Gaming Blog
Strategy - Fundamentals for Blackjack
A fundamental strategy for blackjack
Blackjack or Twenty-One is different from most other games because it is a game of dependent events or trials. The cards that remain in a deck are dependent on which ones have been played previously. Blackjack involves a great deal of skill, in fact, the skill factor is so great that if you use the correct strategies, you can reduce the house advantage to almost a half percent. What are the basic strategies? Today, the name used is “Basic Strategy”, this strategy allows us to hit, stand, split, double down based on millions of hands analyzed by the computer. It is the correct way to play each and every hand of blackjack. It provides the player with the action to take for getting the best odds for a specific outcome. You need to study it , learn it and play by it
Other strategy cards
Speaking of strategy cards you should also use them when playing video poker. There are dozens of them, every one is different for each different video poker game. There are cards for Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Jacks Wild, Double Bonus Poker, and most other video poker games. You can find many of them in a pocket size, 4-color, easy to read, laminated card. All the pros use them and you should too. The casinos will not object to you using them like they will sometimes do to a blackjack strategy card player. Get them, use them and win with them.
The real odds
What are the real odds of roulette? The house has a guaranteed built-in win rate for the game no matter what bet is made. Using the American wheel, with 36 numbers, plus the zero and double zero (really 38 total numbers), the payout is 35 to 1 for a straight up number. Lets say you wager one chip on number 17. For every spin, in a cycle of 38 spins, you will lose on 37 numbers and win once for 35 chips. The casino ends up being ahead 2 chips, resulting in a 5.26 percent house advantage. When playing the French wheel, with only one zero, (37 total numbers) the house ends up with only a 2.70 percent win. You can not change this statistic, it is locked in stone. There are a lot of other bets at roulette that will reduce you risk, like red or black, odd or even, but none of these will reduce the odds. Your only hope at roulette is to ride a short winning steak and then run, not walk, to the cashier cage.
Reno Visit
I just returned form a short trip to the casinos in Reno. There is no question the first
city of gambling is slowing down a lot. There is plenty of gambling available, but it was pretty slow in almost all the casinos I visited.
In one case, a very large casino, had only three tables open, but had no players at all. At night it was a little busier, but not very crowded in any of the casinos. Maybe many visitors were waiting for the 4th of July holiday to visit the town. I was able to find some good double deck blackjack games that offered good rules and good penetration. The staff in most cases was friendly with no heat at all.
On the other hand, I found a lot of 6 to 5 for a blackjack being offered in most casinos in town, including some shoe games. You have to look closely at the felt, or the placard on the table to see what they offer. If you are not sure ask the dealer.
But as I’ve said many times before, don’t play at 6 to 5 games; you will not be a winner if you do play them. I did find a lot of 9/6 Jacks or Better video poker machines throughout Reno . Most started at 25 cents, and also all would give the good payout on dollar machines.
As always, you need to look closely at the payout chart because one machine will be a good one but the very next machine along side it will be only an 8/5 or 7/5 payout.
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