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Triple 7’s Blackjack

Triple 7's BlackjackBlackjack fans will like this version of the game from Microgaming with the opportunity to grab the Progressive jackpot. The standard blackjack rules apply but you have to make a mandatory $1.00 triple 7?s side bet.

You of course play to beat the dealer on 21 but the real objective of this version is to get consecutive 7?s. There are 5 decks of cards which are re-shuffled after every game so the 7?s are there!

The rewards for 7?s are as follows

  • Two consecutive 7?s of mixed suits wins seven credits
  • Two consecutive 7?s of the same suit wins fifty credits
  • Three consecutive 7?s of mixed suits wins two hundred and fifty credits
  • Three consecutive 7?s of the same suit wins one thousand credits
  • Three consecutive 7?s of diamonds and you win the Progressive jackpot

It is worth noting that even if you lose against the dealer on 21 you still win your credits on 7?s

Play Triple 7’s Blackjack now at:

There’s More To Play Than Blackjack

Bingo ChatMost people start online gaming by playing a number of different games in demo mode on a few different sites and gradually find their game of choice ? the one they keep coming back to and that holds their attention for the longest.

If you’re at a blackjack site, then you probably think you’ve already made your choice, but there’s always room to play other games, even if you don’t take them as seriously as your preferred game. For example, you could play free games like chitchatbingo.co.uk free bingo just for a bit of a change.

You might never have played online bingo because of negative associations with the original game of bingo, played in the bingo halls all over the world. True, that kind of bingo attracted a certain reputation and a certain crowd. For non-players, the appeal was difficult to see as you had to be so quiet while numbers were marked off and any chatting was frowned upon.

But now, when you play bingo online, the game looks after itself. You simply buy your card, or cards, and then watch the numbers being called out and see the cards being marked off by the computer software. It’s exciting, because the win could come to you at any time. But while you’re watching the game unfold, you?re free to spend time chatting to other players in the bingo chat rooms. Online bingo attracts both men and women of all ages, so the chat rooms are really social hotspots. There’s always plenty of banter going on, but if you do find a kindred spirit, you can have a separate conversation through private messaging ? a facility provided on most bingo chat rooms.

Of course, there’s more than chatting to do when you’ve got a game of bingo on, you could even let your bingo games play through without you, while you play other games at the same time that do need your concentration ? like blackjack!

Give Yourself An Edge In Blackjack

Picking up an edge in blackjack is not easy. Unlike poker, you don?t have as much information to read before you make your decision, therefore a lot of depends on instinct at the table.

The one thing though that has been proven to be useful in relation to success in the game is card counting. This is the ability to remember as many of the cards that have gone before you as possible. It is a difficult skill to master, however, the more your practice, the better you become at it.

The problem a lot of new blackjack players have is they have an imagine of card counting as having a photographic a mind where you remember every last details that has gone by. This is not the case, and it would be very difficult for even the best players in the world to identify all the cards that have gone by. Fans of blackjack should remember this.

Instead, card counting is about remembering small but important details. For example, if you can recall that there has been a series of high numbers recently from the pack, you may be more inclined to twist on a middle total such as 14. Of course there is no guarantee that a low number will come out, but you would be concerned about twisting if there had been a run of low numbers before this hand. Bear this in mind when playing in an online casino UK.

When you first look to pick up the skill, be realistic with the number of cards you will aim to remember as a target. The past five cards is a good starting point, you can then gradually increase that number as you get better at counting the past cards.

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!

Five Worst BlackJack Rules

Quick, can you tell me what are the five worst playing rules for blackjack? If you don’t know them then the next time you play blackjack you might just be bucking higher than normal odds. So let’s review these bummers to be sure you never play in a game that has them.
Blackjacks pay Even Money

This one stinks. Normally the casino pays 3 to 2 when a player gets a blackjack hand (and the dealer doesn’t also have blackjack). Getting paid 1 to 1 may not seem like a big deal but it is because the casino’s edge goes up by 2.3% (ouch).

Normally blackjack games that offer an even money payoff also have several other player favorable rules as a come on. A good example is SuperFun 21, which is offered in many casinos in Las Vegas. The game uses only a single deck of cards with liberal rules such as surrendering anytime including after hitting, doubling, or splitting. But the liberal rules do not come close to negating the 2.3% edge the house enjoys when it pays even money on blackjack hands. The bottom line is be very cautious when a casino only offers even money on a blackjack.
Blackjack pays 6 to 5

Oh come on, no casino would pay 6 to 5 for a blackjack hand you say? Well guess what? Walk up and down the strip in Las Vegas and you’ll find this game all over the place. The come on is that it’s advertised as a single deck game, which usually implies a good game for the player. But getting paid 6 to 5 on a blackjack is a much worse deal than getting paid the normal 3 to 2. How much less? For every $10 you bet and get a blackjack you’ll get paid $3 less. This increases the house edge by 1.2%.

What’s ironic is that these same casinos that offer this 6 to 5 abomination game also offer plenty of multiple deck games with a much lower house edge (partly because blackjacks are paid at the standard 3 to 2). Yet the last time I visited Las Vegas I observed all the 6 to 5 single deck tables packed with players while the multiple deck tables where much less crowded. I finally asked one player who had quit playing the 6 to 5 single deck payoff game why he choose to play it rather than the better multiple deck game. His response was that he thought 6 to 5 was a better payoff than 3 to 2. So much for the math skills of the average blackjack player (which is probably why the casinos in Las Vegas are blazingly getting away with offering this game to clueless tourists).
Doubling Down only on 11 or 10 or just 11

Often you’ll see this rule in single deck games where a player is restricted to doubling on a two card 10 and 11 (or just 11). This means you can’t double down on 9 or any soft hand (that’s not good). The house edge goes up by about 0.7% when you can only double on 11 and by 0.25% when you are restricted to just doubling on only 10 and 11.
Using 8 decks of Cards

Compared to a single deck game, the casino’s edge increases by 0.61% when 8 decks of cards are used. You would need several liberal rules to offset the 0.61% edge to make the game playable. At the minimum make sure the dealer stands on soft 17 and doubling after pair splitting is offered (ideally also late surrender).
Dealer Hits Soft 17

Many casinos (especially on the Las Vegas strip) have changed the dealer rule regarding soft 17. It used to be pretty standard that dealers must stand on all 17 hands (which includes a soft 17 hand). Nowadays, however, more casinos are changing to hit soft 17. That’s not a good change for the player because the casino edge increases by 0.20%. Given a choice you are better off playing where the rules require that dealers must stand on soft 17.

Probably the worse blackjack rule that I ever saw was dealer winning all ties. Yes, I know that’s the way you play it with your buddies when you get together for a friendly game of blackjack and poker. But in a casino, you should never play any blackjack game where the dealer wins ties. The standard casino rule is when your hand totals 21 or less and the dealer ends up with the same total, it’s a tie or push and you don’t lose or win your bet (but remember that a dealer blackjack hand beats a player’s three or more cards 21 hand). By winning tied hands the casino edge zooms by about 9%.

There are two things to keep in mind when you play blackjack. First, there has never been a game with exotic rules that has a lower house edge than the standard game. So before you decide to try a SuperFun 21 or other ‘new’; game you better check the rules.

Secondly, you should always try to pick your games carefully so that the overall mix of rules leads to a casino edge that’s as low as possible for the game you are playing (this of course assumes you know the basic playing strategy – if not, learn it!).

Dan Pronovost showed the effect of each rule on the house edge in his excellent article, Picking the Right Game, that appeared in issue #35 of the Blackjack Insider Newsletter (www.casino.com/newsletter/blackjack/archive/). This article is a good starting point to be sure you understand the impact a rule has on the house edge.

Often casinos will introduce new rules or games in their blackjack pits. An example is the new game Blackjack Switch, which recently had a trial run in Atlantic City and will soon be launched in casinos there and in Las Vegas (it’s also offered on the Internet). In this game you must play two hands and you are allowed to switch the two top cards. That very favorable player rule is offset by this new rule – when the dealer has 22, all player hands of 21 or less push (instead of win). So is the favorable switch rule offset by the very unfavorable push 22 rule? The answer is I don’t know at the moment but I’ve got several blackjack mathematicians working on this as we speak to determine the overall impact on the player (we hope to have it all unraveled in the next issue of the Blackjack Insider Newsletter).

That’s it for now. Stay positive and make sure you know the rules before you play.

By Henry Tamburin

Counting Cards

Many inexperienced players have a misconception about card counters as mathematical geniuses who can keep track of every card in a multiple decks of cards. While there may very well be people who can do this kind of thing, card counting is not about keeping track of every card. The idea behind counting cards is to keep track of the players statistical likelihood of winning a hand and then adjusting betting and playing accordingly.
The idea behind card counting is simple gambling strategy. Any professional gambler will tell you that the way to win at gambling is to bet more when you have the advantage and bet less (or not at all) when you do not. It is that simple. In black-jack, certain cards remaining in the deck are good for the player and certain ones are not. If you “count” these cards, you will always know when you have the advantage.
Edward O. Thorp’s work confirmed that 10’s and A’s remaining in the deck were good for the player, while 5’s and 6’s remaining in the deck were bad for the player. He worked out the circumstances under which particular combinations of cards remaining in the deck gave the player and advantage over the house. He also presented the first two card-counting systems, Thorp’s five-count and Thorp’s ten-count. The latter, which is more powerful, was based on determining the ration between 10’s and non-10’s remaining in the deck. Card counting was born from irrefutable logic: Keep track of the cards: make small bets when the deck favors the house and large bets when it favors the players.
Thorp’s analysis was later improved upon by the work of many others, notably Julian Braun, Lawrence Revere, Peter Griffin, Stanford Wong, Ken Uston, Arnold Snyder, and Lance Humble. Today the game is understood at a rather deep level, and sophisticated systems exist that give the knowledgeable player a distinct edge over the house.
Which Cards Matter?
The object of card counting is to keep track of cards that are advantageous to the player. The simple question is, then, “which cards matter?”
The card most beneficial to the player is the 10. 10’s are ad-vantages to the player for several reasons. One, they will cause the dealer to bust since he is required to take cards based on the rules of play. He may not take other factors into account while playing (like you do!). Two, they turn hands that you double down on into very strong hands (which is why you double down on those hands, by the way). Three, they are used to create blackjacks. Remember that blackjacks are more beneficial to the player since getting one pays 3 to 2 but losing to one only costs the original bet! Another important card for the player is the A. Aces present soft doubling (and hitting) opportunities and they create blackjacks. Remember – blackjack is more important to the player than the house!
The worst cards for the player are the 5 and the 6 (and 2, 3, and 4 to a lesser degree). The reason these are not good for the player is simple – they are beneficial to the house. Since the house is forced by the rules of play to take cards on any hand lower than 17, the 5 and the six present the possibility of very strong hands for the dealer (remember that 10’s are not advantageous to the dealer since they make “busts” of these hands).
Before we begin to learn how to count we should talk about how this will help us. You should remember that the purpose of counting is to know when the player has an advantage and when he does not. This knowledge will do nothing for you unless you do something with it. What you want to do is adjust your betting and your play based on your advantage.
Adjusting Your Bets
Adjusting your bets is very straightforward. When the composition of the deck is in your favor, you bet more. When it is not, you bet less. Very simple. Learning just this can give you as much as a 2% advantage against the house. If that advantage does not sound like much, keep in mind that many casino slot machines only produce a 2 – 3% advantage for the casino and that is enough to make billions of dollars of profit for the casino. Granted, this is at a much higher volume than you will play at but remember that bet sizes are much smaller.
Adjusting Your Play
Learning to adjust your play based on deck composition is not an easy task, but the rewards are phenomenal. Taking this step can increase your advantage by another 2% for a total of 4% against the house. The good news is that you can learn this with a lot of practice. The principles are simple but mastering this level of play takes many hours of practice.
An expert card counter will adjust play in many different ways depending on the composition of the deck. It is common for an expert card counter to do things that “break the rules” of basic strategy like:
1. Standing earlier if the deck is very 10 rich — if the dealer can bust, so can you!
2. Standing later if the deck is very 10 poor.
3. Splitting 10’s when the deck is extremely 10 rich.
4. Doubling down on A, 9 when the deck is extremely 10 rich.
Of course, the most important play adjustment can be deciding when to start playing at a table and when to stop.