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| Play Blackjack side bets to make
Gambling more fun |
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| The game of Blackjack is found worldwide and the casino style game has standard rules that do not vary
much from casino to casino, or country to country. Some variation in rules has crept in over recent years that are bad and we will mention that later.
Essentially blackjack, or vingt-et-un as it is known in many mainland European countries, is the quest for the player to beat the dealer by having the higher
toal hand that does not exceen 21. There are various levels of skill in this game hence it has attracted some of the
smarter gamblers and wall-street traders
of decades past who practised and honed their speed calculation skills by taking on the casinos of Las Vegas and elsewhere. |
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| Image by
David Mark from
Pixabay |
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Casinos over the decades have invented side bets and rules with the idea of tempting players into betting more
money and making decisions that they do not understand. This has worked to some degree for the average punter but the standard player versus dealer contest is
still the mainstay of casino blackjack play. However the creation of extra bets and rules has led to the smart cookies of the world developing techniques that
with hard work can let the player have the advantage over the house.
Now before you start thinking of making lots of money from
blackjack online remember that in the virtual world they are able to shuffle the deck
before every single hand which is completely different from the real world. So if you are trying out casino beating techniques like card counting or
Ace-tracking, then remember these only have a chance of winning against the live dealer versions offered by casinos online. Most online gambling house offers
this option now as it offers some authentic feel and pace whilst even being able to chat to dealers and other players as in real life.
Surrender
The idea of this option, or sidebet, is to allow the player to give up their hand at the expense
of losing half of their existing bet. So if you have a terrible 2 card total, like 16, and the dealer has a good card then you may be tempted to take this
option. In fact with regular rules and number of decks in the pack it is always correct to surrender 16 [not 8 and 8] against a 9, Ten or Ace. The opposite is
true if you have 17, so do not surrender. If you have 15 then only surrender against a Ten.
Over/Under
13
This is an extra even money side bet of whether your first two cards are over or under 13, so more money is at stake which is the idea. If you
have no knowledge of the cards that have already gone then this is on average a terrible bet, about 8% advantage to the house. However simple learning and
application of the Crush count will give you a big advantage and this can be found in Professional Blackjack by the late, great, Stamford Wong.
There
are plenty more side bets and blackjack variants. Before playing them do your research on how good or bad they are or you and whether there are techniques
similar to card counting that can turn the tables in your favour.
Insurance
This is a bet
that occurs when you have a Blackjack and the dealer is showing their upcard and it is an Ace. In this case you are offered the chance to take an Even money
win right away instead of playing the hand out. If the house rules are that a Blackjack pays 3 to 2 or better then just do not do this or you are giving money
away in the long run. |
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| Image by
englishlikeanative from
Pixabay |
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Major Rule Changes
As mentioned some casinos and even
online casinos have started messing with the long established rules of the game because they are greedy. Check the rules before playing and if you find any of
the following then do not play, move to another casino.
A Blackjack pays less than 3 to 2, typically 6/5. Do not play this game.
Players can not
split Aces. Do not play this game.
If the game is actually called Pontoon then the rules are going to be really bad. This is a very different game with
huge advantage against the player. Don't play. |
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