Online BlackJack

"Blackjack is the only casino game an amateur can learn to play and at which he can definitely win." Brave words from renowned online Blackjack author, Lawrence Revere. Yet online blackjack really does offer you the best opportunity to beat the banker.

In online blackjack the dealer always has the advantage. If you both bust, the dealer wins. Despite this injustice, a good number of people over the years have swelled their blackjack bankroll using systems of play and set behaviour. Mind you, a fair percentage of these blackjack tycoons were mathematical professors!

If you aren't blessed with a computer for a mind, following a few simple rules will increase your chances of winning big at online blackjack.

Legends of Blackjack

Professor Edward O.Thorp - "Einstein of Blackjack"

Edward Thorp was a card-counting pioneer. In 1963 he published "Beat the Dealer", bringing these blackjack methods to the masses. Selling 700,000 copies in the first year, the casinos were forced to make it more difficult to win blackjack. The publication of this book was the catalyst for the introduction of automatic shuffling machines and multi-deck blackjack.

Stanford Wong

In 1975 Stanford Wong published "Professional Blackjack", a strategy masterpiece on four deck blackjack. The book is acknowledged as a blackjack bible for players of all standards. Wong developed one of the first commercial software packages capable of analyzing blackjack odds. The term "wong" or "wonging" has come to mean a specific advantage technique in blackjack.

Ken Uston - "Master of Blackjack"

In 1977 electronic card counting devices were invented when Ken Uston's blackjack team built mini-computer devices that could be hidden in their shoes. Later that year Uston published "The Big Player", exposing the secrets of team play blackjack. A mathematical genius, Ken's card counting got him banned from most casinos prior to winning a landmark lawsuit, compelling casinos to admit card counters. Uston wrote 'Mastering Pacman' and was a videogame mastermind. Blackjack Hall of Fame 2003.

The MIT Blackjack Team

In the early 1990's another famous card counting group called the MIT Blackjack Team formed, continuing in the tradition of basic strategy and counting techniques, but without any computerized assistance. This team won hundreds of thousands of dollars over a short amount of time. Eventually casinos caught the group of card counters and they were barred from casinos across the globe.

Kerry Packer

Mr Packer's legendary status as a high stakes gambler came to the fore when he took Las Vegas' MGM Grand for $26 million playing blackjack for $200,000 a hand, six hands at a time. Mr Packer was also reported to have suffered the biggest losses ever sustained in the UK in September 1999, dropping £11m ($16.5m) at Crockfords casino in London. But there are also tales of his incredible generosity, including a $100,000 tip to dealers and waitresses.

Online Blackjack Tactics

Don't be a fool, check the rules

Even if you don't have a PHD in blackjack, there are a number of rule variations which help increase your chances of winning. For example, doubling down on any two cards and the dealer having to stand on soft 17. Online casino software platforms already have Black Jack variations in addition to the original Black Jack that we already know and play. You can expect something a little different in each game from different software platforms. Choice is down to personal preference.

Double Trouble and Banana Splits

Doubling down involves doubling your bet and receiving one additional card when you suspect strongly that you will beat the dealer by doing so. This is the player's chief advantage in blackjack, so be a double trouble maker. If you are dealt two cards of the same value, you may "split" them, doubling your bet and playing two hands. Always split aces. Never split face cards, 10's, or 5's.

It's a marathon not a sprint

Bet no more than 1/30 of your bankroll on any single hand of blackjack. This rule of thumb is widely acknowledged as helping you survive a period of continuous losses.Playing two hands at the same time will not give you any kind of edge in blackjack. You get the same results against the dealer. Your enjoyment might last longer too!

Mathematical Musing

A fistful of blackjack systems have been devised over the years based on probability and counting cards. Understand these blackjack systems if you want to win in the long run.

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