Online Casino Gambling

Spanish Blackjack is not a well-known game. The rules resemble regular Blackjack but with a few twists. For instance, the decks in the game only have 48 cards because all tens are removed. Unfortunately, this gives the dealer an advantage because it is less 10-value cards available for the player. However, there are other rules to balance the playing field. The most important include:

• The player 21 always wins
• The player has the option to surrender after doubling
• The player can double on any cards
• Late surrender is acceptable
• Double after split is acceptable
• 6-7-8 and 7-7-7 of mixed suits pays out 3 to 2, same suit pays 2 to 1, of spades pays 3 to 1
• 5 card 21 pays 3 to 2
• 6 card 21 pays 2 to 1
• 7 or more card 21 pays 3 to 1

Different online casinos have different rules. For instance, Microgaming employs the following:

• 8 decks can be used
• Redoubling is only permitted once
• Dealer hits on soft 17

In order to play the game you must have some type of strategy which at Microgaming sites varies from standard casinos. Like other variants of Blackjack, Microgaming provides the player with a strategy card. On the card there are values of the dealer’s face up card from 2 to 10. The player’s hand is divided into 3 sections consisting of hard totals, soft totals and instructions for splitting on pairs.

For hard totals the player should hit for hand values of 4 to 12 and stand with a value of 17 or above. The soft totals section advises players with hands from 12 to 19. The player needs to stand on 19 and above but should stand, double or hit on all other cards based on that particular strategy found on the card.

Finally, the instructions for splitting include, never split on 4’s, 5’s and 10’s. On the other hand, 8’s and Aces must always be split. The strategy cards differ depending on the casino but remain consistent within the specific site developer.

Learning to use the strategy card for Spanish Blackjack as well as regular Blackjack is one of the most important actions to take. It teaches you the best moves to make in specific situations. This is based on millions of hands of simulated situations so it is accurate. As you learn to use the card, you will see a significant decrease in the house advantage.

Blackjack teams are groups of professional blackjack players that work together using advanced card techniques to maintain a positive expectation. This indicates that for each $100 wagered, the team expects a return of greater than $100. As a result, over the long-term, these groups are able to win large amounts of money. The most common techniques used include:

• Card counting
• Shuffle tracking
• Hole carding

Card counting is keeping track of the cards played to determine whether the shoe is holding more high-value cards. Shuffle tracking occurs when a player identifies the location of aces or groups of cards in the deck during shuffling. Hole carding is getting a quick view of the dealer’s covered hole card which can help you determine the best move possible.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Blackjack Team is infamous for beating the house in Las Vegas. However, they were not the first blackjack team to attempt to break the bank. Actually the MIT team expanded on ideas implemented by previous blackjack teams. The reason the MIT team is so famous is they were active over a 12 year time period.

In 1979, J.P. Massar took a class at MIT entitled, “How to gamble if you must” in which a small segment featured card counting methods. For the next year, Massar created a team of students to gamble in Atlantic City with the goal of exploiting the tips ascertained from the course. These actions were unsuccessful.

In 1980, Massar met with Bill Kaplan to discuss his successful blackjack team. The team became tired of playing in a single place so they branched out to Europe. Massar asked Kaplan to accompany him to Atlantic City to observe his team and discover what they were doing wrong. Kaplan realized Massar’s team was making fundamental blackjack mistakes. They were using different card counting techniques.

At this point Kaplan agreed to form a team with the conditions that they would follow formal management procedures, strict training, a dedicated card counting system, meticulous casino tracking and a player approval process. The team began with $89,000 and doubled their winnings within ten weeks. The players made $80 per hour and investors saw a return of 250 percent.

The MIT Blackjack team took millions of dollars from casinos over many years utilizing the techniques ascertained by Kaplan. Over the past few years, this successful time period has been revisited through books and the creation of a movie documenting the team’s success.

Many variants of Blackjack allow the player to purchase insurance on their hand. In general, if the dealer’s face up card is an Ace, the player has the opportunity to take insurance. If the player opts to take this action, they must place half of their wager in an area marked “insurance.” If the dealer receives a natural Blackjack, the payout to the player is 2 to 1. If the dealer does not have Blackjack, they lose the insurance bet.

The Insurance Bet is a Losing Wager

In general, the insurance bet is a losing wager. As a result, many choose not to take this and move on with the game. However, there are many mathematically minded Blackjack players that would like to know why it is a losing bet.

The Mathematics of the Insurance Bet

In a single deck game, 3 cards out of the total 52 are face up when the insurance bet is offered. The dealer’s face up card is an Ace so let’s assume the player has not been dealt any 10 value card. This leaves 49 cards in the deck, 16 of which are valued at 10. The probability of winning the insurance bet is 0.327 (16/49). If the bet was $1, then it pays out $2. Therefore the expected payout is 2 * 0.327 = $0.654.

The other 33 cards out of 49 are not valued at 10 so the probability of the insurance bet equates to 0.673. If the insurance bet loses, the player loses his bet of $1 resulting in an expected losing payout of -$0.673. Therefore, the overall net expectation is ($0.654-$0.673) -$0.019. In the long run, the player is expected to lose money because the net expectation is negative.

The player’s expectation actually worsens when dealt 2 10 value cards. Out of 49 cards in the deck, only 14 are worth 10. As a result, the probability of winning is 14/49 which is 0.286. With a $1 insurance bet that pays out $2, the expected payout is $0.572 (2 * 0.286).

35 cards of the 49 in the deck do not have a value of 10 so the probability of losing is 35/49 which is 0.714. Factor in a loss of $1 on the insurance bet and you get -$0.714 with a net expectation of -$0.142. This is considerably worse than the previous example. The numbers prove that the insurance bet is a losing wager and should be avoided at all costs.

First introduced in 1993 by Shuffle Master, Inc., Let it Ride has developed into a popular game due to the high payouts. Since players are betting against the house, a fun and social atmosphere develops at the table or in online casinos. Also, the rules of Let it Ride are easy to learn and many simple strategies have been developed.

Let it Ride is played on a table that resembles Blackjack. Each seat has three circles on the table marked with the numbers 1 and 2 and character $. Play commences with each player placing three equal bets in each circle on the table. The dealer distributes three cards at a time to each player. The dealer takes three and removes one card, leaving two face-down cards.

Next, you are permitted to view your three card hand. The betting options include:

• Taking back your bet placed in the first circle
• Accepting your hand and letting it ride

The most common indicator of a take back is scraping your cards against the table. Once you have made a decision, the dealer flips the first of the two community cards in front of him. This card represents your fourth toward the five card poker hand. Once again you can take back your second bet or let it ride. You can take away the second bet only, but the first bet will remain.

During the final round, the dealer turns over the second community card for you to make your best five card poker hand. The dealer will now pay out the winners according to a specific betting chart.

When playing the correct strategy and robust poker, the house edge for Let it Ride is approximately 3.5 percent. To play correctly, you must know which hands to take back the bet and which hands are worthy of letting the wager ride. There are specific strategies for each betting round within the game.

Let it Ride is a fun and exciting twist on five card poker. The camaraderie that develops at the table, the high payouts and the easy to learn rules make this one of the most popular games in the casino. The strategies are also easy to learn and can be applied instantly to either an online or live game with only memorization. Let it Ride is a great game to try when looking for excitement.

Gaming regulations vary greatly depending on the region, state, city and town within the United States. Some states only allow gaming on Native American reservations, others permit only video based games and others allow any type of betting to occur at any establishment. Although not generally known, Montana allows gambling in a few different types of settings. These include:

• Video poker
• Video keno
• Live card games
• Sports pools
• Casino nights for non-profits

Montana has a long history of slot machines, blackjack and roulette. When gambling was made illegal, it wasn’t enforced by authorities in Montana until the late 1940’s. Once the State Supreme Court found it illegal, it took over 30 years to make a comeback. The Gambling Control Division was established in 1989 and they license, audit and enforce laws within gaming establishments.

Prior to the creation of this division, gaming was regulated on a local basis. Local governments had the ability to levy a gambling tax and lower the number of machines in the area. The Gambling Control Division collected all revenues, taxes and laws into a single governing body.

The gambling tax is split two-thirds to the state government and one-third to the local government. The state governing body allowed local agencies to extend gaming closing hours and restrict gambling in specific geographic areas by utilizing local zoning regulations.

The Gambling Control Division within the state of Montana employs only 36 individuals. Aside from creating gambling laws, they also test different gaming machines against the standard. Also, they grant, deny, renew, revoke and suspend licenses through a judicial review. Within the division is an auditing branch that examines tax records and scrutinizes other financial issues. Their primary focus is compliance of the law.

There are currently 11 total states that have gaming commissions but do not allow casinos. In many of these states the commission only overseas charitable, non-profit gaming. Other states regulate Native American gaming, card clubs and various smaller-scale gaming operations.

Montana is a unique gaming state in that it doesn’t allow any casino’s; only smaller establishments. These are highly-regulated and taxed at the federal level. Many of these establishments are in taverns that offer video poker, keno, card games and sports pools. Others, such as fundraisers (non-profit) are also regulated. Perhaps one day the gaming commission will elect to allow casino operations into their state.

Blackjack, also known as 21, is a staple in casinos that provide table games. This is one of the oldest and most popular betting games offered. There are many different limits and anyone can play. The rules are fairly simple with the primary objective being to beat the dealer.

The Basics

Blackjack can be played with one to eight decks of cards (this is an effort to diminish the card-counting technique). Many casinos are not only using multiple decks, but have continuous shuffling machines. In single and double deck games, the dealer holds and shuffles the cards and distributes them. In a multi-deck game, the dealer distributes the cards from a shoe (a box that holds the cards).

One and two deck games are extremely uncommon in casinos with most dealing from the shoe. The hand is dealt face up to all the players at the table who are not allowed to touch their cards. The game is played in a heads up fashion with everyone against the dealer. If the total count of your cards is less than or equal to 21 and is higher than the dealers hand you win.

If your hand totals over 21 you bust which is an automatic forfeit of chips. If the dealer also busts, you still do not win. The player always makes the first move. Unlike other card games, the suit of the card has no bearing on the outcome of the hand.

The Card Values

Cards 2-10 are counted as shown. All the face cards have a value equal to 10 and an ace counts as either a 1 or an 11. For instance, an ace and an 8 can either be combined to equal either 9 or 19 depending on the strategy for that hand. Hard hands are those that do not contain an ace. A soft hand is one that does contain an ace.

The Table

A blackjack table is shaped as a semi-circle. On the felt, there is a circle and a square for each seat. Chips must be purchased from the dealer and a bet is only valid if the chips are placed in the circle. Once all bets have been placed play can commence.

Blackjack is a fairly simple game consisting of simple math. Good decisions are based on mathematical calculations. Blackjack is one of the most fun and popular casino games due to its simplicity and immediate action.