Twenty one. That’s the whole story. Ever since Blackjack’s French precursor originated around the year 1700, its main attraction to players has been its simplicity. Although it has experienced varying waves of popularity both in Europe and in the United States, it has always pulled gamblers to its simple and yet brilliant structure. A massage for the intellect, if you will. The game in its earlier form was played quite differently while sticking to the basic principles of every player trying to reach or get as close to 21. The earlier version of the game only permitted the dealer to double down. Players would owe triple the amount to the casino if the dealer received a natural hand.

And the name Blackjack?
During Twenty One’s arrival to the American gambling houses in the early 1900’s, its popularity was still modest. One of the incentives offered to lure players to the blackjack table was a bonus payout of 10:1 if the player’s hand included the Ace of spades and a black Jack (clubs or spades). The incentive offer has long been eliminated, but the catchy name has stuck with the game through its rise to casino popularity.

BLACKJACK:
A hand consisting of an Ace and a 10-value card (10, Jack, Queen or King) totalling 21. Pays 3-2.

BROKE or BUST:
Going over '21' with additional cards drawn to the original hand.

HARD TOTAL:
A hand with no Aces or where the Ace is counted as '1.' For example, a nine-eight combination counts as a hard '17'.

HIT or DRAW:
Adding a card to your hand in an effort to come closer to 21, without going over.

INSURANCE:
When the dealer shows an Ace as the upcard, you can bet up to one-half the amount of your original wager that the dealer has a Blackjack. Insurance pays 2-1 if the dealer does, in fact, have blackjack. If he doesn't, the house collects the insurance bet.

NATURAL:
A Blackjack dealt with the original two cards. An ace and a face card.

PUSH:
Player and dealer tie. The money bet is retained by the player.

SOFT TOTAL:
A hand with an Ace that counts as an '11'. For example, an Ace-8 combination counts as a soft '19.

STAND:
The player doesn't want any more cards and so 'stands' with the cards he has.

STIFF:
A hand that could go bust by adding one more card. For example any hard 12-16 combination is a stiff.

UPCARD:
The face up card in the dealer's original hand.

A way of using money management to maximize your profits is simply by use a betting system. No matter what technique or method you use to give yourself an edge at the blackjack table, if you don't manage your money properly you will probably walk away a loser.

There are many ways of playing Blackjack, but our advice to everyone is to study the game, develop your own strategies, play error-free and consequently become a winner.

If you mimic the dealer, that is hitting all 16's, standing on 17's and never splitting or doubling, your expected loss will be 10 times worse than if you were more brave.

If you have a Pat 20 (first two cards total 20), your best bet is to have the dealer showing an 8 because if she has an Ace, 10, or 9 in the hole, you automatically win.

You must always split Aces and 8's, no matter what the dealer's up card is.

When you get an Ace on your first card, your advantage over the house is an incredible 52%.

Card counting and cluster counting, as mentioned elsewhere on this site, includes its own type of betting system. IE: Increase your bet size two to three times your original bet when conditions favour the probability of receiving a winning hand.

But what if you are strictly a basic strategy player? Besides the obvious bank roll increases experienced by doubling down and splitting your cards, what method should you use to increase your chances of walking away a winner? Below are 3 betting systems.

The Martingale System

This system, which was invented over 200 years ago, instructs the player to double his bet each time he loses, on the assumption that he will eventually win and show a profit from the initial wager.

With a beginning wager of $5.00 you would double your wager with each loss. IE: $5, $10, $20, $40 $80, etc. After a win your wager would drop back to $5.00. All wagers are recovered when you win a hand.

Casinos have table limits to eliminate the effectiveness of this system. After a long losing streak you will eventually hit the table maximum, thus defeating the purpose of this system. Plus, a considerable amount of bankroll is needed to make this system work, and the payoffs simply aren't worth it. If you started with a $5 dollar wager and lost your first four wagers and won your fifth, (without double downs or splitting your cards) you would be a measly 5 dollars ahead. This is simply not worth it, and if you are losing multiple hands in a row it is time to leave the table, not double your wagers. Also, losing double downs or splits can deplete your bankroll in a big hurry.

Progressive Betting System - 2 Level

This is the simplest betting system to use and still effective. To use this system simply decide on a minimum and maximum bet. Then bet the smaller amount after a loss and the larger amount after a win. For example, say you set your minimum bet at $5 and your maximum at $15. Start with a $5 dollar bet. If you win that hand you bet $15 your next wager. You then continue to bet $15 until you lose. After any loss you return to your minimum bet of $5.

This is a basic, put solid progressive betting system.

Progressive Betting System - 5 Level

This is another simple, yet effective system, based on a 1,2,3,5 back to 1 progression. Example: For a $5 player, the betting levels would be $5,10,15, and 25. With this system you start with your $5 bet and progress to the next level when you win a hand. If you lose a hand you drop back down to your original $5 wager. If you win four hands in a row you should then drop back down to your original $5 wager, hence the 1,2,3,5 back to 1 progression.

Lets take a look at how this works. This system is rewarding when you experience winning streaks but still doesn't kill you with losing streaks and is still effective while playing online Blackjack. Lets say you lose your first three hands and then win your next three. Assuming a starting wager of $5 you would be ahead $15 at the end of six hands. If you were betting an equal amount on each had you would be even.

It should be noted that progressive betting systems such as these fail when you experience a win, loss, win, loss, win, loss, type of scenario. In a case like this, you would be better off betting an equal amount on each hand. However, this is the risk you take in your attempt to maximize profits on streaks of 3 wins or more. And in reality it is not as risky as simply using basic strategy and betting an equal amount each hand. The nature of blackjack is such that winning streaks and losing streaks frequently occur, and that is where progressive betting systems maximize your profits.

THE MIMIC SYSTEM

The system we shall look at is what we call the mimic (the dealer) system. Although on other sections of this site we have recommended you not mimic the dealers plays, however at times this system can be applied well. If the player plays according to the same rules as the dealer (that is, draws to 16 and stands on any total of 17 or greater), then, because the player plays first, the house takes is 8.9%. Given that the dealer must pay 3:2 on blackjack, the house take is reduced to 5.9%. Using the matrix system, the house stake is shaved down to almost zero.

The mimic will suggest the most efficient action to take when certain card totals appear. It gives you the choice to either 'stand' (do nothing and stay with what you have) 'hit' (take another card), 'double' (double the size of your initial bet) or 'split' (separate the two identical cards dealt to you and create two separate hands).

For example, say you have a 7 and an 8 for a total of 15 and the dealer has a 6. It is your turn to make a decision. Using the mimic table, look across the top row and find the dealer's total of six, then run down the left-hand side to find your total of 15. In the middle of the mimic table, at the junction of the appropriate row and column, we find 'S' for 'stand'. Do not take another card -- choose to do nothing.

Note that the player's total runs down the left-hand side and the dealer's one-card total is across the top.

Mimic Table	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
5-8	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
9	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
10	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H*
11	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	(D/H)	(D/H)*
12	H	H	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
13	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
14	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
15	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
17-21	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A2-A6	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
A7	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H
A8-A10	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

Now, some points of clarification. Here are some general rules of thumb.

Player Total 5-8

Take a card against all dealer cards.

Player Total 9

The dealer stands a better chance of not busting with a 2 than a 3, 4, 5 or 6. Remember; if you double you only receive one card. If it is not a ten-value card you could be throwing good money after bad. Always double when your total is nine versus a dealer 3, 4, 5 or 6. The dealer is most likely to lose with these first cards and you are well advised to capitalize on it. Take a card when the dealer has 7, 8, 9, 10 or Ace.

Player Total 10

Double against all dealer cards except a dealer 10 or Ace. You are likely to end up with a total close to 20 -- a very difficult hand for the dealer to beat.

Player Total 12

Twelve is probably the worst player total. You should take a card against dealer 2 or 3 and stand against dealer 4, 5 or 6. Against dealer 7, 8, 9, 10 or Ace, you take a card because you have nothing to lose -- the dealer is likely to beat you.

Player Totals 13, 14, 15 and 16

Stand against dealer 'high bust' totals of 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 and (like player 12 totals) you take a card against dealer 7, 8, 9, 10 or Ace.

Player Totals 17-21

Always Stand against all dealer totals. You have a strong chance of winning and there is no need to tamper with it. The chances of improving these hands are low and of busting, high.

The Blackjack Table

The blackjack table in a casino is set up with five to seven betting spots with a dealer that acts for the house behind the table. The seat at the far left of the table is referred to as third base because it is the last seat to receive a card. Each table should have a plastic placard advertising the table.

BASIC CLASS (1)If you only read one section of this page, then this is the section you should read. Maximize your Blackjack winnings. Knowing Basic Strategy is critical to you gaining an advantage over the house.

The Basic Strategy for a particular set of rules was developed by intensive computer simulations that performed a complete combinatorial analysis. The computer "played" tens of thousands of hands of BlackJack situation possible and statistically decided as to which play decision favoured the player the most. The following three charts are the results of this analysis.

Basic Single Deck Strategy Table

Legend: H = Hit S = Stand D = Double P = Split

	Dealer's Up Card
Your Hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
8	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
9	D	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
10	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
11	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
12	H	H	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
13	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
14	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
15	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
17	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A,2	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,3	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,4	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,5	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,6	D	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,7	S	D	D	D	D	S	S	H	H	S
A,8	S	S	S	S	D	S	S	S	S	S
A,9	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A,A	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P
2,2	H	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
3,3	H	H	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
4,4	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
6,6	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H	H
7,7	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	S	H
8,8	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P
9,9	P	P	P	P	P	S	P	P	S	S
10,10	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

Basic Multiple Deck Strategy

Legend: H = Hit S = Stand D = Double P = Split

	Dealer?s Up Card
Your Hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
8	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
9	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
10	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
11	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H
12	H	H	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
13	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
14	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
15	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
17	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A,2	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,3	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,4	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,5	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,6	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,7	S	D	D	D	D	S	S	H	H	H
A,8	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A,9	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A,A	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P
2,2	H	H	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
3,3	H	H	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
4,4	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
6,6	H	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H	H
7,7	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
8,8	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P
9,9	P	P	P	P	P	S	P	P	S	S
10,10	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

Atlantic City Multiple Deck Basic Strategy Table

Legend: H = Hit S = Stand D = Double P = Split

	Dealer?s Up Card
Your Hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
8	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H	H
9	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
10	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
11	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H
12	H	H	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
13	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
14	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
15	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
17	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A,2	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,3	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,4	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,5	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,6	H	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,7	S	D	D	D	D	S	S	H	H	H
A,8	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A,9	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S
A,A	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P
2,2	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
3,3	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
4,4	H	H	H	P	P	H	H	H	H	H
6,6	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H	H
7,7	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
8,8	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P
9,9	P	P	P	P	P	S	P	P	S	S
10,10	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

ADVANCED STRATEGY CLASS(2)

It's possible for a blackjack player to gain a long-term advantage over the casino. This means you will win more money than lose over time. To do so, you must bet more when the odds of winning a hand are in your favour and less when the odds shift to the dealer. In order to know when the odds shift from dealer to player you must keep track of the cards as they are played. This technique, known as card counting, does not require a photographic memory (that's a misconception).

Firstly, you must understand that the probability of winning a hand in blackjack is very dependent upon the mix of cards remaining to be played. If this mix happens to contain an abundance of large cards like 10's, picture cards and aces, then your chances of winning improve. On the other hand, if the mix of unplayed cards contains an abundance of small cards like 2 though 6's, then the odds shift in favour of the dealer.

Here are some of the reasons why large cards favour the player and small cards the dealer. When you have a mix of unplayed cards that contain an abundance of large cards there will be more blackjacks dealt. Yes the dealer has just as much chance of getting a blackjack as a player but the player gets paid a bonus on a blackjack hand (3 to 2 payoff). Also, when the dealer has a stiff hand (like 12 to 16) he must draw. If the deck is rich in large cards, the dealer will most likely bust.

Unlike the dealer, the player does not have to draw on a stiff hand from a deck rich in large cards. Also players will profit more when doubling down in a mix rich in large cards. Likewise if a player has a pair, he can split the pair into two hands, a sometimes lucrative play when the dealer shows a weak face card. The dealer on the other hand will usually make good when he holds a stiff hand and draws from a mix of cards containing an abundance of small cards.

How does a player know when the unplayed cards are either rich in large or small cards? You must keep track of the cards as they are played because with this information you can deduce whether the unplayed cards are rich in small or large cards.

In order to keep track of the cards you must assign a tag to each card for card counting purposes. The dealer favourable small cards - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 - have a tag of +1 (plus one).

The player favourable large cards - 10, J, Q, K Ace- have a tag of -1 (minus one). The remaining cards - 7, 8, 9 - have a tag of 0.

Card counting is simply adding of the tags for each card that is played. For example after the shuffle, your starting count is 0 (this indicates an equal number of large and small cards). As the first round of play begins and cards are faced, you must add the tags of each card. If player #1 shows a 4 and 6 your count is +2 (sum of +1 tag for the 4 and +1 tag for the 6). Continue to add the card tags for every card that you see. If it's a small card you increase you count by 1. If it's a large card you decrease your count by 1. At the end of the first round your count will be either a plus or negative number. If your count is positive it means that there were a lot more small cards than large cards played in the previous round. That means the reverse must be true for the unplayed cards - namely the unplayed cards contain a slight excess of large cards over small cards. This is precisely the point at which the edge swings to the player on the next hand and therefore the player should make a larger bet. Likewise when the count is negative, the edge is with the dealer and the player should bet the minimum.

Homework
To learn how to count, get a deck of cards, shuffle them, and then turn one card over and recite the tag for that card. For example if your first card is a 6, recite "plus 1". If the next card is a queen recite "minus 1". Continue to do this for the entire deck of cards to help you associate the tag for each card.

Next take the same deck of cards and flip the cards over one-at-time and keep the running count. For example if the first card is 5, you count is "plus 1". If the next card is a 3, your running count is "plus 2". Assume the next card is a 7. Your running count is still "plus 2". Continue to flip each card and add the tags. When you are finished counting a deck of cards your running count should be 0 (this is how you can check the accuracy of your counting).

Now you are ready to cancel the tags of a group of cards to make counting even easier. Instead of flipping over one card at a time, flip 2 or 3 cards at one time. Glance at the cards and cancel every high card and low card. When you learn this technique you won't have to count every single card that you see on the layout.

Keep practicing card counting with your deck of cards until you can count down a deck accurately in 30 seconds or less.

On the Advanced Blackjack Strategies page 3 we will teach how to bet based on your running count.

ADVANCED STRATEGY CLASS (3)

In lesson 2 of this section we taught how a blackjack player can gain the long-term advantage over the casino by card counting and showed how card counting works. Here, we will teach how you can use the information to beat the single deck blackjack games.

The single deck blackjack game has an inherent advantage over multiple deck blackjack games. First, the casino's edge against a basic strategy player is close to 0. Secondly, you will experience positive counts more often therefore you do not need a very large bet spread to beat this game (a 1-4 bet spread will do just fine). The only negative aspect of a single deck game is that it generally draws more attention from pit bosses because they know card counters can beat single deck games more readily compared to multiple deck games.

The first thing you must do is evaluate the rules of the single deck game because some games have good rules and other not so good. By referring to the table below, you will get an idea of how the mix of rules effect the casino's edge (CA) in single deck games and a list of some of the casinos that offer these games. The worst rules for single deck games occur when the casino restricts doubling to a two card 10 and/or 11. The best rules allow unrestricted doubling or replace the double down rule with resplitting of aces. Better yet are casino's that offer single deck games in which the dealer stands on soft 17 rather than hit (you can actually have the edge without card counting in a single deck game where the dealer stands on soft 17).

DAS	S17	H17
Double after pair splitting	Dealer stands	Dealer hits soft 17
RSA	D10/11
Resplit aces allowed	Double only on two card 10 and 11
Single Deck Rules	CA	Example Casinos
S17, DAS	- 0.13%	Slot-of-Fun/LV
S17	- 0.01%	Westward Ho/LV
H17, DAS, RSA	+ 0.03%	Four Queens/LV
H17, DAS	+ 0.06%	Circus Circus/LV; Gold Spike/Tunica
H17, RSA	+ 0.15%	Binions Horseshoe/LV
H17	+ 0.18%	El Cortez/LV
H17, D10/11	+ 0.44%	Excalibur/LV

As a general rule, you'll find more single deck games with favourable rules in Las Vegas than elsewhere.

Another very important variable that determines whether a single deck game is worth your time is the penetration or percentage of cards that are dealt from the deck prior to the shuffle. Some casinos offer single deck games but shuffle after one or two rounds. Forget these games. You want at least 50 and ideally 75% of the cards to be dealt. The more cards that you see prior to the shuffle, the greater will be your advantage with card counting. This is very important so shop around for the best penetration.

You also do not want to play single deck games at a crowded table. In fact do not play if there are 3 or more players (excluding you). The reason you want to play at un-crowded tables is that you'll be getting more hands between shuffles and getting down more bets per unit of time compared to a crowded table.

One easy way to bet in single deck games is to bet two units on the first hand after the shuffle then vary your bets based upon the running count as follows.

• Negative count 1 unit
• Neutral count 2 units
• Positive count 4 units

For camouflage purposes do not increase your bet from 2 to 4 units unless you also won the hand. Also do not increase or decrease your bet size following a push. These are important betting rules if you are a green ($25) or black ($100) chip bettor since you will get more scrutiny from the casino bosses compared to a player betting red ($5) chips. If you are a $5 minimum bet player your betting spread would be $5 to $20. Likewise for a $25 player it would be $25 to $100.

To withstand the normal short-term fluctuations in your bankroll that will occur when you play blackjack, you should have a bankroll equal to 125 times your maximum bet. That's $5,000 if you spread $5 to $20 and at least a $12,000 if you spread $25 to $100

ADVANCED STRATEGY CLASS (4)

Another advanced strategy is how to compute the true count. You will use the latter to vary the size of your bets in single and multiple deck games and also when to deviate from the basic playing strategy.

Why do you have to convert your running count to a true count? Because the running count doesn't take into consideration the number of unplayed decks of cards and therefore you can overestimate your advantage. For example, a running count of +6 with 2 decks unplayed in a 6-deck shoe game is a greater advantage for the player than the same running count with 5 unplayed decks of cards. To compensate for this difference, we normalize the running count by dividing the number of unplayed decks in order to get a true count per deck.

Mathematically, true count is the running count divided by the number of decks unplayed. Suppose your running count is +6 after the first round in a six-deck shoe. There are essentially 6 decks left unplayed so the true count is +1. If instead there were only 2 unplayed decks, your true count would be +3.

You can determine how many unplayed decks of cards there are in a multiple deck game by eyeballing the number of decks of cards in the discard tray. For example, if you are playing in a 6-deck shoe game and you estimate 3 decks of cards in the discard tray, then there must be 3 unplayed decks left in the shoe. Likewise, if 2 decks are in the discard tray, then there must be 4 uplayed decks in the shoe.

You don't have to be super accurate in estimating the number of decks in the discard tray. In fact if you do your homework and practice at home, you'll see it's not that difficult to estimate the number of decks in a stack of cards.

Remember that you will be converting your running count to a true count just for a split second so you know how much to bet then you revert back to keeping the running count of the cards.

The more positive the true count, the greater will be the counter's advantage on the next hand. As a general rule, each additional unit of the true count will add 0.5% advantage to the player. In a typical 6 deck game, the casino's edge after the shuffle is about 0.5% (that's equivalent to a true count of 0 or a neutral deck). When the true count is +1, the player is playing even against the casinos and when the true count is +2, the player has a 0.5% edge and at a true count of +3 the counter has about a 1% edge.

In Part 2 of this lesson we will teach how to use the running count in single deck games to vary your bets. It's also possible to compute a true count in single deck games (that you will need in order to vary your playing strategy).

The equation is running count divided by the number of unplayed cards.

However, an easier way to do this conversion in single deck games is as follows:

Running count = true count during the play out of the first quarter deck

Multiply the running count by 1.5 for the play out of the second quarter deck

Multiply the running count by 2 for the play out of the third quarter decks.

Notice that in single deck games the true count is always greater than the running count whereas in shoe games it's the other way around.

Home work
Let's try an example so you see how easy this is. If you are playing in a single deck game and during the play out of the second quarter deck your running count is +2, your true count is +3 (+2 running count times 1.5). If your running count is +2 during the play out of the third quarter deck your true count is +4 (+2 running count times 2).

In single deck games a bet spread of 1 to 4 units is sufficient to gain the edge. A suggested betting scheme is to bet 1 unit when the true count is 0 or negative, 2 units at true count +1, then bet 3 units when the true count is +2, and 4 units when the true count is +3 or more.

For double deck games, it is suggested that a 1 to 5 bet spread using the above betting schedule except bet 5 units when the true count is +4 or more.

For 6 deck games, you will need at least 1 to 8 and preferable 1 to 10 betting spread. For 8 deck games your betting spread should be 1 to 10 or 12. An easy to remember betting schedule for 6 deck games is to just bet two times the value of the positive true count. If your true count is +1, bet 2 units, at a +2 true count bet 4 units, at +3 bet 6 units and +4 bet 8 (or 10) units. For an 8 deck game I'd suggest a slightly more aggressive betting schedule with a top bet of 12 units (+1 bet 3 units, +2 bet 5 units, +3 bet 8 units and +4 or more bet 12 units).

The above betting schedule is not absolute. The key point is that your big bets need to be larger than your small bets because the very positive true count situations do not occur that often especially in shoe games. In fact most of the times you will be playing at a disadvantage making small "waiting" bets until the advantage turns in your favour and then should bet more.

Another more practical and easier way to bet using the true count is to parlay your bet when you win and have the advantage. In fact this method of betting helps disguise the fact that you are card counting. I'll discuss this point more in part 4 of this series along with another important variable, the penetration or the percentage of cards that are played prior to the shuffle

ADVANCED STRATEGY CLASS (5)

In the previous three lessons in this Advanced Blackjack series we taught in detail how it's possible to gain a positive expectation playing blackjack by learning how to card count. However, it's important that you just don't jump in and play any old blackjack game. You should know what the most important factors are that make a blackjack game "beatable" or not.

The most important criteria for card counters is the penetration or the number of cards that will be dealt before the dealer shuffles. No casino will deal every single card before shuffling because a counter would have a tremendous advantage on the last few hands. Therefore just about every casino will deal only a certain percentage of the cards.

Arnold Snyder has studied the effect of penetration on a counters advantage in great detail. In one study, using typical Las Vegas playing rules and a 1 to 4 bet spread in a 2-deck game, a counter playing heads up with the dealer would have a 1.0% advantage if 70% of the cards were dealt. If 90% of the cards were dealt, the counter's advantage would increase by 80% to 1.8%. If instead only 50% of the cards are dealt, the counter's edge would decrease by 50% to only 0.5%.

There have been many other computer studies by scores of other blackjack theoreticians that have proven this fact over-and-over, namely that the penetration has a major effect on your winnings.

Most counters will not make a single bet unless the penetration is 75% or more. This means in a typical 6-deck game, the dealer cuts off only 1.5 decks of cards. Likewise you are wasting your time and money trying to count in a game with only 50% penetration.

Most casinos are fairly strict about the placement of the cut card by the dealer after the shuffle and cut. Many have a measuring device on the side of the dealing shoe that indicates to the dealer where to position the cut card. However, there are still many casinos that only give guidelines to the dealer as to how many decks to cut off. It's possible therefore to find a dealer who gives a more liberal cut, say cutting off only 1 deck instead of 1.5 decks in a 6-deck game.

Another important criteria that card counters use to evaluate a blackjack game are the playing rules. For example, the fewer the number of decks of cards the greater will be the edge to the player. Also rules that allow doubling after pair splitting, late surrender, and the dealer standing rather than hitting on soft 17 are favourable for players. But a word of caution is in order. Some games with marginal rules can still be beaten if the penetration is good. For example most counters shun an 8-deck game but if the rules are decent and the penetration is 75% it would be a better game compared to say a 6-deck game with similar rules but only a 50% penetration. Likewise a single deck game with bad rules but 70% penetration is more profitable than one that deals less than 50% of the cards with good rules.

It's to a counters advantage to play at tables which are not crowded with other players. The best is playing head up with the dealer. This allows you to see more cards before making your playing decision. Also, when the count gets high, you will have just as much chance as the dealer of getting the aces and tens. Counters can also spread to 2 hands in high-count situations giving them an even greater chance of drawing the aces and tens. Playing at less crowded tables will increase the number of hands per hour dealt and a counters win rate.

Another important point is whether or not the pit boss will allow a decent bet spread. In single deck games you'll need to spread at least 1 to 3-4 betting units and in 6-deck games, 1 to 8-10 betting units. If you are limited in your bet spread by a nervous pit boss that gives you "heat" every time you make a large bet, then your profit potential decreases.

Blackjack is played with a standard deck and usually no wild cards. All face cards have a value of 10. Aces have a value of either one or 11 points; if counting the ace as 11 would put the hand over 21, count the ace as 1. Other cards are worth their face value.

After each game has been played, the used cards are shuffled back into the deck.

If the total of your cards exceeds 21, you 'bust' and lose your bet. If you have the same total as the dealer, from 17 and up, it is a push. The dealer must draw cards until he has at least 17, and must stand at 17 or higher. Hence the term "17 against the dealer". If the dealer gets 16, he must take another card. The dealer may not decide whether or not to draw a card based on your hand, but must abide by the existing dealer rules.

At some casinos, when both your hand and the dealer's hand is the same, it's a 'push' or a tie, which results in the return of your bet. If you get Blackjack (which is a perfect 21, made up of two cards, an ace and a face card), you win automatically, regardless of what the dealer has. At other casinos, in the first case you loose and in the second you should wait the dealer and if both your hand and the dealer's hand is 21 you loose again.

The dealer will always 'draw' cards to 16 and will always stand on 17 (depending on casino rules), including a soft 17 (Ace and a 6). If the dealer busts, the game is over and you win. Once the dealer stands, the hands are compared and the hand closest to 21 is paid. The simplest way to get exactly 21 is to hold an ace and either a face card or a ten.

Always remember that when you play blackjack it's you against the dealer. The two variables that determine how you should play your hand are the dealer's upcard (the card showing, face up) and your hand. With more experience, you'll also be able to use the information of all the cards that you see on the table (yours, the dealer and your fellow players) to make a more informed decision on how much to bet and how to play the hand.

Now that you know the basics, you can play our free Blackjack game.

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 "French Ferme". BlackJack originated in French casinos around 1700 where it was called "vingt-et-un" ("twenty-and-one") and has been played in the U.S. since the 1800's. BlackJack is named as such 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 was additionally remunerated.

Gambling was legal out West from the 1850's to 1910, at which time Nevada made it a felony to operate a gambling game. In 1931, Nevada re-legalized casino gambling where BlackJack became one of the primary games of chance offered to gamblers. As some of you may recall, 1978 was the year casino gambling was legalized in Atlantic City, New Jersey. As of 1989, only two states had legalized casino gambling. Since then, about 20 states have had a number of small time casinos sprout up in places such as Black Hawk and Cripple Creek, Colorado and in river boats on the Mississippi. Roughly 70 Native American Indian reservations operate or are building casinos as well.

In addition to the United States, countries operating casinos include France, England, Monaco (Monte Carlo of course) and quite a few in the Caribbean islands.

The first recognized effort to apply mathematics to BlackJack began in 1953 and culminated in 1956 with a published paper. Roger Baldwin wrote a paper in the Journal of the American Statistical Association titled "The Optimum Strategy in BlackJack". These pioneers used calculators and probability and statistics theory to substantially reduce the house advantage.

Professor Edward O. Thorp picked up where Baldwin and company left off. In 1962, Thorp refined their basic strategy and developed the first card counting techniques. He published his results in "Beat the Dealer", a book that became so popular that for a week in 1963 it was on the New York Times best seller list. The book also scared the hell out of the casinos.

Thorp wrote "Beat the Market" in 1967, in which he used mathematics and computer algorithms to find pricing inefficiencies between stocks and related securities. Currently he is using an arbitrage formula to exploit undervalued warrants in the Japanese stock market.

The casinos were so affected by "Beat the Dealer" that they began to change the rules of the game to make if more difficult for the players to win. This didn't last long as people protested by not playing the new pseudo-BlackJack. The unfavourable rules resulted in a loss of income for the casinos. Of course, not making money is a sin for a casino, so they quickly reverted back to the original rules. As Thorp's "Ten-Count" method wasn't easy to master and many people didn't really understand it anyway, the casinos made a bundle from the game's newly gained popularity thanks to Thorp's book and all the media attention it generated.

Another major contributor in the history of winning BlackJack play is Julian Braun, who worked at IBM. His thousands of lines of computer code and hours of BlackJack simulation on IBM mainframes resulted in The Basic Strategy, and a number of card counting techniques. His conclusions were used in a 2nd edition of Beat the Dealer, and later in Lawrence Revere's 1977 book "Playing BlackJack as a Business".

Lastly, let me mention Ken Uston, who used five computers that were built into the shoes of members of his playing team in 1977. They won over a hundred thousand dollars in a very short time but one of the computers was confiscated and sent to the FBI. The feds decided that the computer used public information on BlackJack playing and was not a cheating device. You may have seen this story in a movie made about his BlackJack exploits detailed in his book "The Big Player". Ken was also featured on a 1981 Sixty Minutes show and helped lead a successful legal challenge to prevent Atlantic City casinos from barring card counters.

Now Blackjack is widely known and enjoyed. Of course the most recently event in blackjack history is the arrival of the online casino, with online Blackjack games. These online games are exactly the same as a land based, except there is no real dealer, a computer randomly draws the cards. If you are interested in trying one of these online games, you can start with out free online Blackjack game.

Real casinos provide Black Jack players with different sets of rules plus different bonuses. Can on-line casinos compete with real casinos in respect of game variety? Normally, every on-line casino has Black Jack with its sets of rules. For example, casinos with Microgaming and Cryptologic software offer players up to eight different variations of rules. However, some on-line casinos offer various special games based on Black Jack rules. You will find interesting to familiarize and try these games, moreover the advantages of casinos compared to them are very weak.

Double exposure Black Jack
Double exposure Black Jack is available in Microgaming and RTG software on-line casinos. In this kind of Black Jack both cards of a dealer are dealt face up to compensate this advantage of the player, the dealer wins all ties except for Black Jack. The rest of the game based on the rules of Black Jack, and variations may exist in respect of the number of splits, combinations allowed to double, etc.

The advantage of casinos with the standard rules of this game is about 0.7%.

Pontoon
Pontoon is available in Cryptologic and RTG software on-line casinos. In contrast to ordinary Black Jack the player has much more opportunities to double plus the rule of five cards with double paying works out, on the other hand, the dealer's cards are dealt face down therefore indefiniteness rises and ties are not in the favour of the dealer. More detailed rules of the game are the following: The is played with pack of 52 cards, the nominal value of cards is the same as in Black Jack. The hierarchy of combinations is the following:

1. Pontoon ( the same as Black Jack);
2. Five cards combination (five cards without bust);
3. Combination of cards comprising not more than 21 points, the closer to 21 the better
4. Bust (more than 21 points);

The dealer deals two cards face up to the player and two cards to himself face down with pontoon check. The game of the dealer is the same as his game in Black Jack: he should take up to 17 and remain on 5 cards or over 16 (except for soft 17).

The player has more opportunities: splits are left enabling to one re-split. An opportunities arises for doubling with any quantity of cards, at the same time, the player can continue to buy even after doubling. In contrast to Black Jack the player should buy a card (double) while having not less than 15 points.

As in Black Jack after taking cards the player and dealer compare hands. If the player has extra cards, he loses the game automatically. Pontoon or Five cards combination in case of gain is paid 2:1, other winning combinations are paid 1:1. In case of a tie the dealer wins. There is no insurance or by-bets.

With the game based on optimal strategy which is simpler than that of Black Jack. The total advantage of on-line casinos is 0.17%.

Caribbean 21
Caribbean 21 is so far available only in RTG software on-line casinos. The is played with one pack of cards, in contrast to Black Jack:

1. Ace is always one point;
2. The combination of an ace and two 10 points cards is called Caribbean 21 and is paid 3:2 to the player for the primary bet (but not for the double bets);
3. The player can double on any cards as many times as he wants after doubling it is possible to buy several times;
4. The player can split any two cards;
5. The player can give in at any time at the same time losing the half of available bets;
6. The dealer wins all ties;
7. Initially the dealer deals himself only one card face up;
8. If the dealer has an open ace, the player can have Caribbean 21 insurance, the insurance is paid 9:1

With the game based on optimal strategy advantage of on-line casinos is not more than 0.2%.

Spanish 21
Spanish 21 is so far available only in RTG software on-line casinos.

The game is played with six-eight “Spanish” packs of cards, 10 are removed from a pack (only 10s, queens, jacks and kings are left). As the less quantity of 10s in a pack is in favour the dealer, the player has the following bonuses:

1. 21 of the player always wins, as well as Black Jack of the player beats Black Jack of the dealer;
2. The player can double with any number of cards;
3. The player can double and buy after split of aces;
4. The player can give in after doubling;
5. 5-cards 21s are paid 3:2;
6. 6-cards 21s are paid 3:1;
7. 6-7-8 and 7-7-7 different suits are paid 3:2, of the same suits are paid 2:1 and spades are paid 3:1;

With the game based on optimal strategy advantage of on-line casinos is not more than 0.4%.

Super Fun 21
Super Fun 21 can only be found in RTG and Microgaming software on-line casinos. The game has a range of positive differences from standard Black Jack in favour of the player, to compensate it casinos pay Black Jack to the player 1:1. The difference is the following:

1. The player can split up to 4 times;
2. It is possible to double with any number of cards, including after split;
3. After split of aces it is possible to split, buy and double them;
4. The player can give in at any time of the game for a half of a bet (including after split);
5. 20 or less points of the player with 6 cards win automatically if there were no splits;
6. 21 points with 5 cards are paid 2:1 if there were no splits;
7. Black Jack always wins;
8. Black Jack of diamonds is paid 2:1 (all the rest are paid 1:1)

With the game based on these rules the advantage of on-line casinos is not more than 0.75%.

Black Jack Switch
Black Jack Switch is available in PlayTech software on-line casinos.

In contrast to the standard Black Jack the player makes two similar bets and he gets at the same time two hands, the dealer gets two ordinary cards. The player can switch upper cards between hands (for example in one hand we have 6, 10 and in the other hand we have 10 and 5. We change place of 10 and 5 and we get instead of two bad hands two good hands: 6,5 and 10,10). The basic rules are the same as in standard Black Jack: there is doubling on two cards, one split and it is possible to double after split. To compensate the change advantage of the player the dealer gets the following bonuses:

1. The dealer does not make Black Jack check;
2. Black Jack of the player is paid 1:1;
3. If the dealer gathers 22, it is considered a tie against any not fired hand of the player, except for Black Jack;

The basic strategy of the game is rather complicated, however, if the player follows these rules, he diminishes the advantage of on-line casinos to 0.05%.