I am not by any means suggesting that you curtail your online play, or restrict your gambling habits in general. All I am saying is that if you open your mind to the other side of the Internet gambling equation as most truly successful players have done, you can only benefit tremendously.

Just what other half of the Internet I am referring to? The educational half. That’s right, aside from providing a space in which games can be played, the Internet serves as the ultimate informational tool providing you with everything you need to know to become a smarter and more consistently successful player at virtually any game. This seems to be an obvious fact, and it is one which a number of gamblers take advantage of on a regular basis. Yet I am constantly amazed by the masses of people who never take the time to make the most of this tremendous informational resource. It is great to have faith in yourself, but to not buttress that faith with the very latest information is simply to operate with your head in the sand. And since no one likes looking like a butt-fugly ostrich, this is clearly not a wise way to proceed.

The range of information available on the Internet covers every possible species of data that relates to gaming. In particular, savvy gamblers are always looking to find the very best casino odds online. This is what separates them from the average player who simply logs onto the first online casino he or she can find and starts gambling feverishly without any consideration as to the odds contained at that particular Web site. Obviously, you are much more intelligent than those suckers and approach your gambling on a more sophisticated plane. Therefore, you are clearly interested in locating the very best casino odds, right?

But, maybe you’re wondering how you can go about this most worthy of tasks. Again, the smart answer is to use the informational resources available to you, free of charge around the clock, courtesy of cyberspace. The Internet is crawling with excellent casino reviews at many reputable sites like Poker Listings, which will give you every bit of valuable information you need to make an intelligent choice about where to gamble. Casino odds absolutely must be factored into your ultimate decision if you hope for any measure of ongoing success. So don’t go charging ahead like a common idiot without all the facts at hand. Use the Net to find the best casino odds and you will thank me for it.

The very design of Blackjack makes it highly accessible for beginners, even for those sorry people who have no genuine understanding of strategy. And yet, as is the case so often in life, simplicity can often be deceptive. For, while it is possible to play Blackjack in the most rudimentary way – simply trying to build the best hand based upon the blind turn of each card – this game also allows for a wide range of strategical maneuvering than can be applied with equal precision whether played in a casino, a casual home game or online.

In fact, you may have noticed that the televised poker boom has begun to spawn some spinoffs and at the front of this pack is the Blackjack tournament phenomenon cropping up on various cable stations. Whether or not Blackjack will ever overtake poker in terms of popularity, or even catch up in a meaningful way, we don’t yet know. But, in the meantime, there’s no reason why you should not spend a reasonable amount time playing Blackjack for fun. If this is your goal, the Internet is the most of valuable tool you could ever have.

There are many, many places online to engage in a few rounds of Blackjack without ever having to risk a single dime. The vast majority of reputable online casinos offer at least a respectable range of Blackjack options, though you can almost certainly count on a lesser number than the poker variants to be found. The good news for Blackjack players is that it’s easy to slip into a game and quickly assert dominance, should the cards fall your way.

As with any game which is played for fun money rather than true dollars and cents,Blackjack affords you the opportunity to really improve your game without constantly keeping a nervous eye on your stack of chips. The rules for when to hit and went to stick are generally written in stone and can be found in any number of Blackjack resources, both online and in traditional printed material. These immutable laws are open to change, based upon the skill level an general boldness of each player, but the key is to take each game just as seriously whether playing for money or for fun. That way, you’re sure to improve over time.

• Dealer stands on soft 17.
• Player may double down on any first two cards.
• Player may double down on any number of cards.
• Player may double down on split pairs.
• Player may “surrender” his hand after the first two cards and lose half his be.

Things get a little tricky if you split Aces. If you split Aces, you may only receive one more card on each hand, and if you get a 21 it is not considered a “Blackjack”.

Doubling Up

For those of you that enjoy betting larger amounts at the online blackjack table I have a proposition for you. If you are a blackjack player who tends to take more risks in order to gain more reward it is my belief that playing two spots on the blackjack table is one of the best strategies when attempting to maximize winnings. First off, playing two spots at the table is a strategy that may be employed in order to hedge the bets of the player. Let me explain. A blackjack player betting on two spots should ONLY be using this strategy to win twice as much when the dealer busts. A player should never use the two-hand strategy in the hope that they will come away with higher hands than the dealer.

In essence, this is just not possible. It is inevitable that the dealer will pull higher hands than the player from time to time and cause the player to lose at least one of their two hands. However, if the player views losing one of their two hands and winning the other as a push or tie then they have placed themselves in the correct mindset. As previously stated, it is the dealer busting that the player is hoping for especially when the player has chosen to split or double down on one particular hand. Playing two hands ensures that the player will be in a better position to come away even if that particular shoe is not going as well as anticipated. This strategy is not failsafe and does not come without risks. In the case of a shoe where the dealer is constantly pulling good cards and winning hands, a player may be prone to losing both hands. This is when the player must make a judgment call and pull one of their bets back bringing their risk down to one spot.

This may be done until such time that the shoe has turned around and that player feels more comfortable playing two spots again. It should be noted that a player should NEVER play three spots or any odd numbered denomination for that matter. Playing three spots at an

online casino places a player in a position to have to win two of their three spots in order to come away from each hand in a positive position. This is not a good strategy and blackjack players would be wise to shy away from playing three spots even in times where they are winning multiple hands in a row.