Blackjack Expert

New Year Fireworks for Online Casino Winners

2007-01-05T16:44:00.000-08:00

Whilst most people were preparing to celebrate the arrival of 2007 in traditional fashion, a number of hardened online gamblers turned to the Bodog online casino in the hope of ushering in the New Year in some style.

For five online players that wish became a reality as between them they entered 2007 just a shade over $80,000 better off.

E. M. of Illinois was the biggest winner after taking a seat at the Bodog Blackjack table and ended the year with a $24,250 win. J. L. from New York also won around $15,000 at the Blackjack tables on the last day of the year, whilst T. P. of Pennsylvania won just under $15,000 playing Golden Glove real series Video Slots.

J. R. from New Mexico unearthed some very welcome treasure playing the Diamond Mine Slot machine as he finished his session $12,250 better off, whilst K. G. from Pennsylvania became the final big winner of the year by winning $13,650 playing Three Card Poker.

Players at Bodog Casino can use a single account to access online poker, sportsbetting, or to bet on horse-racing, as well as getting an unlimited 10 per cent bonus on all deposits.

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Ever wonder how to play street craps?

Ultimate Blackjack Tour Heads to Las Vegas Strip

2006-12-26T18:25:00.000-08:00

The boom in blackjack is continuing as the Ultimate Blackjack Tour (UBT) heads to Las Vegas.

For the first time ever the Las Vegas strip, in partnership with The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, will host a UBT event.

The Venetian Invitational takes place November 24-26 and includes a prize pool of over $100,000. The final six players at the Venetian Invitational receive round-trip airfare to Los Angeles in January to compete in a taped UBT event that will air on CBS in 2007. The winner of the event will also receive a $10,000 buy-in to UBT's year-end Tournament of Champions which boasts a $1 million guaranteed first prize and an estimated $2-3 million total prize pool.

Russ Hamilton, UBT founder, said, ''It's great to partner with a world-class casino such as The Venetian to give UBT’s Elimination Blackjack tournaments a home on Las Vegas Boulevard.

'Since the show has started airing on CBS, UBT has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the gaming world, and we know our new relationship with The Venetian will be a win-win for everyone involved.'

The strong TV ratings are a clear indication of the success that UBT is enjoying with the UBT charter tour stops allowing everyone to experience the fast-paced action while playing for big money and the opportunity to reach superstardom on CBS.

Rob Goldstein, President and COO of The Venetian, said, 'Thanks to our exclusive partnership with the UBT, The Venetian has a great opportunity to showcase our property while enhancing each guest’s experience in gaming and entertainment,” said.

Blackjack Is a Game of Perfection

2006-12-10T15:55:00.000-08:00

Last time we talked about what a complex game live poker is and how nobody plays error-free poker. Everybody sometimes misreads what they think their opponent has, everybody sometimes calls when they should fold, and everybody sometimes checks when they should bet. Still and all, you'll be okay if you just make fewer mistakes than your opponents.

In blackjack, however, your opponent is the house, and you've got the built-in disadvantage of having to play your hand first. The good news is, you can make that up with expert play – just barely. But the odds of the game are so close that even if you do play like an expert, there's practically no room at all for mistakes. You have to know every correct play like the palm of your hand just to keep things almost 50-50. And if you want to actually gain the upper hand over the dealer, then you've got to keep some kind of reliable track of the cards.

Let me give you an example of how playing errors in blackjack will shoot you down. There's a right and a wrong way to play every hand and if you never make a mistake, odds are the dealer will still pull four bets ahead of you for every 10 hours of play.

Of course, that would be in a perfect world. But in the green felt jungle you're subject to the moody swings of Lady Luck. In fact, 45% of the time, you'll actually win enough extra lucky hands to end up a winner for that 10 hour period.

Now instead, what about the average Joe Blackjack who plays about 1 out of every 10 hands wrong? What are his odds? Because of the way Joe plays, he should fall 12 bets behind every 10 hours. Lady Luck will help him out enough to make up those 12 bets only 33% of the time! And the more mistakes Joe makes, the luckier he has to get to come out ahead.

Now, suppose you play all your hands perfectly, but still don't like the odds of probably falling four bets further behind every 10 hours. Suppose you want to have the odds in your favor at blackjack. Fortunately, gaining the upper hand in the game is possible. Unfortunately, it requires keeping track of key cards that have been dealt.

When most blackjack players hear that last statement, they back away, feeling it's too much work. But what pinochle player worth his salt would play pinochle and not keep track of trump cards? In stud poker, if you were drawing to a diamond flush, wouldn't you count the diamonds on board? Why should it take any less effort to win at blackjack? Do you think the casino's going to give their money to you just because you memorized a basic strategy "win card" from their gift shop?

Oh no! To gain the upper hand over the house, you'll have to play more perfectly than just perfect basic strategy. You'll have to know when the right cards are left in the shoe. Then you'll be in the position of probably pulling two to six bets ahead every 10 hours. Your actual chances of coming out ahead over any 10-hour stretch wouldn't be 45% or 33% anymore -- but 53% to 57%.

Many methods have been devised for tracking the cards in blackjack. The strongest ones require the dedication of a fanatic, and the weakest can be mastered by most average players in a few hours.

super bowl bet

Unlike Blackjack, Poker Is a Game of Mistakes

2006-12-03T13:45:00.000-08:00

Practically speaking, blackjack and live poker are the only two "beatable" games in the casino. But the tools you need to win at each game are different as night and day.

Winning strategy at casino blackjack is quite an exact science. When you have 14 against the dealer's 5 up, for example, you should definitely stand every time, no matter what dealer you're up against. You know proof positive that the dealer will always take a card, even if she turns up a 10 in the hole and already has you beaten with 15. Also, most blackjack bets are for even money. With such concise variables to consider, determining the optimum play is nothing more than a lengthy mathematical problem. Once that's worked out, though, blackjack's proper strategy is gospel.

Poker, on the other hand is much more complicated. Basically, that's because you play against the other players. You see, in poker, you often don't know how your opponent will play his hand. It's the equivalent of your blackjack dealer turning up that 15, looking around the board and saying, "Hmm, should I take a hit here, or should I stand?"

That's how your opponents' free will in poker creates a whole new set of problems for you. When you bet into him, sometimes he'll fold, sometimes he'll call and sometimes he'll raise. And when he does raise, he'll occasionally be bluffing. Besides that, each player has his own set of standards for when he'll do each. Combine that with continuously varying pot sizes and correct poker strategy becomes a very inexact science. Actually, it's more of a personal art.

Ultimate Blackjack Tour Strikes partnership with Palms Casino Resort in Vegas

2006-11-12T15:38:00.000-08:00

In a perfect Vegas pairing, the Ultimate Blackjack Tour will bring its high-adrenaline, juiced up version of tournament blackjack to the trendsetting Palms Casino Resort as an official UBT tour stop April 20, 2007.

Strong ratings for its weekly CBS television program have shown that the world is ready for UBT's new take on a casino classic. Charter UBT tour stops allow everyone to experience the fast-paced fun of Elimination Blackjack™ in a tournament setting while playing for millions and the opportunity to reach superstardom on CBS. UBT's worldwide tour kicked off on September 23 at the Radisson Resort and Casino in Aruba and continues on to St. Kitts' Royal Beach Casino on October 28.

"Since its opening, the Palms has never been afraid to try new things, so they make a perfect partner to host the first Las Vegas charter tour stop for Ultimate Blackjack Tour," said UBT founder, expert gambler and 1994 WSOP Main Event winner Russ Hamilton. "Initial reaction to the UBT has been overwhelmingly positive and the Palms has a knack for recognizing the next big thing."

"We are thrilled to be a charter member of the Ultimate Blackjack Tour," said Palms Casino Resort owner George Maloof. "The series is filled with fun and excitement, which is what the Palms is all about. And the elimination format will bring our customers the hottest blackjack tournament around."

The high-velocity ten-episode first season of Ultimate Blackjack Tour, which debuted nationwide on CBS Saturday, September 16th to stellar ratings, features the world's top poker and blackjack pros in cut-throat action against the dealer, and one another. Chock full of forced eliminations, secret bets and smash mouth trash talking, the season also includes two special episodes: The Ladies of Blackjack, which showcases top female gamblers the likes of Annie Duke, Jennifer Tilly, Monica Reeves and Erica Schoenburg, and The Legends of Blackjack, which puts blackjack whizzes Stanford Wong, Anthony Curtis, Kenny Einiger and others in exciting, head-to-head competition.

Additionally, through its web site, www.PlayUBT.com, Ultimate Blackjack Tour is doing something never been done before. UBT is currently holding free online tournaments where winners earn seats to the UBT season two final tables to be televised on CBS in 2007. The site also provides Elimination Blackjack™ playing tips and in-depth analysis of the televised events.

Globe of Blogs

2006-11-06T15:53:00.000-08:00

Cool site. Good PR. I recommend submitting your blog here.

Trying out Online Casinos

2006-11-05T09:25:00.000-08:00

One of the great joys of playing in casinos online is that most offer the opportunity to download the software and play as a guest player without you having to deposit any money. You can sample the casino games using play money which is a tremendous opportunity for a new player to experience online casino play without any financial risk.

Imagine walking into a live casino and asking if you can play for free on one of the blackjack tables, just to get some practice with pretend money. Of course they would think you were crazy and ask you to stop wasting their time. However online casinos are different. Most allow you to login to their software as a guest user and trial their various games using play money. You don't need to deposit any cash!

This is a great opportunity for an inexperienced casino player. Firstly you gain the experience playing online without any financial risk. Being comfortable with online play can be an achievement in itself, and so playing as a guest allows you to gain that experience at your own leisure without any pressure.

You also get the opportunity to play a wide variety of different games that you might not normally try if you were playing for real cash. You can test out the more common table games such as craps, Blackjack, Roulette or Baccarat, as well as sampling all of the various Online Slots machines and arcade games that you might not have ever seen before.

This also allows you to experiment with your play. You can test out various strategies and betting techniques and learn the consequences of those actions. Often the best way to learn is through trial and error by putting theory into practice. What a great way to experiment when you have nothing to lose!

Making use of the guest account facilities also provides the opportunity to test a casino's software before you commit to making a download. You can ensure that the software runs smoothly and is appealing to you. You can also learn where the various settings and buttons to place your bets are. There's nothing worse than coming to a new casino and placing a $100 bet when you meant to only bet $10. Test out the software and get an understanding of the way it operates so that you can avoid such mistakes.

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, so if you are a new casino player then take advantage of the casino's guest account facilities to trial the casino games and software before you are ready to make your first real deposit!

After playing with your Guest account, make your first deposit of $100 at Golden Palace Casino and you'll get a $300 bonus to play their real money games!

Blackjack Strategies for All Online Casino Players

2006-09-06T18:37:00.000-07:00

If you are new to the world of online casino gaming, but are a huge fan of the game of blackjack at the land-based casino, you should be happy to hear that online casino blackjack allows you to follow the same winning strategy that you have been using for years in Vegas. That being said, expert land-based casino blackjack players should be aware of one key difference between playing at the online casino and playing at a real casino: Counting cards is neither an option nor a possibility. This may cause a problem for all you card counters out there.

The reason that counting cards at the online casino just doesn't work is because online casino sites use RNG, random number generators, during each draw of a card. This means that each card is completely randomly selected and does not come out of a series of 1, 4 or 8 decks of cards. We can't stress this enough, regardless of how fine tuned your land-based casino card counting skills are, they will be of no service to you at the online casino. However, using the classic blackjack strategy, which has been used for years by some of the best players, will certainly help raise the house edge in your favor at the online casino.

This strategy, which can be found either online or in any blackjack gambling book, is easy to follow and even comes with a handy chart that will assist you in making all your hit, stand, split and double down decisions. Unless you are an expert blackjack player, or have managed to discover your own game winning strategy, it is highly recommended that you use the classic blackjack method if you want to be a winner at the online casino.

CBS vs GSN - doubling down on blackjack

2006-08-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

Ultimate Blackjack Tour, the creator of the eponymous gambling series set to air on CBS this fall, has filed a lawsuit against GSN in an effort to block the cable net from running its World Series of Blackjack.

In a suit filed earlier this week in the Los Angeles Superior Court, UBT alleged that GSN breached an implied contract in producing its latest incarnation of World Series of Blackjack by lifting elements of what UBT characterized as its “novel” blackjack methodology. The “elimination blackjack” format, which UBT registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, features non-traditional elements like elimination rounds and secret bets.

I could care less about this, but I'm just excited about 2 new blackjack shows coming on the air. I really hope the CBS losses their suit so that both shows air.

Disclaimer

2006-08-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

While this site is for entertainment purposes, I do have a few links to online casinos here. Because of this, I think that it was important that I added a disclaimer to this site. Please see below:

This website does not accept bets and will not be responsible for any losses sustained at any site mentioned here.

Gambling online maybe be illegal in your area. Please check with your local law enforcement before you sign up for an online gambling account.

Gambling under a certain age many also be restricted by your local goverments. Please consider your local gambling laws to determine whether you are the proper age to gamble.

If you or a love one has a problem with gambling, it is never too late to get help. There are many dedicated organizations that help problem gamblers. Please vist these sites for more information:

National Council on Problem Gambling - http://www.ncpgambling.org/
Gamblers Anonymous - http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/

NEW WSOB Website - World Series of Blackjack Tournament Website

2006-07-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

The WSOB finally has a website. Check it out @ blackjackworldseries.net.

The World Series of Blackjack is an exciting televised Blackjack Tournament that is in it's third year. Each year has seen an increase in contestants and prizes. The blackjackworldseries.net website has been designed to provide you with the most comprehensive coverage of the World Series of Blackjack (WSOB) available in one easy to use website.

I'm in Las Vegas

2006-07-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

And belive it or not, I'm meeting up eith this character later. What have I gotten myself into?

A little blackjack history

2006-07-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

The history of the Blackjack card game itself is still disputed but was probably spawned from other French games such as "chemin de fer and FrenchFerme". Blackjack originated in French Casino's around 1700 where it was called "vingt-et-un" ("twenty-and-one" in French) and has been played in the U.S. since the 1800's. Blackjack is called Black-Jack because if a player got a Jack of Spades and an Ace of Spades as the first two cards (Spade being the color black of course), the player won more than his original bet.

Up $550, playing blackjack at 888

2006-07-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

that's right... sometimes it's too easy :O)

God that roulette juggle is so fun

2006-07-06T16:33:00.000-07:00

everytime I look at this blog, I end up playing.

Anyway, it's been a while since my last post, and I just wanted to let everyone know that yes, I'm still alive! Of course, I have to go now, but I'll write more later :O)

Roulette Juggle

2006-06-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

Roulette Juggle is a cool game that I just found on the online (brought to us by Golden Palace).

I can play this thing all day.

CLICK HERE to check it out!

Just another blackjack site...

2006-05-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

When you search for blackjack on google, you will get back about 31,800,000 hits... Somewhere in that mess is this site :O)

Well if you at this site, either you are looking for blackjack stories or blackjack strategy. Well, I'll tell you, I have a TON of stories about this game, but I'm going to start this blog off right with some basic strategy...

The Wizard of Odds is a good site to learn about this game. In fact, they have one of the most popular basic strategy blackjack charts on the web. See it here.

While this chart is great, you can see that it is only for a certain variation of the game. This of course is the most commonly played type of blackjack, and the version that you would find walking into almost any casino, that's why this chart is good.

Unfortunately, in order to master this casino game, this chart is just the beginning... In fact, this chart is good, but not always the best for playing blackjack online. Different online casinos use different styles of blackjack, and while you think that you might be playing the perfect strategy, you might want to read the rule of the table carefully before you sit down.

Well, that's enough typing for today... I'll be back with more tips, info, and stories later.

See you at the tables.

My great blackjack site!

2006-05-26T18:11:00.000-07:00

This site got labeled as possible spam... too many gambling links I think.

Oh well, it's not locked so I can still post :O)

Anyway, I started this blog at the oddest time because I haven't been playing too much blackjack recently. In fact, I've been playing a lot of poker... BoDog Poker, Party Poker, and Titan Poker are by far my favorite sites. My favorite sites for blackjack have to be the ones linked to here... Casino on Net, Del Rio, and Golden Palace (even though I couldn't find a nice looking banner for them)...

Anyway, enough about this site. I promise that I've have some blackjack talk in my next post, after this weekend.

Can I admit that I am watching American Idol?

2006-05-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

Looks like I just did...

Anyway, Meatloaf sucks, as do most of the contestants... But I think I love that stupid blonde girl who knows nothing about food...

Did you vote? I didn't. I did once the first season, even though I never really watched the show... I watched it once and said "Fuck it. If I'm watching this thing, why not vote?". It was years ago, and I can't even remember who I voted for...

Anyway, I think Taylor Hicks should win... But I'm kind sick of the Soul Patrol even though I just learned about it the other night. It pretty annoying.

Nothing going on here...

2006-05-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would let you know :O)

My top ten things to bet on

2006-05-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

The top ten things I love betting on:

1. Blackjack
2. Poker - Texas Holdem, Seven Stud, etc.
3. The Super Bowl
4. Craps
5. Roulette
6. The World Cup
7. Boxing
8. Pia Gow Poker
9. March Madness
10. The Kentucky Derby

First Blackjack post

2006-05-21T16:41:00.000-07:00

I felt like starting a blog. I'm not really sure what I'll write about here yet, but I love to play blackjack, so I named the blog after this... It's incredible how many blackjack blogs already exist. I had to try a lot of address names before I came up with this one.

Of course, "Blackjack" was gone, but so were were a whole slue of names that I tried (blackjack-blog, blackjackonline, ect.). Well, now I am to be officially known as an expert... But I do consider myslef an expert, so it shouldn't be that hard :O)