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Blackjack Insider Newsletter, April 2004, #51

A WORD FROM HENRY

Fred Renzey kicks off our April issue of BJI with some excellent tips on how to remember those tough basic strategy plays (like when you are dealt ace-4 against dealer 3). This is a must read article for basic strategy players. Our advantage player and writer JPB explains from his observations why more smart people are NOT successful at card counting. If you are thinking about learning card counting or tried it and failed, you definitely need to read this article. Last month we reported on part 1 of LV Pro's February-March trip to Sin City and the wild fluctuations to his bankroll that he had experienced. This month we've got the second part of his amazing trip (you won't believe the outcome). Alene Paone and Frank Scoblete update the blackjack playing conditions in Atlantic City including the best casinos to play the new Speed Count advantage-play counting system (for details on Speed Count click here). LV Tournament Pro writes about the positive effect the televised World Series of Blackjack has had on the turnout of the LVH Million Dollar Blackjack tournament. He also rants about what a big mistake some casino managers are making when they don't allow skilled tournaments players to participate in their tournaments (and he makes some good points). Kenneth Smith provides some excellent strategy advice for tournament players who might be thinking about making the minimum bet on the last hand (in a nut shell - don't, and read Ken's article why). Last, but not least, Kenneth Smith updated the schedule of major blackjack tournaments by region through June 15th.

Congratulations are in order for our tournament writer Kenneth Smith who won his round and $10,000 in the recently televised World Series of Blackjack. Ken will compete against five other finalists for the $100,000 first place prize. The finals will be shown on GSN, the Game Show Network, on April 26 and 27, and May 1. Check your cable or satellite listings for the GSN network.

I've also got good news to report about the future of the Las Vegas Hilton Million Dollar Blackjack Tournament. The new owners of the LVH have decided to go forth with Million Dollar Blackjack Tournament III. The first monthly is scheduled for May 16-18th. See our listing of tournaments for the dates of future monthly qualifying rounds.

Speaking about the LVH Million Dollar Tournament, yours truly as well as BJI contributors Kenneth Smith, LV Tournament Pro, and Rick Jensen will be competing next month for the million dollar top prize in the finals of Million Dollar Blackjack Tournament II. There will be 200 contestants (top 16 place finishers from each monthly plus wild card winners) competing for the million dollar first place prize. Wish us luck!

A reminder - if you come across an unfamiliar blackjack term in one of our articles or reports, see our Blackjack Glossary: www.bjinsider.com/questions_glossary.shtml

E-mail subscribers can also read each month's issue online at our web site: BJI Issue #51, April 2004.

Henry Tamburin

Editor

E-Z WAYS TO MEMORIZE AND REFINE YOUR BASIC STRATEGY by Fred Renzey

"In private classes that I've taught, I found that the typical experienced veteran of the game still misplays about 40 hands on a standard basic strategy chart. That's enough to take the normal basic strategy house edge of 0.5% for a six-deck game and triple it to 1.5%! Consequently, e-a-s-y ways for them to solidify their foundation needed to be developed and mastered before they could move forward. Those learning aids will be presented in this article and will be aimed at the multi-deck shoe..."

Read Renzey's complete article.

WHY MOST SMART PEOPLE DON"T SUCCEED AT CARD COUNTING by JPB

"It was not until blackjack came to Missouri in the mid 1990s and I read "Blackjack: Take the Money and Run" (call me a suck- up but it is true) that I became a successful advantage player. Over the past few years I have had several friends and relatives dabble in the card counting world. I have tried to compile my observations on why more smart people are not successful at card counting..."

Read JPB's complete article.

LAS VEGAS TRIP REPORT Part 2-February-March 2004 by LV Pro

"With my hitherto $900 profit now virtually cut in half, I needed a win to stop this negative slide and get back on the winning track. Considering where to play next, I thought the easiest game to beat might just be that newly reinstated $25 single-decker at the Golden Nugget. It had rapidly become one of my favorite places this trip. So I drove downtown..."

Read LV Pro's complete article.

ATLANTIC CITY BLACKJACK REPORT by Alene Paone & Frank Scoblete

"So why is Frank Scoblete such a coward? Because he still has not gone back to the Sands to play the blackjack games. Recall he promised to go into the casino and see how he was treated - oh, he promised that about four months ago. Also, recall that on his last playing of blackjack at the Sands he was very rudely treated by some suits from the pits - or pitiable suits..."

Read Paone's and Scoblete's complete article.

GSN, THE NETWORK OF GAMES, HAS A HUGE POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE LVH MILLION DOLLAR TOURNAMENT by LV Tournament Pro

"I am sure that the TV coverage of last year's LVH Million Dollar finals and also this year's broadcast of the World Series Of Blackjack (WSOB) by GSN has a lot to do with the increased turnout. Interest in poker has gone through the roof after the World Poker Tour (WPT) became a regular Wednesday night televised event. The GSN broadcast of the World Series Of Blackjack (WSOB) on Monday evenings at 10 P.M. (ET) has been outstanding and I believe will do to blackjack tournaments, what the WPT has done to poker play..."

Read LV Tour Pro's complete article.

TEMPTED TO MINIMUM-BET THE LAST HAND? DON'T! by Kenneth Smith

"When you're in the lead at the end of a tournament round, you may be tempted to make a minimum bet on the last hand. The reasoning is simple: Make the other players win their hand to catch you. And, it's not a bad plan. For that reason, making a minimum bet is often a good bet, but it's almost never the best bet, especially in a game that is dealt face-up. You can usually accomplish the same goal, while still putting enough chips on the felt to give you more options..."

Read Smith's complete article.

BLACKJACK TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

"Check out the schedule of major blackjack tournaments by region in our Blackjack Tournament Report..."

Read the complete article.