Yesterday I began talking about reducing your losses per hour in blackjack. While it is possible to reduce your losses per hour in online blackjack by slowing down your rate of play, some of the other ways of reducing losses are limited to playing blackjack in a brick and mortar casino.
One of those ways was discussed yesterday: making bets on another player
Have you heard that phrase
One of the fun things about playing blackjack in a brick and mortar casino is the free drinks. You will see waitresses going from table to table bringing drinks to players.
The casino
On Thursday of last week three brick and mortar casinos in western Pennsylvania opened the blackjack tables, drawing patrons away from the long haul drive to Atlantic City to enjoy some blackjack.
Unfortunately for Atlantic City the run of Pennsylvania casinos is not at an end yet. This past Tuesday, July 13th, saw the opening of blackjack tables in three eastern Pennsylvania casinos.
Blackjack players all over Pennsylvania are very excited with the addition of their favorite casino game in six casinos. This follows months of back and forth political arguments earlier this year about whether or not the State would allow table games like blackjack, roulette and craps to be added to their game offerings. But the demand was there and the income to the State in gaming taxes was needed. Everyone wins. Well, except for Atlantic City.
For decades Atlantic City was the mecca of East Coast gambling in the United States. But with the down turn in the economy and a lack of funds trickling down the government hill, states began looking at other ways to bring in money.
Pennsylvania is not the only state to look to gambling. Florida recently settled a long standing dispute with the Seminole tribe about blackjack there. Florida will be making $1.5 billion over the next five years from their deal with the Seminoles.
But with the addition of blackjack to the casino games at the Rivers, Meadows and Presque Isle Downs casinos in western Pennsylvania and the Mohegan Sun, Mount Airy and Hollywood casinos in eastern Pennsylvania could spell even more trouble for Atlantic City.
Not only will the time-honored East Coast gambling destination be competing with these six improved casinos next door, they might also be competing against online gambling. New Jersey is looking at legalizing online gambling for New Jersey residents that would make the competition even greater for Atlantic City.
While Pennsylvania blackjack players are quite happy with the new table games in six of their casinos, we shall have to see how Atlantic City fares over the next few years. Will it be able to keep itself afloat or will it sink in the ocean that is the gambling industry.
I am sure we have all heard this phrase before, and generally its source is one of two places: the business world or a movie. Actually I have also heard that goblins in massive multiplayer online games say the phrase too. But this actually relates to blackjack
While basic strategy offers players a wonderful, easy and legal way to lower the house edge it only takes you so far. As far as 0.5% still being in the house
Last week blackjack tables in three western Pennsylvania casinos opened:Rivers, Meadows and Presque. They ran the blackjack table test on July 6th and then opened completely on July 8th, much to the pleasure of local residents.
The addition of blackjack tables and other table game such as roulette, craps and mini baccarat are now pulling patrons away from the slot machines in favor of casino games they feel more in control of, especially blackjack.
Staff noticed a difference in the noise, energy and excitement of the casinos
Seems that so much is finding its way into being Apple applications for various i-whatevers. And blackjack is no exception. While the two blackjack apps that are out there now are not apps designed to make the game online blackjack, they certainly allow players to take blackjack on the road with them.
The two blackjack apps that are available to those with iPads do not allow for play with other players. These apps are similar to online blackjack games except that players are not online and the graphics are more on the simple side.
The two apps for the iPad are called Blackjack for iPad and Blackjack HD. Blackjack for iPad was created by Haolan Qin and Blackjack HD was created by MobilityWare.
There really is not too much of a difference between the two apps. Both have players starting out with $1,000 that they can add to by winning or lose by playing poorly. Thankfully both apps allow for learning, which means that they both have an Advice button.
So what makes them different from each other? Blackjack HD offers players another dimension of play. At a real blackjack table hand gestured are used to communicate to the dealer what play you would like to make. In the Blackjack HD app players can tape the screen twice to hit or swipe a finger horizontally to tell the game they wish to stand.
So what does Blackjack for iPad offer that Blackjack HD does not? Players can change the number of decks being used in Blackjack for iPad. Also to simulate differences in house rules, the insurance and surrender abilities can be turned off which allows players to practice playing with different house rules. Although I have yet to hear of a casino, online or otherwise, that does not allow for insurance considering that they make money on insurance. I suppose it is the thought that counts on the part of Blackjack for iPad.
While both of these iPad apps allow for taking blackjack on the go, I would still only recommend them for practice. They are able to simulate a game well enough to allow for practice but they still are not up to the standards of a game in a brick and mortar casino or online blackjack.
I read recently how a Dutch court ruled that poker is to now be considered a game of skill. This is a result of the defense in a court case arguing that because of tactics, experience and psychology poker is a game of skill.
This made me think of blackjack and how it should be considered a game of skill as well. I think of it as such, but the rest of the world should think of blackjack as a game of skill as well.
Why is blackjack a game of skill?
For starters players who use blackjack strategy can change their odds in blackjack. The easiest example is how a player who uses basic strategy can reduce the house edge to 0.5%. A player who does not use a form of strategy cannot lower the house edge and will more often than not increase the odds against them.
For players who practice their blackjack strategies and skills their ability to manipulate the odds increases in their favor. For this example I want you to look at card counting.
While card counting cannot be used in online blackjack, it does have an impact on blackjack played in a brick and mortar casino. And the more a player practices his car counting the better their skill at it is and the better they can take advantage of the cards they are counting; they acquire a better skill at knowing when to raise and lower their bets.
When a blackjack player combines their skills at basic strategy and at card counting they can bring the house edge to 0 if not tilt the edge in their favor.
Now you tell me how that can be done in a game of chance like slots or roulette? It is not possible in those games because the player does not have any impact on the outcome of a round. Whereas in blackjack the player is choosing how to play his hand
A natural blackjack is not the only thing that a player is hoping for when they sit down. Each player is hoping that if they cannot be dealt a natural blackjack that they will receive a 20. Or a 19. Or an 18. Or at least a 17