Built in Blackjack Boost

Players often are not aware that the rules of blackjack give them a built boost to their odds. Seriously, it really is there. But in order to turn your blackjack odds and actually benefit from this little boost you have to not be afraid to use it.

I am talking about doubling down. This popular blackjack term gives rise to visions of daring blackjack players doubling their wagers for a one-card shot at beating the dealer. And really that is all that a double down is

Blackjack Gimmick to Beat Online Games to Watch Out For

Not every new player is savvy in finding help when they are first learning how to play blackjack and learning a blackjack strategy. There are plenty of gimmicks and scams out there aimed at duping new players out of their money in exchange for some supposed uber tip on how to beat the house.

Such is the case with a recent eBook that I heard of that does not have an author.

That right there, no named author, is the first indicator that there is something fishy about this eBook claiming to give players the secret to beating multiple online blackjack games. Never trust someone who is giving beat the house advice and who will not identify themselves.

By the way, my name is Lucy and I came by my blackjack knowledge the old fashioned way

Luck or Unlucky Seventh Seat in Blackjack

Since we seem to be on a blackjack myth kick today, why not go for another one? After all it pays to know what really impacts your blackjack odds, and what is nonsense. Nonsense, while it does not impact your odds really, can impact the quality of your blackjack game.

And why would you want to negatively impact your blackjack game? Why take fun out of it?

There is no good reason to remove fun from a game you enjoy. And believing myths that are not real does exactly that. Take for example the myth that the seventh chair at a blackjack table can make or break the dealer

6-5 Blackjack Payouts and the House Edge

I hate having my hand forced. It is just a really rotten feeling, playing a variation of blackjack that is far from ideal to me.

Such is how I feel when the only blackjack tables available are ones offering a 6-5 payout on a natural blackjack. If I were playing blackjack online I could find a different online casino to play at. If I were playing in Vegas I could simply walk to another casino. But when you are trapped in an environment with no other options, like when you are on a cruise ship for example, and the only payout ratio available is that nasty 6-5 you will find yourself pressed with a choice: to play and accept a poor house edge or to not play at all.

I know, it is a tough call. On one hand you really like to play blackjack. And when stuck on a giant boat with limited gaming options, 6-5 is the only option. But a 6-5 game of blackjack is, to me at least, just not an acceptable option because of the house edge.

A 6-5 payout for a natural blackjack is 1.45%. And that is taking basic strategy into account.

In a 3-2 blackjack game the house edge, again considering basic strategy, is 0.5%. So you have a 1.4% difference that favors the house. And that is one house edge that I will not play with. You can probably guess at this point that I do not play blackjack when on a cruise ship that only offers me 6-5 blackjack payouts.

That is what I mean by a facing down a forced hand. And you thought staring down a hard 16 with a dealer

Blackjack Makes Brushing Up on Your Math Skills Fun

For most people math ends when we get out of school, be it high school or college. Other than basic adding, subtracting and multiplying we do not really use much math. And with all these nifty apps for mobile devices we almost never do basic math anymore. But blackjack can help you brush up on your math and make it fun at the same time in two ways.

First there is the basic math that is inherent with blackjack

Good Blackjack Variations vs. Bad Blackjack Variations

I hear now and again that some players want to know what a good blackjack variation is and what are bad ones. There are some rules of thumb in helping players discern which variations are bad and which ones are not.

The primary indicator of a good blackjack variation is one that does not use side bets as the center point of the game. Yes, I know, that knocks the majority of blackjack variations out of consideration.

But think about it a moment