Ever heard of Casinoville? Sounds a lot like that Farmville that is so popular on Facebook. If you like your blackjack and ever wondered what it would be like to own your own casino then this Facebook game is right up your alley.
Okay, I was half joking. There is no Facebook online game called Casinoville
We know what this card is. You see it all of the time when playing blackjack. But you might not think that this particular card packs the punch that it does in terms of blackjack strategy. Or maybe you do and you just do not realize it.
There is one card in all of blackjack, be it casino blackjack, online blackjack, Spanish 21, Pontoon, etc, that all blackjack strategy is based on. Players act upon this card and they may not even be fully conscious that they are doing so. To them they are just going with their strategy.
But strategy has to be based on something even blackjack strategy.
In the case of blackjack strategy the most important card, the card that all of your strategy is based on is the dealer
When it comes to odds in casino games, many are actually quite accurate, or true. I know, surprising considering how the casino like to take money. However, at least in most games the odds are true. One of the exceptions though is an insurance bet in blackjack.
First off, what are true odds?
True odds are quite simple. Odds are true when they are even with the payout. Meaning the payout has to be the same as the odds of landing that payout. Take roulette for example. In a game of roulette there are thirty six numbers. If you were to make a wager on one of those numbers and won that round you would receive a 36-1 payout. And that matches the odds of landing one number, which is naturally thirty six to one.
Now let
Seems like the entire world stage is being devoted to the World Cup. This is especially true in the world of online gambling, where so much news is being taken up by the FIFA World Cup. So it is more World Cup news than online casino news.
However the world of online blackjack will go on. And that is one of the things that I like about online blackjack. It never seems to really change. Sure variations and side bets will pop up and then eventually be replaced by other variations but the core of the game will always be there.
It is one aspect of online blackjack that players like: the game never changes. A hit is always one more card and stiff hands will always make you groan. But it is a constant in the world of casino games.
The good news for players this means that strategy never really changes. And that allows us to practice, practice, practice. The better we are the better our blackjack skills are and the better our shot at winning becomes.
If blackjack changes less and less then online blackjack changes even less. House rules can and do change from time to time but this does not happen in online blackjack. This allows players to become even better acquainted with the game and their strategy, zeroing in on strategy, such as basic strategy, that really gives them a very good shot at lowering the house edge.
So while the world is absorbed in the World Cup frenzy players have the comfort and calm of online blackjack.
And by the way, with people more focused on the World Cup they are in front of their computer less which causes participation in tournaments to drop somewhat. So now is also a good time to check out some online blackjack tournaments.
And go, Spain!
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.
Double Exposure is one of those seemingly deceptive blackjack variations. It sounds pretty good for a player but in the end there are always rules that eat away at the player
Have you ever heard of a suited blackjack? Or what about a player 21 winning? No?
Both are a couple of different ways in which players can win a little extra. And we all know that when it comes to increased profit opportunities it also means our odds in blackjack are higher. This is because ever chance a player gets to make more in a game of blackjack the house stands to lose more. And when the house stands to lose more our blackjack odds go up.
So what are these two alternate ways of winning in blackjack?
One of them is a suited blackjack. This is a blackjack made of a Jack, Queen, King or 10 paired with an Ace of the same suit. So, for example, a Jack of Spades and an Ace of Spades would be a suited blackjack, but a Jack of Clubs and an Ace of Spades would not be suited.
Generally in a game of blackjack that pays out for a suited blackjack, a regular blackjack would pay 3-2 and a suited blackjack would pay 2-1. So say you are wagering $10. If you won with a regular blackjack you would win $15, and if you won with a suited blackjack you would receive $20. So how you are making more money, and more money means better blackjack odds
Part of the fun of getting new blackjack tables in Pennsylvania is waiting to see what the house is going to set their rules at: are they going to screw me or are they going to be decent and give me a fair shot at winning?
Thankfully the Pennsylvania blackjack tables have been set with some pretty decent house rules. How good? The Pennsylvania blackjack tables will have more player-friendly house rules than two thirds of the tables in Vegas.
So what is in store for players at these blackjack tables?
For starters I am pleased to say that they will be paying 3-2 for natural blackjack. There will be none of that 6-5 stuff in Pennsylvania!
Another good rule: dealers will have to stand on soft 17s. So that is 0.22% that the house will not have.
Double downs will not be limited to only hard 10s or hard 11s. Any two cards can be doubled down on.
Also having to do with double downs, players will be allowed to double down after splitting a pair.
And to top off all of those player friendly house rules blackjack players will be allowed to make late surrenders. So make sure you have a basic strategy chart that tells you when to surrender. This way you will only lose half of your wager rather than all of it.
In total these house rules will result in a house edge of less than 0.4% for those who use basic strategy
I have noticed something rather interesting of late pertaining to blackjack. There seems to have been an increase in blackjack games that allow the dealer to hit on a soft 17. And this happens with the casino industry being hit harder by a hurting economy and an increase in online blackjack.
On the surface a dealer hitting a soft 17 does not sound like too big of a deal. If you are shrugging your shoulders and saying,
And another blackjack app for the iPad is being launched. This one is from Viaden Mobile. Viaden is considered one of the most innovative developers of casino game applications for mobile devices. This time their app release is their Blackjack HD.
So far reviewers have said that is has the best graphic. But as well all know good graphics does not a good blackjack app make.
The Blackjack HD app actually contains three variations of the game. Players with this app can play standard multi-hand blackjack, Blackjack Switch or Blackjack Surrender.
To round out the Vegas feeling of this casino game app, Viaden has given the three variations contained in Blackjack HD casino music. They also try to give these games the feeling of playing with a live dealer through a voice that can announce hand totals and other sayings of blackjack dealers.
Viaden has given players interested in Blackjack HD another cookie. Since this app is not limited to only the iPad, it can be played on an iPhone or an iPod Touch, once a player purchases the app, they can install it on any of their devices that will support it without an extra fee.
Yuri Gurski, the head of Viaden Mobile, said of the app,