A Few Winning Blackjack Techniques
Once you are dealt the two cards, the dealer goes around the table and checks to see if you want to hit, stay, or split. If you hit, the dealer gives you another card to add to your total. You would normally hit on any cards (unless you have a 20 or blackjack) if the [...]

Hand signals in Blackjack
In blackjack, different hand signals are used to convey the cards a player wants to play to the dealer and verbal instructions are not considered to be in good etiquettes and learning the correct signals is as important the rules of the game. The signals vary according to the number of decks the game is [...]

The casinos are there for your pleasure but that must be tempered with the realization that we all have to get along. I watched one little old lady commandeer three slot machines and snarl at anyone who got close. This is unfortunate because she got extremely nasty with a couple just looking for a place to play.

Here are my suggestions for those gamblers looking to have fun while knowing what the rules of etiquette for casinos. Follow these ten tips and you will never go wrong.

1. At slot machines or video poker games, restrict yourself to one machine at a time during active periods. Even when it’s not busy overall, set yourself to one machine when a bank of popular machines fills up. Casinos don’t place high payout slots side by side to each other in a group. You will end up losing too much money (this will be a topic in another post).

2. Whether at the tables or at the slots, if you are taking a break, make it short or give up your spot. Taking a bathroom break or taking a walk to stretch your legs for a few moments is fine. Signal that you’ll be returning by turning a coin cup upside down on the machine or chair, angling the chair up against the machine or leaving your coat or sweater draped over the chair. But if you’re going to lunch or to play another game, free up your spot. If you’re going to be gone for more than a few minutes, it’s not fair to other players or to the casino to tie up the game.

3. In roulette, wait until the dealer lifts the marker off the previous winning number before beginning to make bets on the following spin. Until that marker comes off the layout, the dealer is paying off bets from the previous spin and wants no mix-up over what is an outstanding bet and what is a fresh wager.

4. In craps, when you are the shooter, cast so that the dice hit the back wall of the table. That’s required to assure random rolls.

5. At blackjack, if you’re playing a game in which your cards are dealt face up, do not touch them. In the not-too-distant past, casinos used to teach dealers to smack the hands of players who moved the cards. Things are more player-friendly nowadays, but the rule remains. In games dealt face down, the situation is different. In those games, you pick up your cards.

6. When you join a blackjack game, especially at higher-denomination tables, ask if the other players want you to wait until the shuffle to start playing. It makes no real difference in the long run, but sometimes players who have been on a roll will want to finish out the shoe before changing anything. Don’t expect the same courtesy at low denomination tables. Space is at such a premium that it’s a bit much to expect someone to wait at a $5 table.

7. At any table game, when betting chips of mixed denomination, stack them with the highest denomination on the bottom and the lowest on top. It makes it easier for the dealer to read your bet size, and also is a casino safeguard against casino cheats who attempt to cap a bet with a large-denomination chip after they know the result.

8. If you’re in a casino where there is smoking (most casinos out there) while playing video poker or the slots, use an ashtray. If there’s not one at the machine, ask an attendant to bring one to you. Do not use the coin well to drop your ashes or butts. Players who follow you have a right to reach in for their coins without getting your ashes all over their hands. I for one am happy with the ticket machines that dispense my money.

9. Do not smoke in non-smoking areas. You have a complete right to smoke where allowed, but non-smokers also have a right to expect the specified areas to be smoke free. I’m not positive why this is a rocky concept, but I’ve seen smokers become quite belligerent when asked to douse their cigarettes in no-smoking rooms. In Colorado, it is against the law but everyone seems to be getting along.

10. At any game, resist the impulse to give unasked advice. Blackjack players are particularly bad about this. Some players get rough over plays that finish up costing them money, but never note the unorthodox plays that help them. Both come about, and in the long run, bad play by different players neither offends nor helps your overall results. And whether it’s blackjack or any other game, players have the right to make their own decisions, play their own way and make their own fun.

Do You Want to Know How to Play Blackjack?
Just one question: do you want to know how to play blackjack? If so, read our article and accomplish your goal in no time!

Am I getting this right?
Can I use the Samsung Blackjack as my mp3/video player? I’m considering getting a new Samsung Blackjack as a mp3 player for commuting/general travel. I can get it for 75 bucks from cingular and apparently a 2gb microsd card is only about 30, so I can have a nice, fully featured mp3 player/organizer/nice new phone for 100 dollars. My question to the askmefi audience is if there’s a potential downside I’m missing here. Does anyone have experience with the blackjack? Is the audio output good enough for semi-regular mp3 usage? Will I be able to install some sort of codec package to play my downloaded tv shows? I think it uses Windows Mobile 5, so are there any equivalents of vlc media player for WM5? I guess general impressions are welcome too. I’ve read the cnet review, and they seemed largely impressed, with the only potential downside in that there’s no wi-fi (hey – I’d love to skip this question and go for an iphone – but I don’t have 500 bucks to spare). Thanks all.

Online Blackjack Tips
Online blackjack is a fun and easy way to start getting into online casino games. If you already know how to play blackjack from playing it in live casinos, youll have no problem with the online version, since the games play almost identically. With online blackjack, there are a few important tips to keep in [...]

Only way to win at online blackjack, is by chasing the bonus
I got into an email fight with Ray because he said the only way to win at online blackjack was by becoming a slave to the best bonus and continually chasing down the bonus, then moving onto the next casino site. Actually slave is a politer term compared to what he used. I disagree, you can [...]

Oklahoma blackjack info?
How can I find out which Indian casinos in Oklahoma do NOT charge an ante? Most of them charge an ante (a small per-hand fee, typically $1 or less), but a few have spans of hours or days every week in which they do NOT charge an ante. Can you tell me what times and which casinos these are?

HBO Mobile on the Cingular Blackjack Phone is a step above all others, it is the latest in technology and apparently the name seems to indicate that it is ready to knock on the door with Blackberry too? This phone is the latest and it shows that the iPod was just an interim technology, as now the new Blackjack is where it is at.

The MEdia Max program is also available on Samsung Sync and LG CU500v and LG CU400v with unlimited Internet and Video from AT&T Cingular. They say that the price is zero with rebate. When looking at the various phones and packages it was our estimation that the Samsung was inferior due to battery time usage. Apparently to sell the phones cheap they put in an inferior battery and it uses itself up way too fast to be watching HBO on TV.

In fact we did not like any of the proposed models of phones yet and prefer to wait for the full Blackjack phone than to get any of the other video phones. The HBO Mobile MEdia sounds cool and they have been promising this in the industry trade journals for a long while, but we are waiting to see if it is actually any good.

The object of the game is to get your cards as close to 21 as possible without going over. The hand that gets 21 or the closest to 21 wins. For instance, if your cards are

Higher than the dealer but not over 21 you win the game. At the start of each game the places a bet in the betting box. You are playing next to the dealer and not the other players. The dealer deals the players two cards.

Going over 21 is known as busting. The ten and all the face cards equal 10 points. The Ace can either be a one or an eleven. The player goes first and requests additional cards if wanted. If the player busts he loses. If there is a tie no one wins and the game is played over. If the dealer busts he or she loses to all players. It can happen where the dealer busts to some players but wins off other players.

The dealer begins with dealing himself or herself one card face up (up card) and one card face down (hole card}. Cards are dealt from what is called a shoe which contains four to eight decks or they are dealt from a shuffling machine. The player’s two cards are dealt face down.

When cards are dealt from the shoe all the players two cards are dealt face up. If the dealer has 17 without an ace he must stay at seventeen. If the dealer has an ace it is called a soft seventeen. If the dealer has an ace he or she can stay or hit another card. They can get another card if the hand is a (soft seventeen) which the hand has an ace or a 2, 4 or 6. The dealer has to follow the rules of the table which can be different from game to game. He may have to hit at seventeen of stay depending on the table rules.

The best hand you can get is an ace with a face card that equals 21. The players look at their cards and decide if they want to hit (get another card) or (stay) receive no more cards. There is no set limit to how many cards you can hit for to win as long as their total is 21 or less. If you go over 21 you lose.

The dealer initially has one card face up and one card face down. The house will always stand at seventeen. That is an advantage to the player who is over seventeen. A combination of any ace with another card of a value often is called blackjack. There are variations of the game you need to learn the house rules. If is a fun and fast paced game but there is a combination of strategy and luck involved.

The best online casinos give you an enjoyable experience. You can chat with other players and perhaps pick up some pointers. The cards in Blackjack can be dealt by hand or by a “shoe” if you are at a land based casino.. The “shoe’ uses a multi-deck system which increases the odds for the casino, so if you can find a game that uses one or two decks only you will be better off. When you play at an online casino this will be a moot point as the cards are computer generated. Many of the top online casinos offer you the option to play for free then switch to playing with your own money.

When you play Blackjack you need to get comfortable with the betting options. You must know when to “hit”, “stand” or “double”. If you want to be “hit” you are asking for another card, while “stand” means just that you are standing with the cards you have. Double or double down will increase your playing options and your bet. You might wait to try this option after you have the basics. Understanding your card values plus the betting techniques should get you started playing the fun game of Blackjack.

Poker is always a great game, and playing online casino poker is a cool experience. There are chat rooms that you can use to talk with other players. Normally you would think, ’so what?’, but did you know that many professional card players play poker online. Some even got their start online and have gone on to become World Champions. You could learn from some of the best Texas Holdem’ or Omaha Poker players ever. The online casinos give you all the details on how to play the game, sign up bonuses, and promotions. You can have the worst poker face ever and no one will be able to tell if you are bluffing when you play online poker. Several sites offer the opportunity to play for free, and there is no charge to download either.

When you want to have an entertaining evening at home, just find the perfect online casino gambling site. You can choose Blackjack or Poker, or enjoy both. After all, why should you have to decide between the two? When you join in a terrific game online you can indulge in the best entertainment for the money.

blackjack II, electric boogaloo
I got a cheap blackjack II, and I’m happy with it for the most part. However, I’m having trouble finding a headset/hands free set up for my car… I’m trying to avoid a bluetooth for price concerns and also, well – I find them dorky. I’d prefer a headset that sits around the ear like these or these. I cant seem to find one for the blackjack II, and opted for an earbud. The earbud suuucks, and doesnt seem to actually stay in my ear. The problem seems to be the jack that plugs into the phone is weird (see link for photo). Does anyone have a blackjack II and have a good headset? I’ve tried lots of googling, but to no avail. I’ll break down and buy a bluetooth if I have to, but for the small amount of time that I’d use the headset in my car (cali law) it just doesnt seem to make sense.