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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.

Has your other half taken to poker or blackjack in a really big way? Does he move mountains to get to the nearest roulette table and constantly have a game on the go on his laptop and even his mobile phone? If this sounds familiar then welcome to the club ? you’re officially a gaming widow.

But hey, this is not all bad news! You may enjoy a bit of time to yourself to play online bingo once in a while, but if his habit has escalated to a whole other level then as long as he is winning you are in for some great benefits. What starts out as an online pastime can quickly move into the real world if your man gets invited to big money games in person. Casino tournaments often take place in glamorous locations so pack your case, put on your sunglasses and get ready to check out the spa and the pool while he focuses on his game.

Another reason to tolerate his obsession is the pay off for you: how can he refuse your requests to head off out with the girls or hit the shops for some retail therapy when he is locked into his card games all the time? And who knows ? you may even get a share of his winnings to treat yourself with too: guilty husband equals open wallet syndrome is not to be ignored.

And finally, if you can’t beat ’em then join ’em! Women have a proven track record of success playing poker and blackjack so why not try your hand at the tables, virtual or in real time, and see how you get on. You are definitely not at a disadvantage and all his talk dissecting recent games may even have taught you a thing or too. Imagine his face if you turn out to be a better player than him!

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.

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