Archive for August, 2009

Winning Blackjack – Part 5


With so many variations of blackjack and the introduction of side bets to this game, which one do I play? Which variation gives you the better odds of winning? Should I play these side bets or not? Should I sit at a table that has six decks or eight? Is six to five odds better than three to two odds? The answer to all these questions is simple. Your asking the wrong questions..

The following is a small excerpt from ‘How To Make Extra Money Playing Blackjack’. This is a step by step guide to understanding and playing blackjack to win.

Paying out odds
……An easy way to work out the paying odds on three to two will be to pay even money on your bet than pay out half your bet, ie; a bet of ten dollars is calculated at ten dollars plus five dollars, which will result in a payout of fifteen dollars. A bet of fifty dollars would be fifty dollars plus twenty five dollars, resulting in a payout of seventy five dollars and so on. The payout on a ten dollar bet with six to five odds would be twelve dollars (needless to say if you have a choice, play on the table that offers three to two odds on blackjack). If the dealer is dealt a ten value card and you are dealt a blackjack you will need to wait until the hand is completed to see if the dealer receives an ace resulting in a push. If the dealer is dealt an ace and you are dealt a blackjack a call for insurance is made and you will be given the choice to take a payout of even money or risk the dealer playing out his hand. In which case if he receives a ten value card the result would be a push. If he deals himself any other card other than a ten value card he will pay you three to two or six to five, depending on your table rules.


Winning Blackjack – Part 4


There has many changes to blackjack (also known as Pontoon or Twenty one) over the years. The biggest changes has been the move from one deck of cards to six, and in some countries blackjack is played with eight decks of cards. Also the move from hand shuffling to machine shuffling and paper cards to plastic cards, to name a few. Also there has been a big move in variations of the game.

If you walked into any casino anywhere in the world, there will be at least two to five different variations of the game of blackjack. The most recent changes I have seen is the addition of side bets. For example the other day I saw a side bet that allowed you to bet whether you would receive two of the same card, ie: two sevens or two nines. This paid out different odds dependant on whether the two cards were the same suit or not. Why all the changes?

The following is a small excerpt from ‘How To Make Extra Money Playing Blackjack’. This is a step by step guide to understanding and playing blackjack to win.

Paying out odds
……To make things less complicated some casinos will allow you to double your bet when you have split your hand. For example if you are dealt two seven’s you can choose to split these cards and make two hands. On your first hand you are dealt a ten and choose to stand. On the second hand you are dealt a four totaling eleven, you can then double that hand to receive one card only. So from your initial bet of ten dollars you are now betting a total of thirty dollars. Bear in mind if you are dealt two ten value cards or two aces and decide to split and receive an ace or ten respectively this is not a blackjack. This will total twenty one, a blackjack can only occur with your first two cards dealt to you. If the dealer draws any card other than an ace or a ten value card and you are dealt a blackjack, you will be paid at blackjack odds before the hand goes any further, as the dealer cannot beat your hand. On a ten dollar bet you will be paid fifteen dollars.


Winning Blackjack – Part 3


There are not many card games played at casinos where you can change the outcome of a hand. Compared to other casino games such as roulette, slot machines, baccarat, keno, caribbean stud, craps or pai gow, blackjack has the smallest house edge at 0.5%. It is a unique game, as you are able to change the odds to your favor if you pay attention.

The following is a small excerpt from ‘How To Make Extra Money Playing Blackjack’. This is a step by step guide to understanding and playing blackjack to win.

Roles
The role of the dealer is to deal the game within the rules of the casino. The role of the supervisor is to watch the dealer. The pit bosses watch the supervisors, the casino manager  watches the pit bosses, and last but not least, the cameras watch everyone and everything.

Paying out odds
All winning bets except for a blackjack are paid even money. This does not change if you double or split your first two cards. A blackjack is paid three to two and again there is a variation that pays blackjack at six to five. For example if you place a bet of ten dollars and win you will be paid ten dollars. If you bet ten dollars and double up on that hand you would have out layed twenty dollars, if you win that hand you will be paid twenty dollars. Some casinos allow you to place a partial double, this means if your initial bet is ten dollars, you can choose to double with only five dollars. If you bet ten dollars and split your hand  you would have out layed twenty dollars, ten dollars on each hand. If you win both bets you will be paid ten dollars for each hand.


Winning Blackjack – Part 2


The Basics Of Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the most popular card games played today. Probably one of the simplest games to understand, but like many things can take a long time to master.

The following is a small excerpt from ‘How To Make Extra Money Playing Blackjack’. This is a step by step guide to understanding and playing blackjack to win.

Blackjack is played at a table with up to seven circles or squares for players bets, a shoe (this holds the cards where the dealer draws from), a drop box (where everyones hard earned cash goes into), a discard rack (where the cards are placed by the dealer once they are out of play), and a dealers chip rack (where the banker/dealer holds all the chips that are used to pay out wins or collect losses). Once the dealer has shuffled, cut the cards and burned (discarded)  the first card, he will place the cards into the shoe and is ready to go. Players place their bets and the dealer will begin from his left and deal every player including himself, a face up card. He will then deal a second face up card to every player except for himself. Now that every player has a two card total, the dealer will then point at each circle and a decision from each player has to be made in one of five ways:

Stand:           Receive no more cards
Hit:                Take another card
Double up:   Increase your bet to receive one more card
Split:             Make two hands from the first two cards you are dealt
Surrender:   After receiving your first two cards you can decide to lose one half of your bet and not continue the hand

After all player decisions have been made and played out the dealer will deal his cards last.


Winning Blackjack – Part 1


I started dealing blackjack when I was 23, a long time ago. Dealing was not the easiest job, but it gave me a different perspective to how people react when there money was on the line. It also made me a much better player. It startled me to see how bad most people play this game, its not rocket science. Yet player after player would lose there money on my table by making monumental mistakes. I only realized later when I started playing why people made these mistakes.

The following is a small excerpt from ‘How To Make Extra Money Playing Blackjack’. This is a step by step guide to understanding and playing blackjack to win.

The Basics of Blackjack

The object of blackjack
Like many other casino card games your objective is to beat the dealer. After the dealer has dealt a series of cards to the players and himself, if the total of your hand is greater than the dealers without exceeding twenty one, you win. Although there are many variations of this great game, this rule does not change. If the dealer and any of the players have the same total after a hand has been completed the result is called a push (not a win and not a loss).

Playing Blackjack
All cards from two to ten have a value equal to the number on the card. All face cards, that is, jacks, queens and kings have a value of ten. The ace has a value of either one or eleven. For example,  if you are dealt a queen and a nine your total is nineteen, if you are dealt an ace and a eight your total is either nine or nineteen. If you are dealt an ace and any card value of ten you have a blackjack which beats all other hands except one. That is if the dealer has a blackjack, in which case the result is a  push, resulting in the end of the hand and a new hand is dealt.


How To Make Extra Money


How to make extra money – playing blackjack, is a step by step guide to understanding and playing blackjack to win. The intent of this guide is to be able to show you how to do exactly that. The advise and strategies within the guide come from my experience dealing blackjack, but more importantly the many many years I have spent playing and learning about this great game. The change from working as a croupier dealing blackjack, to playing the game as a punter, was a huge step. During that time I learned some valuable and ultimately very costly lessons.

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I’ve always loved gambling. Specifically going to a casino with cash in my pocket and leaving with more money than I started with. It always feels like you are beating the system. Let me paint you a picture. How do you like the sound of work where you have no employer? No one to answer to, or to report your daily activities. No need to clock on or off. Traveling whenever you want too, without having to accumulate annual leave. No need for a medical certificate every time you are sick. There are no set hours that you need to be at work. You can choose whether you work morning, day or night shift, and you can choose your own days off. How much you earn is dependent on you. You will never have to answer to customers, employees or employers again. Doesn’t sound like work does it ? People that I know who are the most content, successful and happy, never consider what they do as ‘work’. They describe it as a lifestyle or a passion.

We all know it’s difficult to obtain that balance between work and play. I worked for years for a very successful company. I worked hard and rose up the ladder very quickly. The perks were great and the recognition from my peers was rewarding. The downside to this was every time I reached a higher position, it meant taking on  more responsibility and more time spent at work. Success can be measured in many ways. What does success mean for you? Is it having the time to follow your dreams and passions? Or owning your dream car? Whatever your idea of success is, you can make it a reality.

Gambling for me is a passion. It has allowed me the freedom to have time to focus on my other love, my family. Whatever your passion is, take my dads advice, make it happen while your still young enough to enjoy it! Don’t be just another player who enters a casino to lose. You will be surprised how many people there are who do just that. You’ve heard them, ‘I go with $100 and if I lose I don’t care, it’s only a $100′. Never enter a casino with losing in mind. How to make extra money playing blackjack will keep you positive, and allow you to enter a casino with winning  in mind.