Page 8 - Jackpot Magazine South ~ January, 2023

PLAY TO WIN
Making resolutions might make you a winner
“He who breaks a resolution is a weakling; He who makes one is a fool.”
— F.M. Knowles
Canadian painter F.M. Knowles may have had some definite thoughts on New Year’s resolutions, but we’re wondering if he ever played blackjack. Knowles, who lived in the late 1800s/early 1900s, also never met gaming expert Henry Tamburin, author of many best-selling books on gambling, including Blackjack: Take the Money and Run.
In a past column for Jackpot!, Tamburin clearly suggested there is a time to make resolutions, especially if your blackjack results were not what you hoped. Tamburin even had a few resolutions he thought would help.
Stop Using That Progressive Betting System
No matter how you slice and
dice betting systems for blackjack,
the bottom line is they don’t
work. Sooner or later you have to
come to grips with the fact that progressive betting systems will
not change the house edge one
iota, and won’t help you win in the long run. No matter the system, it will not work.
Your chance of winning a hand at blackjack is 44 percent regardless if you lost or won the last hand, or even the last five hands. If anything, by increasing your bets based on the outcome of a previous hand, you will be increasing your average bet compared to just betting the same amount on each hand and this will cause you to lose more money in the long run.
Stop Using Your Playing Strategy
Tamburin said he is shocked when he sees a player using some convoluted playing strategy. There is only one mathematically correct playing strategy for a given set of blackjack rules and this basic strategy
is readily available online and in books and magazines. Take the time to learn this strategy — it will save you a truckload of money.
Stop Playing Fast
If you are a basic strategy player, slow down your game. Don’t play heads up against the dealer where you might be playing 200 or so hands per hour. Don’t play on a table that uses a Continuous Shuffling Machine because there is never a pause for a shuffle and the dealer can deal out about 20 percent more hands per hour with these machines. Instead, play on full tables where you might only get 60-80 hands per hour with a dealer that either hand shuffles the cards or uses a traditional automatic shuffle.
Don’t Double Down for Less
Doubling down for less than the original bet is
a big mistake and a costly one. The reason that you double down in the first place (assuming you are using the basic playing strategy) is that your chances of winning the hand are good. So why limit your winnings by being timid and doubling for less? Yes, sometimes you will lose your double downs but in the long run you’ll win a lot more than lose. Go with the percentages and always bet the max when you double down.
Stop Taking Even Money
When you get a blackjack and the dealer shows an ace, the dealer will ask you if you’d like to take even money. More than 95 percent of blackjack players gladly do it because they figure getting paid even money is a whole lot better than winding up with a
push if the dealer ends up with blackjack. This is another costly mistake. In the long run you’ll have more money in
your pocket when you decline even money. The reason is because the dealer is more likely not to have the 10 in the hole and you’ll get paid 3-2 for your blackjack.
Stop Playing Any Old Blackjack Game
Most players jump in and play on any blackjack table. That could be a costly mistake because the playing rules on the game might not be as favorable as you think. You should know which rules are more player favorable (like dealer standing on soft 17) and which ones are not (like dealer hitting soft 17). You can find lists of rules and their effect on the house edge in books and on the Internet. My Blackjack Insider e-Newsletter has field reports from pros that summarize which casinos have the better games (for a free three-month subscription go to www.blackjackinsider. com/free). By being selective where you play you can easily reduce the house edge against you when you play.
Play in Blackjack Tournaments
Instead of spending all your time playing blackjack, spend part of it playing in a blackjack tournament. When you play in a blackjack tournament you limit your losses to the amount of the entry fee and the prizes can be large. Hard Rock Biloxi has a monthly tournament that is worth checking out (www.hardrockbiloxi.com).
Next time: Casino resolutions for more than just blackjack.
Do you have a question on the best way to play to win? Or, do you have your own pet peeve you want to share? Email jackpotmagazine@gmail.com.
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