I’ll be back in a Sec – just need to go rob a Bank.

Before we start, we feel the need to make the usual sort of disclaimers, being responsible and all that, that it’s not big and it’s not clever and gambling addiction is a serious illness. But with all that out the way, we challenge anyone reading this not to chuckle.

According to widely circulated reports from The Washington Post amongst other reputable sources, this week a Charleston man just could not accept that the juice had run out on a 5 hour plus Blackjack session and took the decision to go “direct to source” for funds replenishment. So the story goes, 52-year-old Kerry Johnson had been installed at a table at the Mardi Gras Casino in the small city of Nitro, West Virginia, since about 10 am on the morning of Wednesday 3rd August, when sometime after 3pm, with funds presumably running low, he vacated his seat leaving a $25 chip in place to hold his spot.

In the time between him returning to it, it is alleged Johnson visited the nearby City National Bank and turned the joint over, claiming, on a hand written note scribbled on a yellow legal (haha) pad to be armed with both a bomb and a gun (clearly never one wishing to feel underdressed for an occasion, Kerry).

In images from the bank’s security cameras, the man matching Johnson’s description with a white towel wrapped around his neck and wearing a red T-shirt and a dark hat with a gold “WV” — the logo for West Virginia University – left the bank with an undisclosed sum of cash before driving away in green Mazda Miata, the getaway car of choice for any respectable bank robber!

Shortly thereafter a man, definitely Johnson, returned to the blackjack table at The Mardi Gras, reclaimed his seat and continued playing.

After his arrest, Johnson reportedly told police he had a gambling problem. Not shit?? Sadly, for Kerry he also clearly has something of a basic intelligence problem to run alongside. After a tip off that a man matching Johnson’s image had recently bought a green Miata, Police visited his home and found the car parked outside. Inside the house they found, well you guessed it: a dark hat with a gold “WV” a suspiciously similar towel, legal pad and a sizeable amount of cash behind a cushion on the couch.

Unsurprisingly Johnson was charged there and then.

Brian Green recently took fifth place in the $111,111.00 One Drop High Roller event at the recent 2016 World Series of Poker (WSOP). Green’s pot prize amounted to over $1.1 million!

Green did not have the required entry fee to join one of the toughest poker events of the year. He had to borrow $10,000 from another poker player in order to raise the entry fee. At the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, Green played a 10-hour session of blackjack. He played for five straight days without sleep so as not to break his winning streak. His winnings totaled to $113,000 which was more than enough to buy-in for the One Drop. On the first day of play at about 10 p.m., Green registered for One Drop.

Though he considers himself a non-PRO blackjack player, he claims to be a “big money gambler” ever since he became old enough to do so. He took to playing whatever there is and in the process became friends with Archie Karas, a legendary Las Vegas gambler and poker player. The poker community remembers Karas as the brilliant player who turned $50 into a whopping $40 million win in the 1990s. Though he eventually lost the millions, Karas is still remembered as one of the high stake rollers who played (and even won against) some of the best poker players in the world.
Some One Drop players hedged their bets to mitigate risks, but not Green. He bet his blackjack winnings for the buy-in. He admits that he is inclined to join high roller events as these suited him more. In the last 17 years of playing in poker tournaments, Green admits that he felt really excited with this event. He was quite hopeful to land in the top three when he made it to the final table of One Drop. He said it would have been nice to show his kids that he’s ranked third overall in Texas.

Brian Green’s wish of ranking third or first even would have been possible if only he played a hand differently. Green said that the fours hand was the biggest part of the tournament. He knew that his opponent’s hand had A-K and if he had made the call, would have gotten 30 million with some 90 million to play. Counting his chips, he was sure to have 7 million left even if made the call and lost.

I was pretty sure what he had based on how the hand was played. It was two million pre-flop and 1.3 million as a continuation bet. It seemed like A-K to me. The turn was the Q and he just ships it. I have been kicking myself in the ass all day for that. I thought about the call for six and a half minutes. The only reason I folded was because I asked him the stupid question ‘Will you show if I fold’ and he said ‘yes’ and I just mucked it. He showed A-K high. I’ve been beating myself up about it.

Green’s One Drop score places his name for the third time in the WSOP final tables. His first two came in 2001 and 2002. His recent winning sums up his total WSOP pot prize at $2.3 million.

Blackjack is a game of strategy and quick thinking! But no matter how skilled (and lucky) a player is, he is still bound to lose if he makes the mistakes enumerated below.

Disregarding Basic Strategy

Blackjack is not a game of luck or a guessing game. There are basic blackjack strategies configured by brilliant mathematicians and all you have to do is study them and put them into practice. These strategies are mostly presented in charts and tables, showing all how to play every hand. It does not matter whether you play online blackjack or in land-based casinos in any part of the world. The strategies are the same. Apply them.

Disregarding Playing Rules

The fact is, not all blackjack games are the same. There are blackjack games that favor players with their rules, and there are blackjack games with rules that are not player-friendly. There are games wherein a dealer stands on soft 17, while there are terrible rules wherein doubling is set to 10 or 11, or a player pays 6-5. The idea is to know the rules of the table first before playing blackjack.

Beating the House with a Betting Progression

When a player bets based on the results of previous hands, that’s called betting progression. And this “strategy” is a losing one! There is no scientific study that concludes that a player’s chances of winning the next hand depend on the results of previous hands. The truth is a player will lose more money in betting progression compared to waging the same amount on each hand.

Continuous Shuffling Machine is a “NO”

Plenty of land-based casinos use continuous shuffling machines to deal cards to players. This practice speeds up the game and deters card counters. A continuous shuffling machine usually has 4 to 5 decks of cards and discards are put back into the machine to be shuffled after each round. This way more hands are dealt per hour which means a player’s bankroll is more exposed to the house edge which in turn increases a player’s theoretical loss per hour. Blackjack should be played at a slower rate.

No to Playing 6-5 Games

A casino that pays 6-5 for blackjack is not exactly player-friendly. The house edge is about 1.39% in a single deck game. The house edge increases to 2.3% if blackjack only pays on even money. Today, 6-5 payoffs are also done on double and multi-deck blackjack games. The best is to look for a game that pays 3-2 for blackjack.

Progressive blackjack is becoming a popular side bet in standard blackjack games. After all, who would not like an additional pot to win?

Progressive blackjack is just a variation of the classic blackjack game. It is basically a side bet or an additional stake, aside from a player’s main blackjack bet, that affords players the opportunity to win extra money. You can distinguish an online progressive blackjack by a small display window showing the progressive jackpot amount in real time.

Progressive Blackjack Payable

Progressive blackjack is built up by all casinos powered by the same software provider. Part of a players’ bet goes into the pot and when this jackpot is hit, a new progressive jackpot with a predetermined base amount is started. Any winning combination from the progressive pay table has its own extra payout. For example, a player can hit the progressive jackpot if he has four consecutive Aces of the same suit, starting from the hand’s first card. Aside from the example given, usual progressive blackjack payouts are:

• When a player gets 3 consecutive same suit Aces from the first card in the hand, he wins 5,000 times his progressive jackpot bet.
• When a player gets four consecutive Aces, he wins 2,500 times his progressive jackpot bet.
• When a player gets 3 consecutive Aces, he wins 250X his progressive jackpot bet.
• When a player gets 2 consecutive Aces, he gets 50x his progressive jackpot bet.
• When a player gets an Ace, he wins 5x his progressive jackpot bet.

Rules of the Game

Progressive blackjack and basic blackjack are almost the same except for the following differences.

Each deck of cards is shuffled after every hand. A player is allowed only one split. He can split a pair of Aces when one card is drawn. He may, however, double after splitting. When a dealer gets a 10 or Ace, he may check for blackjack. The dealer should stand on soft 17. Only 6 decks of cards are used whereas in other variations of blackjack as much as 8 decks are used.

Aside from the progressive blackjack side bet, another advantage of this game is that it is possible to win even if a player busts. This game is certainly worth playing. Check out Las Vegas USA Casino for progressive blackjack gaming.

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Blackjack Galore

What makes LeoVegas stand out in terms of table games is the fact that this online casino offers a whole range of blackjack games. Aside from classic blackjack, there are games with European variants such as Spanish 21, Double Exposure, Pontoon, Super Fun 21 and European Blackjack Redeal.

Microgaming-powered blackjack games include: Vegas single deck, Atlantic City, Atlantic City Gold, Vegas Strip, Bonus Blackjack, Vegas Downtown, Hi-Lo to 13 European blackjack, European Gold and Premiere High Stake blackjack.

All variants pay 3 to 2. Since all cards are shuffles after each hand, the odds are for the players. A player can assume several spots but the number is limited by a particular blackjack game.

European Blackjack Redeal is quite interesting as a player has the option to replace his whole hand, or his last card or the dealer’s up card at any point of the game simply by paying up. However, this will not bode after splitting. If a player chooses the three options, then the fees he is required to pay will be adjusted accordingly. If the switch that a player asks for would not do him good, then the switch is free.

Live dealers as well as mobile gaming are available at LeoVegas.
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Online blackjack has been around since the mid 1990’s. Since then, the game has gathered quite a following, making it the most popular online casino game. To date, this game has hit more than $21 billion in online casino bets.

Why play online blackjack?

Aside from the convenience in terms of setting time and date, getting dressed, and driving to the casino to play, there are several other reasons on why playing online blackjack is advantageous.

It is cheaper! You don’t have to gas up your car, or buy an airline ticket, book a hotel and pay for restaurant meals. You can easily put all the money you save towards your online blackjack bankroll. There is none of the obligatory tips to the dealer if you win either.

There is no queue to play blackjack online as you will always find a table. Land based casinos are almost always packed, even more so on weekends. It will be very frustrating to spend a lot of time and effort to arrive in a casino only to find that you have to wait for a blackjack table to open up.

Online blackjack table minimum is low and it never changes no matter the date and time. In actual brick and mortar casinos, the usual minimum is $5 but this could go up to $10 during peak days and hours. The minimum in online blackjack is $1 which is a good thing; more so for newbies as they can learn the game without too much risk.

You play against the dealer and not with other players. In live casino, you almost always play against the dealer and with other players as well. Playing with other players is a concern more so if some of the players are beginners. They could make a call that can affect your cards.

There are more Blackjack variants offered in online casinos. The usual blackjack variants offered in live casinos are the standard game, Spanish 21 and Royal Match. There are numerous blackjack variants offered in online casinos. Some of these variants are Chinese blackjack, Double blackjack, Pontoon, Triple 7, Super Fun 21, 21 + 3 blackjack, Matchplay 21 and Multi-hand blackjack to name a few.

Cashing out is quick and easy. All you have to do is point and click your mouse to cash out money to your online cash processor facility. There are no long lines to withdraw money.

Online casinos offer a lot of bonuses to players. There are not many land based casinos that offer new players bonuses. Online casinos offer players welcome bonuses, first deposit bonuses, matching bonuses and more. Your bankroll can easily be doubled or even tripled thanks to these bonuses. As an example, Sign Up at Rich Casino and Play Live Blackjack for a 500% bonus on your first five deposits!

Gamblers find playing blackjack both challenging and exciting. Aficionados join blackjack tournaments for greater thrills and challenges. Both online, and brick and mortar casinos offer blackjack tournaments. The objective of a blackjack tournament is to win not only against the dealer but also against other players at the table. Playing online blackjack tournaments and live blackjack tournaments is almost the same except for some basic differences.

1. Game Speed

The speed of playing online vs. a live blackjack tournament differs. During a live blackjack tournament the dealer shuffles, players talk and do some other distractions that could slow down the game. In an online blackjack tournament, the pacing is quicker as the computer does the shuffling and players do not exactly talk with each other except in the chat box feature. Players’ bets are queued for quick processing.

2. Connection between Players

Dealers in live blackjack tournaments can have a “connection” with players by calling them by their names. Players could exchange glances or smiles with each other. In essence, personal connection between dealers and players is possible. In online blackjack tournaments, personal interaction is not possible except on a limited scale in live dealer online blackjack tournament.

3. Level of Excitement

Any type of blackjack tournament is exciting, and fun! However, the live version is more exciting as personal interaction is involved. Players feel the tension and thrills of the game first hand.

4. Distraction Level

The only distraction expected from live blackjack tournaments in actual casinos are those exhibited by the players themselves. Casinos are designed and built for actual gambling so it follows that all components are perfect for gambling. Noise is a probable distraction when playing at home. It is possible to eliminate noise distractions when playing online blackjack by using earphones though.

5. Convenience

Playing in an actual brick and mortar casino takes too much effort and time in terms of getting ready and getting there. Playing from the comforts of your home has it pros. You can actually play online blackjack tournaments wearing a bathrobe and slippers, while propped up in bed.

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