Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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why no 1 decks games in A.C .
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear Moe,

There are no single decks blackjack games in Atlantic City casinos because there is not enough competition to force a casino to offer this more favorable game to the players. Atlantic City casinos offer less favorable 6 and 8 deck games with minimum bets in a casino that are often $15 and their tables are packed. The casinos don’t need to offer single deck games to attract players.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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where can i find super fun 21.what casino. what is 21 madness? moe
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear Moe,

I haven’t seen 21 Madness yet in a casino so I can’t comment about the game.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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what's a double down in black jack.
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

Dear Pt101

A double down in blackjack is a playing option in which after you receive your initial two cards you can wager an amount equal to your initial bet (or less) and the dealer will give you one and only one draw card. For example suppose you bet $5 and the dealer gives you a 7-4 and she shows a 6 upcard. You can double down on your 11 by betting another $5 and the dealer will give you one card (of course you are hoping to receive a 10 or picture card which will give you 21). There are specific hands that you should double down and that is part of the basic playing strategy.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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What are the best casinos currently in Las Vegas for Blackjack?
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear Rmalashock,

Assuming you are a basic strategy player, you want to have the lowest house edge (< 0.3%) in a casino that offers $5 -$10 minimum bet tables, and you don’t want to play against a continuous shuffling machine, here are the best places to play blackjack in Las Vegas (be certain you play only the number of decks listed for each casino).

Aladdin (8 decks), Bellagio (6 deck), Caesars palace (6 and 8 decks), El Cortez (single deck), Four Queens (single deck), Frontier (double deck), Horseshoe (single deck), Luxor (6 deck), Mandalay Bay (6 deck), MGM Grand ( 6 deck), Mirage (6 deck), New York- New York (6 deck), Regent ( 6 deck), Rio (6 deck), Samds Town ( singled eck), Silverton (single deck), Stardust (double deck), Texas Station (double deck), Treasure Island (6 deck), and Venetian (6 deck).

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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Do you ever double down with an Ace/Nine hand?
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear Dean,

The only time you would consider doubling a soft 20 is if the dealer had a 5 or 6 face card and the true count is greater than 5. However, making that play could attract a lot of attention from the pit that you could be a card counter so I personally do not make it.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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Dear Mr. Tamburin,
Is it better to wait till at least half the cards are over in a five deck shoe(observing themfrom behind) and then as you know what cards are gone, you could make a more informed play? regards, George Menon
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear George,

Yes. In fact this technique is used by a lot of card counters and it is known as back counting or "wonging" (the latter name from the person who first used it profitably, Stanford Wong). These players count the cards as a spectator then when the deck is positive they jump in and bet big (they could also adjust their playing strategy but the big gain is from making big bets when the count is positive). When the count is negative, they leave and back count another table. A lot of casinos now have a "no-mid-shoe entry" rule especially on their high limit games and more player favorable single deck games that prohibits a player from back counting and entering a game once the first round has started.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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I am on a cruise ship for a few days and am participating in their BJ tournament. I will probably get into the finals, which will consist of 7 players $1,000. initial bank min bet is25 and max is 500, 7 rounds.how should I play this final round aggresively from the beginning or conservatively at first and then betting aggresively at the end? Any other helpful hints?
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear Marty,

My advice is to begin the round conservatively and then make a move to larger bets if you fall behind. If you are successful and have the lead, you should match the bets of the players who are trying to catch you (if you both lose or win, you will still have the lead). If you get into the last couple of hands and you are not sure what to bet, it’s best you make the max. bet. Be especially careful on the last hand. Players will double and split hands (even 10’s) to get more money on the table in a last ditch effort to catch you. Also, always have at least $5 worth of chips left. If everyone else bombs out on the last hand you could be a winner with only $5. You should also read Stanford Wong;s book on Casino Tournament Strategy for more advice.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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Is it true that a non-counting basic strategy player has the long-run advantage over the house in a single deck game with the following rules: S17, DA2, DAS? According to my research, the house edge is a NEGATIVE 0.14%. The Belterra riverboat casino in Florence, Indiana has an SD game with those rules. They recently switched the shuffling rule from 6-N to 5-N, but, from my understanding, that has no effect on the house edge for the BS player?
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear Blairkeven,

Yes, you are correct. The player has a slight 0.13% edge just with basic strategy in a single deck game with dealer standing on soft 17, doubling allowed on any two cards and also after pair splitting. Shuffling after 5-N rounds (N = # players) vs 6-N rounds has no effect on the edge the basic strategy player enjoys in this game.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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` I want to play blackjack for a living is there any classes I can take and does anyone offer 1 on 1
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear Patrick,

You can take 1 on 1 classes from Arnold Snyder. Contact him at asnyder@rge21.com.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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Dear BJInsider.com Expert Guide,

The following question was asked by

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Is there anything stopping me from doubling my previous bet everytime I lose until I finally win a hand ?? Even without card counting and just using basic strategy wouldn't I be guaranteed to win if I played like this ?
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Best regards,
The "Ask the Pro" Staff

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Dear Avi,

What would stop you is the house betting limits. In most Martingale betting progressions where you double your bet following a loss, you would hit the house maximum after 7-9 consecutive losses. These betting progressions have been used for hundreds of years. If you use them you will win a small amount of money fairly frequently but eventually you will have a big losing session that will wipe out all your previous wins and then some. And you don’t know when the big loss will come – next month, next week, or even tomorrow’s session. The Martingale will not alter the casino’s advantage (no betting progression will). The Martingale didn’t work a hundred years ago and it won’t work today.

Regards,

Henry Tamburin

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