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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!

Where to Play Live Blackjack

Playing blackjack is always thrilling and exciting, but only live blackjack gives us the opportunity to feel that true atmosphere of risk and adventure, the atmosphere of real cards and the casino tables. Where to play live blackjack? Nowadays many of the online casinos provide players with a live dealer to play with. You are free to select download or no download version of blackjack. It is not required to install any special software to enjoy your favourite game. Just connect to the Internet and have a wonderful time with live dealer and other players.

If you are not ready to risk it, you can easily just play for fun, offered in most of the casinos. Otherwise, you are welcome to play blackjack for money and to increase your profit while a having good time.

You may also be interested in the variations of live blackjack. Firstly, you can choose between Game View or Casino View. The Game View will increase your impression of reality and will allow you to feel the interaction between players. Casino View will suit the players that have a slower internet connection.

Live Dealer Blackjack Games

Live blackjack games include Single Seat Blackjack and Early Payout Blackjack. According to the rules of the first type, you have your own cards and should not share them with other players.

Blackjack with Early Payout game enables you to perform the cash out with the help of the Basic Strategy. This means that you are allowed to stop the game and take your winnings, or continue playing. Moreover, the money prizes in these games are usually higher.

Live Casino Blackjack Bonus

The most beneficial bonus offered is no deposit welcome bonus. New players are presented with an opportunity to try several live casino games and to choose the most appropriate one without depositing money. The advantage of some casinos is that they give you the opportunity to play with free cash. Remember that special bonuses in many live casinos depend on the means of payment that you used to deposit. Unfortunately, not all live casinos accept USA players so you should pay attention to that before you decide to try the game.

Playing live blackjack is as easy as playing online and as exciting as real casino. It is available for everyone!

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.

If you don’t have much Blackjack experience, it can be daunting stepping up to the tables for a game. You can, however, hide the fact of your inexperience very simply by remembering these straightforward rules. (Note – the rules of BlackJack will differ from area to area and from casino to casino, but the general principles are the same. When in doubt, ask!). A typical BlackJack table seats a dealer and up to 7 players. Starting with the dealer, the first seat on his left is ‘1st Base’, while the first seat on his right is referred to as 3rd Base. In front of each player’s seat is a betting square, printed on the felt. Right in front of the dealer is the chip tray, while on his left is the deck (a.k.a. shoe) and next to that is the’ minimum bet sign’, which tells you how ‘expensive’ the table is. As a beginner, you will want to stick to the low bet tables to keep any losses under control. On the dealer’s right is a money drop slot. This is a security feature – casinos don’t really trust their employees, and all cash and chips are deposited here to prevent ‘leakage’.

Next to the drop slot is what’s known as the ‘discard tray’. Play starts after the dealer shuffles the cards, the deck is ‘cut’ by a player using a ‘marker card’ (NOT the bare hand), and finally the dealer ‘burns’ a card (or throws it away in order to ensure randomness). Before the cards are dealt, you make your bet by placing chips or cash into the betting box. Be aware that you can sit out a hand or 2 if you like – maybe you need a break, or the dealer is just on a lucky streak. Note that if the casino is busy, you may be asked to give up your seat so another punter can take your place (or alternatively resume the game yourself). If you really don’t want to play, just get up and vacate the seat – you can always come back later!

When all players who want to play in this round have placed a bet, 2cards will be dealt to each player going from left to right. Some casinos deal the cards face down. Elsewhere the cards are dealt face up, in which case NEVER touch them – the assumption if you do is that you are cheating! The dealer deals himself 2 cards – 1 down and 1 up. Card values are, as everyone knows, 10 Jack Queen and King are worth 10, an Ace is worth 1 or 11, all other cards are worth their face values. In noisy casinos, be prepared to use hand signals to indicate whether you want to hit or stand.

How do you indicate ‘hit’? If the cards are dealt face down, flick the cards gently across the felt 2 times. If the cards were dealt face up, point at the cards with your finger in a jabbing style. You can nod your head to emphasize the desire for a hit. If you’d prefer to stand, move your hand horizontally from left to right (palm down) to indicate ‘no’. Always keep your hands a few inches off the table to avoid suspicion. If you like, you can emphasize the stand by shaking your head ‘no’ at the same time.

Should you play single or multiple deck games? Only in Vegas do they still play single deck, and the tables are usually full – it is much easier for amateurs to ‘count’ in a single game, and keep the odds pretty fair, which explains their popularity. Multiple deck games will usually be based on even number of decks (up to 8 decks in the shoe at a time). Multiple decks allow the dealer to deal more hands per hour (less shuffling etc), which makes them more profitable for the casino, and they reduce the chances of a player ‘counting’. Dealers HAVE to follow straightforward rules, and must hit if they have 16 or less. On the other hand, if the dealer has 17 or more, he MUST stand, except in some smaller casinos, where he can hit on a ‘soft 17’.

You as the player can do anything you like, standing or hitting as it suits you. If you get a BlackJack (an Ace and a ten right off) you win 1 and a half times your bet. You can only double down on 2 card hands totaling 9, 10, or 11 (a very few casinos allow doubling on any 2 card hand). If your cards were dealt face down and you want to double, turn them over and put them on the dealer’s side of the betting square. Otherwise point to them and say ‘double’ when it’s your turn. You will have to put an equal amount of chips next to those already in the betting box (NEVER put new chips on top of old chips – it looks like cheating!). You will get one new card.

Splitting is kind of similar – cards dealt face down need to be turned over and placed them a little apart. Otherwise point at them and say ‘split’ when it’s your turn. Place an equal amount of chips in the betting box near the other card (remember, NEVER on top). You are now playing 2 hands exactly as normal (unless you just split two aces in which case you only get one card – a 10 would be good!. If it is a 10 the hand isn’t a BlackJack, meaning you only get the standard odds of 1/1 and not 1/1.5 as you would for a ‘natural’ BlackJack. Be careful how you split – it is possible to end up with 4 or 5 hands simultaneously! Likewise, it’s probably not good to split two 5s – you will be replacing a hand that is great for drawing on or doubling down on with (probably) 2 poor hands. Insurance only happens when the dealer’s face up card is an Ace, when the dealer will ask the players if they want insurance (he won’t know what his face down card or ‘hole’ card is at this point, so you won’t be able to read his expression for clues). Insurance means that half the player’s bet is placed on the ‘insurance’ semicircle printed on the felt. If the dealer gets a BlackJack the player wins the the insurance bet but loses the original bet meaning a zero hand because insurance pays 2 to 1. If the dealer does not get BlackJack, the insurance bet is lost and the hand is played normally with the remaining half bet. Don’t bother with insurance unless you are trying to card count (take it when the number of non ’10’ cards to 10s drops below the 2 to 1 margin). You may also come across ‘Surrender’ – it’s not widely used, but there are 2 versions you may find, ‘early surrender’ and ‘late surrender’.

Early surrender means quitting on 2 card hands if you don’t like the dealer’s up card (e.g. a ten or court card). Surrendering in this way will give you a small extra advantage whcih is why casinos don’t like it. Late surrender means waiting until the dealer checks for BlackJack, at which point if he doesn’t, you may decide to surrender. As we say, not very common, so ask before joining the table whether you can or not. And that’s it! Stay cool, and don’t panic, and nobody will guess you are a casino newbie!