:
The first card dealt is an ace, so we start by having -1. Then 6 is the next card dealt so we add 1. This makes the run count back to zero. Then a 3 and 4 follows, making the run count now 2.

After figuring the run count, you can try to figure the true count. You take the running count you have and divide it with the number of decks remaining from the shoe.

The true counts tell you the appropriate bet size and you can base your strategy from there. Good luck!

From it’s inception in 2003, the Blackjack Hall of Fame has inducted a total of 11 members for their outstanding accomplishments, both at the tables and away from them.

Edward O. Thorp, one of the original Blackjack Hall of Fame members, was a mathematician and scholar, known as the Father of Card Counting by professional players and the general populous alike. His Ten Count system was first introduced to the world in his 1962 book, “Beat the Dealer”, which was the very first winning blackjack system ever published, not to mention that it was also the first mathematician publication to beat any casino-style gambling game. Every card counting system available today is a derivative of Thorp’s Ten Count system.

Ken Uston, an original inductee, passed away in 1987, years before the Blackjack Hall of Fame was even a thought. Uston brought the secrets of the big card counting teams mainstream with his book, “The Big Player”, creating a commotion throughout the gaming industry. After his landmark publication, card counting teams began to generate across the globe.

The inventor of blackjacks’ “team play” is one of the original members of the Hall of Fame- Al Francesca. Francesca was the driving force and mastermind behind Ken Uston and his book, “The Big Player”.

Blackjack researchers have been using the mathematical methods of Peter Griffin, as he was the first to break down any card counting system into two points-the Betting Correlation (BC) and the Playing Efficiency (PE). His book, “The Theory of Blackjack”, along with his many other mathematical papers made him an easy pick for the original Blackjack Hall of Fame lineup.

Stanford Wong, often referred to as the “Godfather of Blackjack”, was an original inductee into the Hall of Fame. The term “wonging” is related to his proven techniques of card counting across the globe. Wong was one of the first to beat the continuous shuffle machines of Las Vegas before they were removed and updated.

Yet another original member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame, Arnold Snyder, was inducted for first to publish what is now common knowledge amongst professional blackjack players; the importance of penetration. Although he has written many publications on the topic of blackjack, Snyder refrains from publishing much of what he has learned to allow current players the opportunities to play and win.

While still in college, Tommy Hyland began playing professional blackjack, and has been for over 25 years. He is the leading man in the longest running and most successful blackjack team in the entire world. Adored by his peers and despised by casino owners, Tommy has made his mark in the blackjack world and is an original inductee into the Hall of Fame.

2004 and the Blackjack Ball brought Keith Taft to the Hall of Fame, complete with a photo album featuring a variety of gadgets and such that he invented to aid in the casino beating process, with his primary focus always on blackjack. Taft credits his son, Marty, for the two were an unbeatable team since Marty was a teenager.

Max Rubin is the author of “Comp City”, a publication aimed at beating the Blackjack tables of Las Vegas even without mastering the art of counting cards. Rubin is the other Hall of Fame’s inductee for 2004.

The 2005 Blackjack Ball brought with it two new inductees into the Blackjack Hall of Fame, one being Julian Brown, an IBM computer programmer became captivated with the mathematics involved in blackjack. In the 1960’s Brown wrote to Edward O. Thorp and requested a copy of the blackjack computer program. Since Brown had access to some of the fastest computers available, he worked diligently to produce an improved program, resulting in the creation of Hi-Opt blackjack and Hi-Lo strategies. Most of today’s blackjack experts have built upon the work of Julian Brown.

2005’s second inductee is none other that Lawrence Revere, a card shark and hustler who created a series of amazingly simple, color coded charts and such so that anyone could understand. Revere is considered to be the man who brought blackjack to the average player.

The professional hole-carder’s bible, “Beyond Counting”, was authored by none other than James Grosjean, thus sealing his fate as the 2006 Blackjack Hall of Fame inductee. Although every tactic used by Grosjean was legal at the time, he was ridiculed and arrested for his practices. In turn, he sued Caesars and Imperial Palace for wrongful arrest, as well as the Griffin Detective Agency, forcing them into bankruptcy, paving the way to stop libeling professional gamblers.

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.