The World's Greatest Blackjack Book

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TL;DR – Our chart is based off of the more common “H17 game.” Memorize our chart, then learn card counting and the deviation chart for the game you will most commonly be playing. Why? Introduces the very popular Hi-Opt I and Hi-Opt II card counting systems. The Hi-Opt counts did not assign a value to the Ace, thus requiring that they be side-counted. Lance Humbleand Carl Cooper.

The belief that the Hi Lo involved too much counting and took the fun out of the game is what led Fuchs and Vancura to write this book. They developed the KO Count by making one major change to the Hi Lo method. This change is that 7 is a low card instead of a neutral. When you see a 7, you add a one to the count. This leads to an unbalanced system. After a split, most games allow doubling down on the new two-card hands. Disallowing doubling after a split increases the house edge by about 0.12%.

If you’re interested in watching the cinematic adaptations of this read, watch 21, which stars Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey, and The Last Casino – a French-Canadian adaptation (referred to in French as La Mise Finale), which stars Charles Martin Smith, Katharine Isabelle and Kris Lemche. 2. Titanic Thompson: The Man Who Bet on Everything – Kevin Cook The Theory of Gambling and Statistical Logic, Richard A. Epstein, 2009 (1967), ISBN 978-0-12-374940-6, doi: 10.1016/C2009-0-20160-7, 265–286 If you’re playing at a casino that offers surrender (also known as late surrender or LS), you will only have the option to surrender on the first two cards you’re dealt. You won’t be able to surrender if you’ve already taken a hit card. This is why surrender is the first thing you have to think about when playing your hand. If the answer is NO you can’t or NO you shouldn’t surrender, you then ask yourself…. Surrender: Forfeit half the bet and end the hand immediately. This option is only available at some tables in some casinos, and the option is only available as the first decision.

For example, did you know that dice use dots because they predate the use of numbers? When you look at it like that, you realize how much playing games of chance is a part of our development as humans, quite literally from when we could first make use of our opposable thumbs! Double down: Increase the initial bet by 100% and take exactly one more card. The additional bet is placed next to the original bet. Some games permit the player to increase the bet by amounts smaller than 100%, which is known as "double for less". [12] Non-controlling players may or may not double their wager, but they still only take one card. Analysis and advice for experienced players who have mastered basic strategy, and are looking to add an extra edge to their game.

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An example of a basic strategy is shown in the table below, which applies to a game with the following specifications: [15] Why? This is the classic that changed the way we all view the game of twenty-one. This book presents, for the first time, a validated winning strategy (a ten-count) based on the results of computer simulation. The 1966 version has a practical point count (Hi-Lo) that was later revised by Julian Braun. Is this required reading for the aspiring card counter? Probably not…. but if you are a history buff, it is a must read. Edward Thorp.

In case you’re not a visual learner these simple phrases might help you commit these rules to memory. The goal with remembering phrases is to be able to look at your hand total and immediately recite the rule in your head, without having to see what the dealer has. That way when you’re at the table and you look up to see what the dealer has, you already know how it relates to your hand and you can make your decision in a split second. Memorizing these phrases will make you much faster and have fewer mistakes. After the initial two cards, the player has up to five options: "hit", "stand", "double down", "split", or "surrender". Each option has a corresponding hand signal.If you’re a fan of historical nonfiction and biographies, and are interested in betting history, you’ll appreciate this book. 3. Scarne’s New Complete Guide to Gambling – John Scarne Signal: Scrape cards against the table (in handheld games); tap the table with a finger or wave a hand toward the body (in games dealt face-up). If you're fairly sure that your hand will beat the dealer's, you can double your original bet. You're sometimes allowed to double down for any amount up to the original bet amount. In most casinos you may double down on any hand, but some casinos require an opening hand worth 11, 10 or 9.

Rinconete y Cortadillo" was written between 1601 and 1602, implying that ventiuna was played in Castile since the beginning of the 17th century or earlier. Later references to this game are found in France and Spain. [3] It makes the player's 12 a worse hand to stand on (since the only way to avoid losing is for the dealer to go bust, which is less likely if there are fewer 10s left in the shoe). When basic strategy calls for doubling, it’s a really good thing! It means you’re likely to win the hand! Some casinos restrict doubling on certain hands so it may not always be possible, but you want to make sure you’ve ruled it out before you move on. If the answer is NO you can’t or you shouldn’t double, you ask yourself… When I’m doing the basic strategy drills, I only miss one every couple hundred hands or so! Am I ready for the casino?In team play, it is common for team members to be dedicated to only counting a side bet using a specialized count.