Tag: Blackjack

Rhode Island Blackjack Hits Another Snag

Lawmakers in Rhode Island are certainly taking their time in deciding what to do with a bill about expanding the gambling offerings in two slot parlors. The two slot parlors are the Newport Grand and the Twin River in Lincoln.

The bill would allow for gambling expansion, which includes adding blackjack tables. But it seems that either lawmakers are a bit intimidated by blackjack, or there simply are not a lot of blackjack players in Rhode Island.

The bill would allow the state to determine how many blackjack tables there would be, their placement, their rules and odds, and to collect receipts from blackjack.

In 2006 citizens were allowed to vote on an amendment that would allow the Narragansett Indian Tribe to become partners with Harrah, and open a casino in West Warwick. The citizens voted no.

So lawmakers are aware that Rhode Island citizens are not crazy about the idea of having full casinos within their state. However, the state is hurting for money like a good number of states. And like those states, the lawmakers are eyeing revenue from legalized gambling to fill in some of the holes in the budget.

But lawmakers are not being too nasty about this and trying to force this through. There have been several revisions of the bill since it was first voted on. And for once the lawmakers are being considerate. They are going to have another review before voting.

But some citizens are not happy even with the lawmakers taking time to review the bill again. Barry Flynn, a resident of Newport, referred to the lawmakers as

Blackjack Misconceptions

For being one of the easiest casino games to play both in the casino and in an online casino, there are a fair few misconceptions about blackjack. I understand that it is a card game and not quite as simple as pushing or clicking Spin on a slots game, but blackjack is not nearly as difficult to understand.

In looking over thirty sites with the objective of blackjack given, twenty seven of them were inaccurate.

Now poker, that I can see someone building misconceptions on and not understanding. But not blackjack.

So, I am going to discuss one of the biggest misconceptions about blackjack.

The biggest misconception about blackjack is its objective. Many people, players, nonplayers and so-called experts, claim that the objective of blackjack is to obtain a hand total of 21 using only two cards: an Ace and either a face card or a 10.

For starters the actual objective of blackjack, both blackjack played in a brick and mortar casino and online blackjack, is to beat the dealer

Luck and Skill in Blackjack

I have said many times that blackjack is a game of skill. When I say this about blackjack, I mean that players have an impact on how to play out their hands in blackjack, whereas in other casino games, like slots, the player has no choice. Many blackjack players what playing in a game of skill means, and others not so much.

The players that do not quite understand what is meant by game of skill seem to think that this means that they can use a piece of strategy, like basic strategy, practice it, play with it, and then beat the house with it. Simply because blackjack is a game of skill, so if they use a skill then they think they have the game beat and will be rolling in money in no time.

These players would not be accurate. In fact, they would be very wrong.

Blackjack as a game of skill means that a strategy skill, again like basic strategy, can be learned and used to lower the house edge. But it does not mean that you have the game beat. Sorry.

There is still a certain amount of luck needed in blackjack.

While some blackjack strategy can help you in how to deal with the cards you are dealt, you need luck to be dealt good cards. After all there are some hands that you just cannot make a profit off of. And that is where you need skill.

Blackjack players are in need of luck in order be dealt natural blackjacks. There is no way of knowing when you are going to be dealt one or how often

Card Counting Illegal or Not

I was looking around for blackjack news and I found something today that actually kind of shocked me. I read that card counting not being allowed in a casino is a myth

New Blackjack App

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,

Worst Stiff Hand in Blackjack

It is never fun to be dealt a stiff hand in blackjack. You always feel like you have lost the round before it is even your turn to play. Or in the case of online blackjack, as soon as you see the cards you have been dealt.

You wind up basing your play off of whatever up card the dealer has. For hard hands 13 through 16 you stand if the dealer is showing a 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6. And if he is showing a 7, 8, 9, 10 or Ace you hit. A hard 12 is the same except that you do hit when the dealer is showing a 2 or 3, so it is a little more flexible.

So if four of the five stiff hands are all played the same, which one is the worst one?

It would be the hard 16. Players have a 61% chance of busting with this hand. This is because when the dealer has a 7 or higher showing, the player

Online Blackjack Tournaments

Recently I wrote a short series about blackjack tournament strategy. This can be owed to my rediscovering the fun of playing in an online blackjack tournament.

Blackjack is a player versus dealer kind of game. You might have other players at the table but their hand does not affect yours. You could win and they could lose and that is just the way blackjack goes.

But on occasion blackjack players want a little more from their favorite online casino game. And this comes in the form of a blackjack tournament. In a blackjack tournament suddenly those other layers matter. It matters what they are wagering and how they are playing.

In a typical brick and mortar blackjack tournament there will be several rounds of play. The rounds will either be timed or have a certain number of hands to play per round. The player with the highest chip count will advance to the next round. This keeps going until there is only one table, and the player with the highest chip count wins.

Online blackjack tournaments will typically work a little bit differently. Players sign up and then sign on at the start of the tournament. Since online tournaments have a set time limit, players will usually play until the time limit runs out. Whoever has the highest tournament balance is the winner.

Playing in an online blackjack tournament does not offer the same pressure as a blackjack tournament in a brick and mortar casino because you are not actually face to face with the other players. This makes online blackjack tournaments a good way for novice blackjack players to get into tournaments and become comfortable with competing with other players.

If you are looking for an inexpensive blackjack tournament at an online casino to try I recommend the tournaments offered at Go Casino. They fun for twenty-four hour periods every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The entry fee is only $0.99 and it gives you 50 tournament credits; rebuys are allowed for $2.49 for another 50 tournament credits.

Is Blackjack Beatable or Not?

You can go online and read about how blackjack is a beatable casino game. But then when you go to the casino and lose money or watch how another player makes more money than you. How does that work? Is blackjack really a beatable casino game? Is it more beatable for one player over another?

First, yes, blackjack is a beatable casino game. But it does require skilled card counting. Very skilled card counting.

The way it works is like this: the odds in blackjack are constantly shifting because cards are dealt and the makeup of the remaining deck changes. When the cards are running with high cards the odds favor the player. This is because there is a greater chance for the player to be dealt a blackjack.

The 3-2 payout is what makes up a good chunk of the player