Beat The Blackjack

Blackjack Sign Up Bonus For Online Casinos

2011-03-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

Blackjack players sometimes get a bad deal when signing up to play at online casinos. Whilst slot machine players get up to 100% sign up bonuses, sometimes sign up bonuses just don't apply for blackjack players - or the rate of playthrough is restricted on blackjack to 10% of bets placed or similar. Blackjack is such a favourable game for skilled blackjack players, that many online casinos simply seem to try and discourage players from joining their casinos! Ugh!

Well, this is no longer the case at Virgin Casino. Virgin Casino have introduced a tasty 50% sign up bonus up to £50 for new blackjack players.

It's so easy to receive this great bonus:

1) Join Virgin Casino.
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4) Play blackjack and win some money!

Full details are available on the Virgin Casino blackjack bonus page.

Blackjack Forums Now Open

2011-01-14T12:03:00.000-08:00

If you've visited our sister blog site, How to Beat the Casinos, you may be aware of our excellent online casino forums which can be found at http://www.howtobeatthecasinos.com/forum. These online casino forums, 100% free to join and contribute to, provide you with the chance to interact with other casino players worldwide, and also give you the ability to ask questions about anything you've seen on our blogs, or any other casino websites from around the world. Our forums provide a range of topics to contribute to, including a "Blackjack Chat" section.

Forums are a great idea for gamblers: the opportunity to ask questions and discuss your favourite casino games can make you a more knowledgable, and therefore more profitable, casino player. Blackjack players will find them VERY useful. Discuss online blackjack, or discuss blackjack game conditions or blackjack game rules in your local land-based casino. Talk about various blackjack card counting techniques and opportunities. Find out whether continuous shuffle machines (CSM's) are better or worse for blackjack players around the world, dependent on game payouts.

I encourage you to visit http://www.howtobeatthecasinos.com/forum and contribute. And here's an incentive: the first 20 people who sign up and post 20 LEGITIMATE (e.g. not spam, and they should be more than a few lines etc) posts each, can claim $5USD from me via Paypal. Once you've created the necessary number of posts (this may take you a week or two - the idea here is to build a community), email me at davewestlondon@yahoo.co.uk. If you're in the first 20 readers to do so, and your posts check out ok, I'll send you $5USD via Paypal as a thank you! Please ensure you are old enough to comment / gamble in your jurisdiction (21+ encouraged).

You'll love HowToBeatthecasinos.com

2010-03-26T20:08:00.001-07:00

Hi, you've possibly noticed this blog hasn't been updated for a few months... apologies for that but I've been working hard on our brand new blog site which is located at www.howtobeatthecasinos.com. This is a new, fresh blog, that takes the good bits from all of our Blogspot blogs, and places them all together in one easy to find and use wordpress platform. I am sure you will really like what you see there, so come and find us now at www.howtobeatthecasinos.com. All of our new blog entries can be found there each day now. I'll leave this older blog still available on the web, but for updates and NEW information, make sure you bookmark www.howtobeatthecasinos.com as your new gambling blog of choice!

See you soon at How to Beat the Casinos! David - webmaster and author.

Beat the Blackjack Christmas Wishes

2009-12-23T11:55:00.001-08:00

Thanks so much for reading my blog - and I hope you have a very Merry Christmas this year! I know I'm a day or so early in my wishes - but traditionally my Christmas Day is fun-packed and busy, and tied up with all manor of friends and family activities - so I'm getting my wishes out to you now, in case I run out of time on the day!

I hope you've all been winning some money in these weeks leading up to Christmas, so that you have been able to buy gifts for others you love, and treats for yourself. But if not, do not fear. Gambling streaks go up and down - perhaps the new year will bring you new luck. Never give up without a fight! Beat the casinos - and don't stop until you do!

Have a great Christmas everyone. I'll be around over the Christmas break and will continue to update the blog - possibly even with more regularity over this period - so stay reading for more good advice, great offers, and interesting casino-related news. :-)

Blackjack without the Human Touch

2009-10-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

For some years now, Shuffle Master gaming have been producing a range of electronic table games, called "Table Master". I've played a few of these games in my time (they're only found in land based casinos), and they're actually pretty good. For me, the absence of a human dealer can be both good and bad: some dealers are great, some are lousy. At least with a computerised dealer you know what to expect. :-) And the Shuffle Master Table Master games look good too - as can be seen in this photo taken by Shuffle Master themselves:

One feature I really like with these Table Master games is that the gameplay of all seating positions is completely independent of the others. This means that no one elses decisions will ever affect your play, as your cards are coming from a separate virtual deck. This is actually BETTER than a normal blackjack game, when some idiot player sitting on 13 against a dealer picture can really screw YOUR hand.

The Table Master games can be configured by casinos to have minimum bets etc. On the games I've physically played, I found $2 - $200 bet spreads - but I know of some casinos that have a $5 minimum. In any case, the odds of the game are set by the rules that the game gets configured to for that casino. A fairly typical rule set for a Las Vegas casino might be as follows:

6 decks (shuffled after four decks)
Blackjack pays 3 to 2
Dealer hits soft 17
Double after split allowed
Double on any two cards allowed
Surrender allowed
Split to two hands only
Seven Card Charlie (un-busted hands of 7 cards automatically win)
Bet range: $2-$200

If these exact rules are configured, then the house edge on this game is around .68%. That's not too bad - but when playing you must bear in mind that there are no breaks at the end of a shoe, that the gameplay is quite fast, and that its very easy to get addicted to this type of game. From my own experience at least. Do make sure whenever you play that you are using a casino Players Card to get comps / points etc and make the most of your play.

If anyone has played this game in their local casino lately, let me know how you got on. It would be interesting to have another article on this in the near future, perhaps comparing the various game configurations that are out there in the market (and therefore helping to direct players to the casino with the best configuration set). I can be contacted (as always) at davewestlondon@yahoo.co.uk.

Blackjack Bonus Cash - Now!

2009-10-10T02:50:00.000-07:00

Want £30 free from me? Read below about SlotsNGames Offer.

Last week, Derren Brown tried to win £175,000 for a viewer of the Derren Brown's The Events series, by predicting the course of a roulette ball on the roulette wheel. But he didn't predict the number correctly - although he came close. The ball stopped one number away on the roulette wheel from the number he predicted to win. I guess that says it all - roulette is random, and hard to win on. Regardless of the system or approach you use, roulette is hard to beat in the long term (in the short term, anything is possible).

This is why I prefer games such as blackjack. They're random, but controllable. And if you can memorise and / or count cards you have a real chance to walk away a winner. Even without those skills it's a fairly even game - and you can win.

What I like about blackjack, is that by reading articles and information about the game (such as that on our Beat the Blackjack blog) you can really improve your approach and chances of winning. It's a mathematical game. That can be beaten under the right circumstances - and it certainly demands a go from a gambler like myself!

To help you improve your chances further, most online casinos offer great blackjack game versions, and also offer match play bonus cash to new players. I'm making these bonuses even sweeter for you for THIS month only. There's a new casino on the block from the trusted folks at St Minver (who operate a wide range of online casinos including VIP Casino club, Metro Bingo, Butlins Casino and others), called SlotsNGames. You can get up to £275 of free cash from SlotsNGames in the form of matchplays - and that's a really MASSIVE bonus fund for you to access. It's one of the very best available bonuses from ANY online casino. But here's an additional reason to join... HERE and RIGHT NOW.

Click on the banner below to visit SlotsNGames. If you join up via our blog by October 31 2009, deposit at least £100 and get your first bonus, and play that combined total through to meet / exceed the playthrough requirements listed on the SlotsNGames website, I'll PERSONALLY give you a cash thank you of £30 - whether you win or lose! I can pay this into your UK bank account, or via Paypal. It's a nice treat on top if you win, and a form of insurance if you lose. And it's unique to us HERE.

Just send me an email once you've joined and met the playthrough requirements at davewestlondon@yahoo.co.uk and we can sort out your free cash from me! This extra cash is available from the Beat The Casinos family only - we really help you to Beat the Casinos!

Live Blackjack on UK Televisions!

2009-09-05T14:43:00.001-07:00

Hey UK blackjack players! If you live in the UK and enjoy playing Live Roulette and Live Blackjack on your television, or if you live internationally and like to play either of these games on the web, then I can highly recommend the very professional SuperCasino.com - operated by NetPlay TV, who work out of Battersea TV Studios in London, UK.

Joining via the Internet is easy, and you can get a startup matchplay bonus of up to 250GBP - that's a huge amount of free cash! Debit and credit cards are welcomed.

SuperCasino.com run a VIP program for ALL players - you accrue points with every bet you place. For true VIPs who play a lot, SuperCasino.com offers free nights out in London and all sorts of other benefits. To help you to understand what some of those benefits are, they are providing a VIP tour video - shown below.

Join Supercasino.com now! It's great fun, and highly rewarding!

Blackjack Cash Draw - It's on Tonight!

2009-08-30T16:59:00.000-07:00

***Update 5 September: No win... but thank you all for your kind wishes!***

Tonight I'm in a lucky cash draw at my local casino. I've been in casino prize draws before (I even won one - once), but this one is kind of special. For the last month or so the casino has been running a blackjack promotion, giving a draw entry ticket for every true BLACK JACK (defined by the casino as a winning blackjack, with a Jack of Spades or a Jack of Clubs). As many of you who read my blogs will know, I play a LOT of blackjack, and have amassed about 120 entries. I'd estimate there's about 1500 entries in all, in the barrel.

The odds of getting one entry in the first place were not high: statistically about 1 in every 46 hands would qualify. So that means I've played somewhere in the vicinity of 120 x 46 hands = 5520 hands in the last month. That's quite a few I think, even for a "VIP Player" such as myself.

Anyway, as I understand it, there will be three draws from the barrel, with each winner getting a share of the $21,000 prize pool. If there are 1500 entries, then the odds of winning with 1 ticket are 1 in 500. With my 120 tickets or thereabouts, my odds are 120 in 500 - or close enough to 1 in 4. So I'm very hopeful of a win.

You can help - please pray / beg / chant / wish or whatever it is you do for me to have good luck tonight, and score a win! It would be a fantastic thing. And if I'm lucky and win in that draw, in return I'll give away 10 x $100 gifts to lucky readers of this blog... details will follow, if I'm lucky enough to win tonight!

I appreciate your kind thoughts, good wishes, and greetings of luck! May you also be lucky - and thank you reading the Beat the Blackjack blog!

Blackjack tips - Wordpress?

2009-04-09T13:59:00.001-07:00

Hi, you might be wondering why my last post was back in December on this blog. Well, I haven't died - I've just been experimenting with the Wordpress platform. I did write a wordpress blog, but ***NEWS FLASH AS OF MAY 2009*** I've now decided that Wordpress is not what it's cracked up to be - so I'm back here and remaining on blogspot.com! Keep visiting! Thanks for your continued support. :-)

Happy New Blackjack Year!

2008-12-30T15:05:00.000-08:00

It might look to be a day or so early - and it is, because I'm holidaying for the next few days - but I wanted to wish all of my blackjack playing readers a very Happy New Year! May 2009 bring you everything your heart desires, and may it be filled with luck, love, prosperity, health, and happiness.

Start your new year off well - get some Free Blackjack Cash from us here at Beat the Blackjack, before 31 January 2009! Have a very happy new year everyone!

Vegas 20+ Bonus Blackjack

2008-12-27T22:05:00.000-08:00

Fancy a game of Vegas Blackjack with great rules, and the chance to win big? Virgin Casino offers Vegas Blackjack with 20+ Bonus.

The basic rules offered in this generous Blackjack game version include:

- The Dealer checks for Blackjack early - saving you from adversely risking more money to split or double down.
- Blackjack pays 3 to 2 (true odds, not 6/5)!
- You can double down and hit split Aces - a great advantage!
- You can double down on any two cards, and double down after splits.
- The Blackjack dealer always stands on soft-17.

The powerful 20+ Bonus™ award will be loved by experts and beginners alike. You can optionally place a bet on the 20+ Bonus on any blackjack hand. The bonus pays out if you get a natural 20 or 21 (or Blackjack) on your first two cards. You must sit on that total (no splits etc allowed) otherwise you forfeit your bonus. The payout odds for the 20+ Bonus award are as follows:

Twenty Win: 2:1; Twenty Tie: 10:1; Twenty Lose: 20:1; Blackjack Win: 3:1; Blackjack Tie: 30:1

Imagine getting a payout of 30:1 on a blackjack tie! That's a great payout for a hand which would otherwise be a "push". I wouldn't (personally) play the 20+ bonus every hand, but I can see its appeal as an occasional bet (a lot like playing perfect pair or triple 7 side bets on some other blackjack games). The basic rules on this game are very good whether you play the bonus or not. Have fun playing Vegas Blackjack with 20+ bonus at Virgin Casino! And do let me know how you get on - email me at davewestlondon@yahoo.co.uk.

Don't Take Blackjack Insurance!

2008-12-27T22:03:00.000-08:00

The "Insurance" side bet is available in virtually all blackjack games. You put money down for insurance when the dealer has an Ace showing as their first card, if you think that the dealer will get a blackjack. The bet pays 2:1 if the dealer does get a blackjack, and loses if they don't.

What are the chances of a dealer getting blackjack? This can be affected by the number of decks played in the game, what the current "count" is, and how deeply the dealer penetration of the cards goes. To get a blackjack a dealer needs an Ace (1 chance in 13 = 7.7%) and a picture / ten card (4 chances in 13, but only makes a blackjack when an Ace is present already = 30%). On average, the dealer will get a blackjack about once in every 23 hands. That's also the same for a player.

Unless you're a very experienced card counter, blackjack INSURANCE bets should be AVOIDED. The average house edge on the insurance bet is about 7% (on 4 decks and above). In the long run, not taking the blackjack insurance bet will save you money. Insurance is a premium paid to protect against an event that might or might not happen. In the case of blackjack insurance, the premium is simply too high to pay when compared to the relative risk.

Zero Edge Blackjack

2008-12-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

Can you really play a truly fair game of blackjack with ZERO house edge? Yes, but only at one site online: Betfair Casino.

As a way of differentiating themselves in the market, Betfair Casino offer a range of ZERO edge games (including Zero Blackjack, Zero Roulette, Zero Baccarat, and Zero Jacks or Better Video Poker). Up to 3 hands at a time can be played in Zero Blackjack, with a minimum total stake of 5GBP and a maximum total stake of 50GBP.

The basic Zero Blackjack game uses 8 decks with the cards shuffled after every hand. Blackjacks pay normal 3:2 money - however, when a blackjack is SUITED (i.e. Any Ten-value card and an Ace of the SAME SUIT), that blackjack pays 2 to 1! Additionally, if the player has a 5-card 21, then this is also paid out at 2 to 1!

Under the Zero Blackjack game rules, all pairs can be split except for Aces. All pairs can only be split once. Players can double down if their first two cards are 8, 9, 10, or 11. Double down after splitting is allowed. If the dealer shows an Ace as an up card, players can take insurance which pays out at the normal 2:1 odds if the dealer does have a blackjack.

The expected return to players on Zero Blackjack (using perfect player strategy) is 100.0%, correct to 2 decimal places. You simply can't get a fairer game than that!

Hi / Lo Blackjack Strategy

2008-12-27T21:57:00.000-08:00

In this article, I'd like to introduce one of the most popular and most simple blackjack card counting systems: The Hi-Lo System.

The Hi-Lo system works by giving / assigning every card in the deck DEALT a point value of +1, 0, or -1. Cards 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 each have a count value of "+1". Cards 7, 8, and 9 each count as 0. Aces and Picture / Ten cards each have a count value of "-1". This small table shows the cards and values more clearly:

Using the blackjack hi-lo card counting system you want to bet more when the count is HIGH (i.e. when lots of low cards have been dealt out, leaving high cards / ten cards in the deck to be dealt), and less when the count is LOW. Why? High cards help the player to get better scores, and also give you a better chance at getting a natural blackjack. In contrast, low cards help the dealer to pull cards without going bust.

To use the blackjack hi-lo card counting system, as each card is DEALT, simply add the resulting value based upon the card dealt - so if it's a ten value, subtract one. If it's a 4 etc, add one. You always START AT ZERO at the beginning of a new shoe (regardless of how many decks of cards are being played in that shoe). You must count ALL cards shown on the layout: whether they belong to you, the dealer, or other players. ALL cards must be allowed for - otherwise your count will be inaccurate.

Let's assume that 8 cards have been dealt from the deck, and that they were as follows: "Q, Ten, 4, 7,5,9, King, 3". We would start from zero and then apply the following: -1, -1, +1,+0, +1, +0, -1". Totalling those scores together our RUNNING COUNT is "-1". This means that more picture / ace cards have been dealt from the deck than is statistically good for us. So we would bet LOW at this point.

Let's take an alternative stream of 8 cards dealt: "5,6,3,8,7,Ten, 9, 2". We would start from zero and then apply the following: +1, +1, +1, +0, +0, -1, 0, +1". Totalling those scores together our RUNNING COUNT is "+3". This means that less picture / ace cards have been dealt from the deck than is statistically good for the casino. So we would bet HIGH at this point. (The higher the count, the more we bet).

Betting thresholds depend on how many decks are being played and how far through the decks have been dealt - but for me I find I start to bet noticably higher once the count is "+4" or more in my favour - and certainly always when it is "+6" or more.

If you follow this method exactly as stated however, you may still lose. Why? Because you also need to factor in something called the "TRUE count". A true count takes into consideration not only the "running count" of the actual cards that have come out so far, but also allows for how far statistically you have been dealt through all available cards in the shoe.

To get the True Count, you divide the running count by the number of decks still left to play. Let's say you're on a double-deck (104-card) blackjack game, and only those 8 cards have come out. You're therefore 8/104 into the deck. If your true count is +3, you need to divide this number by 2, as there's still roughly 2 decks to play. So your running count is +3, but your TRUE COUNT is 1.5.

If however you're on a six deck (312-card) blackjack game, and only those 8 cards have come out, then you're 8/312 into the deck. If your true count is +3, then you divide +3 by 6 to get the running count: your TRUE COUNT is 0.5.

Each TRUE COUNT point gives the player an advantage of about 0.5% - but the casino has the edge when the cards are first shuffled by about 0.5%. Therefore a True Count of +4 would give an edge TO THE PLAYER of 4 x 0.5% = 2% less house starting advantage of 0.5% = REAL PLAYER ADVANTAGE of 1.5%.

This is why I personally tend to wait until I have a TRUE COUNT of about +2 or +3 before I start betting too heavily. Technically, any advantage is a good thing for a player - but I tend to bet cautiously. The higher the TRUE COUNT plus value, the more I bet. Of course, if your bets swing wildly from say $5 / £5 on no advantage to £100 / $100 on a +4 advantage, you WILL attract attention from casino surveillence (and could end up banned like I was in the UK). So by all means play higher bets, but maybe go from $5 / £5 to $25 / £25 in your swings to avoid detection.

This short primer simply describes one possible system for blackjack card counting. There are other more advanced systems that can give even better results - I'll cover these in the future.

Need to play blackjack right now? Check out any of the excellent casinos I feature in this blog - all of which I've played at myself. Just some of these include: Virgin Casino - £50 free, Betfair Casino - £75 free, Totesport Casino, 32Red Casino - £100 or $100 Bonus, and Betfred Casino.

Good luck beating the casinos! Let me know your thoughts / how you get on.

Blackjack - Get Comps

2008-12-27T21:54:00.000-08:00

I'm often asked how travelling and local players to a particular casino can maximise their shot at "complimentaries" - free items / cash provided by the casino in return for play. There are a few basic rules:

1) If you're playing in ANY Casino, always look for a Players Club desk. If they have a players club, then they give comps / points you can exchange for comps! As long as membership is FREE, join up. Do this whether you live in the immediate area or not. There are generally always free gifts upon signup (sometimes a pen, sometimes a cap, sometimes free slot play). And regardless of how long you stay, if you use your players club card on the property whilst gaming on the slots or at tables, you're earning SOMETHING in points. In some casinos that could be a tiny amount, in others it's going to be a lot larger.

2) For table games, assuming you've now got a players card, always feel free to ask for a Pit Boss, and ask them about their comp policy - i.e. how much play is required for a particular complimentary item (like a buffet etc). They'll soon tell you if they have discretion to write comps at the table, or whether all comps must be approved / paid out by the players club. Where pit bosses have discretion, you'll generally get better comps - so this is worth finding out in advance. In the US, 2-3 hrs of $10 - $15 a hand blackjack play should get you a buffet. 4-6 hrs of $25 - $75 a hand blackjack play should get you a room for a night. Those rates are of course just indicative - every casino will be different. Outside of the US, you'll generally need to play a lot higher for a lot longer to get those benefits.

3) If playing slots etc, ALWAYS use your players card whilst playing. Check that the machine says the card has been "accepted". Every point you earn whilst playing is working towards those comps you want!

4) If playing slots, ask the players club about BONUS POINT DAYS - some casinos might give 5x points for playing on a Thursday for example. Find out about those days and maximise your play. Table games are generally excluded from Bonus Point events - however there are often special promotions in place for players.

5) Ensure that you've provided a mailing address, and that you have opted-in to receive both mail and email promotions from the casino. If you are chosen by the casino marketing department to receive mail (based on casino location, your location, and the amount you've played in the last few visits) then you'll gradually start to receive special offers in the mail. These are always play dependent, but can range from slot matchplays, to FREE cash, to FREE meals, to FREE or discounted casino room rates, to FREE promotional merchandise - all are designed to bring you BACK to the CASINO, so that you'll get your freebies but continue to play. Email promotions can be excellent also - you can get these from most casinos not only by signing up for a players card, but also by visiting their websites and signing their "guest book". I recently received an offer from Hard Rock Casino for FOUR FREE room nights, just for being on their email list. No conditions, just some specific dates that were available.

6) In larger gaming meccas, where competition amongst casinos is high, you'll often find casino promotions people giving out literature / flyers on the street for various freebies / promotions. Always take these and have a read. On the whole they represent a chance to get "something for nothing" - well, nothing more than walking inside and potentially sharing your details with the casino. Sometimes its a free coffee or bar drink, sometimes a free pack of cards, sometimes its something more substantial. One of my earlier posts in this blog refers to how I maximised a Walk-In promotion (requiring multiple visits) in London to get a free DVD player (and in another casino, I got a Mont Blanc pen, value £250, just for making 4 visits inside).

7) If you play at a high-level (i.e. blackjack at $50 or more per hand, roulette for $100 or more per spin, slots at $10 a spin or more etc) then ring the casino you want to visit and ask to speak to a VIP Host / Casino Executive Host. If you're willing to agree to play at those levels for a set time period during your visit, you'll be surprised at what these people can do for you. They have the ultimate discretion when it comes to providing comps for players. If they think that the casino can make good money from you in the long term, they'll shower you with good fortune. VIP Hosts are not for everyone - but certainly ask if you think you qualify - the rewards can be great (dependent on your host, and the casino itself).

8) In any casino, in any country of the world, ASK, ASK, ASK about the comp policy. Ask the players club. Ask the pit bosses. Ask a floor manager. Ask a slot host. Their job is to keep you on the premises, happy and playing the games. If there's items they're allowed to give you for free, they will do it. If you don't ask you don't get - never be afraid to ask for what is rightfully yours!

I hope that these basic items of advice help you to get more and better comps!

Basic Strategy - Blackjack

2008-12-27T21:39:00.000-08:00

As you'll read elsewhere in this blog, I'm banned from all UK land-based casinos. I was never given an official reason, although it was hinted at that I might be considered a "card counter". Note: I didn't say that, the casinos "assumed" it. Oh well, there's the breaks. I can't be blamed for a semi-photographic memory can I?

I may be banned but you're not. In that respect, it's my priority to train you on how to win at blackjack (and other casino games), legally, using luck and skill in combination, so that you can continue the dream of breaking the casino banks. I say dream, because it's difficult to do - and many of the casinos you now play against are huge multi-national corporations with huge bankrolls. But they do say that big trees can grow from small acorns... so get planting!

Clearly, I can't teach you how to card count or advantage play in one blog entry - so I'm not attempting it. I'm also not going to tell you what the game of blackjack is basically about (i.e. getting closer to 21 than the dealer without going "bust") as there are plenty of Internet sites that can provide this level of information. I'm instead going to provide my wealth of blackjack advice over a series of articles, moving forward. This allows me to concentrate on individual blackjack topics / tasks and therefore give you more information, rather than just glossing over stuff.

This first blackjack specific article will give an introductory explanation of "Blackjack Basic Strategy" which is a reasonable way to play for all beginning / novice / medium players. It's where most blackjack players begin, and even for card counters and advantage players, it's a useful technique to learn / apply.

Blackjack Basic Strategy is, according to a computer (worked out through the simulation of millions of hands of blackjack - simulating many years of blackjack play for the average player), the best mathematical way to play every possible hand situation, without any knowledge of the cards left in the rest of the deck. Blackjack basic strategy does not make you a winner in the long-term: it simply reduces the edge to a respectable level when playing - on a six deck game to typically about 0.54%. But that's still 5 times better than Single Zero roulette! Play without blackjack basic strategy and you could end up giving the casino a much higher edge: typically 2% - 5%. That's a huge difference.

Note however that whilst the LONG TERM edge may be against you, you CAN win in the short term. And Blackjack basic strategy gives you probably the best chance to do that. Blackjack basic strategy does have variations based upon the number of decks in play, and upon whether rules like "double after splitting", "dealer only takes original bets if they have a blackjack", "split and re-split aces" apply. The inclusion or absence of those rules makes a difference to the long term house edge.

A blackjack basic strategy card follows for use in a 4 deck or more game. This sort of game is pretty common in all casinos - not all of us are lucky enough to live in Las Vegas where single and double deck games can be found. Typically casinos around the world use 6 or 8 decks for shoe dealt games, and 4 decks for continuous shuffler machines. Online casinos may use single decks, double decks, four decks, six decks or eight decks - but they typically always shuffle after every hand played. The blackjack basic strategy applies regardless of how the cards are dealt.

To apply blackjack basic strategy, you should follow this card EXACTLY as shown (for a 4 deck or more game - although the rules are also very similar for a smaller number of decks used). Deviating from the "rules" will over time cost you money. That's proven. I sourced this blackjack basic strategy card from an excellent website: www.wizardofodds.com. That site is an excellent read for finding out the odds on nearly all casino games. It's mathematically based, and good advice.

See larger image version (Opens in new window)

Ideally, you should aim to memorise the actions on this card. However, if you can't do that, don't panic. Many casinos will allow you to print the card and take it with you when you play at their tables. Why? Because whilst Blackjack Basic Strategy reduces the edge on the game to 0.54% approx (6 decks), it doesn't eliminate it. The casinos would rather have a 0.54% player than no player at all. In any case, if you're playing blackjack ONLINE, you can use this card with no hassle at all. Just print it and have it in front of you whilst you play blackjack.

Repeated from the www.wizardofodds.com website: "To use the basic strategy look up your hand along the left vertical edge and the dealer's up card along the top. In both cases an A stands for ace. From top to bottom are the hard totals, soft totals, and splittable hands. Rule variations can have an effect on some borderline situations. The most flexible rules are the number of decks, whether the dealer hits or stands on a soft 17, and whether doubling is allowed after splitting."

In future articles I'll tell you how to build on this blackjack basic strategy knowledge, and apply basic card counting skills to maximize correct decision making in various / borderline situations. It's these secrets that will enable you to reduce the house edge even further, generally to about 0.1% with perfect play. If you follow the advice elsewhere in this blog re players clubs, VIP hosts, double dipping on promotions and the like, you can get an overall "edge" on the casino experience as a whole, in YOUR favour.

As always, I'm here to help answer your questions / offer advice, so do let me know if there's anything I can help with. I don't mind if you're a beginner, medium strength player, or high-rolling expert... let me share my experience with you!

Need to play blackjack right now? Check out any of the excellent casinos I feature in this blog - all of which I've played at myself. These include: Virgin Casino - £50 free, Betfair Casino - £75 free, Totesport Casino - up to 125% free, 32Red Casino - £100 or $100 Bonus, and Betfred Casino - 100% bonus.

Blackjack Table Etiquette

2008-12-27T21:37:00.000-08:00

As an experienced casino player I'm often asked (by new players) about general land-based (i.e. not online) casino etiquette - the do's and dont's of what to do in a casino. Each game has its own individual rules to follow, but in general terms, the following rules apply to ALL table games played (slots have far fewer requirements):

1) Never hand your money directly to the dealer. Always put your cash down on the surface of the table, so that the security cameras can see the values etc.

2) Never touch your chips once a game is in progress. You should not touch your chips from the initial placement until the game decision (win or loss) has been made, and the payout made accordingly. A casino may think you are trying to cheat / add to your beat if you touch the chips during play.

3) When you stack your chips up, put the highest denomination chips at the bottom of the stack, and the lowest denomination ones at the top. This is for the benefit of the dealer and the cameras.

4) Ask a dealer for advice if you want to. Their advice may be good or bad. Likewise you can ask other players for advice if you want to. It's your choice.

5) Don't offer other players your advice UNLESS THEY ASK FOR IT. Many players will get upset quickly if you try to tell them how to play their hands / spins.

6) Always give a hand signal for your decision. If you're playing blackjack for example and want a card, tap the table. For no card, wave it away. Cameras can pick up hand signals, but not verbal "yes" or "no" discussions - so if there is ever a dispute, a clear hand signal will help to determine whether or not the dealer followed the players intended play correctly or not.

7) Ensure all of your bets are placed in time. On Blackjack, place all bets before the dealer signals "no more bets". For roulette, place all bets before the dealer says "no more bets" or rings the bell - it's often wise to place all bets BEFORE the dealer begins spinning the ball, so that you don't run out of time part way through.

8) If you are playing a card game like blackjack or baccarat, do NOT touch the cards (unless you are playing single deck blackjack or similar and the cards are dealt directly to you, rather than face up on the table). If you DO touch the cards, then ensure they stay ON the table at all times (in view of cameras), and DO NOT bend the corners. That kind of playing may get you removed / banned from the casino. In games like roulette, NEVER attempt to touch the ball / spinning wheel.

9) Unless you know how to card count in blackjack etc, follow basic strategy. That's the most mathematically correct way to play every possible hand. For a beginner, you'll give yourself the best chance to win / break even, using this formula.

10) Avoid Continuous Shuffler Machine games. They play about 20% more hands per hour than a hand shuffled game - so you'll lose 20% faster than on other tables (on average - or win 20% faster if you're having a run of exceptionally good luck).

11) In many countries you cannot tip the dealers - so check first. In some countries you can't enter a blackjack game mid-shoe - so check first. If you are able / going to tip a dealer, don't be too tight: if you're playing $5 a hand, then a good tip is probably about $5 per hour. But if you're playing $100 a hand, then your tip should be more (say $20+). Never tip when you're losing... unless you want your money to run out even faster. And never tip if you get bad dealer service.

I hope you find these basic etiquette tips useful!

Blackjack Money Management

2008-12-27T21:34:00.000-08:00

This article discusses the basics of blackjack money management in casinos - online, or land based.

What is Money Management?
To my mind, Money Management is simply a methodology to apply when playing in casinos that allows you to have the greatest chance of leaving with the casino's money. It's a combination of forward financial planning, discipline, and common sense. Sadly I've come across many a fellow gambler in my life who seems to lack these basic tools - so my aim is to help to change that! As I see it there are four main components to basic Money Management. These are:

1) Bankroll - working out what you can afford to play with.
2) Session frequency / timing - breaking up the bankroll into chunks.
3) Get in, Get up, Get out - how to keep your winnings
4) Security - and peace of mind

Setting the Bankroll
The reality of life is that some people are richer than others - therefore it's logical that they can afford to set a higher "bankroll" for any gambling session(s). Whatever your degree of financial liquidity however, you must PLAN IN ADVANCE before entering any casino, and set your bankroll to an amount that you're comfortable with, and can afford to lose if things don't go as you hope for.

Your bankroll will affect the choices of games you can play - in other words, a bankroll of $100 is not truly sufficient to play $5 roulette, but you might play $1 roulette with it, or 5c / 5p slot machines. As mentioned in Partwork One a general rule of 40 times basic stake is right for blackjack - so if you want to play $5 / £5 blackjack then you should have a bankroll of $200 / £200.

However - and this is IMPORTANT - you should not let the games you play decide your bankroll. You MUST let your bankroll decide the games you play! Does that make sense? What I'm trying to say here is that it's pointless trying to play $5 blackjack if you can't afford to lose even $50! You should set your bankroll, say $50 for that session, and then decide "oh I can play 5c slots with that bankroll".

Another important point: you should take whatever you can afford to lose ONLY into a casino, in cash. Do NOT take debit / credit cards or other financial instruments with you if you don't have the discipline to not use them whilst in the casino... those little machines and card swipe units can lead you down a very dark path! And so setting your bankroll really does mean that you have to plan in advance.

This is equally important for online play - decide your session bankroll, deposit it into the online casino account, and play. If you win, fantastic! If you should lose, DO NOT deposit more for that session.

Session frequency - breaking up the bankroll
If you're going on a holiday (i.e. to Las Vegas, Reno, Monte Carlo, London) and intend to play more often than in one single gambling session, then you should clearly have a larger bankroll set. So how do you set this amount?

Let's say that you typically go to a casino with $100 stake for any gambling session. If you're going to Las Vegas, for a week say, you might have a bankroll of $1500 - to break down as follows: accommodation: $300, food: $150, transport: $50, gambling / free-to-spend cash: $1000.

If $1000 is your gambling bankroll for the week (7 days), then to get a daily limit you would divide this amount into seven: for a daily limit of $142.85.

If you expect to play two gambling sessions each day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, then you would take the daily limit and divide this by two, for a session limit of $71.42.

Here's how I'd recommend you manage your money for the trip. You might laugh at first, but this method DOES WORK... don't knock it until you've tried it. BEFORE departing for your holiday, get all of the necessary CASH you require ($1500) on your home table. Get a collection of white envelopes, and write the following on them: Accommodation Money, Food Money, Transport Money, Gambling / Spending Money, Session 1 Day 1, Session 2 Day 1, Session 1 Day 2, Session 2 Day 2 etc. Place the required amount of cash (as worked out above) into each respective envelope, and SEAL it. Take all envelopes with you on your holiday / vacation.

When you're on holiday, simply take the relevant envelope out at the required time to pay / stake. So if you're paying for a hotel, the money comes from the accommodation envelope, for bus fares / cabs it comes from the Transport Money envelope, and if you're playing Session 1 on Day 3 your stake comes from the Session 1, Day 3 envelope. This does require discipline - but the reality is that by planning your bankroll in advance, you'll know CONSCIOUSLY when you're trying to use money that should be used for other things to gamble etc...

Why do this? Simply put, if you don't, you could end up spending your entire $1000 gambling budget for the week in ONE DAY! And then you'll have a miserable time for the next six days - surely you want to have a relaxed and fun holiday? I met a lady once at the Mirage in Las Vegas who was coming on holiday for 2 weeks, and spent all of her money in the first FOUR hours of her stay - she ended up flying home early!

Get In, Get Up, Get Out
Following on from my earlier partwork, which touched on Discipline as point four, I'd like to re-iterate the key mantra I use when playing in casinos. Simply put, it's this: GET IN, GET UP, GET OUT!

The key to winning in any casino, online or land based, in the US, UK or elsewhere is to play well, play often - and to leave when you're ahead!

We've discussed the envelope system for breaking down bankrolls etc - and ensuring that you can therefore play safely for any gambling session, knowing that as long as you don't exceed the cash in the envelope for that session, that you'll remain on budget. This envelope system can also work to ensure that you keep any WINNINGS.

Here's the plan: you have a SINGLE envelope called "Winnings". On every casino session you play, you'll have a "win limit" set - maybe 50% more than what you bankrolled for the session etc (see Partwork One for more details). Some sessions you'll win, and others you'll lose. Whenever you win and cash out at the casino cage, put your winnings (including the bankroll stake for that session) into the "Winnings" envelope. You'll note that you should NEVER have to go into the winnings envelope for cash on your holiday - because all other expenses have their own pre-budgeted envelopes already prepared.

As long as you're disciplined, at the end of the week you'll have had a great on-budget holiday, and hopefully a Winnings envelope thick with cash to TAKE HOME. (If you're not disciplined, take only the envelopes you need for each day to the casino, and lock the others in your hotel safe).

Security - and peace of mind
Just a quick point really: clearly if you're dealing with large amounts of cash, you'll need some basic rules to keep safe. I'd suggest the following:

a) Only carry with you at any time the envelopes / money required for that day. Lock the rest in your hotel room safe (or leave at home if not on holiday).

b) Don't place envelopes into purses / bags etc or other items that can be left behind easily on seats (or be stolen from by unscrupulous people). Keep them on your person in a pocket next to your body / money belt under clothes etc.

c) Don't make it obvious to others that you're carrying cash - or that you've just won a bundle! Most people are fairly honest (I think) but there are opportunists who will try their own luck if they think there's a chance you've got cash...

d) If you do win a reasonable sum of money, or if for any reason you don't feel 100% safe in any casino, go to the Security desk and either ask them to walk you out, or alert them to any unscrupulous characters you're worried about. All casinos have security, and all will offer their assistance to you. At the end of the day the security team are there to protect the casino's money - however you're also an asset!

I hope you've found the article interesting! As usual, leave comments to let me know your thoughts, or drop me an email at davewestlondon@yahoo.co.uk.

Beat Those Casinos!

2008-12-27T21:30:00.000-08:00

In this article, we're going to investigate the basic principles that will decide whether or not you're able to beat the casinos. As my first real name is David, and casino gambling is a bit like fighting a David and Goliath battle, I've called these basic principles "The Four D's".

The four D's are as follows:
1) Decision Making
2) Determination
3) Dollars (or pounds, or euros etc)
4) Discipline

In order to win at casinos over the long term, all of these Four D's are required by a player. A shortage of any of these D's can lead to disaster. Let's look at how each of the four principles is applied in practice.

D One: Decision Making
Choice of Game
Any experienced gambler will know that there are both good and bad games to play in a casino. These games are clearly identifiable by the percentage edge that is normally given to the house/casino by the rules of the game. A gambler who plays games with a low house edge is more likely to win / hold their own in the long term than a gambler who plays games with a high house edge. It's as simple as that.

And so the first decision you must make is about the kind of games you're willing to play. Typical house edge percentages for popular casino games are around the following: Blackjack 0.5 - 1% depending on rules / variations; Roulette 2.63% with single zero and 5.26% with single and double zero; Craps - pass line about 1.41% (but field and horn bets are much higher); Baccarat - about 1.13% on banker bets and 1.24% on player bets; slot machines about 3% - 15% depending on bet size, progressive meter etc.

Here's the reality: If I play blackjack for 1000 hands at $5 a hand, I'm putting $5000 "into play". If the house takes 0.5% of this, they would expect to make $25 from me. If I spin 1000 single-zero roulette spins at $5 total a spin, I'm putting $5000 into play. If the house takes 2.63% of this, they would expect to make $131 from me. That is five times worse than blackjack! If I play 1000 slot machine spins at $5 total a spin (i.e. 20 line machine with 25c per line,etc), I'm putting $5000 into play. If the house takes 8% of this (as an average figure), they would expect to make $400 from me. That is three times worse than single-zero roulette, but 16 times worse than blackjack! Certainly I wouldn't have been banned from UK casinos if I'd simply played slot machines! Most casinos make the bulk of their profits from slot machines - I honestly believe that they would take out all table games if they had the choice...

And so your choice of game is very important - and the rule of thumb is that you should develop a passion for low edge games. I think a low edge is 2% or less - so you could play baccarat (not the "tie" bet), craps (pass line / don't pass), or blackjack (my personal favourite), to give yourself the best chance of winning.
Just because a game has a high house edge, it doesn't mean that you can't win in the short term - you can, because luck does play a part in game play. However, the higher the house edge is, the more LIKELY you are to lose (certainly in the long term).

Choice of Where to Play
Alongside your choice of game, you must make good choices about where to play. Will you play in land-based casinos, or online? What influences your decision? How do you find a casino which suits your needs yet offers you good value? We'll look at this more deeply in future articles, but general rules will apply: for land based casinos look for places where you feel appreciated, looked after, given food and drinks (or at least drinks), that offer regular promotions, and that offer entertainment.

For online casinos, you should religiously chase promotions - making use of bonus cash opportunities wherever possible. You should also choose online casinos that you know are in jurisdictions that are highly regulated (i.e. Malta, Alderney, Guernsey) or are operated by big name brands with established land-based presences / businesses. I have personal experience of EVERY casino promoted on this website, and ALL of these casinos are in regulated environments. Those casinos include: Virgin Games, Betfair, ToteSport, 32Red, and Betfred, and others.

Independent watchdog sites like www.casinomeister.com and http://www.igcouncil.org/ are also useful sites to visit - they keep track of rogue casinos / casinos that members have reported issues or problems with.

D Two: Determination
Determination to learn how to play each game with perfection is key to the success of the very best gamblers. Some games in a casino can be thought of as primarily "luck related" - for example, slot machines. But many other casino games also have a large element of skill: blackjack, video poker, carribean stud poker, etc. It is skill games that give you the best chance to "minimise / remove the house edge", and increase your playing time and / or profits! So your determination to learn basic strategies for each game, and to practice, practice, practice these strategies (whether by using computer tutors, playing with cards on the table at home, playing with friends etc) is key. The more you play, the better you play. The better you play, the less you pay.

We'll cover this in future articles. We'll look at reasonable strategies to adopt for each of the individual games, and provide references to additional resources that you might find helpful to further improve your techniques.

D Three: Dollars (or pounds, or euros etc)
To play for real, you need money. Not necessarily a lot of money (you're aiming to win that of course), but certainly a starting "stake" that is sufficient to withstand a bad run if it eventuates in your chosen game, without eliminating your ability to stay in the game. If you're still in the game, you still have a chance to win. If your bankroll is exhausted, then you simply can't win your money back.

So many times I see people who've been to a casino wondering why they didn't walk out winners - when they've walked in with £50 and played £5 a hand blackjack. The simple answer is that their stake was too low for the size of bet they were making. £50 is perfectly fine if you're playing £1 a hand blackjack, but you need closer to £200 when playing £5 blackjack. The reason for this is simply that luck is fickle - and you might lose some hands before you begin to win... and if that happens, you need a bankroll that can withstand a "cold streak".

For blackjack, and many other table games, a bankroll of around 40 times basic stake is considered acceptable. For roulette, that should be 40 times your typical total spin stake (i.e. if you bet 10 numbers with £3 on each number, that's £30 a spin - so you'd need a bankroll of £1200). For slot machines, a bankroll of about 100 times typical spin stake would be advisable: so if you normally play £1 per spin (i.e. 20 lines at 5p) then take £100 minimum with you.

Your ability to access funds to meet this stake requirement should be factored in. If you go to a land based casino, take the required stake with you - or if you can't, can you use a bank / debit card at the casino cashier to get sufficient funds to take you to the necessary stake level? If you go to an online casino, do you have enough funds in your own bank account to fund the necessary amount?

We'll talk in future articles about money management generally, and also about accounting for taxation (if you're a regular, consistently winning player)... each of these items also factors when it comes to Discipline.

D Four: Discipline
A gambler without discipline is like a car without brakes - bound to crash and burn. If you do not have discipline, then you should not play! It's that simple.

Having discipline means that you always have a budget set before you walk into / log into the casino; that you NEVER exceed this budget (i.e. if you budget £100 and lose it, you don't go back into your wallet / online bank account and get more out); that you never play under the influence of drugs or alcohol (which can affect your judgment - and therefore the decisions you will make about which games to play, and how); that you understand that gambling is entertainment, and is not an investment.

Discipline also means that you set a "win limit" and aggressively stick to this also. If you walk into a casino with £100 you should work out in advance how much you expect to win, and when you reach this point, walk out. I find a rough rule of thumb is to hope to win 30% - 50% of your starting bankroll - so if I start with £100 I might be happy once I've reached £150, if I start with £500 I might be happy once I've reached £750. Of course, there are other ways to set the limit: perhaps you have a goal in mind, or an item to buy to make use of your winnings. "If I make £50 today I can buy that new CD Player I want." However you set your win limit, if you should reach your goal, you MUST stop playing (for that session). If you continually do this every time you win in a casino, you have a good chance of being a long term winner.

Some statistics I read a few years back said that at any given time, around 90% of people in a casino are actually WINNING - but few walk out. Instead they stay, and play, and play, and play - until eventually the house edge wears their bankroll away. The secret is to get in, get up (financially), and then get out.

I've made this same mistake myself before - staying and playing too long. My Dollars, Determination, and Decision Making skills were all intact - but my Discipline let me down. Was it the environment? The wine? Or just my laziness? In any case, those times were wake up calls - these days I'm much more disciplined!

In Conclusion
Hopefully this first partwork has been useful in describing the basics of winning in any casino. There's plenty more to come, so keep visiting and reading the articles here at Beat The Blackjack blog.

Free Blackjack Cash

2008-12-27T21:12:00.000-08:00

Hi Beat The Blackjack blog readers! As it's the festive season, I've come up with a VERY special promotion that runs from now until January 31, 2009. Come and get your FREE CASH from me! Our Beat The Casinos blog readers are also getting this offer.

Join ANY of the casinos promoted on this blog from NOW until January 31, 2009, deposit the required funds to get your full match play deposit (generally specified on each of their home pages - often 50GBP or 100GBP) and meet their qualifying / playthrough requirements, and I'll give you an ADDITIONAL 20GBP from my OWN pocket as a thank you!

Choose from ANY of the casinos we promote - that's a large number. And if you join more than one, the offer expands to fit: Join one casino, get 20GBP. Join 4 casinos, get 80GBP... and so on! Advertisements for casinos can be found at the top and right hand sides of all pages, and in blog entries.

Simply join, deposit, play and then email me your details: davewestlondon@yahoo.co.uk. I need your name, the name of the casino you have joined, and your preference for your refund (i.e. paypal, or deposit to your bank account).

Once your account / playthrough is confirmed, I'll send you your funds!!! This is a UNIQUE offer, and ONLY AVAILABLE here at Beat Roulette Wheels. ACT NOW - this offer is only valid until 31 January, 2009.

Happy Festive Season

2008-12-27T21:10:00.000-08:00

Blackjack players, it's that time of year again when we all get the chance to reflect on the year that's past, consider the year ahead, and to contemplate the true "reason for the season". Yes, it's the Christmas / festive season, the time when western nations (and some others) celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, through the coming together of families, the exchange of presents, and the eating of feasts.

I truly hope that all of my Beat The Blackjack blog readers have a very Merry Christmas! For some of us, Christmas is a wonderful time filled with fun, love, and excitement. I always remember however that for some Christmas is just another day, or a day filled with sadness (remembering loved ones that have passed on), or stress (and domestic violence), or just sheer poverty and depression. Have you had a winning year? Consider donating some of those winnings to your favourite charity. Have you got spare food after the Christmas Day meals? Consider the age-old Boxing Day tradition and box up food to take to your nearest homeless shelter.

However you spend your Christmas season, may it be a time filled with love, with joy, with peace, and with friends and family. Have a great Christmas everyone!

David - Beat The Blackjack

Responsible Gambling

2008-12-27T21:06:00.000-08:00

This might seem obvious, but the main purpose for this blog (and its sister blogs, including Beat the Casinos, Beat the Slots, and Beat Roulette Wheels) is to allow you, the player, to find out about the range of blackjack games you can play, and also to learn strategies that might make you money in casinos and UK bookmakers (fobt roulette) - or allow you to hold your own and / or extend your blackjack playing time. I don't want to be responsible for you actually losing money / giving it away to the huge monolithic corporations that own these palaces of chance. So I'd like to offer this responsible gambling information:

For most people, recreational gambling (and especially blackjack) is a fun pastime that provides good quality entertainment value - lights, glamour, socialising, with a shot of adrenalin, and the chance to actually be paid while you play. However, it can be addictive, and for some people, it can become an all-encompassing passion - which like any addiction, can lead to problems.

These are some basic rules to apply when gambling which might alleviate some of this risk:

1) Never play with money you cannot afford to lose. (Whilst this blog will try to offer you advice to improve your chances of "holding your own" or extending your playing time, there can still be "bad runs of luck").

2) Never chase your losses - i.e. if you have a £100 budget, and lose it, don't spend another £500 trying to get it back. Have a "loss limit" and stick to it... in the same vein, you need to have a "win limit" - a point of winning at which you'll also walk away (to ensure that you do in fact take some of the casino's money home with you)...

3) View gambling / blackjack as entertainment, not an investment. This is important and I believe one of the key factors that will allow you to avoid addiction. Gaming is occasional fun, which if kept within financial and time limits, can be hugely satisfying - but playing 24 hours per day is overstepping the boundaries of fun.

4) Never put gambling / blackjack ahead of your partner, family, friends, career, community life.

5) If at any point you feel you are losing control, STOP. If you cannot stop on your own, seek help from organisations such as Gamcare (www.gamcare.org.uk), Gamblers Anonymous (www.gamblersanonymous.com), or a Citizens Advice Bureau office. In the absence of these organisations in your area, you might also find talking to a health professional or faith worker useful / helpful.

There are of course many other rules which could apply - but I hope that the above are useful. It's important as with any game to respect the rules of play: play often, play well - but never play beyond your means, and never play to excess. Moderation is always the key. May good luck follow us all whenever we play. :-)

Beat The Blackjack Blog

2008-12-27T21:02:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Beat The Blackjack, the brand new blog and sister site to the Beat The Casinos blog, the Beat The Slots blog, and the Beat Roulette Wheels blog. Beat The Blackjack will concentrate its efforts on blackjack only. We'll investigate how to play blackjack online, in land based casinos, and on bookies fixed odds betting terminals (fobt) machines for entertainment. We'll look at how to potentially "win" when playing blackjack - and discuss whether blackjack really is a beatable game, in its modern form. Over time, the site will introduce a wide range of blackjack options to you, and will try to give you full information about the game play / odds / unique features where possible. From that point on, the choice is yours: to play, or not to play.

It's going to take a little while to get this blog site up and running - so make sure you bookmark us and come visit regularly... We'll have special casino bonus promotions from time to time also, and links to free play options too.

Make Beat The Blackjack your blackjack / 21 / pontoon blog of choice! Thanks for visiting!