Book Description

The game of blackjack is a favorite of strategy players worldwide. Most consider gambling or gaming an activity that links to specific events that introduce uncertainty. This may be the speed of a horse, the value of a card, the spots on the dice, or a favorite number on the roulette wheel.In new or century-old casinos, the owners and investors offer games of chance that their customers seem to like more than others. We all know intuitively that if we walk into a casino in France, Spain, or Macau; or a casino on the Mississippi River or steaming across the Pacific Ocean – we can probably find a blackjack table to sit down at to ply our trade craft - and feel right at home.Casino managers know that if they offer the average pedestrian an opportunity to go 1-on-1 with the house, and a fairly even chance of breaking even or coming out ahead, many will take the offer. And if the casinos are well organized, clean, fun, and fair – the customers will keep coming back.Now, imagine a casino full of well dressed people willing to take their shot against the house. No secret that the quietest, soberest, and most pensive gamblers are at the blackjack table. It is safe to say that these strategy players are there for business. The serious blackjack player is not concerned with the social aspects of the casino or table. The educated blackjack player is only concerned with winning a game that has discrete boundaries and rules. The serious “player” is not really playing at all. From this point forward, blackjack takes on the nature of a business or investment. So we begin. Approach blackjack with the attitude that you are going to put learned skills to work for you – and you will get better with time. Understand that in order to perform your best; you must start each session with all the factors that you control on your side. These include a clear head, full stomach, plenty of rest, and a stake that is sufficient to weather the ups and downs and not required for another commitment (like the mortgage payment). To apply your knowledge correctly, you will act in a sober manner, without hesitation, and completely indifferent to the outcome of any individual bet. Just think about it, the dealer does not “freak out” if you get a “blackjack” or if he busts. For the most part, the house understands that in the long run all players lose for very predictable reasons. Now that you are prepared to go to work, let's analyze the situation and develop a battle plan.Blackjack begins when the dealer shuffles the deck, you place your bet, and the dealer presents you and himself with two cards. The dealer's bottom card is hidden. The dealer's top card is visible to you and will become a critical data point in your investment decision-making. You can see both of your cards and have two additional data points. Some casinos allow you to handle your cards and keep their values hidden from others, other casinos deal all player cards “face up” with the restriction that you cannot touch your cards. Thus far, you have controlled your preparation for the game, the size of your bet, and you have three data points (the dealers top card value, and the value of both of your cards).It is decision time now. The dealer knows the value of his hand, but you can see the dealer's top card. Your bet has been placed already - your bet is a “sunk cost” and therefore has no bearing on the decision to ask for more cards or to “stand pat”. Everyone knows that you want cards that will give you a point total closest to 21, without going over. The dealer knows this too. And now, with limited knowledge about the dealer's hand, you are at a disadvantage – you must go first - and if you “bust” by going over 21 points, you lose your bet (even if the dealer busts later with other players at the table). With this knowledge, you make your decision to stand pat, or ask for one or more cards. Then you stand pat or bust. That's the simple game of blackjack. Game on!