In traditional blackjack, the game starts off with two cards being dealt to each player, and also to the dealer. One of the cards dealt to the dealer is face up, while the other remains down. The idea of the game is that each player is playing individually against the dealer, so there may be no winners, or several winners at the table.

A tournament differs from this. The rounds are played in much the same way, where you try to bring your hand to 21 in any way possible, although it is easier to have a face card and an Ace in order to secure your win. In a tournament however, the players only play against each other, and the way to win the game is to have more chips in your pile after the last hand has been played.

So many players enter the tournaments with ambitious plans to win, and these are usually players who can back it up with years of experience or strategies of their own. It is also possible to lose on your first hand, so keeping chips back is a wise move to make when making your bets. The easiest way of knowing how many chips to bet is to count the chips on the table. This helps in knowing the medium bet to play that will be to your advantage. The only time you need the highest number of chips is in the last hand, and so obtaining the lead is easier than keeping it.

This is where being consistent with your bets comes in. Constantly altering the amount of chips you bet will draw attention to yourself, and also to how you play your blackjack game. This sort of attention will either be done to distract your playing, or simply to gain advantages over your hand. Counting the cards to determine how the odds will go is guaranteed to give you a better start in playing your hand. Betting according to how likely you are to win is a simple trick that many seasoned players use. For example, a low bet is necessary if the odds are against you, and a higher bet is advisable if it is more likely that you will win. However, it’s important to remember not to be too predictable either, as the players who are watching you will notice the larger movements you make in your strategies.

It could be beneficial to newer players to sit at a tournament table without entering just to watch the strategies employed by the experienced members of the casino. Developing your own way to play by learning the rules of each tournament, and learn from any mistakes you make.

By: Elizabeth M Tudor

About the Author:

When playing blackjack for play money, you can test out your strategies and winning systems on a free blackjack table. There is no difference in playing for PLAY money or REAL money as far as the game play goes since you are not playing against real life people only a computer generated house. You can play for hours and hours completely free, losing all the free money you want. Once you are consistently beating the house for play money, then I suggest jumping right into REAL money.

21 blackjack is a game of using proven strategies and a blackjack strategy guide. Once you master the art of crushing the house every time, you can take your skill and knowledge to online blackjack or play the house at a local casino. You will eventually dominate the house each and every time winning over $100,000 just like I have been doing the past 15 years. It is such a great feeling walking away after each session with over 10K in your pocket.

Again, my advice to you is to play blackjack for free until you have a winning strategy in place. It is not easy to find a winning blackjack strategy. It took me over 5 years and cost me thousands and thousands of dollars to develop a blackjack strategy that works for me. The worst thing anyone could do is jump STRAIGHT into a real money situation without having the proper knowledge of the game. If you have done this without reading this blackjack article, please do not give up! This is one of the most profitable games of all online gambling games to choose from.

There is no reason why you can’t be a profitable player. The strategy guide for blackjack I have outlines step by step how to make you a winning player. It teaches you all the secrets to crushing the house on a daily basis. Go out there and make yourself the next pro blackjack player instantly! If you find the right strategy you will be constantly winning over 50 dollars an hour playing blackjack online and in person. Thank you again, for taking the time to read this!

By: Chris Malcolm

About the Author:

Creating a new strategy is not difficult if you start with an existing strategy. If you wish to start from scratch there is a bit more work. There are plenty of strategies in the books. But, many people do like to at least modify a current strategy to better fit their needs.

Card Counting Tools

The following tools are needed:

Efficiency Calculator – Tells you how efficient a particular count is Index Generator – To create new playing indexes Simulator – To fine-tune and measure the effectiveness of the new strategy
Card Counting Tag Values

First you need to settle on the card point values. If you have already done this, you can skip to the Index Generation section. Although reading this section may add to your understanding. Each card has a point value like +1 or -1. There are several characteristics of counts as follows:
True Count vs. Running Count – As cards are seen, you keep a running sum of the card tag values. Running Count systems use this count for both betting and playing decisions. True Count systems require that you divide the RC by a number representing the number of cards that have been seen. There are various methods of converting RC to TC (e.g. division, multiplication, tables.) TC systems generally use this TC for all playing decisions. Most also use it for betting decisions. There are exceptions to both of these rules. RC strategies are generally easier to use and TC strategies are generally more accurate. Balanced vs. Unbalanced – In a balanced strategy, all of the point values sum to zero. In an unbalanced strategy, the sum of all the cards is positive. Unbalanced strategies have an advantage because they can be used in the easier running count systems. Although they can also be used in TC systems. Balanced strategies have an advantage in that they are generally a bit more accurate (there are exceptions) and the count hovers around zero making counting easier and betting strategies easier. Ace-Reckoned vs. Ace-Neutral – Generally the Ace is counted as a negative number (Ace-reckoned) or zero (Ace-neutral.) Ace-Reckoned strategies are generally better for shoe games and Ace-Neutral strategies are generally better for single and double deck. (Not always true.) There are compromise strategies (e.g. Zen, UBZ II) where the Ace is counted at half of the normal value. This is particularly good for double-deck and not bad for single deck or shoes. These days, Ace-reckoned strategies are more popular. Level – The level of a strategy refers to the highest value assigned to cards. Level 2 and 3 card counting methods are more efficient, but quite a bit more difficult for most people. Level 3, 4 & 5 strategies also exist. But this is overkill. The most popular strategies these days are level 1. In a level 1 strategy, tens are counted as -1 and some or all low cards are counted as +1. Side Counts – Some strategies use one or more side counts. The most common is counting the Aces in a separate count to make betting more accurate in Ace-neutral systems. This is because Aces are large cards for the purposes of betting but small cards for the purposes of playing when you don’t have a Blackjack. Suit/Color Aware Counts – Some count will have different tag values for red and black cards. Examples are Red7 & KISS. The attempt here is to gain most of the advantage of a higher level strategy without the higher range of counts. I would expect the error rate would increase somewhat but have no figures for this. Other ease of use considerations – The fewer the number of cards counted the easier the count. Also, the more card pairs that add to zero the better. This is because most counters count pairs of cards when possible. If you see a +1 and a -1 card at the same time, you automatically ignore them since they sum to zero.
Now, how do we decide on the card tag values? First you need to decide on the above characteristics. Second, it is good to take a look at the popular strategies that exist. Next, you need to understand Betting Correlation, Playing Efficiency and Insurance Correlation. These are terms created by Peter Griffin in Theory of Blackjack. Reading this book will help you a great deal. These terms are defined as:
Playing Efficiency – PE indicates how well a card counting system handles changes in playing strategy. Playing efficiency is particularly important in hand-held games (one or two decks.) Betting Correlation – BC is defined as the correlation between card point values and the effect of removal of cards. It is used to predict how well a card counting system predicts good betting situations and can approach 1.00 (100% correlation.) BC is particularly important in shoe games (six or eight decks.) Insurance Correlation – IC is defined as the correlation between card point values and the value of cards in Insurance situation. A point value of -9 for tens and +4 for all other cards would be perfect for predicting if an Insurance bet should be placed.

Index Generation

Once you have your card values, you need to generate indexes. First, you need to make a few general decisions:
Initial Running Count – The IRC is the count you start with after a shuffle. Balanced strategies nearly always have an IRC of zero. This causes the count to hover around zero. A few people start with a higher number because they don’t like to count negative numbers. This has no effect on the efficiency of a strategy. Unbalanced strategies usually have negative IRC’s. This is because the count rises as the shoe is played. The IRC is often set so that there is an advantage after the count becomes positive. Also, different IRC’s are generally used for different numbers of decks. This is not necessary; but makes it easier to remember playing and betting decisions since the count has to rise significantly farther for shoes than for single-deck. Some people use zero for unbalanced IRC’s to avoid large negative numbers. True Count Calculation – You need to decide how to convert the running count to the true count if your strategy uses True Count decisions. The most common methods are to divide by the number of full decks or half decks remaining. There is little difference in overall effectiveness. Full-deck is slightly better for betting and half-deck is slightly better for playing. HiLo Lite and the 1998 version of Zen divide by quarter-decks remaining. This makes betting a bit easier; but a bit less accurate. (You can see this explained in Blackbelt in Blackjack by Arnold Snyder when the next version is printed. It is currently out of print.) Some people use multiplication instead of division. Another method is to use a table of True Counts by shoe depth and running count. This is described in Blackjack Bluebook II by Fred Renzey. Rounding/Truncating/Flooring – Nearly everyone uses integer index values for playing decisions. So, how do you round the true count after division? It doesn’t matter greatly as long as you use the same method for play and index generation. But, Flooring is currently preferred. That is, if there is a fraction, round down to the next lower value. Which indexes – In older strategies huge numbers of indexes were used. But, most indexes have very little value. You can find a discussion on this subject in Blackjack Attack by Don Schlesinger. (You should read this book for many other reasons.) See the discussion on Illustrious 18 and Catch-22. Theory of Blackjack also has a discussion on the value of indexes. But, it is concerned primarily with single-deck and doesn’t take into account the frequency of decisions. Risk-Averse vs. Expectation Maximizing Indexes – Older strategies generally used expectation maximizing indexes. (There are exceptions.) Such indexes result in decisions that give the greatest average gain for each bet. But, this is not always the best bet as the gain is so small in some cases it may not be worth the extra risk as in close doubling down decisions. Risk-Averse indexes reduce the risk which reduces the variance which allows you to slightly increase your betting levels. This provides a slight overall improvement in results. RA Indexes are now preferred since they perform a bit better with no extra effort. Blackjack Attack contains a discussion on RA indexes. Index Compromises – Older strategies used the best possible indexes they could calculate at the time. Some newer strategies make compromises for ease of use. For example, the double down indexes for 9 vs. 2 and 9 vs. 7 may not be the same; but they are so close you can compromise and make them the same. This makes them easier to remember and use. If you wish to use compromise indexes; you will need to first generate the correct indexes using an index generator and then use trial and error with simulations to test various compromises. Red7, HiLo Lite, Basic Omega II and 1998 Zen use compromise indexes. Rules Compromises – Stand on 17 vs. Hit on 17, Multi-deck vs. Single-deck, Double after Split vs. no DAS. These all affect indexes. You need to decide if you want to go through the effort of using different indexes or determining what games you will most often play and just use those indexes. Or, compromise by using indexes that are in-between. Composition Dependent indexes – These are indexes that look at the exact composition of your hand (8, 6, 2 vs. 10) instead of the total of the hand (16 vs. 10.) They add slightly to system effectiveness. But, few people use them. Multi-Parameter Indexes – These are used along with side-counts to improve playing decisions. MP Index Tables are rarely used today.
Once you have created the indexes, you will want to run sims with different rules and penetrations to test your system. The best method of evaluating the overall strength of a strategy is by the SCORE as described in Blackjack Attack.

Hints and Tips
Read The Theory of Blackjack by Peter Griffin. Particularly chapters 3 and 4 as they will explain the value of card tags and indexes.
Some strategies use compromise indexes. Hi-Lo Lite and Red 7 are examples. These are indexes that are changed so that many decisions use the same index. To create these, generate the accurate indexes first and then run sims with different indexes to see which ones can be changed without impacting overall SCORE. These sims must be over two billion rounds.
Indexes do not make a huge difference in shoe games. The more decks, the less value you get out of accurate indexes.
The gain from using risk-averse indexes is really quite small. But, there is no downside.
To accurately calculate the SCORE, you must use an optimal betting ramp.
Some Split indexes are very strange. Splitting or not splitting goes back and forth as the count changes. This is because they are both offensive and defensive. That is, sometimes you split to make more money and sometimes you split to lose less money. 2, 2 v 3 or 3, 3, v 7 for example. It really doesn’t matter much what you do with these hands.
Indexes can change as the penetration changes. This is particularly true with unbalanced strategies, but also true with balanced strategies.

Norman Wattenberger Author of the Casino Verite Blackjack suite of card counting software products. http://www.qfit.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Norman_Wattenberger

Other Recent EzineArticles from the Arts-and-Entertainment:Casino-Gambling Category:

Learn How to Handicap a NFL Football GameThe Strategy and Statistics of a Sit ‘n’ Go Poker Tournament WinnerPoker Pet PeevesBeginners Guide to Online KenoSports Betting Champ – Does it Really Work?All-in Pre-flop – Is it Worth It?Odds of Two Pair on the FlopTrips With a Pocket Pair, What’s the Chance?Free Poker Games – Strategy Against Players You Have Never Played!TableNinja – A Quick ViewSports Betting – 4 Tips to Remember ForeverWhat Are No Deposit Poker Rooms?Sports Betting Guides – Lay BettingHorse Betting Systems – Are They Profitable?Easy Pick 3 Lotto Method

Most Viewed EzineArticles in the Arts-and-Entertainment:Casino-Gambling Category (90 Days)

Winning the Lottery – Increase Your Odds of Winning – Learn How to Win the Lottery Today The New Trend in Poker – The Pre-Flop Re-Raise Without a Premium Hand Hi Lo Card Counting Winning the Lottery – Curse Or Cure For Wealthy Winners? Advanced Facebook Poker Strategy to Win Facebook Poker Chips in Texas Holdem Instant Scratch Lottery Tickets – Strategies and Tips to Win Big Money Card Counting – 21 the Movie Should You Pick Your Own Lottery Numbers Or Buy a Quick-Pick Ticket? The Secret to Win a Scratch Off Ticket Game – Scratch Off Lottery Tips BEFORE You Win the Lottery – 10 Things to Do Easy Money at the Roulette Wheel How to Spend Less While Improving Your Odds of Winning the Lottery Jackpot Ohio Lottery – Best Games Are the Kicker and Mega Millions Facebook Hold Em Poker – The Top Application on Facebook Lotto 649 – Free Tips and Strategies to Win Big Cash Money

Most Published EzineArticles in the Arts-and-Entertainment:Casino-Gambling Category

Picking Baseball Winners – Learn How to Beat the Moneyline The Sports Betting Champ – Does John Morrison Give You an Edge? Earn Big Sport Betting Product Overview John Morrison’s Daily Sports Picks Newsletter – What’s in it For Me? The Daily Sports Picks Newsletter From John Morrison Sports Handicap – the Crucial 2 Step Transformation From Sports Betting Losers to Winners Sports Handicap – 3 Things You Must Do to Get Off to a Winning Start at Sports Betting Sports Handicap – The 2 Best Kept Secrets to Consistent Sports Betting Profit Revealed Sports Handicap – The False Beliefs About Sportsbooks and Bookies That Are Losing You Money Sports Handicap – Why You Don’t Need to Be a Sports Fan to Start Winning Money From Sports Betting Free Bets – Use Them Wisely Or Else! Why Smart Women Beat Men Winning at Blackjack Poker Tips – How to Win in Online Poker Sports System – Here is How You Find the Perfect Betting System to Win You Money Over and Over Baseball Bets – Here is How Anyone Can Pick Up Consistent Cash Betting on America’s National Pastime