888 Casino Blackjack Guide

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MYTH #1: THE OBJECTIVE OF BLACKJACK IS TO GET AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO 21. The Reason: Some authors and casino marketing folks try to over-simplify the objective of the game. The Truth: The objective is to beat the dealer by either 1) having a higher final total than the dealer, or 2) not busting before the dealer busts. Those are the only two ways you can beat the dealer's hand. No-Brainer Ways to Make your Casino Fun Last Longer; The 5 Most Profitable Starting Hand Types in Blackjack; The 8 Major Mistakes Players Make in the Casinos; The 8 Myths of Casino Gambling; The 8 “Best” Roulette Betting Systems; The Double Double Bonus Ace Chase Strategy; Understanding The House Edge: Which Casino Games Pay The Best; Why.

This chapter explains how to play blackjack on online casinos, how it works, how to get started, how to evaluate the blackjack games, the importance of online casino promotions, how live blackjack games work, and much more.

HISTORY OF ONLINE GAMBLING

The very first online gambling site began on the Internet in 1995 (offering poker) and the rest, as they say, is history. Nowadays, most gambling sites offer all types of casino games (including blackjack), with some offering sports wagering and lotteries.

In the U.S., there has been a lot of discussion whether online gambling is legal. The Wire Act of 1971 made it illegal to accept interstate wagers over the telephone; however, there were no specific references to online gambling in the Act since the industry hadn’t even been invented. Then in 2006, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (known as UIGEA) passed Congress. This regulation didn’t make online gambling itself illegal; instead, it made it illegal for banks, financial institutions (including credit card companies), and online payment providers (e.g., PayPal) to process transactions between citizens in the U.S. and online gambling sites. Many offshore gambling sites then decided to stop accepting U.S. players (although some still do). More recently, several states have enacted their own legislation that allows Internet gambling for players located within their state. This includes Delaware (2012), New Jersey (2013), and Nevada (2013, still only poker). In New Jersey, for example, MasterCard and Visa are approving Internet gambling transactions and the top N.J. gambling regulator states that “Internet gambling has proven to be reliable and transparent thanks to technology that keeps most outsiders from gambling illegally.” Other states are contemplating legislation to allow in-state online gambling.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

ADVANTAGES

• Convenience. You don’t have to get dressed up and travel somewhere to place a bet; you can do it in the comfort of your home any time day or night (i.e., your home is your casino).


• Because of fierce competition for players, online gambling sites offer lucrative sign-up bonuses to new players, usually adding 10% up to 70% to their initial bankroll.


• Most online sites usually have better blackjack rules than brick-and-mortar casinos (although it pays to check the blackjack rules before you start playing).


• Usually, there is 24-hour customer service; although here again, this should be confirmed.


• You don’t have to suffer potential annoyances of other players (smokers, complainers, talkers, etc.).

DISADVANTAGES

• Unlike brick and mortar casinos where you can exchange your chips for cash rather quickly, when you gamble on an Internet website and want your money, it may take several days for you to get it.


• There are specific playing requirements to obtain whatever bonuses the site is offering.


• Some sites’ customer service is often lacking.


• Operating a gambling web site in the U.S. is illegal; therefore, most are located offshore and there is no local “government agency” to assist players in the event of a dispute with a gambling site.


• You won’t have the camaraderie and ambiance that are present in land-based casinos.


• Playing online blackjack games for real money can be addictive to some players.

ARE THEY SAFE AND FAIR?

Are the blackjack games on the up and up? Many potential players wonder about that since most sites are located offshore with no local oversight. When Internet gambling first started there were some abuses that involved cheating (and hacking) on some sites that offer poker. (Cheating involved collusion among poker players against the site and other players, including the use of special software programs. Hacking involved getting access to the valuable information stored on an Internet web site.) Nowadays, the major Internet gambling sites have protection software to prevent hacking and many are licensed, audited by outside companies, and operate fair games.

HOW INTERNET SITES WORK

The majority of Internet gambling sites use gambling software that is developed by a third party. Some of the industry-leading software companies include Microgaming, Cryptologic, Playtech, Aristocrat, Evolution Gaming, and others. You can search the Internet for reviews, ratings, player feedback, and more for any of these companies.

HOW TO GET STARTED

You’ll need a computer and Internet access to gamble online. First, you need to set up an account with the site. This usually means filling out an application with personal information, and then you need to deposit money into your account. Here it’s important to read the information on the site regarding the options to transfer the money, including the minimum deposit required, what type of new customer bonus/reward you ae entitled to, and how much play is required in order to obtain the bonus. (Note: The deposit level at most gambling sites is relatively low.) It’s also important to know how to withdraw money from your account and how long it will take you to receive it. You will also need to download the gambling software to your computer. The gambling site will have instructions on how to do this. (Note: Some sites also allow you to play using your web browser; again read the instructions on the site if this option is available.) You’ll also need to set up a user name and password to access the gambling software and your account.

ONLINE BLACKJACK GAMES

The gambling software will depict a graphical representation of a blackjack table. There are usually more than one variety of blackjack game (e.g., single-deck; multi-deck, etc.) available, often with different playing rules. It’s important that you know the blackjack rules for any particular blackjack game and what the corresponding house edge is against a basic strategy player (more about this shortly). To make a bet, you have to click on the size of the bet you want to make, and then click the deal button. Once the cards are dealt, there will be playing-option buttons to click (e.g., hit, stand, double, split, etc.).

DOES CARD COUNTING WORK ON GAMBLING SITES?

For the most part, no. The reason is that the majority of online web sites shuffle the cards after each hand, making card counting impossible. However, there are some online gambling sites that offer multi-deck games with a cut card. The issue here is that most deal only about 50% of the cards then reshuffle. You need to check the site’s instructions/rules for information on when the cards are reshuffled (or call the site’s customer service department and ask them). If the site reshuffles after 50% (or more) of the cards are dealt, then card counting is viable. (But don’t hold your breath on this, because it’s rare that a site will deal more than 50% of the cards. But even with a 50% cut, you’ll have a slight edge with card counting assuming the playing rules are fair. For more details on the effect of penetration (i.e., how many cards are dealt) on your edge, see Chapter 10.10).

I covered composition-dependent playing strategy in Chapter 5.1, which is a playing strategy based on not just the total of your hand but also on the composition of the cards in your hand. You’ll find a detailed composition-based, color-coded strategy table in the appendix of the blackjack page on wizardodds. You can refer to the strategy table when you are playing blackjack online to reduce the house edge to the lowest possible percentage. (Note: The strategy table is much more complicated than the traditional (total-dependent) basic strategy table. However, when you play blackjack online, you’ll have plenty of time to check the strategy table to determine how best to play your hand based on the composition of the cards.

888 Casino Blackjack Guide List

LIVE BLACKJACK GAMES

Real-time streaming online blackjack games with human dealers has become very popular because it is more like playing in a brick-and-mortar casino yet you are playing in the comfort of your home. The technology has advanced to the point that a player at home will see a live dealer in real time shuffling and dealing cards in a real casino while interacting with the players. Just as in a land-based casino, the dealer will wait until players make their bets, and then deal the cards. Players will see on their computer screen an interactive control panel where they can make their bets and input their playing decision for each hand. Bottom line: Live online blackjack games are as close as it gets to playing in a land-based casino. Gambling sites that offer live dealer blackjack games use third-party providers to video and stream the live games. For example, 888casino, which happens to be one of the largest online casinos in the world, uses Evolution Gaming to stream live blackjack games from their studios (i.e., you don’t have to download any software).

They have native-language dealers, you can chat with your dealer, and you can play the streamed blackjack game on your PC, iPad, or iPhone. One major advantage of live blackjack games is that you don’t have to wait for an open spot on a table as you sometimes do in a land-based casino. With live blackjack games, there is always an open spot 24/7. The same precautions should be taken if you decide to play blackjack with a live dealer; that is, search the Internet for information about the site, know the playing rules of blackjack, house edge, deck penetration, any bonuses, etc.

SUMMARY

If you want to play blackjack online (including live blackjack games), you should do the following:

• Do some research on the Internet to find only reputable online gambling sites with a good reputation and track record.
• Make sure the site is licensed and audited by a third-party company or recognized blackjack expert.
• Find out who the owners of the online gambling site are, and do some research about them on the Internet.
• Be sure you understand how to deposit and withdraw money from your account.
• Be sure there are no transfer fees from the site for depositing or withdrawing money from your account.
• Be sure the site has 24 hour/7 days per week toll-free telephone customer support. (Try calling the number before you sign up at any site; if you constantly get a busy signal, I’d try a different site.)
• Check out the new-customer bonuses that a site is offering, what the play requirements are, and when the bonus will be transferred into your account.
• Check what type of Player Reward program the site offers.
• Check out the playing rules for the different blackjack games and know what that house edge is for whatever game you decide to play.
• Always use the basic playing strategy; consider using the composition-dependent basic playing strategy to get the lowest possible house edge.
• If the site offers multi-deck blackjack games, find out when the cards are shuffled (to determine if card counting is viable).
• Know what happens if you have a complaint or issue and how the site will attempt to resolve it.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Blackjack can be played for fun or for real money on Internet gambling sites.
• The major advantages of playing blackjack online are convenience, often better rules, and lucrative sign-up bonuses.
• The major disadvantages are the rather long wait to redeem money from your account, and not having a local agency to ensure fairness and dispute resolution.
• You should always research an online gambling site on the Internet to be sure it is licensed and audited.
• The online site should have 24-hour, toll-free customer support staffed by knowledgeable personnel that is easy for a customer to understand.
• Check out the different ways that a specific gambling site will allow you to deposit money into your account.
• Check out how to withdraw money from your account and how long it will take.
• Compare sign-up bonuses from different online sites and the play requirements to obtain the bonus.
• Know the playing rules and the house advantage before you play any online blackjack game.
• Always use the basic playing strategy for playing blackjack on an online site. Consider using the composition-based basic playing strategy to decrease the house edge to as low as possible.
• Most online casinos shuffle after every hand making card counting useless. Some online casinos employ six and eight decks of cards and use a cut card; determine what the penetration is and whether card counting is viable.
• Live dealer blackjack games are as close to playing blackjack as you would in a land-based casino.

After you already know how to play blackjack, it’s important to “scout” the blackjack tables in a casino before you sit down and play. That’s because most casinos nowadays often have a different mix of rules, number of decks, and shuffling procedures from one blackjack table to the next.

• Scout the blackjack tables to determine which game is the best one to play.
• Know how to estimate the house edge against you based on the mix of rules.

WHEN YOU ENTER A CASINO YOU SHOULD SCOUT THE BLACKJACK TABLES TO DETERMINE:

• What the minimum and maximum betting limits are.
• How many decks are being dealt.
• What the playing rules are.
• How the cards are shuffled.
• Number of Players

MINIMUM-MAXIMUM BETTING LIMITS

The betting limits aren’t going to change your playing strategies. However, the reason you should check what the betting limits are before you buy in and make your first bet is to avoid the embarrassing situation of not betting at least the table minimum. Think this doesn’t happen? I’ve seen this scenario numerous times during my playing career. A player sits down, places a wad of bills on the layout, and asks the dealer for chips. Play is stopped while the dealer spreads the cash on the layout, counts it, counts out the equivalent amount of chips, and then slides the stack of chips to the player.

Sometimes the dealer has to wait to get the approval from the floor supervisor before she can give the chips to the new player, who then proceeds to slide two red chips ($10) in his betting spot while fellow players raise their eyebrows in disgust. The dealer then announces to the new player, “Sir, the minimum bet on this table is $25,” while pointing to the placard sitting just to the dealer’s right that summarizes the betting limits and rules. Usually, the player will sheepishly remove his two red chips, pick up the rest of his stack of chips, and without saying a word, leave the table embarrassed at what just transpired. Therefore, rule number #1 is to known the betting limits on the blackjack table before you sit down and play.

HOW MANY DECKS?

The number of decks of cards has an effect on the house edge against a basic strategy player. Generally, the house edge increases as the number of decks increases. But you also need to factor in the mix of rules.

The point here is to know whether the game you are about to play is single- or double-deck, or in the case of a multi-deck game whether it’s four, six, or eight decks. Sometimes, the placard will state if it’s a single- or double-deck game but rarely will it state if it’s a four-, six-, or eight-deck game.

Usually, the cards in a multi-deck game are dealt from a dealing shoe. With a little experience, you’ll be able to tell when the dealer shuffles the cards or by looking at the sideways stack of cards in the dealing shoe immediately after a shuffle if the game is using four, six, or eight decks; however, if you are not sure, just ask the dealer.

MIX OF PLAYING RULES

This is where the rubber meets the road. It’s the mix of playing rules, along with the number of decks of cards, that will determine the house edge against you.

It’s important that you know whether the rules on a particular blackjack table require that the dealer stand on soft 17 or must hit soft 17; whether you can double down on any two initially dealt cards or if there are restrictions on what hands you can double; whether surrender is allowed; whether re-splitting of aces is allowed; and, most importantly, what the payoff is for an untied blackjack (is it 3-2, 6-5, 7-5, or even money). I’ll cover the importance of playing rules in more detail in the next section.

HOW THE CARDS ARE SHUFFLED

If the game is dealt with a single- or double-deck of cards, the dealer will usually hand shuffle the cards and there is no issue here. With a multi-deck game, dealers will either shuffle the multiple-decks manually, although this is time consuming, or via an auto shuffler. There are several different kinds of auto shufflers and the one you want to avoid is the Continuous Shuffling Machine (or CSM). The reason for this is important so stay with me while I explain how each shuffler works.

Automatic blackjack shufflers have been around a long time in casinos. Usually a casino will use two sets of multiple decks of cards on a blackjack table. While one set of cards is being used by the dealer on the game, the other set is being shuffled offline by the automatic shuffler. When the cut card appears, the round is completed and then the dealer will swap the cards; meaning, the just-used multi-decks will be placed in the automatic shuffler (to be shuffled) while the shuffled decks that were in the machine (offline) are put into play by the dealer for the next rounds. The purpose of using two automatic shufflers is to eliminate the wasted time involved in having the dealer manually shuffle the cards. (From the casino’s perspective, time is money, and when their dealers are manually shuffling multi-decks of cards, the number of hands dealt per hour decreases compared to when the cards are shuffled by an automatic shuffler.)

The odds against the player in blackjack do not change when an automatic shuffler is used to shuffle the multi-decks. If the casino were using, say, six decks of cards, they will usually deal about 65 to 80% of the cards and then reshuffle all six decks using the auto shuffler.

A CSM, on the other hand, is a combination automatic shuffler and dealing shoe. Casinos usually place five decks of cards into the CSM. After a betting round is completed, the dealer will scoop up the just played cards (i.e., the discards), and instead of placing them into a discard tray, she will insert them back into the CSM where they are randomly shuffled with the remaining (roughly 4.5) decks of cards.

Do you see the difference between a CSM and an automatic shuffler? With the latter most of the cards are played (ca. 65 to 80%) before the discards and unplayed cards are shuffled together. With a CSM, the discards are immediately returned to the shuffler after each round (sometimes several rounds) and randomly mixed with the unplayed cards. With a CSM, the action never stops because the dealer continuously deals the cards without pausing for shuffling.

Do the odds change against a player when a CSM is used? The answer is yes, they change very slightly in favor of the player, with the house edge against a basic strategy player reduced by about 0.1% in a typical six-deck game. The reason the CSM causes the house edge to go down ever so slightly is because of a phenomenon known as the “cut card effect,” which slightly increases the probability of getting tens and blackjack when a CSM is used.

Now before you rush out and play blackjack on a table that uses a CSM, pay attention to the rest of the story. Even though the house edge decreases slightly with a CSM, this is more than negated by the increased speed of the game. Remember with a CSM-dealt game, there is never any down time for shuffling; therefore, on average, casinos can deal about an extra round or two per hour resulting in about 15 to 20% more hands played per hour with a CSM. From the player’s perspective, the extra hands played (and bet) each hour will increase your hourly theoretical loss compared to a manually shuffled game. (Ditto for games dealt with auto shufflers.) Bottom line: If you are a basic strategy player, it’s best to play in manually-shuffled games as opposed to games dealt with CSMs and auto shufflers

“Note: The original purpose of CSMs was to eliminate card counting as an effective strategy to gain the edge over the casino. I’ll have more to say about this in Chapter 10.”

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

If you are not using some of the techniques I summarized in Chapter 5 (reduce house edge), the casino will have a small edge over you (that assumes you are using the basic strategy summarized in Chapter 3 accurately). Given this fact, you are better off playing at a full table rather than a table with fewer players, or worse, heads up against the dealer. The reason is you’ll get fewer hands dealt to you at a full table, which will reduce the exposure of your bankroll to the house edge.

As a general guideline, rules that offer the player options (e.g., surrender and doubling down after pair splitting) are favorable to the player (assuming the player uses the options accurately); whereas, rules that limit a player’s options (e.g., NDAS and no resplits) are unfavorable to the player. Likewise rules related to the dealer’s options (S17 vs. H17) and blackjack payoffs (3-2 vs. 6-5) can be player favorable or unfavorable.

Here is a list of most of the good rules in blackjack.

• Blackjack pays 2-1
• Blackjack pays 3-2
• Single and double deck
• Early surrender
• Doubling down on any first two cards
• Doubling down on soft hands
• Doubling down after pair splitting
• Resplit pairs
• Resplit aces
• Late surrender
• Dealer stands on soft 17
• Player is allowed to enter a game in mid-shoe
• Manual or auto shuffle

Here’s a list of the bad rules.

• Blackjack pays 6-5
• No doubling down after pair splitting
• Doubling down only on 10 and 11
• No doubling on soft hands
• No resplitting aces
• Dealer hits soft 17
• No surrender
• Six and eight deck
• No mid-shoe entry
• Use of CSM to shuffle the cards

ESTIMATING THE HOUSE EDGE FOR ANY GAME

You’ll find data in blackjack books and on the Internet on how the above rules affect the house edge. There are also websites where you can key in the rules of any game and they will automatically compute the house edge. Here are some examples.

NUMBER OF DECKS

All other conditions being equal, the more decks being used, the higher the house edge against the basic strategy player. For example, the following blackjack table shows the effect that the number of decks has on the house edge against a basic strategy player with H17 and DAS. (These are Total-Dependent house edges.)

Notice that as the number of decks increases, the house edge increases incrementally up to 0.64% for an eight-deck game. Notice also how the incremental increase in house edge keeps getting smaller as the number of decks increases. That’s why casinos don’t use more than eight-decks of cards on their tables.

PLAYING RULES

Each of the good (player favorable) and bad (player unfavorable) rule affects the basic strategy, some greater than others. The effect for any one rule, say surrender, may also be slightly different for a double-deck game vs. a six-deck game. Some rules are also more common than others. If you consult the tables in Chapter 3, I’ve summarized what the house edge is for different number of decks and mix of playing rules. Use this as a guide to determine which mix of rules is the most player favorable.

• Blackjack games that pay 2-1 for a blackjack are very rare.
  Reason: A 2-1 payoff decreases the house edge by a whopping 2.3% (approximate), which often results in a game with an overall positive expectation for the basic strategy player. Casinos sometimes offer 2-1 BJ promotions for a limited period of time. If you hear of one, run (don’t walk) to the casino to take advantage of this promotion before all the seats are taken.
• The house edge increases roughly 0.2% when the rules specify H17 vs. S17.
• Paying 6-5 for a blackjack increases the house edge by roughly 1.39%, which is why you should never play any 6-5 blackjack games.

• Some casinos are also paying 6-5, 7-6, or worse, even money, for a blackjack in double-, six-, and even eight-deck games. If the rules don’t specify a 3-2 payoff for a blackjack, don’t play.
• Early surrender is a much more player favorable rule than late surrender (about 0.6% decrease in house edge vs. 0.07% decrease respectively) but it is rarely offered.
• Not being allowed to resplit any non-ace pair costs the basic strategy player about 0.05%.
• Being allowed to resplit aces decreases the house edge by roughly 0.06% (or 0.07% if you can resplit twice, up to four hands)..

My suggestion if you want to calculate what the house edge is for any game is to use the data on the effects of the house edge that you’ll find in most blackjack books or one of the house edge calculators on the Internet.

You can also refer to the tables in Chapter 3 that summarize what the house edge is for different number of decks and mix of rules to get an idea of what rules you should be looking for when you play blackjack.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Scout the blackjack tables before you sit down and play.
• Be sure you know what the betting limits are.
• The fewer number of decks the better, assuming the rules are equivalent.
• Play in manually-shuffled games rather than games dealt with a CSM or auto shuffler.
• Pick the game with the best mix of rules.
• Play at a full table rather than heads up or with just a few players.
• As the number of decks increases, assuming all else is equal, the house edge increases.
• Each playing rule has either a positive or negative effect on the house edge.
• You should play blackjack games that have the best mix of player-favorable rules.

TEST YOURSELF

Try to answer the following questions based on the information in Chapter 6.

1. Name three variables that you check when you scout a blackjack table.
2. Why is the number of decks of cards important?
3. What other variable (besides the number of decks of cards) affects the house edge?
4. Why is the way the casinos shuffle the cards important for a basic strategy player?
5. Which type of shuffling machine should you avoid?
6. It’s best to play at a less crowded rather than a full table if you are a basic strategy player. True or False?
7. How do you know what the betting limits are on a blackjack table?
8. Which rules are player favorable: H17, S17, DAS, NDAS, LS?
9. What is the worst rule for a player?
10. Which game has the lowest house edge?
    1. Single-deck, 6-5, H17, DAS
    2. Double-Deck, H17, NDAS
    3. Six-Deck, S17, DAS, LS
    4. Eight-Deck, H17, DAS, LS

Answers

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1. Any of these four: number of decks, playing rules, how the cards are shuffled, or betting limits.
2. The greater the number of decks the greater the house edge assuming all else is equal.
3. Mix of playing rules.
4. The faster the game (i.e., more hands dealt per hour), the more your bankroll will be exposed to the house edge and the higher will be your theoretical loss per hour). Manually shuffled games are slower (and therefore better) than an auto shuffler or CSM (assuming same number of players).
5. CSM.
6. False.
7. Check the rules, which should be posted somewhere on the blackjack table.
8. S17, DAS, and LS.
9. Blackjack paid at 6-5 (or worse, even money).
10. c.