Casino Rand

Blackjack also known as "Pontoon" is the most played casino game in the world. The objective of online Blackjack is to make as big a hand as possible without going over 21.

Nowadays, blackjack is one of the most popular casino games. There are good reasons for its popularity, the most important of which is the fact that it is one of the few casino games in which savvy players can turn the house edge around. Another reason is that it’s extremely easy to learn and its rules are simple enough for anyone to comprehend within minutes. Also called 21, blackjack is a card-game in which the player plays against the house (the dealer). He is given cards when he hits as his objective is to make as big a hand as possible without going over 21. If he does go over 21, he busts and loses his initial bet. The dealer can bust out too, when trying to beat the player’s hand, in which case the player wins. The Ace is a special card in blackjack. Its value can be either 11 or 1, depending on what the circumstances require: if the player would bust were the Ace worth 11, it’ll be considered worth 1. A 2-card hand containing an A is considered a "soft" hand because the player cannot bust by drawing another card.

Blackjack was not always as popular as it is today. Back in the days when it first appeared in the US, hardly anyone wanted to play it. To make it more popular, special bonuses were offered for blackjack players. If someone managed to put together an Ace of spades and one of the two black (spade or club) jacks, he was rewarded with a 10-1 payout. That rule doesn’t exist anymore though, and a blackjack doesn’t have to actually contain any black jacks anymore either. Given that the rules of the game are so simple, pretty much anyone can learn to play BJ in the blink of an eye. Under normal circumstances, against a player who knows not about basic strategy, the house edge is a flimsy 1-2%. If the player takes the time and trouble to learn basic strategy, that edge will be reduced or annihilated completely. Those who get savvy enough to learn card-counting, can turn the house edge around altogether.

Basic strategy is about learning what actions you need to take based on your cards, and on the dealer’s face-up card. There are special basic strategy charts which cover all possible hand combinations. Card counting is based on the following basic concept: more face cards left in the deck means an advantage for the player, more low cards left in it means an advantage for the dealer. If you can find a way to track (even if only approximately) how many high-cards there are in the deck, you’ll be able to turn the house edge around. Contrary to popular belief, card counting doesn’t require genius-level IQ, or years of learning either. The simplest card-counting method can even be mastered by elementary school kids. It consists in the allotting of values to card-ranges. Let’s say you give the value of 1 to cards from 2-7, you give 8,9 the value of 0, and all the other cards the value of -1. This way, whenever a card leaves the deck, you have to add one, subtract one or do nothing to a sum which you can easily remember. The bigger the sum is, the more high cards there are left in the deck. Of course, most casinos use several decks to combat card counting, but more intricate systems exist out there which allow players to keep track of high and low card ratios over several decks. While card counting is not illegal per se, and the casino cannot possible sue someone over the use of their brain, card counters are naturally loathed by all gambling operators. If you are caught counting cards, you’ll either be escorted out of the casino, or you’ll be given the opportunity to play on a different game (like roulette).

Casinos keep a record of all card-counters, and the files are shared, so if you’re caught counting cards in Atlantic City, chances are you’ll be singled out as soon as you walk into a casino in Las Vegas, and denied the opportunity to play blackjack there.

Counting cards in online blackjack is trickier. Players do not know how many decks of cards the casinos random number generator uses, therefore, all card counting becomes much less effective. Whenever you play blackjack online (or live for that matter) take full advantage of the comps the casino offers. They’re just like rakeback in poker, and they’ll give your odds a nice boost.