Blackjack

Blackjack is a game of chance and skill, and if you pay attention to how you play and use the proper strategy you can actually give yourself a great advantage against the house.

One thing to keep in mind when playing blackjack is that the house advantage changes for every player. A player who has never played a round of blackjack a day in his life and sits at the table can expect to see a house edge of about -2 to -3 percent. But using the right strategy a player can turn this advantage around in no time.

Now it is important to note that among one of the reasons why blackjack is known as one of the easiest games to win at is because blackjack is one of the easiest games in which you can count cards. One of the most famous stories is of a team of computer engineers from MIT who developed a card counting computer and made millions playing the Los Vegas casinos before eventually getting caught. But it is important to note that since then the casinos have wizened up quite a bit. Today it is virtually impossible to card count in blackjack due to the number of decks that a casino blackjack game uses at any given time. Nowadays Blackjack is played with anywhere from 5 to 10 decks of cards making any kind of card counting virtually impossible. But this is not to say that you can't still use tactics to win at the game. In fact there is a much easier way to win at blackjack other than counting the cards-using strategy.

Sam's Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack was one of the first casino games that I ever played. As a young lad I was drawn to the number of people huddled around the table and the speed at which the game plays out. Ever since I started playing so many years ago I've continued playing ever since, so I've had a few years to pick up on what I consider to be the best playing strategies out there. If you read the literature you will find a different blackjack strategy for every book you pick up. But for all the number systems and special calculations that are supposed to give you that magical blackjack edge, for me, what I've always found has worked best is simply observing the hands that are being dealt as closely as possible. The fact is, every online casino plays with a different number of decks, so it's almost impossible to suggest that there is a single strategy that works for all casinos across the board. If, for instance, you know exactly how many decks each casino used all the time you could adapt your numbers strategy for that individual casino, but the fact is that there is so much variation that this is almost impossible. But, by watching closely, no matter how many decks the house is playing with, you will always pick up on patterns during the game.

If you play long enough at a land based casino, patterns will naturally show themselves, but the great thing about an online casino is that you can make notes!!! That's right, Unlike a land based casino where the only way you're going to be able to find patterns is by memorizing them, at an online casino like SuperSlots casino, you can cut that time in half by writing down emergent patterns as the cards are played out. Then all you have to do is refer to your notes after an hour or two of play and you can check to see if you've come across any patterns in the card deals.

It might take one hour, or it might take all day, but by the time you have recorded a thorough description of many hands, you can use any patterns that come up to inform your actions in future hands. Simply put-mastering blackjack is a matter of time.

How to Play SuperSlots Blackjack

The object of the game is to make up a hand that has a value that is closer to 21 than the dealer's hand without going over.

Played on a semi-circular table with 5 or 7 playing positions, Blackjack has a circle in front of each playing position where players place their bets. In SuperSlots online blackjack you can actually play all 5 playing positions at the table, enabling you to play 5 simultaneous hands of blackjack at a time. This dynamic playing ability at SuperSlots is a tremendous advantage that you will never find at a land based casino, as it gives you an incredible edge by spreading your risk out over 5 different hands instead of just one.

The deck of cards from which cards are dealt is called the shoe.

Each of the player's hands is dealt two cards. The Dealer is also dealt two cards but only one card is face up. The card that remains face down is called the 'hole card'.

The dealer must hit on all hands totaling 16 or less and stand on all hands totaling 17 or more.

Face cards (the Jack, Queen and King) and 10s all have a value of ten.

An Ace has a value of either 1 or 11.

Any combination of cards that contains an Ace card and whose value does not exceed 21 is referred to as a 'soft hand'.

An Ace has the ability to change value depending on what is better for your hand. For example, an Ace and eight will add up to 19, but if the player chooses to take another card that would cause the hand's value to exceed 21, the Ace will revert to a value of 1.

An Ace and a 10 or face card this is called a BLACKJACK, and your hand will STAND automatically. Beating the dealer with a BLACKJACK you are paid out at 3 to 2.

A second wager - equal to your original wager - is automatically placed on your second hand if you have a pair you may SPLIT your hand into two separate hands with two separate wagers.

If you have split a pair of aces and then draw a card with a value of ten, this is not a Blackjack. Such a hand would have a value of 21. It beats the dealer's hand value less than 21 and ties. This is called a "Push".

Not is not considered a push if the dealer's hand is a Blackjack. This rule also applies to splitting pairs of cards with a value of ten. If you split a pair of tens (or face cards) and then receive an ace, this hand is not a blackjack.

Splitting aces only gives you 1 more card to complete your hand. And if the second card is a face card or 10 it is not a Blackjack.

Doubling

If you have an initial two cards of 9, 10 or 11, you can double. This means you bet that your hand total with your next card will be higher than the dealer's completed hand. The wager costs as much as your original bet, but should you win you will be paid double of your total wager (or four times your original wager.)

If the dealer's face up card is an Ace you may purchase INSURANCE. All hands that purchased INSURANCE win if the dealer has a BLACKJACK. You will break even if the dealer doesn't have a BLACKJACK the INSURANCE bet loses.

Who's SuperSlots Sam?

Sam Henson is a 20 year veteran of the gaming industry. A professional poker player, Sam has not only made a living from playing in casinos all over the world but has also managed several casinos in both Europe and North America. Today Sam spends his time as a gaming publication writer and as the resident gaming expert for SuperSlots casino.

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