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Gaming Guru  Blackjack Basic Strategy Quiz13 May 2008
It's been a while since I've popped a quiz, and a while since I've delved into blackjack basic strategy. See if you know the best way to play the following five hands, all among the most-often misplayed hands in the game. For all hands, assume a six-deck game in which the dealer stands on all 17s, you may split and resplit any pair except Aces, which you may split only once, may double down on any first two cards, and may double down after splitting a pair. 1. You have a pair of 8s. The dealer has a 10 face up. A. Hit. 2. You have a 9 and a 7. The dealer has a 7 face up. A. Hit. 3. You have an Ace and a 7. The dealer has a 10 face up. A. Hit. 4. You have a 7 and a 5. The dealer has a 2 face up. A. Hit. 5. You have an Ace and a 6. The dealer has a 7 face up. A. Hit. Check this site for the answers in a few days. This article is provided by the Frank Scoblete Network, John Robison managing editor. If you would like to use this article on your website, please contact Casino City Press, the exclusive web syndication outlet for the Frank Scoblete Network. A shuffle through the gaming mailbag6 May 2008
Q. What can you tell me about Blackjack Switch? I saw a table and was intrigued, but couldn't bring myself to sit down and play without learning more about the game first. I guess I lack a little of that gambling spirit.
A. If the gambling spirit includes going into a game unprepared, I guess I lack it too. ... (read more)
Grochowski Reviews: The Virgin Kiss and Other Adventures29 April 2008
I'd like to tell you that I've always said I'd read anything Frank Scoblete wrote, even if it was about having dinner with his in-laws.
I'd like to tell you that, but it wouldn't strictly be true. I've never thought about Scoblete's in-laws, at least until I read his latest book, The Virgin Kiss and Other ... (read more)
Hedge Bets at Craps22 April 2008
The following e-mail exchange is real. The names have been withheld to protect the innocent.
What do you think of using C&E as a hedge?
For those unfamiliar with craps lingo, C&E is shorthand for "craps and 11." It's a one-roll proposition that puts half your wager on any craps --- 2, 3 and 12 --- and half on 11. ... (read more)
Craps SystemsCraps players love systems, trying to mix and match bets in hopes of finding the magical formula that will beat the casino. Just about any system will work sometimes, and when a player wins with a system, it encourages another try, and another, and another. In the long run, of course, the casino comes out on top. ... (read more)Multi Strike PokerIt was a Friday morning in Joliet, and I'd been playing a little video poker aboard Empress II, waiting for the 11 a.m. opening of Empress I and its video poker room. Soon, if it hasn't already happened by the time you read this, Empress' new barge will open, ending such little scheduling inconveniences, but on this day, I found myself passing time with a little quarter Triple Play Poker. ... (read more)Comps - The BasicsA colleague of mine likes to refer to casino comps as "free stuff." And for those who know their basic strategy in blackjack, optimal strategies for certain video poker games and who know how comping systems work, the "stuff" really is free--the value ... (read more)Basic Strategy for Spanish 21In the last couple of weeks, we've looked at basic strategy in blackjack. Sit down at most blackjack tables in any jurisdiction, play basic strategy and you'll narrow the house edge to a half-percent or so, perhaps a little more or a little less depending on house rules. ... (read more)Single-Deck Basic StrategyThose whose casino memories stretch back far enough may recall a time when the standard "Las Vegas Strip" blackjack game was dealt from a single deck of cards, with the dealer standing on all 17s. That started to change in the 1960s as operators grew ... (read more) |
John Grochowski |
