Small cards are the enemy of blackjack players. Values of two through six can make for the trickiest decisions. In fact, if you remove any significant number of small cards from the shoe, blackjack not only becomes easier, the player gets a mathematical edge over the house. Basic Blackjack Rules: The goal of blackjack is to beat the dealer's hand without going over 21. Face cards are worth 10. Aces are worth 1 or 11, whichever makes a better hand. Each player starts with two cards, one of the dealer's cards is hidden until the end. To 'Hit' is to ask for another card. DO Learn the Rules before You Sit Down to Play. Blackjack seems like a simple enough game.
21No No’s
ByHenry Tamburin
Thecasino game of blackjack has its procedures, codes of conduct, and playingstrategies. The procedures are essential to ensure the security and integrityof the game. The codes of conduct encompass the playing etiquette so you don’tattract the ire of your fellow players, or the dealer. The playing strategieshelp you win. When you don’t follow any of the above, you are not going to play your best game. Soavoid making these 21 faux pas.
1.Handing money directlyto the dealer. All cash transactions must be visible to the security cameras, soalways place your cash on the layout outside of your betting spot, and thentell the dealer what denomination chips you want.
2.Touching the cards whenthey are dealt face up. When four or more decks of cards are used, they are dealt face up toeach player from a dealing shoe.Thereason the cards are dealt face up is two-fold. First, it eliminates thepotential for player cheating (by either marking or switching the cards), andsecondly, it speeds up the game, because the dealer can quickly announce thetotal of each player’s hand. There is no reason to touch the cards, so don’t doit.
3.Holding the cards withtwo hands. In games where the cards are dealt face down (usually single- and two-deckgames), pick the cards up with one hand please, not two.
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4.Removing the cards fromthe table. Your cards must always be in full view of the dealer and the securitycameras. Therefore, you should never, for example, hold them in your lap.
5.Placing objects on thetable.Purses, wallets, bags, and other items should be placed on your person or nextto you (except ladies’ purses, which should be held in the lap). It’s OK tohave a drink on the table, but use the drink holders provided by the casino toavoid spilling anything on the layout.
6.Telling the dealer thatyou want a “hit.” Saying, “Hit me” might be OKwhen you play blackjack with friends back home, but in the casinos, it won’tfly. For security reasons, you must always use hand signals to signify whetheryou want to hit or stand.
7.Touching your chipsafter you’ve made your bet and the cards are dealt.Your original bet must stay on the layoutuntouched until it either wins, losses, or ties. Once the dealer starts dealingthe cards, that’s your cue to not touch your wager.
8.Placing a higherdenomination chip on top of a lower denomination chip in your betting spot. If you are wagering twoor more different denomination chips, always place the higher denomination chipon the bottom of the stack and the lower on top.
What Not To Do In Blackjack
9.Not betting double thetable minimum if you decide to play two (or more) spots. If it’s a $5 minimumtable and you decide to spread to two hands, most casinos require that youwager $10 on each spot. If you are not sure, ask the dealer. Also, if the cardsare dealt face-down, do not look at the second hand until after you havecompleted playing your first hand.
10.Taking your bad luck outon the dealer or fellow players. They are notthe reason why you are losing; most likely it’s just a bad run of cards, whichhappens to all blackjack players.
11.Telling your fellowplayers how to play their hands. It’s their money and they have the right to playtheir hand any way they want to. However, if a fellow player asks you foradvice, then it’s OK to offer it.
12.Inserting the cut card afew cards from either end of the shuffled deck(s) of cards. On six-deck games, mostcasinos require that players place the cut card at least a half-deck fromeither end of the stack (some require a full-deck). If you place it less thanthat, you’ll get a rebuke from the dealer and a request to cut again.
What Not To Hit On In Blackjack
13.Sitting down and makinga bet in the middle of a shoe. In some casinos, this is forbidden and there willbe a “No Mid-Shoe Entry” sign posted on the table. If you are not sure, ask thedealer.
Blackjack What To Do Sheet
14.Not using the basicplaying strategy.The basic playing strategy isthe mathematically correct way to play every hand dealt to you. This playingstrategy is readily available in books, on the Internet, and on strategy cards,which you can take with you when you play (they are legal to use in a casino).Even if you are a regular player, there really is no reason to guess how toplay a hand when you can have the answers at your fingertips by using astrategy card.
15.Playing a 6 to 5 game. Some blackjack tableswill pay only 6 to 5 when you get an untied blackjack, rather than thetraditional 3 to 2 payoff. Getting paid 6 to 5 is bad. How bad? The house edgein a single-deck, 6 to 5 game is increased as much as seven-fold!Usually there will be a sign on the tablestating that blackjacks pay 6 to 5. Some casinos have it imprinted on thelayout. If you are not sure, ask the dealer. By avoiding these awful 6 to 5games, you’ll take a big step to improve your bottom line.
16.Playing on a table thatuses a Continuous Shuffling Machine (CSM). Don’t confuse a CSM with a traditionalautomatic shuffling machine. A CSM is a device that randomly shuffles thediscards after every round has beenplayed. The net result is the game plays faster (no downtime for reshuffling)and you will play about 20% more hands per hour. Since the house has the edgeon every hand, playing more hands dealt per hour will increase your theoreticalloss by 20%. For average players, playing on a table that uses a CSM is badnews and should be avoided.
17.Never getting rated whenyou play.The casinos give away a lot of comps to players in the hopes that they becomeloyal players. You won’t get your fair share of these comps unless you ask tobe rated when you play blackjack. If you don’t know how to go about this, getthe details at the Player’s Club or ask a casino host (VIP or MarketingDepartment).
18.Asking arrogantly for acomp.While playing recently, I overheard a fellowplayer, after less than 30 minutes of play, say to the floor supervisor, “Can you gimme a comp for four to thebuffet.”This isn’t the way to askfor a comp. First off, comps are not a God-given right to players. You mustearn a comp by meeting a casino’s play requirements (average bet and time ofplay). Check with a casino host or the Marketing Department to obtain thisinformation, and then only after you’ve met their play requirements, asks thefloor supervisor, “Have I played enoughfor a dinner comp?” You’ll be surprised how often you’ll receive ano-hassle comp when you politely ask for one.
19.Using a progressivebetting system. I know, I know, many players use them and swear they work. But trustme, they don’t. Never have, and never will, because your chance of winning thenext hand is completely independent of whether or not you won (or lost) theprevious hand. The secret to winning at blackjack (actually the secret has beenknown for 45 or so years) is to bet more money only when the unplayed cards are rich in tens and aces.So if you want to increase your bet, you’d bewise to watch the cards as they are played and bet more onlyafter you’ve seen a fair number ofsmall vs. high cards played in previous rounds. Better yet, learn a simple cardcounting system, like Speed Count, which will tell you when it’s the right timeto increase your bet.
20.Never using a casinohost.This is a big mistake if you are a regular player. Casino hosts can do a lotfor you and you don’t necessarily have to be a high roller to use one. ReadJean Scott’s book, More Frugal Gambling,for the low- down.
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What Not To Do In Poker
21.Never tipping thedealer.You tip a waiter or waitress for good service, don’t you? You should considerdoing the same for a blackjack dealer. It’s not mandatory to tip a dealer;however, if the dealer has been pleasant and helpful, it’s customary to tip toshow your appreciation for a job well done. Of course tipping won’tmiraculously change the cards in your favor, but think of this - it might putyou in a favorable light with the floor supervisor, who is the person that hassome leeway in approving your comp and the amount (get the picture?).
Ifyou avoid making these 21 mistakes, you’ll find that you will enjoy the gamebetter, play better, get more comps, and wind up with fewer losses and morewins. Now, aren’t those the reasons that you play blackjack?