Search Results for: Alex

Maximise Potential Returns

maximize potential returns

So, you have two face cards. With a total of 20, you stand pat, right?

Maybe not. There are plenty of people who would be looking to maximise their potential return.

Splitting is something you can only do after you receive your two cards, and can only be done with identical cards. They don?t have to be completely identical, i.e. two queens of diamonds, just the same rank.

The player has to place a second bet, identical to the first, next to the original wager and the dealer splits the two cards to create a second hand.

Rules of splitting include that there are no blackjacks. If you draw a queen on top of an ace, it?s 21 and not blackjack so you could still end up not winning.

Another standard rule is that if you split aces, you only get one additional card for each split hand.
Just occasionally, you?ll be able to really make the most of your hand by re-splitting. If the cards of a post-split hand are also the same value, you can usually split them again and place a further wager on the new hand.

To take the first example, of drawing two picture cards, the best advice is to stick at 20, regardless of what the dealer holds. You have a good chance of winning with that hand, whereas you don?t know what you would get with the split hand.

There is an almost universal rule: always split aces and eights. Because of the number of picture cards in a deck, your chances of getting 21 with your split hands is pretty good.
Eights are split not because they have great potential of winning, but because 16 is a lousy total to play with.

There are tables available online that can teach you when to split, when to stick and when to hit. It?s useful to memorise these guidelines if you?re playing in a physical casino, whereas you can always have them open in another window when you?re playing online.

Written by Alex Corcoran, online bingo fan, gaming expert and online features writer, specialising in casino games such as poker, craps and Blackjack.

Playing Online Roulette

playing online roulette
One of the beauties of playing roulette online is that you get the chance to play the game at your own pace, under your own terms. A lot of people who enjoy the game used to get frustrated in real world casinos because of various factors. For a start, it is sometimes hard to get a seat at a busy table. No such worries in an online casino, you will never have to wear out shoe leather pacing around the table waiting for a spot to open up. At a busy table in an offline casino, there can be so many people around that you can only reach a small part of the roulette cloth to place your bets. Your lucky numbers might be 2, 5, 7 and 9 but if you?re sat at the furthest end of the table from the wheel, you just might not be able to place any chips on those numbers. In an online casino, you can place any amount of chips on any number or combination, so it takes away that problem. Real world casinos, if they are busy, can be quite boring. It can take a croupier quite a while between spins to pay out winners, scoop away losing chips, change money into chips and all the other tasks they have. Playing online, the speed of the game is entirely down to you. If you want to have five spins per minute, that?s no problem. Equally, if you need to take a bathroom break or your favourite TV programme is just about to start, you can leave everything just where it is and come back to the same point. That means you don?t have to worry, as in a land-based casino, that while you were gone for a couple of minutes, your two favourite numbers came up. Nothing would be more frustrating. Written by Alex Corcoran, traveller, blogger, and gamer who loves to play bingo in her increasingly infrequent spare time.

Why Online Blackjack Tournaments Are So Popular

Blackjack Tournaments

Online casino blackjack tournaments are popular with card players across the globe, for several reasons.

The tournament games have an added dimension and thrill to them because you?re actually testing your online blackjack strategies and skills against a host of other players too, not just the dealer. This makes the games a lot more exciting for most online casino players.

Most blackjack tournaments online are pretty straightforward and simple, but some players are still somewhat intimidated and apprehensive when it comes to entering them. This is especially true for those who are new to the online version of the game.

When playing basic games of blackjack, how much you lose or win basically comes down to how well you play against the dealer. This is really the only other person you?re playing and competing against. However, when it comes to an online tournament setting, there?s actually increased competition because you now also have to win more than the other players.

Tournaments that are held for money will usually require you to pay an entry fee or you may be able to use some accumulated bonus points at your online casino. You?ll find that you can enter some tournaments for free though. After entering an online blackjack tournament, each of the players will be assigned a table where they will play at and will also receive the same amount of playing chips.

The tournaments generally consist of a certain number of online blackjack hands or they may have a specific time period attached to them. The players that have accumulated the most chips after each round will then advance to the tournament?s next stage while others will be eliminated from the event. The tournaments continue until the last round, which features the top players with the most chips. Whoever has won the most chips at the end of the online blackjack tournament will be declared the winner.

Written by Alex, a keen player of casino games including blackjack. She also regularly tries playing bingo and her new favourite site is www.poshbingo.co.uk.

Simple But Helpful Online Blackjack Tips

Blackjack TipsBlackjack is one of the simplest and most popular types of online casino games out there. Even though there are a few different variations of the game, the basics are more or less the same.

There are a lot of different strategies used by players, but everybody has their own style of playing. Whether you?re a newcomer to online blackjack or a seasoned pro, there are some tips that might help you out.

  • Learn the rules of all the online blackjack games you?re going to play. You should then practice and play for free before you?re comfortable with the idea of playing for real money.
  • You should come up with a playing limit or budget and make sure you stick with it. You?re going to have good days and bad days so know when to call it a day.
  • Check out all of the online tournaments, promotions, and bonuses that are offered at various online casinos. This will help you get the most out of your money.
  • It?s important that you don?t give out any of your personal account information to anybody that you don?t know and trust.
  • Try to learn all of the terms related to the online blackjack games so you understand what?s happening during the action.
  • Withdraw at least half of your winnings after you win a big amount. This will help stop you from playing it right away and you?ll leave the game with some winnings.
  • Try to get your cards as close to 21 as possible instead of trying to beat the dealer. If the dealer has a high card showing don?t let it distract you.
  • Don?t forget about betting cycles in online blackjack. You should bet more when you?re winning and less when you?re losing.
  • Remember, online blackjack favours the dealer. If you both go over 21, you lose.
  • If the dealer has to take a card on hands that are 16 and lower, you won?t win with less than 17 unless the dealer goes over 21.
  • Remember that an ace can be used as either one point or 11 points.
  • If your cards total 10 or lower you should take another card as you won?t be in jeopardy of busting. The most you can get is an ace to total 21, which of course is what you?re aiming to do.

Written by Alex, a blackjack aficionado who enjoys blogging about her casino experiences. She loves detailing her wins and losses for the amusement and entertainment of others!

Playing Live Blackjack Online

Online casinos are swarming the Internet and they are setting the latest trend in gambling.

In the comfort of their own houses, gamblers are able to enjoy the same casino experience as they would if they travel to Las Vegas.

Online casinos are not just limited to playing versus a program but you can also play against other people.

A lot of games have been incorporated in online casinos ever since. The first among these games were roulette and blackjack.

When you have already signed up at a trustworthy online casino site, the next thing you have to do is find a blackjack game and enter a blackjack room.

When you have successfully joined a game, you will see a table in your computer screen, the bet, and cards laid on the table. You will see the dealer on the screen as well.

Using headphones and a reliable Internet connection, you can interact with other players, hear them speak, yell and laugh. The experience would be as if you are playing in a brick and mortal casino.

In most online casino, single deck blackjack games aren?t included in their game line-up since the profit obtained by the casino in a single deck game is lower compared to how much it would earn from a multi deck blackjack game.

This is also the case in a brick and mortar casino. Other online casinos are clever enough to put certain modifications in the rules of a single deck black jack and only then would they provide the facility to play the game online.

Given that blackjack is such an exciting game, players tend to bet by impulse just to win the game. Their bets go higher and higher after each losing round. This gambling behaviour is sure to take toll on their bankroll. Players must keep calm while gambling so that they do not go over their limits.

Written by Alex Corcoran, a fan of blackjack and live roulette.

Top Blackjack Tips

If you are determined to win a blackjack game, here are a few tips you might want to apply every time you go to a brick and mortar casino, or online, in order to play a good old game of blackjack.

First, you need to start with the basic strategy. Follow it and play the game with it and remember it by heart.

Hunches and taking risks make a blackjack game more exciting but don’t forget that blackjack is a game of math; winning can be due to absolute reasons and not luck.

Leave your superstitions at the door and play the game rationally and logically. Do the mathematical strategy of winning the game and do it with absolute subtlety. Never doubt the maths ? it always works.

Next, observe the tables and the players. Find a table that seems enjoyable, relaxing and composed of people who are focused in the game.

Don’t play with drunken people because they will just distract you and ruin your game. Make sure the players you join in are those who are capable of making a fast-paced game to increase your chances of earning and winning within a particular amount of time.

Do not sit with mean and arrogant players if you can’t handle the pressure they’re willing to bring on to you ? they too will destroy your concentration.

If possible, do not take insurance, or a side bet that the dealer has a blackjack. The house edge for insurance bets is extremely high and it would just take a toll on your bankroll.

Unless you are card counting, you can be sure you’ll make a winning bet. Otherwise, it’s not advisable.

Tipping the dealer is also a good practice in laying a blackjack game. A friendly dealer makes a game more enjoyable.

By tipping them, they will stay that way or if they aren’t at the beginning, they might start to loosen up. Some players’ strategy is to take advantage of dealer tells and if you tip your dealer well, he or she might reward you with more obvious tells.

Written by Alex Corcoran, a fan of blackjack online and casino games.