Blackjack Blog

Splitting Your Chances in Blackjack Splits

The Blackjack Advisor — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 17:20:13 +0000

For blackjack players, they will encounter various means when they would have to consider a split to be able to improve their chances. It is similar to holding two hands for the price of one, something that usually occurs when blackjack players find themselves having two similar cards. In most scenarios, players would most likely recourse to splitting them so that they can have more options of playing combination cards and better chances of beating opponents and the dealer as well.

Tricky as it may seem, such is deemed something that will surely be anybody’s guess. The dealt cards will be the derivative factor for such and no one can really tell what would happen one they are hit. The only consolation and good part of it all is the fact that they can be able to take note that they have two hands to play, making it all the more riskier for the dealer to make hits since the number of opposing cards to consider has just been raised.

Of course there will also be bluffs in blackjack where a player’s cards may be hiding something. This is usually a high risk move, especially when a player continues to raise his wager. It may be to their advantage and then again may be not. The only person on the blackjack table to know this would be the person himself playing the cards and no one else.

So blackjack is more than just racing to the needed 21 total and people just have to face the fact that there is a challenge to it all. Two cards may be easy to depict but they are more than enough to make a difference when it comes to winning it all. The best way is to try and sum it all up to the desired twenty one total so that they can be sitting pretty watching the competition cram to perfection.

But players who may find themselves at an advantage cannot afford to be cocky and overconfident. The dealer and the other players cannot afford to be content with their hand since anything is possible from any new hit in the blackjack session. For all they know, something unexpected may happen and the only best way to heave a sigh of relief is to make sure that they have a total of twenty one. The worst thing that they can hope for is a draw. Otherwise, anything lower than a twenty one will be at risk all the time.

Spin Palace Casino in Focus part 2

The Blackjack Advisor — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 13:51:21 +0000

More on Spin Palace Casino blackjack games…

Vegas Strip Blackjack - Like in Vegas Downtown Blackjack you can play the Single-Hand or the Multi-hand version of the game. However, the strategy for this game is again different if only because four deck of cards are used. The outcome for each number of hands you choose to use is affected by the fewer number of decks used.

Rules:

Vegas Strip is an American Hole Card Game

Dealer peeks on 10 and Ace Cards

Played with 4 regular decks

Dealer must stand on all 17

Double down on any two cards

Double down after split

Split 3 times to make 4 hands

Aces can only be split once

Only one card to split Aces

A Split Ace and a 10 is 21 and not BJ

Unlike 10 value cards can be split

Spanish 21 Blackjack - Also offered by Global Player Casino, this game is very unique and exciting. The Spanish deck is a deck with only 48 cards instead of the usual 52 (All 10s are removed). The deck used is not the only thing that makes this game unique but the rules as well so make sure you understand the rules listed below before playing the game. You would also do well to peek at the basic strategy posted in Spin Palace’s website since the strategy for Spanish is also very different from that of other blackjack games.

Rules:

Spanish 21 is an American Hole Card Game

Dealer peeks on 10 and Ace Cards

Played with 8 Spanish decks of cards.

Dealer must hit on soft 17

Player BJ Beats Dealer BJ

Player 21 Beats Dealer 21

Late Surrender

Double down on any number of cards

Re-Double down once

Surrender after doubling down

Double down after split

Split 3 times to make 4 hands

Aces can be re-split

Draw and double down to split Aces

Unlike 10 value cards can be split

Payoffs:

5 card 21 pays 3:2

6 card 21 pays 2:1

7 or more card 21 pays 3:1

6-7-8 or 7-7-7 mixed suit pays 3:2

6-7-8 or 7-7-7 of same suit pays 2:1

6-7-8 or 7-7-7 of spades pays 3:1

Suited 7-7-7 when dealer has 7 face up pays 50:1

Double Exposure Blackjack - A game that’s the same as the basic blackjack game except for a very nice twist - dealer’s hands are dealt face up.
Rules:

Both Dealers Cards are dealt Face Up

Played with 8 regular decks

Dealer must hit on soft 17

Dealer wins all ties except for tied BJ

Player BJ pays even money

Double down on 9, 10 and 11

Double down after split

Split 3 times to make 4 hands

Aces can be re-split

Only one card to split Aces

A split Ace and a 10 is 21 and not BJ

Unlike 10 value cards can be split

Technorati Tags: Spin Palace Casino, Blackjack Casino, Online Casino, Blackjack Rules, Blackjack Variants, Vegas Strip Blackjack, Spanish, 21, Double Exposure Blackjack, Single-Hand Blackjack, Multi-hand Blackjack, Blackjack Payout

Spin Palace Casino in Focus

The Blackjack Advisor — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 12:57:35 +0000

Spin Palace Casino says that Blackjack is probably the only game where you can beat the house, and this is true. If you want to know more about blackjack (not just the games that Spin Palace Casino has, but blackjack in general) then Spin Palace Casino will give you an introduction, a history of the game, the basic rules of the game, strategy tables, and of course the specific rules for each game they offer. If you are looking for a wide variety of Blackjack games Spin Palace Casino is the online casino to go since it has ALL major blackjack variants available.

Below are the blackjack games available at Spin Palace Casino called their Gold Series. Note that all information about the games were lifted from their website.

Vegas Downtown Blackjack - Available in two versions: Single-Hand Vegas Downtown Blackjack and Multi-Hand Vegas Downtown Blackjack. They share the same basic rules and differ only in the number of hands you can play. However, even if that is the only rule that differs the strategy is very different and depends on the number of hands you choose to play.

Rules:

This is an American Hole Card Game

Dealer peeks on 10 value cards and aces

Played with 2 regular card deck

Dealer must hit soft 17

Double Down one any two cards

Double down after split

Split 3 times to make 4 hands

Aces can only be split once

Only one card to split aces

Unlike 10 value cards can be split

A split ace and a 10 counts as 21 and not Blackjack

Super Fun 21 - One of the most popular games in the casino this blackjack variant is a lot more exciting than the traditional 21 game since its rules are more “relaxed” giving the player a better edge.
Rules:

This is an American Hole card game.

Played with one regular card deck.

Dealer must hit on soft 17.

Dealer peeks on 10 value cards and aces.

You can re-split up to three times to make four hands.

You can double down on any number of cards, even after splitting pairs.

You can surrender half the bet, even after hitting, splitting or doubling down.

Double down rescue.

Double down after split.

You can draw and double down to split aces.

Aces can be re-split.

Unlike 10 value cards can be split.

Your Blackjack beats dealer blackjack.

Blackjack in diamonds pays 2-1.

Blackjack in other suits pays even money.

Six or more cards totaling 20 or less, except after doubling down, always wins.

Five or more cards which have a value of 21, except after doubling down, instantly pays 2-1.

Some tips for the special game:

Surrendering. Don’t surrender unless you’ve got four or more cards, with 15 against an Ace or 16 against a 10 or Ace. The only exception is when you’ve got a hard 17 against an Ace, when surrender is also recommended.

Doubling down. Double on 10 or 11 against all up cards or 9 against 2 through 6. When doubling down, it’s advisable to surrender with 16 or below if the dealer has an 8, 9, 10 or Ace, and to surrender with 17 if the dealer has an Ace. Exceptions to this rule are a three-card 9 against 2; a four-card 9 against 3 or 4; a three-card 10 against 10; a four-card 10 against all up cards and a four-card 11 against all up cards.

Technorati Tags: Spin Palace Casino, Blackjack Casino, Online Casino, Blackjack Rules, Blackjack Variants, Vegas Downtown Blackjack, Super Fun 21, Single-Hand Blackjack, Multi-hand Blackjack

Intercasino in Focus part 2

The Blackjack Advisor — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 14:15:18 +0000

Intercasino - Excitement you can trust.

More Intercasino Blackjack Games and their rules…

Multi-Hand Progressive Blackjack - Multi-Hand Progressive Blackjack is identical to Single-Player Progressive Blackjack, except that players can bet on up-to five hands and play them all independently, one after another. Simply put it is a combination of the Single-Player Blackjack and the Multi-hand Blackjack.
Rules:

8 52-card decks are used

The deck is re-shuffled after each hand

Dealer stands on all 17’s

Doubling after splitting allowed

No re-splitting of cards allowed

No surrender

Only one additional card allowed on each Ace when splitting a pair of Aces

Each hand must be completed before proceeding to next hand.

Up to five possible hands playable per deal.

Payoff:

Winning hand 1 to 1
Blackjack 3 to 2
Insurance 2 to 1

Bonus Payout:

Result Payoff
4 Red Aces OR 4 Black Aces JACKPOT
3 Suited Aces $2500
4 Unsuited Aces $1500
3 Unsuited Aces $250
2 Suited Aces $100
2 Unsuited Aces $25

Betting Limits:

$2 minimum bet

$2,500 maximum bet.

Multi-Player Progressive Blackjack

8 52-card decks are used

The deck is re-shuffled after approximately one-third of the shoe (the 8 decks of cards) has been dealt.

Dealer stands on all 17’s

Doubling after splitting allowed

No re-splitting of cards allowed

No surrender

Only one additional card allowed on each Ace when splitting a pair of Aces

Payoff: Same as Multi-Hand Progressive Blackjack including the Bonus Payouts.
Betting Limits:

$2 minimum bet

$2,500 maximum bet.

Single-Deck Blackjack
Rules:

One 52-card deck is used

The deck is re-shuffled after each hand

Dealer draws to soft 17’s and stands on hard 17’s

Doubling after splitting allowed

No re-splitting of cards allowed

No surrender

Only one additional card allowed on each Ace when splitting a pair of Aces

Payoff:

Winning hand 1 to 1
Blackjack 3 to 2
Insurance 2 to 1

Betting Limits:

$25 minimum bet

$2,500 maximum bet.

NOTE:
For ALL PROGRESSIVE BLACKJACK GAMES, if you win the hand, you will get back your original bet plus the same amount in profit. A hand that consists of an Ace and any 10-value card is called a natural twenty-one, or a natural Blackjack (except in the case of a Split hand - see details above). If you win with a natural Multi-Hand Blackjack, you will be paid off at three-to-two odds, which means you get your original bet back plus 150% profit. (So if you bet $50 and win with a natural twenty-one, you get $50 (your bet) plus $75 (your bet plus half of your bet), which totals to $125.
For ALL BLACKJACK GAMES, individual tables may have a higher minimum bet and a lower maximum bet than indicated betting limits. Limits may be adjusted but only within the range given for each game.

Technorati Tags: Intercasino, Blackjack Casino, Online Casino, Progressive Blackjack, Multi-Player Progressive Blackjack, Multi-hand Progressive Blackjack, Single-Deck Blackjack, Blackjack Rules

Intercasino in Focus

The Blackjack Advisor — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 14:02:24 +0000

Intercasino - Excitement you can trust.

Intercasino, as I’ve said before is on every best casino list for EVERYTHING. Right now it rules the world of online casinos and has been doing so for several years now. Of course it has made my list of best blackjack casinos too. Below are the following blackjack games available at Intercasino and a n overview of each game. Details all come from the Intercasino website.

Single Player Blackjack
Rules:

8 52-card decks are used

The deck is re-shuffled after each hand

Dealer stands on all 17’s

Doubling after splitting allowed

No re-splitting of cards allowed

No surrender

Only one additional card allowed on each Ace when splitting a pair of Aces

Payoff:

Winning Hand        1 to 1
Blackjack               3 to 2
Insurance            2 to 1

Betting Limits:

$2 minimum initial ante.

$1000 max bet.

Multi-player Blackjack
Rules: Same as Single-Player Blackjack but you of course play with other players on the same table.

8 52-card decks are used

The deck is re-shuffled after approximately one-third of the shoe (the 8 decks of cards) has been dealt.

Dealer stands on all 17’s

Doubling after splitting allowed

No re-splitting of cards allowed

No surrender

Only one additional card allowed on each Ace when splitting a pair of Aces

Payoff: Same as Single-Player Blackjack.
Betting Limits:

$2 minimum initial ante

$2,500 maximum bet.

Multi-Hand Blackjack - Multi-Hand Blackjack is identical to Single-Player Blackjack, except that players can bet on up-to five hands and play them all independently, one after another.
Rules: Same as Single-Player Blackjack except for the following additional rules
Each hand must be completed before proceeding to next hand.
Up to five possible hands playable per deal.
Payoff: Same as Single-Player Blackjack.
Betting Limits:

$2 minimum initial ante

$2,500 maximum bet.

Multi-Split Blackjack
Rules:

8 52-card decks are used

The deck is re-shuffled after each hand

Dealer stands on all 17’s

Doubling after splitting allowed

Re-splitting of cards allowed up to three times

No surrender

Only one additional card allowed on each Ace when splitting a pair of Aces.

Payoff: Same as Single-Player Blackjack.
Betting Limits:

$2 minimum initial ante

$2,500 maximum bet.

Progressive Blackjack - In Progressive Blackjack, before you are dealt any cards you have the option of making a $1 side bet that allows you to participate in additional payouts.
Rules: Same as Single-Player Blackjack except for the side bet.
Payoffs: Same as Single-Player Blackjack except for the bonus payout. Bonus Bet Payouts are received when consecutive aces are the first cards dealt in a hand. The payout varies for different combinations of consecutive aces. Winning Bonus Bets will be paid to the player at the end of the round when all other bets are paid.

        Result                             Payout
4 Red Aces OR 4 Black Aces       JACKPOT
3 Suited Aces                           $2500
4 Unsuited Aces                        $1500
3 Unsuited Aces                      $250
2 Suited Aces                           $100
2 Unsuited Aces                        $25

Betting Limits:

$2 minimum initial ante

$2,500 maximum bet.

Technorati Tags: Intercasino, Blackjack Casino, Online Casino, Progressive Blackjack, Multi-Split Blackjack, Multi-hand Blackjack, Multi-Player Blackjack, Single Player Blackjack, Blackjack Rules

Top Online Blackjack Casinos of Last Year

The Blackjack Advisor — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 02:14:45 +0000

I know it’s a bit late and I should have done a recap last January but it’s better late than never, right?

Anyway the best places online to play blackjack is not a big surprise if you know your online casinos since they are also the ones always listed among the top casinos in almost any website nowadays. The only real outstanding website is probably Get21 since it offer nothing except blackjack and blackjack alone.

I’ll be giving a more in depth review of each casino/website in the next several posts but for now here’s a quick overview of my top five listed in alphabetical order.

1. Get21 - Chosen this year by Gambling Online Magazine for Editor’s Pick Get21 is definitely the best there is in online multiplayer blackjack tournament. The really cool thing about Get21 is that since it is a tournament site you never have to worry about house odds. Great service, no rip-offs. Of course you need to worry about the other players since it seems to attract the best blackjack players online. Nevertheless with tournament blackjack being all the rage for the moment Get21 is the best place to have fun and hopefully win the pot.

2. Global Player Casino - Known as the home of online blackjack this casino offers seven variations of the game all with different rules and table limits. At Global Player Casino you won’t have to worry about security and customer service and all you need to do is enjoy the game. Table limits start from as low as $1 up to as high as $300. They have everything from single-deck games to six-deck games. You can also of course choose between single player mode or multi-player mode.

3. Intercasino - Intercasino has been on every single Best Casino for Something or simply Best Casino list for several years now. Of course it’ll also be in my best online blackjack casino list. As they say it is harder to stay on top that to get there. Intercasino’s consistency says something about their dedication to giving their customers the best gambling experience possible. I don’t even need to mention blackjack but whatever game you choose to play there you can be sure you’ll have a great time.

4. Spin Palace Casino - Spin Palace Casino is powered by Microgaming, which is known for its great blackjack games. With the new Viper software in place Spin Palace Casino has ALL the major blackjack variants available for you to try.

5. Wild Jack Gaming - Wild Jack is known for being one of the best places to go play blackjack. As the name suggests Wild Jack is about blackjack (although they have a pretty good casino and poker room too). It shouldn’t be surprising since it is also powered by Microgaming. Just last January Wild Jack added five more blackjack games to its repertoire. Aside from being known in the online world for its blackjack games it is also a popular choice for mobile gaming.

Technorati Tags: Online Casino, Online Blackjack, Top Blackjack Casino, Get21, Global Player Casino, Intercasino, Spin Palace Casino, Wild Jack, Mobile Casino

Blackjack Variations - Part 1

The Blackjack Advisor — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 11:28:02 +0000

Blackjack is a game with simple rules and is pretty easy to explain even to beginners. Beginners cocky with their newfound knowledge of blackjack might be surprised to join a game and find some rules to be different. This is because, like most betting games, there are many variations of blackjack. The variations differ in the number of decks used, on whether the dealer will stand or hit on a soft 17, in rules regarding doubling, splitting, and peeking.

For those not very familiar with the different variations of blackjack here’s a short list of the common blackjack variations and their individual rules. Since there are so many variations I will just mention 7 for now.

1. European Blackjack

The European Blackjack is played with two decks of cards. The house edge for European Blackjack is 0.39%. It’s rules are:

Dealer stands on soft 17

Double on 9 to 11 only

No doubling after splitting

No resplitting

Player may draw to split aces

No surrender

Full no peek / No hole card(player loses total amount bet against dealer blackjack)

Insurance not resolved until end of hand

One bet position

2. Multi-hand Blackjack

Multi-hand Blackjack is played with 5 decks of cards.The house edge for Multi-hand Blackjack is 0.57%. It’s rules are:

Dealer stands on soft 17

Double on 9 to 11 only

No doubling after splitting

No resplitting

Player may draw to split aces

No surrender

Full no peek / No hole card(player loses total amount bet against dealer blackjack)

Insurance not resolved until end of hand

Five bet positions

3. Vegas Strip Blackjack

Vegas Strip Blackjack is played with 4 decks of cards.The house edge for Vegas Strip Blackjack is 0.36%. It’s rules are:

Dealer stands on soft 17

Double on any first two cards

Double after split allowed

Resplit to three hands

Dealer peeks for blackjack

One bet position

4. Vegas Downtown Blackjack

Vegas Downtown Blackjack is played with 2 decks of cards.The house edge for Vegas Downtown Blackjack is 0.40%. It’s rules are:

Dealer hits on soft 17

Double on any first two cards

Double after split allowed

Resplit to three hands

Dealer peeks for blackjack

One bet position

5. Atlantic City Blackjack

Atlantic City Blackjack is played with 8 decks of cards.The house edge for Atlantic City Blackjack is 0.365%. It’s rules are:

Dealer stands on soft 17

Double on any first two cards

Double after split allowed

Resplit to three hands

Dealer peeks for blackjack

Late surrender allowed

One bet position

6. Bonus Blackjack

Bonus Blackjack has the same rules as Vegas Downtown Blackjack from the number of decks used (2 decks) down to the numerb of bet positions (1 bet position). Their only difference is that in Bonus Blackjack you can opt to place a side-bet that can pay up to 50 to 1. The house edge for this side bet is 6.46% so that it is considered quite risky though it can also pay handsomely.