Welcome to Casino Blackjack!
Welcome to Casino Blackjack! Blackjack is now the most popular casino game. Blackjack is also the most profitable game- for the casino! How is this possible? How can a game which has rules that seem so advantageous to the player, be so profitable for the casino?
The dealer is limited to strict rules. The dealer must stand on a card total of 17. The player can draw as many cards as he or she wants. The dealer must hit a card total of 16. The player may stand on a 16.
Also, the player has so many other options to take advantage of. The player can Double Down, Split Pairs, Take Insurance, and even Surrender a bad hand in some casinos.
In most casinos, the player can usually increase the amount bet on each hand by a factor of one hundred! You can bet five dollars on one hand, and then bet five hundred dollars on the next hand! If you are dealt a Blackjack, you win one and one half times your bet.
Someone who is new to the game would say this seems to be "get-rich-quick" scheme. Actually it is a "get- rich-quick" scheme. With most unskilled Blackjack players, -the casino gets rich quick!
Why is it that a game that seems so easy to beat is so rarely beaten? Why do so few players win at this game?
First of all, the game of Blackjack is not what it appears to be! If you play Blackjack using what seems to be "common sense" (in other words-without a playing method or computer tested rules), you can expect an approximate 5 to 6% disadvantage! By the time you finish this course, you will understand how the casino gains this advantage. You will also learn a method of playing that will reduce the casino advantage, and increase your chance of winning at this game.
Of all the games in the casino, Blackjack offers you the best chance of winning. Blackjack offers you the most control over the game. Most casino games do not allow the players to use their skill or exercise control over the outcome of the game. Very few players understand the importance of this fact.
As the cards are dealt out during Blackjack play, the odds swing back and forth during the game, favoring either the player or the casino. The skilled player who can determine when these odds are favorable, can cut the casino advantage to near zero! By using proper playing decisions and increasing bet size at these favorable times, you can play with a positive advantage.
IS BLACKJACK A GAME OF SKILL, OR A GAME OF CHANCE?
Is Blackjack a game of skill, or is it a game of chance, just like any of the other games in the casino? The answer is yes to both questions! Blackjack is a game of skill and a game of chance. Remember, Blackjack is a casino game in which chance is not the only factor that determines the outcome of the game.
Most games in the casino are subject to the Law of Independent Trials. This is a statistical term. The Law of Independent Trials states that any event is just as likely to occur in a game of chance every time the game is played. Every time the dice are thrown, every time the roulette wheel is spun, every time the slot machine handle is pulled, -the odds in effect for that particular game do not change! It might seem hard to believe, -but it is true!
It might be easier to understand if you imagine that you've just pulled a slot machine handle 500 times without hitting the big jackpot. You leave the machine to get some lunch. A woman comes along, drops a quarter into the slot, and pulls the handle. -Is she more likely to hit the big jackpot? Is this slot machine more likely to pay off after 501 pulls of the handle than it was after your 500th pull of the handle?
The answer is that she has exactly the same odds of hitting the big jackpot on her pull as you had on any of your 500 pulls! The odds in effect for that particular game do not change!
This phenomenon does not occur in the game of Blackjack. Blackjack is not subject to the Law of Independent Trials! As the cards are dealt from the shoe, the odds of the game fluctuate back and forth. You will learn a card tracking method that will alert you as to when these odds favor the player. This method becomes more and more accurate as the dealer gets closer to the shuffle point. You will also learn how to enter and exit the game at certain times to take full advantage of this fact!
You must use your skill to gain this information. You will also be using your skill to make playing and wagering decisions. Your wagering decisions will be based on this card tracking information. Blackjack is one casino game in which your skill can greatly affect your chance of winning!
THREE KINDS OF BLACKJACK PLAYERS?
There are many different kinds of Blackjack players. I used to think that they fell into three neat categories. In the first group are the people who can walk into any casino, sit down at a Blackjack table and win money on a regular basis. These people make their living playing Blackjack.
In the second group are people who play Blackjack for some extra money. These people supplement their regular income by winning this extra money playing Blackjack. These two groups probably account for less than 2 percent of all Blackjack players!
The third group of people make up the other ninety-eight percent of all Blackjack players. Some of them play often. Others play once a year. They all have one thing in common. They can usually be counted on to make a nice donation of money to the casino when they play. No matter where, or how they play Blackjack, they usually lose money!
JUST TWO KINDS OF BLACKJACK PLAYERS IN THE WORLD!
Some of you might remember the old song ?�A�A�Just Two Kinds People in The World by Little Anthony and The Imperials. If you think about it, you will realize that there are just two kinds of Blackjack players in the world, -the winners and the losers! I don't care if you play Blackjack once a year, or once a week. I don't care if you're an expert or a beginner. I don't care if you play with five dollar chips or hundred dollar chips!
On New Year's Eve, I have only one question for you: "After playing Blackjack all year, did you win money or lose money?" How often do you hear people boast about how well they play? Others will boast that they play at the twenty-five dollar tables with the real pros. Are you impressed?
Don't be impressed by boasting Blackjack players until you ask them my New Year's Eve question. If they finished the year with a positive cash flow from Blackjack, you can be impressed. If they made a financial donation to their favorite casino, don't scold or be critical. Just let them see your copy of this course and suggest that they read it from beginning to end!
Again, we must ask the sixty-four million dollar question. Why do so few people win at Blackjack? The answer seems obvious, but is really quite complicated.
FIVE BLACKJACK COMMENTS
I must tell you about some of my friends who live near Asbury Park, New Jersey. Since they are about half way between Atlantic City and my home in New York, I stopped to visit them on the way home from my last Blackjack playing vacation.
After dinner, we got into a heated debate over their favorite subject-Blackjack! Since they can drive to Atlantic City in about an hour and a half, they play Blackjack there every week. They think that they are very knowledgeable about the game of Blackjack. Here are five of their most interesting comments of the evening. See what you think-
#1. "If you expect to win, you have to play at a twenty-five dollar minimum table. The five dollar tables attract the tourists and unskilled players that can ruin the game for you."
#2. "You have to play on your lucky day. Tuesday is my lucky day. That's why we always go to Atlantic City on Tuesday."
#3. "Counting cards is ridiculous and doesn't help you at all. You can't count cards anyway-there are six or eight decks in that shoe!"
#4. "Ellen had a hot streak in the last few weeks. She is really winning like crazy! I wanted to give her a hundred dollars to play for me, but I didn't want to jinx her winning streak!"
#5. "Blackjack playing systems are worthless. I have no time to waste memorizing some stupid Blackjack playing system. Besides, the game wouldn't be so much fun anymore."
FIVE BLACKJACK FALLACIES
All of these comments show a very good understanding and acceptance of five of the more popular Blackjack Myths and Fallacies. These myths and fallacies seem to make sense, until they are subjected to scientific and statistical analysis.
Don't misunderstand me! I do not mean to ridicule my friends in any way. We are only human. We have a great need to believe in these myths. In fact, many people will not alter their beliefs-even when confronted with scientific and statistical proof that any of these myths are in error!
In other words, we humans play Blackjack with our emotions in control of our playing decisions, rather than our intellect. This is the reason that it's so easy for the casino to win that 6% advantage from the player-hand after hand.
Why do so few people win money playing Blackjack? Just hold up these five comments to the light of scientific and statistical reality, and you will see how all five contribute to a losing method of play-
#1: Do you have a better chance of winning at the twenty-five dollar table?
You can play at any table you like, and win! You are playing against the dealer. What the other players at the table do, or how they play the game is of no consequence to you. This particular myth dies hard. It is hard for many people to believe that the other players do not affect their game. -Believe it! -They don't!
#2: Should you only play Blackjack when you feel lucky?
Luck is so important that I've devoted an entire lesson to it! If you believe in it-fine. Just remember, how well you play the game is of prime importance. Both your skill and your playing efficiency are under your control. Make sure that you don't use luck as an excuse for your unwillingness to carefully learn and practice the playing method described in this course.
#3: Is "counting cards" ridiculous?
First of all, we do not "count" cards. We keep track of which groups of cards are dealt from the shoe. This can give us a definite advantage by indicating whether to place a large or small bet on the next hand. This fact has been proven over and over again by computer analysis, simulation, and actual playing experience.
#4: Is there really such a thing as a winning streak? Is it possible to do something to jinx this winning streak?
If you believe in winning streaks or losing streaks, or even worse, the ability to jinx someone's streak by asking them to bet some money for you... let me introduce you to the tooth fairy. She is such a sweet woman. If you put your tooth under this pillow, when you wake up in the morning...
If I seem too sarcastic, excuse me. It's just that I've seen so many friends and relatives lose a lot of money because of their belief in one or more of these Blackjack myths!
There are no winning streaks in the game of Blackjack, just wide statistical swings. These are caused by the random deal of the cards. The only way to jinx a "winning streak" is to start playing with your hunches and emotions, rather than a proven playing method. This playing behavior is sure to start a "losing streak" in short order!
#5: Are Blackjack playing systems worthless? Do you have time to memorize a Blackjack playing system? Can you still have fun skillfully playing the game with a Blackjack playing system?
Any Blackjack playing system that is based on a proper statistical analysis of the game is worth many times the price you pay for it! At worst it will save you from losing money at this game. At best it will enable you to win money over the long run.
Everyone can find some time to learn a playing method. Time is rarely the problem. It takes a good deal of determination and commitment to learn a Blackjack playing method. This is usually the main problem. We will deal with it later in the course. The only thing that takes the fun out of playing Blackjack is losing. Playing without a sound playing method is one way to increase the probability of losing at this game.
I did speak to Ellen on the phone this week. Well, I have to admit it-she does have fun on her weekly visits to Atlantic City. She goes to the same casino every time. She plays with the same dealers and pit bosses every week. She gets comps (free tickets) for her meals in the finest casino restaurants. She also gets complimentary tickets to the casino shows and even a free room in the hotel.
Some weeks she wins. Some weeks she loses. By the end of the year, she has usually made a very large contribution to this casino! Will she ever admit this? Of course not! She probably isn't even aware of how much she has lost.
I visit Atlantic City less often than Ellen. I sure have plenty of fun during my visits. I eat in the best restaurants. I see the finest shows and entertainment. I don't go to the same casino on every visit. I don't get any comps. -I don't need them!
