The 888casino Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide is the most extensive and comprehensive introduction to the casino game of blackjack that you will find anywhere.
WHY WE WROTE THE ULTIMATE BLACKJACK STRATEGY GUIDE
Blackjack is the most popular casino card game in the world. Yet many players are unfamiliar with the game’s procedures, protocols, and detailed strategies. The Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide was written to fill this void.
STRUCTURE OF THIS GUIDE
This Blackjack Strategy Guide consists of 18 Chapters. Each chapter begins with bullet points that explain what the reader will find in each chapter. Blackjack Strategies are presented in several formats, including easy-to-follow color-coded charts. Where appropriate, the math of a particular strategy is explained with examples. Each chapter ends with Key Takeaways and a Test Yourself quiz. The guide begins with "How to Play Blackjack" and then incrementally introduces topics that will give the reader the knowledge to play blackjack skillfully.
WHO THIS GUIDE IS FOR
This 888casino Ulimate Blackjack Strategy Guide was written for players who have never played blackjack, and also for experienced players who want to elevate their game to a higher level of proficiency.
After reading this strategy guide, you will be confident about your ability not only to play the game, but to beat the game.
WHO WROTE THIS GUIDE
The Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide was written by Henry Tamburin, Ph.D., a respected authority on blackjack. He has over 50 years’ experience as an accomplished player, author, speaker, and teacher of blackjack strategies to players at all skill levels.
Tamburin authored the book Blackjack: Take the Money and Run. He has taught card counting classes throughout the USA, has given numerous seminars to business organizations and conventions, and has been featured on radio, TV, and in several newspapers.
Tamburin is also a skilled blackjack tournament player, and an invited guest at the prestigious Blackjack Ball, an annual gathering of blackjack professional players, mathematicians, and writers.
Before you can play blackjack, you need to know the basic blackjack rules, table etiquette, understand what makes blackjack different than other casinos games, how the casino has a built-in advantage over players, and what you can do about it. This chapter of the blackjack strategy guide will cover these basics along with a history of the game.
Before you can begin to learn blackjack strategies, you’ve got to get the lay of the land (so to speak) on how the game is played, specifically the basic blackjack rules, the objective of the game, the player’s options, the dealer’s rules, and a few protocols to keep you out of trouble.
The casino game of blackjack has its procedures, codes of conduct, and playing etiquette. In this section, you’ll find a list of what these are, including some common faux pas made by novice players.
Players have many choices of table games to play in land-based and online casinos. So what makes blackjack different and the game of choice for smart players? You’ll find out the answer to this question in this section.
You’ll learn how the casinos have a built-in advantage against players, and how the basic blackjack playing strategy can reduce this disadvantage to less than 1%.
You will learn about the colorful blackjack history from its origins back in the 1700s and how it evolved into the world’s most popular casino card game. Learn when the game came to America, what caused the name of the game to change from “21” to “blackjack,” who the persons were that developed the first reasonably accurate basic playing blackjack strategy, and who developed and published the first powerful winning blackjack's card-counting system.
Thie Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide will teach you the basic playing strategy for surrender, pair splitting, doubling down, hitting, and standing. You’ll also learn about the popular side bets known as Insurance and Even Money.
Sometimes we are dealt horrible hands in blackjack. This section explains how we can minimize the damage by using the playing option known as surrender. (Includes black and white tables and color-coded charts that contain the accurate surrender basic strategy for all games.
There are three reasons why you would split a pair in blackjack, and in this section you’ll learn what they are. (Includes black and white tables and color-coded charts that contain the accurate pair splitting strategy for all games.)
Doubling down allows players to go on the offensive when the dealer is most vulnerable, and in this section you’ll learn how to do it. (Includes black and white tables and color-coded charts that contain the accurate doubling down strategy for all games.
The most frequent playing decision you will have to make is whether to hit or stand, and in this section you’ll learn the correct strategies for hitting and standing. (Includes black and white tables and color-coded charts that contain the accurate hitting and standing playing strategy for all games.)
Introducing Blackjack Insurance and Even Money are two popular side bets in blackjack. In this section you’ll learn what these bets are and whether or not you should make them.
This chapter contains the complete, accurate basic blackjack playing strategy in color coded charts and white tables for single-, double-, and four-or-more-decks blackjack games.
After players receive their initial two cards, they have a relatively short period of time to decide how they are going to play their hand. This section explains a logical order that they can follow to quickly determine which playing option they need to focus on
There are blackjack strategies that can help the basic strategy player to have better odds and further reduce the house edge. You’ll learn about them in this chapter.
Most blackjack players rush into a casino and sit down at the first open seat they see at a blackjack table. That’s a big mistake, and with this bllackjack strategy guide you’ll learn why.
There are several factors that a player should look for before playing, including the number of decks being used, the playing rules, the payoff for a blackjack, and even how the cards are shuffled. Learn the specifics in this section.
Most popular blackjack systems are based on the results of the previous hand(s). With some, you increase your bet following a loss; in others, you increase following a win. How these betting systems work will be explained in this section.
In this blackjack strategy guide we explore some of the many popular blackjack myths. You may have heard some of them.
“Bad players at the table will hurt you.”
“The order of the cards is sacred.”
“Always insure a good hand.”
“Increase your bet when the dealer is cold.”
And more.
This chapter contains a potpourri of frequently asked questions with answers. Questions such as: “Should I tip the dealer, and if so, how much?” “What should I do if a dealer makes a dealing mistake that causes me to lose?” “Where can I find the best blackjack game in Las Vegas?” “How can I get comps when I play blackjack?” And more.
There are dozens of myths surrounding card counting, and I’ve heard them all in the past 50 years. What follows are (in my opinion) the most popular myths and the corresponding truths.
You close your eyes, stick your hand into the bowl, and randomly pull out a marble. What are the odds it will be white? Obviously, the odds are 50-50 since there are equal numbers of white and black marbles in the bowl.
It’s important that you understand why the removal of small cards is player favorable and the removal from the deck of large cards is player unfavorable
Hi-Lo has been the gold standard of card counting systems for many years. It’s also the card counting system I’ve used successfully for nearly 50 years, and have taught to hundreds of players in my blackjack school and seminars.
The good news is that varying your bets in a single-deck game is easy; the bad news is that nowadays there aren’t many “beatable” single-deck games, meaning a game that will give a card counter the advantage.
You are probably wondering how you will be able to determine the number of unplayed decks of cards. Fortunately, the casinos have provided us with a device to do this. No, it’s not the dealing shoe; it’s the discard tray.
Besides using your true count to size your bets, you can also use it to deviate from the basic playing strategy. The reason is that the more positive the count, the more inclined you will be to stand, double, split, take insurance, or surrender.
If you have been hesitant to learn card counting over the thought of having to do the mental division of converting a running count to a true count on every hand (Chapter 10.6), I've got good news for you. There is a new-breed of counting systems that use only the running count for betting and playing decisions. This makes card counting much easier for many players.
The Speed Count system includes conservative and aggressive betting spreads much the same as balanced and unbalanced counting systems sometimes do. The greater the spread, the greater the edge but the more risk to your bankroll.
Blackjack dealers never deal all the cards. Most of the time they will deal out anywhere from 50% to 80% of the cards, then shuffle. The percentage of cards dealt is known as penetration.
Even though card counting is technically legal (if you only use your brain), it is frowned upon by casinos. In this sub-section, I’ll describe the techniques that casinos use to discourage card counting, and how and what they do when they catch a card counter.
One warm evening in Las Vegas, a young man was walking on the famed Strip, contemplating what had just happened. He was a good card counter, he could count down a deck of cards accurately in 20 seconds flat, and knew his strategy deviations cold.
There are two things you must have to beat the casinos: a winning system that you play accurately and a bankroll to support your betting. Don’t take the second issue for granted because beginning your card counting career (no matter how fast you can count a deck of decks) with a short bankroll is a recipe for disaster.
There are a plethora of side bets available on blackjack tables. The Ulitmate Blackjack strategy Guide will explain what they are, the playing rules and payoffs, and which ones can be beaten.
There are several blackjack variants, games that look like a regular blackjack game but are different. In this Chapter you’ll learn what they are, how to play them, and which ones you can gain the edge.
This chapter provides information on what to expect when playing blackjack outside the U.S., including declaring your winnings. Additionally, the U.S. regulations regarding cash transactions in casinos is reviwed.
The Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide explains blackjack tournaments, how they work, and what kind of blackjack strategies you should learn to improve your chances of finishing at a final table.
Playing and betting strategies are different for tournaments than for table play. This section will summarize the most important playing and betting strategies for you to be able to compete with confidence in a tournament.
You’ll learn all about the Blackjack Hall of Fame, where it’s located, who the inductees are, what their contributions were, and how individuals are voted into the Hall.
You’ll get the inside scoop on this annual event of blackjack pros that is held at a secret location in Las Vegas. Many of these players have made a fortune playing blackjack in casinos around the world.
Henry Tamburin is one of world’s most respected blackjack experts and a world-class player. He is the author of the Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide, and Blackjack: Take The Money and Run. He edited the monthly Blackjack Insider Newsletter, and was a featured blackjack columnist for Casino Player magazine, Midwest Gaming and Travel magazine, Gaming South magazine, Southern Gaming magazine, New England Gaming News, Jackpot, Bingo Bugle, and Casino City Times.
