Washington D.C. to Regulate Online Blackjack

In July of this year DC was supposed to start offering online slots, poker, bingo and fantasy sports sites for fun, and then for wagering in September. The Washington Post even posted an employment ad for an online bingo chat room moderator.

So why is it taking so long you may be asking? The article I read at washingtonpost.com claims that legislators cannot make up their minds about regulating online gambling. The District is usually the trailblazer when it comes to states passing bills, but this one just can’t seem to be passed. There is no Federal Law prohibiting online gambling, but there are also no strict guidelines so it makes gamblers, along with websites apprehensive about what wagers they choose to accept.

There are plenty of supporters for moderating the online gambling industry. They make the argument that it could do wonders for our “cash-strapped” government; also the added employment, money for charities, and tax money. In fact, taxing online poker alone would produce 40 billion dollars in 10 years.

But for all of the people supporting the regulation of online gambling, there are plenty more actively against it. States such as New Jersey and Utah are very much against it. While State such as California and Florida are the closest to getting the ball rolling, so to speak.

Casino Bodog to Stop Accepting US Players

At the end of 2011 Casino Bodog will officially stop accepting US players. Actually the whole Bodog brand will stop allowing US citizens to access their websites as they change the name from Bodog.com to Bodog.eu.

Bodog is a very well known brand, and is in the process of marketing themselves somewhat like the Virgin brand. I learned on wiki today that they are even starting their own coffee line.

Currently Bodog operates under Morris Mohawk Gambling, based out of Canada although Bodog is a European brand. They acquired a license from the UK Gambling commission in July but have been waiting for their current license to expire. A license from the UK Gambling Commission is a huge deal, and is not offered to just any casino, so Bodog is very excited about the changes that are happening.

The decision to stop accepting US players revolves around the uncertainty of taking wagers from US players. They would rather be safe than sorry, they don’t want to do anything to defame their name because they are growing right now in many markets, especially Asia.

Founder of Bodog, Calvin Ayre says that the new venture is exactly what the company needs and everyone throughout the company is very excited to get things going.

Casino Bodog is ranked 13th in overall online casino traffic and 2ndamong casinos still accepting US wages.

It is sad to see another casino withdraw from the US market but I feel it won’t stop anytime soon unless the government makes some changes with regulation.

The Regulation of Online Gambling Could Fix Some Problems

There have been so many articles in the news recently about the legalization of online gambling in the United States. All of the speculation has made it a popular topic, but is it popular enough?

Many experts speculate that no bills are being passed because there are simply just too many other issues out there to deal with. Legislators are trying to fix the economy, unemployment, and healthcare. Online gambling doesn’t seem to hold a candle to some of these other bigger problems.

The regulation of online wagering could actually fix some of these problems. There is a “debt super committee” dedicated to cutting the government’s deficits by 1.2 trillion dollars over the span of ten years. Taxing online poker would bring in 40 billion dollars in taxes in ten years. I know this is only solving 1/30th of the problem, it is still something.

The District of Columbia is usually the leader when it comes to these types of bills, but gambling on online operations in DC is not something congress wants to do. Governors just don’t want to resort to online gambling, they think it will lead to the demoralization of society as we know it. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is one legislature that doesn’t seem to be budging on the issue. He feels that passing the bill to moderate online gambling will result in betting parlors popping up all over the state.

Legislators like Christie greatly outnumber the supporters of online gambling, so it is no wonder that the only conclusion any of them can come to is to not come to a conclusion, yet.

It doesn’t help that the previous, and current speak, never felt the need to bring this issue to a floor vote. It’s too bad The Donald isn’t still in the race for presidency; he is a huge advocate for online gambling.

When to Double Down

I have always been a fan of the Double Down ever since I started playing blackjack. Did you know it is actually incorporated into the blackjack odds, and by not utilizing it, it actually increases the house edge. It’s true. You are supposed to double down, whenever you can, of course.

I received most of my information from Google when I first started playing, and wanted to know all of the nitty gritty details.

Doubling down is actually defined as doubling your bet after yo9u have received your first two cards.

This move affects the house edge in a variety of different ways. When doubling down during a normal shoe game (8 decks) the house edge will be .55%. Doubling down after a split reduces the house edge by .13%.

Now comes the fun part: determining when to double down. Double down always works best when the dealer is at his weakest. He is in this vulnerable state when he has the cards: 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6; these cards greatly increase his likelihood of busting.

One of my favorite moves, although one of the riskiest, is doubling down with a ten when the dealer has a nine, or with an eleven, when the dealer has a ten.

The best advice I can give is not to hesitate. Like I said before doubling down is computed into the house edge. Always make your move when the time is right. I’ve scratched the surface of this stellar move, now it’s up to you to go try it out.

Best Blackjack App for Your Phone

Everyone has apps on their phone these days. They have become a vital part of everyday life, and this sort of cell phone community that everyone seems to be participating in. There are apps that can connect you to complete strangers by “checking in” to certain establishments. There are apps that allow you to play scrabble with your sister across the country. There is now even an app to locate your spouse to make sure they are not cheating.

I was reading an article on Yahoo! News about all of the different applications that pretty much dictate how you live your life. One thing they discussed was various game apps, and if they are a waste of time. I was intrigued by this and decided that I wanted to find the best blackjack applications for your phone.

I found out, while sifting through many reviews that Blackjack Multi-Hand is by far the best. Not only does it allow you to play three hands at once, there is a built in tutor that will help you with your blackjack skills. This app you have to pay for though.

If you don’t want to pay, your best bets are Blackjack88 or Blackjack Classic. Like most online Casinos, these apps give you bonus chips to start with, and offer many bonuses throughout play. Some offer the option to double down and surrender, but not many.

The Difference Between Hard and Soft Totals

The blog seems like it may be about something else, but I can assure you that it is only about your hand in a blackjack game.

I’m writing about this because I have gotten many questions about it, and although it seems like something obvious and easy, many players are still in the dark about it.

It is always mandatory to differentiate between hard and soft cards when playing blackjack online or in an actual casino.

A soft total has an ace as 11, and cannot be busted with a one card draw. For instance: if you are dealt an ace and a 7 that is a soft 18. If you draw a paint card, you do not bust the hand, you can then play the ace as a one. So your soft then becomes a hard 18, easy enough right?

Therefore, a hard total would not involve an ace, or has an ace being played as a one instead of an 11.

The dealer is required to hit anything under a soft 17. Also an ace in the dealers hand is always counted an 11. So they have to hit if they have a soft hand under 17, meaning an ace with a 2, 3, 4 or 5.

There a million different rules and guidelines for playing hard and soft combinations, that is going to take a whole new blog.

But there is also the stiff hand, which you want to avoid at all costs. A stiff hand is a hard hand value of 12 to 16. This hand is almost impossible to win with because it is too low to beat the dealer and too high to hit again.

Blackjack Cards are Picked with Random Number Generation

Playing blackjack online carries the same amount of odds as playing blackjack in a real casino. If you disagree with this fact, there is something you should know about: Random Number Generation.

While researching the odds of blackjack online I came across something a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_Number_Generation that gave me much need insight into the world of online gambling.

Random Number Generation or RNG is used for many things other than gambling games. It also comes in handy when developing statistical sampling, randomized design, cryptography, and computer simulation. There are also a couple different forms that RNG can take.

The first is the computational method, which is used in online casino games. This method uses complex formulas and algorithms. It is much more complicated than the physical method, which is seen in the form of a simple coin flip, dice roll, or wheel spin, to name a few.

The last and least common method is the human method. This is the least favorite because research has shown that no matter how random humans think they are, there is always a subconscious pattern that goes with your alleged randomization.

All Online Casinos use this method. Every single one is equipped with this software.  So when you hear someone say that computers “cheat” at gambling games you can chuckle to yourself, and then explain to them what RNG is.

Playing blackjack online is always a good tool to perfect your game, especially with the “funny” money that almost all reputable casinos give you. You can see for yourself that the cards drawn are random, try it out on a one or two deck blackjack table if you really want to test the theory.

Learning Blackjack from YouTube

Did you know there are over 3,500 different blackjack videos on YouTube? It’s true; YouTube has become a valuable instrument to learn pretty much anything. I’ve learned how to play the drums, as well as crochet a scarf. The possibilities are literally endless.

Now the tricky part is finding the best channels on YouTube, simply typing in blackjack can lead you to thousands of time-wasters that aren’t worth your attention.

Some of my favorites are: TheCasinoGuru and BeatingBlackjack do some very informative videos. BeatingBlackjack is lead by some ordinary guys who have a passion for the game, and everything about it. They do stripped down tutorials that is easy to comprehend and follow along with.

When it comes down to it you’re going to choose a video that fits your style. Just make sure you type in “How To” in your search, no matter what you search.

I once wanted to learn different Craps bets so I typed in “Craps Bets” in my YouTube search and ended up watching a ten minute video trying to sell me a DVD about craps. Don’t let this happen to you.

Another great too is to search exactly what you are interested in learning. Try searching “How to count cards in blackjack” or “When to double down in blackjack”. You will find that there are still thousands of videos that will fit your needs.

Any way that you learn the game is going to be beneficial to your wallet, and the more you learn the better you will be. Also practice makes perfect, especially online!

Sin City or Atlantic City?

When deciding where to play blackjack online it is relatively easy to find a site that you like.

I usually go to Online Casino Suite and find the best online casinos. They review all of them and let me know each casino’s payout  percentage as well as the hit frequency. There are a lot of options, but the good thing is you can virtually leap from casino to casino.

But what about when you want to play blackjack at a physical casino? Do you find a local casino or venture to one for the well-known gambling destinations? I was reading an article today at Fox News about how New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been making a push to get players to come to the east coast rather than the west coast. He says that “You’d have to be stupid to go to a dessert in the middle of the summer.”

But would you? Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman has to laugh at this, although she appreciates Christie’s efforts to draw tourism to Atlantic City.

The fact of the matter is Las Vegas will always beat Atlantic City in revenue, in 2010 Vegas nearly doubled AC’s earnings, and so Goodman has nothing to worry about.

So which is it going to be: Sin City or Atlantic City?

It all can be summed up with one quote from an active gambler who has visited both destinations many times: “If you want to experience Jersey, go to Atlantic City. But if you want to experience the world, come to Vegas.”

Single Deck Blackjack at Bodog Casino

Playing blackjack for me is one of the most rewarding activities I engage in. I usually play online, seeing as the closest casino to me is nearly two hours away. Lately my favorite site to play at is Bodog.

I usually play roulette at Bodog Casino, so I decided their blackjack had to be just as good, if you want to play online black jack for real money this is the place.

Not only do they have a payout percentage of 94.3%, they also have no limit to their welcoming bonus amount. They will match any amount you deposit.

I played for free for a while, until I decided I was ready to wager some real money.  I picked 1 deck blackjack, because it’s new and I’ve been dying to play. These is a 25$ minimum bet, and the speed of play is relatively longer because more cards are drawn to achieve 21. It is next to impossible to get a pure blackjack.

Not only did they just add single deck blackjack, but also double deck blackjack, which has a slightly faster pace of play.

It pays 3:2, insurance pays 2:1, and you can split up to two hands. I played for about thirty minutes and ended up being up $20 which I was proud of considering it was my first time playing single deck blackjack.

I play a lot, and I have grown accustom to 4 to 6 deck blackjack, so playing with 1 and 2 decks was definitely a new experience, but a good experience.