Category Archives: 000

By Bruna Freire

History

Blackjack is but the latest popular variant in a long line of games that are typically referred to as Twenty-One, due to this being the best hand total a player can get in the game. The earliest existing reference to a direct ancestor of blackjack comes from Spain during the late renaissance period. Referred to as Ventiuno, literally Twenty-One, the game was played on a Castilian deck of 48 cards that took influence from Arabic decks that were then arriving in Europe along the silk road trade route. The game made its way across Europe, appearing in France, then Britain, under the French name Vingt-Un.

Development

It was this version that crossed the Atlantic and took root in the United States, where it became known as Blackjack among prospectors of the Klondike gold rush. Over time, Blackjack became the most popular form worldwide. It is said that 75% of all table games played in Las Vegas casinos are blackjack. Around the world, you’ll find countless variations in play style and rule-sets for this classic parlour game.¹⁾Editor note: According to the University of Las Vegas Center for Gaming Research: In 1985, 77% of casino games were blackjack. In 2019, just under 50% were. In 1985, the game accounted for over half of all table game revenues: in 2019, it accounted for 11% of table win.

Below are just a couple for you to explore.

Pontoon

Pontoon is a British card game that shares the same ancestry as Blackjack. It is believed that its novel name is in fact a corruption or mis-translation of the French word Vingt-Un. The game was taken up through co-mingling on the continent and quickly became a favored pastime of the British, who brought it back to their shores.

One clear difference you’ll notice is that a hand of five cards that do not bust is the second most valuable hand in the game, unlike in Blackjack. This is referred to as the Five Card Trick, and it’ll catch you out if you’re coming to Pontoon cold. Another core difference to get used to is the concealment of the dealer’s cards, which remain face down throughout. This affects your ability to strategize, as you’ll be working with less information.

Siebzehn und Vier

This is a German relative of Blackjack that first began to take shape as a distinct game in the lands of Prussia and the Austro-Hungarian empire by the 1850s. The name translates as Seventeen and Four, hinting at its Twenty-One heritage.

This variant is traditionally played on German spielkarten, which features smaller decks numbering between 32 and 36 cards. Additionally, while the suit of hearts remains, diamonds, clubs and spades give way to leaves, acorns and bells. Siebzehn and Vier, like its French ancestor, also does not allow splitting the hand. This makes more a slower rate of play with less dynamism when compared to the variants below.

Spanish 21

Fast forward to the modern day, and Blackjack’s popularity has led to many new variants and subtle rule changes that affect the pace and nature of play. Among the most popular of these is Spanish 21, a licensed game more broadly based on older Twenty-One variants that developed in the Spanish speaking world.

One of the key distinctions in this variant is a side bet commonly referred to as Match the Dealer. In order to win this side bet, the player is required to match the dealer’s up card with one or both of the cards in their initial hand. If the player succeeds, they are entitled to a larger payout on completion of the hand.

Super Fun 21

Another well loved modern variant for you to try, this one’s DNA is that of true Blackjack. Super Fun 21 was patented as a distinct rule-set in the latter years of the 20th century.

What distinguishes it from other play styles is that Super Fun 21 forgoes the traditional payout of 3-to-2 in favor of 6-to-5. The player may also split a hand up to a maximum of 4 times and automatically secures a winning hand if they have six or more cards with a total of 20. This makes for a more flexible and dynamic play style in comparison to traditional blackjack and is a popular variant in modern casinos.

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Footnotes[+]

Footnotes
↑1	Editor note: According to the University of Las Vegas Center for Gaming Research: In 1985, 77% of casino games were blackjack. In 2019, just under 50% were. In 1985, the game accounted for over half of all table game revenues: in 2019, it accounted for 11% of table win.

000, Blackjack, History

How blackjack has changed throughout the years

January 5, 2021 Leave a comment

By James Daniels

Blackjack is one of the most thrilling card games to play around the world. Many people love the simplicity of the game that still delivers a lot of tension as a card is flipped over. Here’s a look at how the much-loved game was first created and how it’s changed over the years.

What it looks like now

Before we look back at how it’s changed over the years, it’s important to look at how big a game blackjack has become. No longer do you need to gather around a group of friends to play at home. You merely need to load up the game on your laptop or phone and you can play against the computer. You don’t even have to visit a casino hall to be able to play for cash. Websites like SBOBET allow you to play a wide range of games, like blackjack, online for the same cash prizes as you’d expect to be winning in some of the biggest casino halls in the world.

The power of the internet has increased the popularity of this game massively. This is because you no longer have to seek out a game. Instead, even the most novice of players can enjoy a game thanks to the power of technology. There are many online games and software tools that will teach you step by step how to play and can advise you of all the possibilities of your next move, meaning you can learn how to become an expert gamer in no time.

Where it started

Of course, when blackjack was first invented, things were a lot different to how they are today. Nobody is quite sure when the first game of blackjack was played. The first time it was widely recognized as a game was in France during the 1700s. It’s believed the game (which they called Vingt-et-Un) became so popular in France during this time that during the reign of King Louis XV many of the royal family enjoyed playing it as a way of unwinding from their duties. Other people believe that the first game of blackjack was actually played by the Romans. Instead of the traditional playing cards, it’s thought that the game was played with pieces of wood with different numbers painted on them. No matter which explanation you believe, it’s clear that the game we all know and love is probably over 300 years old.

How it developed

One of the surprising things about blackjack is that for many years it wasn’t actually called blackjack. Many people knew the game by a different name, 21, or a regional variation or translation of that same name. Instead the name was a result of a promotion that casino halls put on when the game came to America in the early 1900s.

Many halls would offer an extra prize if the player managed to make 21 by using either the jack of spades or the jack of clubs, i.e. the two black jacks in the pack. It’s believed that the nickname then stuck with the game until this present day.

Blackjacks pay 3 to 2

One of the biggest changes to today’s game is the unfortunate proliferation of games paying only 6 to 5. Prior to 1999, all regular blackjack games paid a natural 21 (a ten valued card and an Ace) at 3 to 2 odds. For more information on the history of blackjack be sure to check out BlackjackHistory.com.

About the author

James Daniels is a freelance writer, business enthusiast, a bit of a tech buff, and an overall geek. He is also an avid reader, who can while away hours reading and knowing about the latest gadgets and tech, whilst offering views and opinions on these topics.

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000, Blackjack, Casinos, Gambling

10 Things You Can Learn from Blackjack Players in Movies

January 4, 2021 Leave a comment

By Isabella Goode

Blackjack is a simple, yet dramatic game. The combined elements of a game of chance and strategic betting make it a captivating game to play and watch – whether in a brick and mortar casino or on the big screen.

Blackjack has enjoyed a healthy level of popularity in cinema. While the casino game that first comes to mind for many of us may be poker, the element of chance and inherent drama that we see in blackjack often lends itself to the cinema screen.

Learn the odds

The 1996 film Swingers follows a group of friends on a trip to Las Vegas where they’re shown in a casino playing blackjack.

Two of the friends debate between themselves whether to double down on 11 whenever they get the opportunity. While the scene is undeniably funny it also highlights the importance of knowing the odds when playing blackjack.

One of the best ways to increase your chances of winning is to always go into a game with a plan. Doing some work beforehand and learning odds and strategy can be the difference between winning big and going home empty handed.

Keep calm

James Bond is the ultimate cool, collected player. In 1989’s Licence to Kill we see Bond sit down for a game of blackjack. Take your cue from Bond when playing blackjack and make sure to keep a cool head. Don’t rush your decision making and make sure you look at your next move from all angles.

The casino elements of James Bond are perhaps the most well known casino scenes in cinema. It’s hard not to want to try your hand at blackjack once you’ve seen the suave James Bond playing with a beautiful woman by his side. If blackjack appeals to you then you can check out this blog post to find out more about how to find the best places to play online. Online play is the best way to play the game at your own pace, making keeping a cool head all the more achievable.

Don’t always listen to the dealer’s advice

This may seem counter intuitive, however, remember that the dealer in blackjack is always playing for the house – they are not on your side. It is in the dealer’s interest to keep you playing trying to keep you from too big of a win.

A great example of this can be found in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery as Number Two, played by Robert Wagner, ignores the dealer’s advice and ends up winning big. It is important to note though that the average player won’t have an x-ray eye to see the next card!

Not Everyone In A Casino Is As Successful As They Claim

In the 1988 comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, we see that not everyone in a casino is as successful at gambling as they claim to be, so you should take advice only from those you trust.

Someone might look like a wealthy high-roller, but it could turn out that they simply got lucky once and wear a nice suit.

So, if someone comes over and offers you gaming tips, take their advice with a pinch of salt. If you know for a fact that they regularly win at blackjack, or that they have played a lot of games, then you might consider taking their advice. However, if you’re unsure, then test out their advice before you commit a large bet to it.

High Risk, High Reward

As with many games, you get out of blackjack what you put in. This can be a double edged sword with the ability to win big but also the risk of losing entirely. While Number Two wins big at the blackjack table in Austin Powers, Austin Powers himself is not so lucky. Though, of course, Austin Powers also didn’t have the advantage of an x-ray eye.

Keep To A Budget

Make sure you always keep a budget of what you can afford to gamble. One running theme in any film involving blackjack or any other kind of gambling is that there is a line to walk between the thrill of the wager and falling into the trap of investing too much too quickly.

Practice Theory

Just as with learning odds and strategy, if you’re particularly mathematically minded you can delve even deeper into the theory behind card counting. The movie 21 is a 2008 film based on the real life team of Massachusetts Institute of Technology students who used math and card counting to attempt to beat the casino at its own game.

This kind of game play comes with its own risks and ethical questions. Many casinos will ban players known to count cards so be aware that it is a practice the industry and some other players frown upon. If you do want to level up your game, reading up on the theory can be enough to give you an edge while not crossing the ethical line.¹⁾Editor note: Card counting simply involves using your brain while playing. Unethical? Hardly!!!! Cheating, however, is a line you won’t want to cross.

Enjoy Yourself

Blackjack is about having a fun time and enjoying the thrill of the game. The message of the movie 21 shows that while blackjack can be lucrative it can also have some serious negative impacts on your life if you take it too far.

Casino games are meant to be an enjoyable way to relax after a long week – they are not supposed to take over your life. Make sure that you stop when the fun stops.

Confidence Is Key

Almost all of the successful gamblers you will see in film, from James Bond to Rain Man, show that being confident is key to success.

Second guessing yourself can be a fatal flaw while playing blackjack. Instead relax and trust in your game plan.

Gamble responsibly

While James Bond and Rain Man may highlight the huge rewards of blackjack it is always important to remember that there are big risks involved at the same time.

Never let competition with other players and an imperfect understanding of the rules of the game be your downfall.

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Footnotes[+]

Footnotes
↑1	Editor note: Card counting simply involves using your brain while playing. Unethical? Hardly!!!! Cheating, however, is a line you won’t want to cross.

000, Blackjack, History

12 Legendary Blackjack Players

December 6, 2020 Leave a comment

By Jonathan Roob

Blackjack, formerly called Black Jack and Vingt-Un, is an American member of a global family of banking games known as Twenty-One. It involves comparing cards between a player and a dealer. The goal of the player is to beat the dealer by obtaining a hand of 21 or less or allowing the dealer to bust over 21. Blackjack is considered the most widely played casino banking game globally.

The experts stated here below have all made an impact on the world through the game.

Bryce Carlson

Bryce Carlson had always wanted to beat the casinos and for that reason, he began playing the game. He got better by smartly playing with other players that he met and developing a strong relationship with other experts.

Carlson wrote one of the best books on blackjack and titled it, Blackjack for Blood. He also developed a sophisticated blackjack and card counting computer program called the Omega II Blackjack Machine.

Lance Humble

Lance Humble, aka Igor Kusyszyn, started as a teacher at York University in Toronto. His course was supposed to be about horse racing, but the students seemed more interested in learning about the games at casinos. So he started to do some research of his own.

Soon he became well versed in the game of blackjack and he was able to make a profit with his new skills. So he decided this game was for him and decided to continue to hone his skills. He wrote a book with Kenneth Cooper titled The Worlds Greatest Blackjack Book. He is most well known for his development of the Hi-Opt I and Hi-Opt II card counting systems.

Arnold Snyder

Arnold Snyder is one of the best blackjack players in the world and an expert teacher in the field. He wrote several outstanding books that relate to the game of blackjack and published Blackjack Forum magazine for over 20 years.

Arnold also developed software called PowerSim Blackjack Card Counting Simulation Software that helped players learn all the basics of the game. It is available to players who need to learn how to play the game free of charge. A 2003 member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame.

Stanford Wong

Born in Georgia during World War II, Wong’s real name is John Ferguson. He always loved games and always tried to figure out a way to beat the games using different tactics. He was not interested in competing with other people until he had figured out the best way to win on his own first.

After turning 21, he went to Reno and kept making trips to other casinos playing blackjack professionally. Wong is best known for publishing the card counter’s resource Current Blackjack News and several excellent blackjack books. A 2003 member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame.

Ken Uston

Ken stumbled into the game accidentally. He was never interested in playing cards until the day he decided to make changes in his life.

One night after work, Ken met Al Francesco, who got him introduced to blackjack. Soon he tried out his skills in small games until he became an expert in Las Vegas. When he saw the amount of money he could gain playing this game, he quit his job and played full time. Uston and his teams won millions in Las Vegas and Atlantic City casinos during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. A 2003 member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame.

Keith Taft

Keith Taft is renowned for the first blackjack computer in 1972. He produced lots of electronic ways for players to beat the game. This included smaller calculating machines and cameras, used to see the dealer’s hole cards. At the time, these devices were used legally to beat the casinos through 1985.

Keith worked alongside Ken Uston in a team to test his devices. A 2004 member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame.

Edward O. Thorp

Edward Thorp is the author of the book Beat the Dealer and several blackjack card counting systems. His book is considered a classic and revealed for the first time that the game could be beaten. Most professional players have read his book and used his card counting system at some point.

Thorp is considered by many as the “inventor” of card counting. A 2003 member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame.

Lawrence Revere

Unlike most other players on the list, Revere began his run on the other side of the table. He started dealing cards at the age of 13 and he fell in love with gambling. Revere was a leading blackjack expert during the 1960’s and early 1970’s and wrote the classic book Playing Blackjack as a Business, which provided players with the first color blackjack basic strategy charts. For many years, this book has been the inspiration for many card counters to start a blackjack career.

He later began work at the casinos as a dealer before going on to be a pit boss and eventually owned a personal casino. A 2005 member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame.

Al Francesco

Al Francesco went by several aliases. Some people knew him as Frank Fisano, others knew him as Frank Salerno or Frank Schipani. Francesco made his mark in the world of blackjack as the “Godfather of Blackjack”.

He established the first profitable blackjack teams, thus pioneering the concept of blackjack team play. Players were grouped into different teams and they would gather their bankrolls together to play, and in time, he had developed several techniques like the “Big player” concept and “The Drop”.

Blackjack players adopted Francesco’s techniques and won lots of money in casinos with them. The most prominent was a team of MIT students. Francesco also mentored several big names in blackjack like Ken Uston and many others. Francesco was inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame in 2003, to commemorate his incredible talent and daring moves.

Ian Andersen

Ian Andersen is a blackjack star. The renowned author is known for his all-time classic books Turning the Tables on Las Vegas and Burning the Tables in Las Vegas. He has kept his real identity a secret from everyone and has remained anonymous to this day. Ian Andersen was an alias he adopted.

He wrote Turning the Tables on Las Vegas in 1976, and in the book he described several techniques to help card counters disguise their skills from casino bosses. In 1999, he published the sequel Burning the Tables in Las Vegas, in which he proposed a risky betting strategy called the The Ultimate Gambit, which helped card counters increase longevity at the tables. Andersen was a master at blackjack camouflage betting and behavior decisions. A 2012 member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame.

Tommy Hyland

Tommy Hyland is a professional blackjack card counter and player. He once stated that he began playing blackjack in 1976, after reading Lawrence Revere’s book Playing Blackjack as a Business.

He began playing blackjack in 1979, and shortly after that, playing and managing blackjack teams was his full-time job. Hyland started his career with an initial team of three other players where each team member put $4,000 into the team’s bankroll; which multiplied to $50,000 in a couple of months.

Thanks to “Early Surrender,” the new rule introduced by the Atlantic City casinos, gave experienced players like Hyland a significant edge. Soon after Hyland’s first-team collapsed, he formed another team, recruiting and training new players for his team.

Hyland turned out to be an excellent team manager. Sometimes his team had up to 30 members and he managed them as well as he managed a team of four players. Hyland’s team is still active today. A 2003 member of the Blackjack Hall of Fame.

Don Johnson

Some people see Don Johnson (not the actor) as a genius while others say he is a demi-god. Well, they could be right as he has a rich resume that speaks for itself. He is a corporate executive, a professional gambler, and a blackjack player who doesn’t count cards.

He won Atlantic City casinos for over $15 million without card counting. He exploited loss rebates to gain an advantage over the casino. For his bold tactics to beat the game, he was inducted into Blackjack Hall of Fame in 2017.

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000, Blackjack, Casinos, Gambling

The Psychology of Blackjack: How to Beat Yourself

November 27, 2020 Leave a comment

By Tom Roberts

Blackjack is an exciting game played by millions of people worldwide. Many fans have come up with different strategies of how to win at this game. These tend to vary widely, but the ones that have received the biggest audience are card counting and perfect basic blackjack strategy. There are blackjack professionals who swear by these tactics, and for good reason. Evidence is available which agrees with the efficacy of these methods. But there is an element of the game of blackjack that is often overlooked.

Beating the dealer

Too much emphasis has been placed on the rules of blackjack. These state, to win you must beat the dealer. You can do this by getting a natural blackjack or if the dealer busts. You can also win the game if you get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over. So what players usually do is memorize the basic blackjack strategy. This is a probability-based system of telling if you will win depending on the card values. Professional blackjack players take it a step further and learn card counting. Research has shown this to drastically reduce the house edge. It effectively gives you better chances of winning.

Many think the game of blackjack is based on skill. The skills you need to learn usually leave out the most important one. This is learning how to not beat yourself.

Beating yourself

There are a lot of ups and downs when you are playing a game like blackjack. It’s like a soccer final where a team equalizes in the 90th minute, only to concede in the 91st. These roller-coaster highs and lows can affect how you play. There are two stages in a game in which you need to take extra care. One of these is when you are enjoying a good run and it seems everything you are doing is working out. You need to be careful of that euphoria. It can lead you to make poor decisions.

Beating yourself also includes when the chips are down, you are enduring loss after loss, and nothing seems to be working. The way you handle yourself in these circumstances can decide if you go home with earnings or not. But how do you do it and can it be done at all? The short answer is yes, it is possible.

Keep a cool head

A wise man once said you must treat attaining vast sums of money with the same contempt as you would lack. The lesson here is not to hate getting wealthy, but to recognize that it is a fleeting stage and will pass with time. The same is true when you are mastering blackjack. You need to be indifferent to the wins and losses. That is the only way you can succeed. No loss is the end of the world and you are not the first person to win a hand in blackjack. So keeping a cool head is one key to playing like a pro.

If you feel you are not ready, a great place to master self-discipline is through free play games. These are available at online casinos such as www.gamble.xyz. Take your time on these and don’t shy away from familiarizing yourself with the live table options.

Assess your games

You also need to develop a habit of assessing your plays. If you take the time to do this, you will recognize massive benefits in the long run. Mastering yourself is a skill just like card counting. How do you learn card counting? Over time with patience, that’s how. So the same soberness and dedication to the task are required if you are to master yourself. You cannot play blackjack effectively until you do this.

Learn to walk away

Many people take walking away as a sign of giving up, of defeat even. This couldn’t be further from the truth, in life and in blackjack. Some of your greatest battles will be won the day you learn to walk away. Accept that it is not your day and move on. In war, they call it living to fight another day. The game will always be there, but your bankroll might not. So walk away, reassess and come back next time bright-eyed and ready to play.

Learning how to master yourself is just as important as learning to count cards. There is no difference. In any case, all the fancy tactics will not do you any good if you don’t have discipline.

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Category Archives: 000

Blackjack Variants From Around the World

How blackjack has changed throughout the years

10 Things You Can Learn from Blackjack Players in Movies

12 Legendary Blackjack Players

The Psychology of Blackjack: How to Beat Yourself

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