For those that have the stomach Spanish Blackjack is a high payout game. Payouts made when players obtain a 21 with varying numbers of cards, are higher than regular variations because of the removal of the tens from the deck of cards,
Payouts in Spanish Blackjack

Players will receive different payouts for the many different ways that a hand with a total of 21 is made up of.

• 5 cards – payout is 3:2
• 6 cards – payout is 2:1
• 7 or more cards – payout is 3:1
• 21 made up of a 6, 7, and 8 – payout is 3:2
• 21 made up of three 7s in mixed suits – payout is 3:2
• 21 made up of three 7s in the same suit – payout is 2:1
• 21 made up of three 7s of spades – payout is 3:1

This version of blackjack has some of the best odds that are available for the game because the house edge is raised quite substantially, by about two percent, however, in order to compensate for this, the game rules have been adjusted slightly from those of regular blackjack.

Observing a table for just a few short minutes will help you determine whether it is losing table or a winning table. If it is a losing table, walk on by, if however it appears to be a winning table, sit down and enjoy the game.

It is very easy to evaluate whether a table is in fact a winning table. For starters, look at how many chips the players have stacked in front of them. If the stacks appear to exceed the average player buy in, then that is a positive indicator that it is a winning table, so sit down.

Nearly every player on any game will increase their bets when they are winning, and this is certainly the case when it comes to Blackjack. If you are at a table and the minimum bet is $10, and you have observed players placing bets over the minimum, then this is another positive indicator that it is a winning table, so sit down here as well. Watching player momentum is a great way to get a feel for a Blackjack table. If it doesn’t feel right, walk on by.

Professional Blackjack by Stanford Wong

This is card counting advice for beginners to experts. It presents the simple and popular ‘high-low’ system as well as the more complicated leve l-3 system ‘halves’.

Knock-Out Blackjack by Olaf Vancura, Ph.D, & Ken Fuchs

In this book, you can find help and advice on a simple yet powerful card-counting system. This is an excellent starting point for those people who want to start counting.

The Theory of Blackjack by Peter A. Griffin

Mathematically intensive, but will give you deeper understanding of Blackjack theory and card counting.

Blackjack Bluebook II by Fred Renzey

This book has been written for players looking to enhance their strategy or progress to card counting. Unlike Thomason’s strategies, Renzey does not support progressive betting, but does offer an excellent basic level counting system for beginners which he has named KISS counting. The two books go together well.

Twenty-first Century Blackjack by Walter Thomason

Walter Thomason has become a regular visitor of our message board. This well-written, extensively-tested book is the best out there for players who aren’t interested in learning to count cards. We recommend that you read this book, and then ask any unanswered questions on the message board.

Basic Blackjack by Stanford Wong

This book is as the title suggests and gives strategies for the basic level of blackjack, including different methods for adjusting to the different rules of various casinos.

So, here are the 5 steps to mastering Blackjack:

Step 1

Learn how to play

All the websites offer different strategies on how to play blackjack, read up on them to learn the terminology and casino etiquette. Gain an understanding of the keywords and phrases such as what it means to double down, split, take insurance, and surrender.

Step 2

Memorise a simple blackjack strategy

After learning the basics of blackjack, you will need to memorise basic blackjack strategy, yes, memorise it inside out! By using this base strategy, you will eliminate much of the casino’s edge.

Step 3

Build and manage your blackjack bankroll

Set your set a limit of how much you can first afford to lose, and stick to it. Once you start to make money, place limits on this to ensure successful management of your cash.

Step 4

Study advanced blackjack strategy

After you have learned the basic strategy, you will want to learn about how different rules influence the casino’s edge, and in some cases, changes the strategy you use.

Step 5

Become an expert at blackjack card counting

Final step, and if you have come this far, you are definitely committed to mastering blackjack than most people. If you really want a shot at gaining an edge over the casino, this article will teach you some different approaches to card counting in blackjack.

Some of the smaller, local casinos offer there own training programs for wold be dealers. Some casinos in the bigger cities will only accept dealers who have trained at one of the recognized card school. It can cost as much as $800 to learn a single game and this cost is not refunded by any potential employers.

As a general rule in Vegas, no formal blackjack training means no job and dealing in cities like Las Vegas is based on a seniority hierarchy. The larger casinos can have the cream of the crop and often headhunt more experienced dealers from their competition. It can take years of weekend jobs to work your way up to a swing shift at the top casinos.

Dealers are often paid a base wage, and you earn you money through the customers. The average base rate for a dealer in a top casino can be as little as $14,340 a year. A Bellagio high stakes dealer will easily earn in excess of $100,000 a year. The difference is in the tips from the customers. That is why high stakes tables and weekend shifts are in high demand among dealers.

With the rise of online blackjack more people are playing the game and the demand at live casinos is now growing.

Most operating systems available from the past four or five years will be able to cope with the download.

The main download sites have information on what is required in any case. All the player needs is enough free memory on their hard drive.

A suitable memory space of 16MB is required on an operating system such as Windows 95 or later, with a 100 MHz Pentium processor or equivalent.

A suitable 16 bit colour video card with 800 by 600 resolution, with a Sound Blaster compatible sound card and SVGA Monitor.

Hardware space is essential or there won’t be room for your download on your PC. 20 Megabyte minimum is recommended along with an 8 x CD-ROM drive and 14.4 KB modem.

Blackjack players fall into several categories, and these are reflective in some cases of the generalised view of a gambler.

The typical blackjack player is the leisurely one who regards blackjack as a form of entertainment, a game to be enjoyed on occasion and played for fun. They are aware of the rules and take them seriously. Any winnings are a bonus at the end of the day.

However, other players of this type can also be novices and with the nature of blackjack if you are not familiar with the rules then they stand to lose a lot of money when playing.

The serious blackjack player is the one who comes with the sole intention of winning. Blackjack requires some forethought and if played dexterously, can result in a substantial win.

However, such players are not ones who like to have idle chitchat or conversation. They are usually veterans with a plan to recoup so much and move on, experienced in the rules and prior experiences both good and bad, but with eyes focused on a jackpot.

The online player is one who can fit any category. For the most part they are ones that enjoy the game on a fun level, but take it seriously enough to know that there is money to be won.

Online players can prefer the leisurely pace in preference to the noisy or intimidating atmosphere of the casino.

Blackjack is a serious game and the nature of the game can provide all the thrills and emotions of any gambling game, but because of the low house edge will always be a favourite amongst general players.

The real differences are in the actual playing environment and the games offered by online casinos are highly recommended for several reasons.

Blackjack is a game of skill that does involve some thinking by the player. In a casino environment the game is live, often fast paced and you are playing with other players. Often these players are vastly experienced and regard new or novice players poorly.

Online games have the advantage in that you can take your time playing, play at your pace and when you want. There are numerous tutorials available and you will be more comfortable, rather than in what can be considered an intimidating atmosphere of the real casino.

Playing online still means you can play with real money and you will have plenty of opportunities to hone your skills.

In this way, you can then go to a real casino and play with a level of confidence, knowing the rules, techniques and strategies that have won thousands for many players.