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2023 BLACKJACK BALL: THE INSIDE SCOOP – PART 1 BY HENRY TAMBURIN

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

AC Says:

You’ve probably heard of the Blackjack Ball, the annual gathering of many of the world’s top blackjack pros, during which there’s a vote for Blackjack Hall of Fame induction and a skills contest to name the “World’s Greatest Blackjack Player.” There’ve been many articles written about the Ball, but no one covers it like Henry Tamburin. In Part 1 of his summary of the 26th gathering, Henry goes into detail about this year’s HoF nominees, the betting Calcutta that takes place before the skills contest, and the written test that’s part of the competition. It’s a fascinating event that not many get to experience in person, but this account is the next best thing to being there.

This article was written by Henry Tamburin in association with 888Casino.

For the second consecutive year, the 26th Blackjack Ball was held at one of the unique buildings in Las Vegas, the Cleveland Clinic – Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. (See photo of its unique and distinct architecture.) The building contains a large ballroom that could easily…

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HOW TO PLAY YOUR HANDS AGAINST A DEALER’S 9 UPCARD

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

AC Says:

Another basic strategy primer from Henry Tamburin, this one specific to play against a dealer 9. These plays aren’t difficult to remember, as they’re mostly intuitive, and the strategy is almost the same for any number of decks. The most misplayed is not hitting soft 18. Other typical misplays are not splitting 9s and not surrendering 16 in multiple decks. Once you ace the test, you’ll have this section of basic strategy down cold.

This article was written by Henry Tamburin in association with 888Casino.

When a dealer shows a 9 upcard in blackjack, she has about a 77% chance of getting to a final hand that totals 17 through 21 and only a 23% chance of busting (depending on the number of decks shuffled).

A 9, therefore, is  a strong card for the dealer, which means…

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KNOW WHEN TO DOUBLE DOWN AT THE BLACKJACK TABLE

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

AC Says:

The title of this article doesn’t quite explain its contents. While it is about proper strategy for doubling down, it addresses only soft doubling, which refers to hands that contain an ace. These tend to be misplayed the most. Author John Grochowski properly makes the point that you double hands only when doing so increases your expected return. He provides the numbers to back it up, and it’s interesting to see how the magnitude of the difference in plays fluctuates, but all you really need to know is that doubling according to basic strategy will improve your results over time. If basic strategy says double down, then double down.

This article was written by John Grochowski in association with 888Casino.

Knowing when to double down is a key part of any blackjack player’s game. Permitting doubles is one way the house reduces the edge it gets from players having to risk busting first.

Most players who put a little time into learning basic blackjack strategy pick up on when to double hard hands fairly quickly…

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A GUIDE TO DOUBLE EXPOSURE BLACKJACK

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

AC Says:

Double Exposure is a blackjack variation that can still be found today. The game originated in Germany, where it was called Zweikartenspiel, with the key component being that both dealer cards are dealt face up. The problem with a game like this is that the strategy is drastically different from traditional blackjack, but it’s usually not readily available, requiring that players must do their best with intuitive adjustments. That usually doesn’t work out well. With this article you have an applicable basic strategy (it changes slightly with rules variations) at your fingertips. As noted by the author, it’s more complicated than basic strategy for the traditional game, so it might take longer to commit completely to memory. Don’t be thrown off by the mistake in the article’s photos, which depict a traditional game with only one dealer card showing; in a Double Exposure game, both dealer cards are dealt face up.

This article was written by John Grochowski in association with 888Casino.

When you hit hard 16 against a dealer’s 10 in blackjack, you’re playing probabilities. You don’t know if the dealer has a pat hand or has to hit and chance busting. You don’t know what you’ll draw. You just know the percentages favor hitting.

In a blackjack variant called Double Exposure, the guesswork is …

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BLACKJACK OR PONTOON? UNDERSTANDING THE UNIQUE ASPECTS OF EACH GAME

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

AC Says: Blackjack has many variations, one of which is pontoon. This article describes the differences in the games, but doesn’t say where pontoon is played. I’ve never seen it offered in a U.S. casino, but have heard it can be found in England, and potentially in other European countries, as well as online. Michael “The Wizard of Odds” Shackleford quotes the online game’s casino edge versus the proper basic strategy as .49%, which equates with the edge for standard multiple-deck blackjack games. A variation called Australian pontoon more closely resembles Spanish 21. 

This article was written by Louis Wheeler in association with 888Casino.

Card games have always captivated the minds of players seeking entertainment and a bit of challenge. Two popular contenders in the realm of card games are Blackjack and Pontoon. Although they share similarities in their objective to beat the dealer’s hand without exceeding a certain total, they also have distinct rules…

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VIDEO POKER: HOW THE CASINO GETS THE EDGE OVER PLAYERS

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

AC Says: How does the casino get its edge in video poker? Pretty much the same way it does in most other games: It pays winning hands at less than true odds. That fact is discussed here, along with a rundown of other methods of creating a casino edge, e.g., taking a rake or commission. The discussion of why casinos sometimes offer games with 100%+ theoretical returns is on the mark and begs the question, why don’t more do it?

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IS PROFESSIONAL VIDEO POKER PLAY REALISTIC?

This post is syndicated by the Las Vegas Advisor for the 888 casino group. Anthony Curtis comments on the 888 article introduced and linked to on this page.

AC Says: Is it possible to play video poker professionally today? Good subject, and the article’s writer presents an honest evaluation. The message is, you won’t be able to do it, especially at low stakes, if all you’re doing is playing the best schedules—the dollar-per-hour return simply isn’t high enough. And when you move up in stakes, you risk the fluctuations that can take you out of the game. As suggested, playing avocationally is very possible and can be worth doing. Essentially, it means having a hobby that makes money, The article touches on playing progressives to get an edge, but doesn’t identify one of the most potent profi-makers, which is playing video poker promotions. An excellent description of this can be found in Million Dollar Video Poker by Bob Dancer. Las Vegas Advisor members can stay up on promotions as they come and go in our “Changes as They Happen” blog

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