TIPS & TACTICS - BLACKJACK

Did you know that Blackjack is one of the casino games with the best odds?

The only catch to Blackjack is that you must play right to win! Blackjack is also believed to be the most popular casino game.

It is always best to play Basic Strategy. However, if you don't want to check into the strategy chart, every time before making a move you can use these basic guidelines.

� Take a card on 16 or lower because you can't win unless the dealer bust.
� Stand anyway if the dealer shows a 4,5, or 6 because he is more likely to bust
� "Doubling down" involves doubling your wager and getting one more card when you feel strongly that you will beat the dealer when doing so.
� Always split 8's or 7's against a dealer's card of equal or lower value.
� Always split 2's or 3's against a 4, 5, or 6.
� Always split aces.
� Never split face cards, 10's, or 5's.

"Blackjack is the only casino game an amateur can learn to play and at which he can definitely win." - Lawrence Revere, author, Playing Blackjack as a Business

Still not Sure?

Once they have placed their bets, each player receives two cards face up and can either stick (hold) their initial two cards or take additional cards (hit). Any player who does not bust waits for the dealer's turn. The dealer turns up the down card. By rule, on counts of 17 or higher the dealer must stay; a count of 16 or less means that the dealer must draw another card.

An ace has a double value and can count as one or eleven, a face card ten, and all others cards according to their face

value. A "soft hand" is a hand that contains an Ace which is counted as 11. A "hard hand" is a one that does not contain an Ace or a hand where the Ace can only be counted as one point.

Winners will win an amount equal to their initial bet if they successfully obtain a hand larger than the dealers. Players with a natural 21 (for example a king and an ace) are paid off at 3 to 2. All players with a lower count than the dealer, and those that have busted will forfeit their wagers.

Insurance Bets

Do not take insurance bets when they are offered unless you are an experienced card counter.

Imagine you were playing at a table by yourself with just the dealer - your dealt a natural 21 at a single deck table, and the dealer's up card was an ace, there would be 49 cards left after removing your ace and ten as well as the dealers ace. That would leave fifteen tens to potentially give the dealer a blackjack and a push. Not insuring your blackjack means you would be paid 3 to 2 thirty four times and push just fifteen times (49 total - 15 tens = 34) WOW! That means your winning percentage will be 104% by not insuring and only 100% if you did. This example doesn't take into account any other players cards which would most certainly decrease the dealers odds of obtaining a push - and clearly show why you should avoid taking insurance.

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Splitting your pairs

Knowing when to split your hand into two hands, is very important. It is also a very easily learned knowledge. You should always split a pair of aces or a pair of eights. A pair of aces will total either two or twelve but if you split them each card will now be worth eleven. Splitting a pair of eights means you are breaking up a hand of sixteen, which is the worst hand you can have.

You should split pairs of twos and threes only when the dealer card is between a four and seven. Split sixes when the dealer has a three through six. Split a pair of sevens when the dealer has a three through seven. Split a pair of nines when the dealer has two through six, or has an eight or nine showing. You should never split a pair of fours, fives, or tens!

Hit or Stand

For hard hands, if the player's cards amount to 12 or higher, there are three rules:
� Hit if the player hand totals 12 through 16 and the dealer has a seven or higher.
� Stand on any hand totaling 17 or higher.
� Stand if the player cards total 12 through 16 and the dealer has two through six.
For soft hands there are only two:
� Always draw to soft 17 or less.
� Only draw on soft 18 if the dealer has an eight, nine or ten.

Double Down

To double the bet in exchange for one more card:
For hard hands, there are three rules:
� Double down when the player's cards total 11 and the dealer has a ten or less.
� Double down when the player's cards total 10 and the dealer has a nine or less.
� Double down when the player's cards total nine and the dealer has a four, five or six.
For soft hands, there are also three rules:
� Double down with a soft 13 and soft 14 when the dealer has a five or six.
� Double down with a soft 15 and soft 16 when the dealer has a four, five or six.
� Double down with a soft 17 and soft 18 when the dealer has three through six.