» Blackjack History The origin of the game Blackjack is still discussed. Some people believe that Blackjack is based on some European card games. Blackjack have elements of French “Vingt-Un” (21), “Trente et Quarente” (20 and 30), “Chemin de Fer” (Railroad), Spanish “One and Thirty” and Italian “Baccara” and “Seven and a Half”. French “Vingt-Un” (21), “Trente et Quarente” (20 and 30), “Chemin de Fer” (Railroad), Spanish “One and Thirty” and Italian “Baccara” and “Seven and a Half” come to the United States in the 19th century and were very popular. In the Western part of the USA gambling was legal from the 1850’s to 1910. In Nevada gambling was illegal from 1910 to 1931. In 1931 gambling was legalized in Nevada. When casino gambling was legalized Blackjack became one of the most popular games. Casino gambling and Blackjack were very popular. Blackjack was played at nearly every casino and gambling house. In 1956 the first article about Blackjack was printed. In “The Optimum Strategy in Blackjack” Roger Baldwin wrote about some strategies. Roger Baldwin explained how to reduce the “House”, or casino, advantage based upon probability and statistics. “Beat the Dealer” was published in 1962 by the Mathematics Professor Edward O. Thorp. Thorp who developed and wrote about the first card counting systems. “Beat the Dealer” was one of the most popular books. After “Beat the Dealer” was published much more people began to play at casinos. People wanted to implement Thorp’s strategy. When Blackjack rules were changed in some casinos most people stopped playing Blackjack. Thorp’s book ended up making money for casinos, as it increased the amount of Blackjack being played. Julian Braun was one of the most important contributors to modern Blackjack strategy. Braun’s updated strategies and card counting systems were included in the second edition of “Beat the Dealer”. Troph, Braun and others made Blackjack very popular. Blackjack History

» The Card Values. All face cards (Jack, Queen and King) as well as Tens have the value of ten. Aces may be counted as either eleven or one. In blackjack card suits are of no importance. The value of the ace seems to confuse some players under the "heat of the action". You can count the ace as eleven until a count of eleven will put your hand over twenty-one, then you can count the ace as one Card Value in Blackjack

» Blackjack is played on a semicircular shaped table. The blackjack tableis covered by a green or blue colored felt. The blackjack table has seven places for players. The dealer stands behind the table. After shuffling all cards thoroughly, the dealer will give one of the players a plastic card. One of the players has to"cut" the deck wth the plastic card. You will see a sign on the table. 00, $5. 00, $10. 00, $25. 00 or $100. 00. Maximum bets are generally $500. 00, $1,000. 00 or $5,000. 00. Minimum and maximum bets higher through special arrangements with the house. You can make your bets with house chips. Sometimes you can make bets with cash. All winnings are paid with house chips. Chips can be purchased at the tables. If you want to cash your chips you must go to the Cashier. At the outset of each hand, you have to place your bet in the square on the table directly in front of your seat. When all the bets are made all players and the dealer are dealt two cards each. The dealer always deals his own cards face down. After all players have played out their hands, the dealer will turn his hole card face up and, if necessary, hit his hand until he has a hand value of seventeen or more. When one or two decks are played, the dealer will deal from his hand and the player's cards will be dealt face down. The shoe is a plastic box which sits on the table holding the portion of the deck remaining to be dealt. The shoe provides the dealer with a convenient way to handle four or more decks. The house has one more advantage when dealing from the shoe. The more decks a house plays, the more favorable the odds become for the house against the card counters. When using four or more decks, the cards are often dealt face up both in European and American casinos Bets And the Deal

» Blackjack has a fairly standardized set of rules and rule variations. The dealer and the players use special signals to show their playing intentions. The use of special signals is preferred in most casinos. The signals help to avoid noise. If you are dealt a blackjack and your cards are dealt face down, you have to signal a blackjack by placing your cards face up in front of your bet. If your cards are dealt face up, the dealer will automatically recognize the blackjack. If your cards have been dealt face down, you may hold your cards in one hand only. If you want to signal a stand, you have to slide the corner of your cards face down under your bet. If you want to signal a hit, you have to wait until the play comes to you then simply scrape the bottom of the cards lightly against the table toward you. If your cards have been dealt face up, your stand and hit signals are made with your hand. To indicate a stand you have to move your hand left to right, in a flat, palm down position about two inches over your cards. If the first two cards dealt to you are cards of equal value, you may "split" the pair combination. If you want to accommodate and signal your split intention, you have to place another bet, equal to your initial bet, alongside your initial bet. Many casinos allow you to split any pair combinations. Some casinos don't allow to split aces. Most casinos that do allow splitting of aces will only allow one card to be dealt to each split ace. Some casinos allow multiple splits if the second card dealt to either hand has a value equal to the first card.   You may "double down" on a hand which consists of two cards. With "double down" you double your original wager. To signal the intention of doubling down, you have to pay another bet equal to your first bet. If your cards have been dealt face down, you have to place them face up in front of your doubled bet. Some casinos restrict the double down option. Some casinos don't allow doubling down on split hands. Some casinos can permit doubling down when the total value of your two cards is ten or eleven. Doubling your wager add to your advantage. Blackjack Rules And Signals

» The surrender rule allows you to surrender any two card hand along with one-half his original wager. Many casinos do not allow any form of surrender rule. There are two prevalent forms of the surrender rule. "Early Surrender" allows a player to surrender his hand even before a dealer can determine whether he has a blackjack Surrender

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