Author: horse-racing-free-tips

We’re nearing completion in our Blackjack terms series. In our next to last series installment, we’ll go over some terms, such as “Money management,” “Paint” and “Push.” We start out with an important term, because it highlights how the Blackjack rules can be different from casino to casino.

Las Vegas Strip Rules – Las Vegas is split into two main gambling regions-Downtown and the Strip. The Strip has different Blackjack rules than Downtown. A major rule to check on before you play is whether the dealer must hit or stand on a soft 17.

Money Management – It’s no secret. Losing players rarely have any money management skills. Money management goes beyond just knowing how much money you have to play with. It involves knowing how much to bet and when. There are many money management systems out there.

Money Plays – A command barked out by a dealer when a player puts actual cash in the betting area.

Natural – When you’re dealt a Blackjack.

Paint – Want to see paint? If so, you’re asking for a face card. It’s called this, because face cards are graphical in nature.

Pat Hand – No, it’s not the hand of someone named Pat. When you have a pat hand, you want to stay. An example of a pat hand is a hard 17. A hard hand is one in which there isn’t an Ace counting for 11 points.

Point Count – If you’re counting cards, you always know what the count of a deck is.

Push – This is another name for a tie. When you have a bet that pushes, you don’t win or lose. Your money is returned. If you’re playing a double face up game, it’s possible that there aren’t any pushes, because the dealer wins all ties.

Resplit – When you get two cards of the same rank, like two 7’s, you can split them. If your first card on a split is also the same rank, you can resplit then hand. Some casinos only allow one split and others may allow up to four. Check with the casino to be certain. While you always want to split Aces, some casinos don’t allow you to play split Aces like a regular hand. Instead, they’ll just give you one card per hand.

Running Count – It’s the same thing as a Point Count. At any given hand, a card counter knows the count of the deck and bets accordingly. If the count is favorable to the casino, the bet is reduced. If the count is favorable to players, the bet is increased.

That does it for this installment of Blackjack terms. We’ve got one installment in our series left. We’ll go over terms, such as Shill, Shoe, Third Base, Toke, Vig and Whale.

We’ve finally arrived at the final installment of our Blackjack terms series. We’re about to bring it all together. It’s been a fun ride. Once you finish this series, consider yourself a Blackjack terms expert. Let’s go.

Session – This term is used most when talking about money management. A session is a period of time spent gambling.

Shill – These guys are casino employees. To facilitate action, a shill will go up to a table-usually an empty one-and play. The idea is that if you’re walking around and see action, you’ll play. Shills are more likely to be used at a Craps table, because not many people like being the only player in Craps.

Soft Hand – This is any hand where an Ace is being used as an 11.

Stand – When you’re happy with your hand, you can stand, which ends your turn.

Surrender – Some casinos allow you to surrender. When you surrender, you throw in your hand and get half your wager back. A common surrender situation is when you have a hard 16 and the dealer has a face card showing.

Third Base – It’s the opposite of first base. Third base is the last seat to get cards. If the table is full, it will be the seat immediately to the dealer’s right hand.

Toke – Also called a tip. Dealers work for tips, so they love players who tip them. One common way to tip in Blackjack is to place a bet for the dealer. You do this by placing your tip bet above your wager on the layout. Let the dealer know it’s for him/her, so they can make sure the placement is right. This is a good way to get the dealer to root for you.

True Count – It’s another card counting term. When there are multiple decks, you take the running count and divide it by the number of decks being used. This gives you a more accurate picture.

Up Card – The dealer gets two cards in Blackjack to start with. The Up Card is the card that you can see. The bottom one you can’t see is called a hole card.

Unit – A measurement of betting. For instance, a unit could be $5, $10, $1 or whatever.

Vig – This is the money that goes to the house. A popular vig in sports betting, for example, is 10%.

Whale – This is the big-time player-the high roller. Casinos-and dealers-love to see a whale coming. It usually means there’s a chance for a nice payday.

And there you have it. We’ve come to the end of our Blackjack terms series. Do you feel like a Blackjack terms expert now? We’ve covered a lot of ground in this series.

Good luck at the tables!

Blackjack has a colorful history. Shows have been made out of just parts of it. In fact, I credit Blackjack with launching the development of systems and books about gambling.

It all started back in the 18th century. There was a French card game called “Ving-et-un” and it was the foundation for today’s game of Blackjack. Some say that history comes back around to the present.

In the 1800s, America was anti-gambling in its stance. Gambling was an underground activity. That began to change in the 1900s and in 1931 gambling was legalized in Nevada. Almost five decades later, Atlantic City followed.

The late 1950s is really were it all started. The man was Roger Baldwin and is 1956 publication “The Optimum Strategy in Blackjack” paved the way for the marriage between man and math in gambling. It’s as if the light went on. Blackjack can be beat.

Six years later a man by the name of Edward O. Thorp released a book that quickly became a towering hit and it’s the book that’s known by many Blackjack players. The book was called “Beat the Dealer.”

The doors were now opened and many started looking at casinos as a way to get rich. In fact, Lawrence Revere believed this very thing. He took the simple concept of winning at Blackjack one step further by releasing a book called “Playing Blackjack as a Business.”

The wheels were turning and the 1970s marked the next huge revolution. Computers were now brought into the mix. Enthusiasts all over were using computers to create and run simulations-trying to find the ultimate winning strategy. And it was in this era that casinos really got worried.

It was one thing for a handful of people to try and come up with systems while losing real money. It was another for a wider audience to be able to develop and test perfected systems. The public was now developing a hunger for Blackjack knowledge.

Casino operators realized that single-deck Blackjack was vulnerable. That’s when they devised the “shoe.” The “shoe” held multiple decks of cards. When multiple decks are added to the game, the percentages change. It’s also easier to protect against card counters.

Given all this, one man-Ken Uston-made a living beating Blackjack in casinos. He’s a legend. He was so successful at destroying the game that seven Las Vegas casinos banned him for life.

Uston thought he might have a legal battle, so he sued. The final judgment came down in 1987. Uston was found dead in Paris. Did the casino owners kill him? Was it a deal gone bad? Was it just the wrong place at the wrong time?

Today, Blackjack books and software programs are all over. Each year many people go online or visit a casino in hopes of claiming riches at the Blackjack table. It still remains a game that can be beat.