Wizard of Odds Gives Blackjack Tips to Las Vegas Sun
May 22nd, 2017 by Dustin Jermalowicz
Renowned casino game analyst Michael Shackleford (also known as the Wizard of Odds) has provided an array of helpful blackjack tips to the Las Vegas Sun newspaper, offering insight that every player visiting the tables should know.
The Wizard is the purveyor of our sister site Wizard of Odds, and he provided the Las Vegas Sun with a bunch of information on how to maximize your odds of success at the popular card game. Among his advice was:
- Don’t ever play 6:5 games
- Never take insurance
- Surrender a 16 against a 10 if you’re allowed
- Never make side bets, as they’re all sucker bets
- Double down on a soft 13 through 18 against a medium dealer 4 through 6
A lot of these are common sense, but not all players will understand the surrender or double down rules. Blackjack is incredibly popular throughout the world, as it is simple to play and has a relatively low house edge.
Shackleford has become known as the Wizard of Odds over the past twenty years, as he has listed odds for games like slots and posts strategy guides for table games. He is also known for coming up with the Most Popular Baby Names lists, which is accessed by people throughout the world.
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Net Ent Launches New Mobile Live Dealer App
September 1st, 2016 by Dustin Jermalowicz
Internet betting software developer Net Ent has announced the release of a new mobile live dealer product, which will let casinos broadcast live dealer blackjack and other casino games to a series of mobile devices.
The new product will allow punters to play Net Ent’s live dealer games via their smartphone or tablet in both portrait and landscape modes, as well as a variety of other features.
The live casino feature will also feature the ability for casinos to offer 3D backgrounds tailored to individual operators, high definition video streams, in-spin bet ability for players taking part in roulette games, and a variety of locations from which games are broadcast.
Commenting on the release Net Ent CEO Per Eriksson said, “We’re proud to unveil NetEnt Live Mobile, our latest innovative product which will change the way that operators and their players use live casino. Harnessing the best in streaming, audio and video technology, NetEnt has created a product that brings players as close as possible to the real casino environment. By involving players throughout the entire development process, we’ve ensured a user-friendly interface that enables the ultimate entertainment experience.”
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Study: Your Eyes Give You Away Playing Blackjack
July 5th, 2016 by Dustin Jermalowicz
This week a study by Kevin Holmes of Colorado College revealed that a player’s eyes have a tendency to glance to a side depending on their cards.
The study, which is titled “Gamble on gaze: Eye movements reflect the numerical value of blackjack hands“, revealed that players who have high-value cards tend to look to the right, while those with low-value cards tend to look to the left. This is an involuntary behavior, as players are doing math in their heads to calculate their best move.
The study used two blackjack experiments, wherein 58 participants played blackjack on a computer, with their eye movements being recorded.
Speaking about the study Holmes said, “Gamble on gaze: Eye movements reflect the numerical value of blackjack hands.”
The study has been published in the Psychonomic Bulletin & Review.
The implications for this study have not been revealed, but will update this story as more developments arise.
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Iririki Island Resort Offers Seawater Blackjack Table
June 6th, 2016 by Dustin Jermalowicz
The Iririki Island Resort on the island of Vanuatu in the South Pacific has announced that they have begun offering the world’s first seawater blackjack table, which allows punters to play the legendary casino game while sitting at a table right in the water.
The game is offered at the Jewel Casino on the property’s grounds, and features a table that is made out of marine grade material that will not corrode in the salt water.
The table is the first in what will be a series of tables that will eventually be offered at a sister-resort, which is planned to be a six-star destination.
Rules on the game have not been released, but Online Blackjack Odds will update this story as we learn more.
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Video Blackjack on the Roster at Resorts World Casino
May 16th, 2016 by Dustin Jermalowicz
Resorts World Casino in Queens, New York has released video blackjack to their customers, allowing punters the chance to play games in front of a video cast version of the game.
Video blackjack ends up offering a blackjack experience wherein you play in front of a video dealer, generally an attractive female. The game then deals out the cards to players and you have the option to hit, stand, double down, split, or buy insurance. Rules vary by the game type offered.
Commenting on the release Resorts World New York President Ryan Eller said, “Video blackjack is an extremely popular game around the world, and we are incredibly excited to expand and enhance our unrivaled gaming offerings for the millions of guests we welcome every year.”
60 of the tables have been made live, with the goal of 300 tables eventually dotting the floor coming soon.
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MGM Looking to Add 1,000 Dealers, Will Open Dealer School
April 26th, 2016 by Dustin Jermalowicz
The MGM National Harbor Casino will be working with the Prince George Community College to open a school for table game dealers in order to fill nearly 1,000 jobs for blackjack and games that will be available at the soon-to-open casino.
Students attending the school will get a six-week education in blackjack dealing, with the chance to either take a four-week baccarat course, eight-week roulette course, or twelve-week craps course. Those interested in educating themselves in the games will need to put up $380, and classes are set to start May 16th.
Those that complete the schooling will then be able to apply for a job as a dealer at the MGM National Harbor Casino, although taking the class does not guarantee placement. Applicants will undergo stringent background checks, and will have to show good customer service skills, and the ability to deal two different games.
Dealers at other properties generally make around $50-60k, with tips being included after the fact.
MGM National Harbor is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2016 and will mix in three different restaurants as well as a full resort that will also feature an entertainment venue.
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Judge Pushes Blackjack Trial Back in Florida
April 8th, 2016 by Dustin Jermalowicz
This week a Florida judge granted a mutual request by the state of Florida and the Seminole Indian Tribe to push back a trial as to whether the Seminoles can offer blackjack in their casinos until October.
Judge Robert Hinkle granted the continuance, as attorneys on both sides requested more time to prepare their cases (and presumably continue negotiations on a new compact). The Seminoles previously held exclusive rights to offer Blackjack games in its casinos throughout Florida until the compact with the state expired last year. Both parties agreed to a new deal earlier this year, but the measure was voted down by those in the Florida legislature.
The Blackjack matter continues to loom over the heads of Florida casino employees, 3,500 of which may lose their jobs if a new blackjack compact is not agreed to. Conversely, the Seminoles have stated that they would move ahead with a billion dollar expansion which would create 10,000 new jobs if they were granted an extension to continue offering blackjack in the Sunshine State.
Online Blackjack Odds will update this story as more developments arise.
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Florida’s Online Blackjack Compact is Dead
March 14th, 2016 by Dustin Jermalowicz
Internet blackjack site Online Blackjack is reporting that Florida’s gaming compact with the Seminole Indian tribe is dead after the state’s legislature failed to vote to pass the measure.
The tribe and governor Scott Walker had previously come to an agreement that would have seen the Seminoles holding the exclusive rights to blackjack within Florida, as well as the ability to offer roulette and craps to their customers. In return, the tribe would have paid the state billions of dollars over the next seven years, with extensions reaching up to 20 years.
The measure was voted down though, as politicians played to their constituents, donors, or ideologies, which ran contrary to the various benefits that the bill could allow for. Despite the failure, the tribe and state will end up going back to the drawing board to try and come up with a more palatable resolution, as the Seminoles are continuing to offer blackjack without a deal from the state, which may be a violation of law.
The blackjack compact deal between the state and Seminoles has been a long and complicated affair, as the two groups have been arguing about the matter for almost a year. Last year the original compact expired, and the Seminoles announced their intention to continue offering blackjack in its casinos, as it contends it can do as Florida violated the compact when it allowed other tribes to offer electronic versions of blackjack in their own casinos.
The compact may appear to only benefit the two organizations, but there are currently thousands of jobs at stake. The Seminoles said that if the compact is not passed, more than 3,700 workers could find themselves without employment. Conversely, the tribe has said that if a deal is passed, it will move ahead with a billion dollar new Hard Rock Casino, which will create upwards of 10,000 jobs.
Online Blackjack Odds will update this story as we learn more.
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Alabama Tribe Offered to Cut Blackjack for Poker Room in Florida
February 26th, 2016 by Dustin Jermalowicz
This week it was revealed that the Poarch Creek Indian tribe out of Alabama approached Florida Governor Rick Scott in 2014 to abandon their offering of blackjack games in exchange for the rights to open a poker room in the Sunshine State, a proposal that was eventually shot down.
The proposed deal would have seen the tribe getting the rights to a poker room in exchange for $1 billion paid out over a period of five years as well as the abandoning of plans to offer blackjack at its casinos. The deal was quickly opposed by Florida Indian tribes, and the proposal was quickly abandoned.
A letter from the tribe to the Governor discussing the plan was unveiled, and read in part: “We believe that our proposal provides an approach to address multiple gaming-related concerns that affect the state. Provided that suitable consideration can be agreed to, the expansion of Class III gaming will not occur, and in fact, our proposal to ‘give up’ four of our permits reflects a reduction of gaming.”
The revelation of the proposed deal comes as the State is working with the Seminole tribe to pass through a compact that gives the group exclusive rights to offer blackjack in Florida in exchange for billions of dollars. That deal is currently being debated in the state House.
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Florida House Votes to Pass Seminole Blackjack Bill; Senate Postpones Vote
February 10th, 2016 by Dustin Jermalowicz
Today the Florida House took an important step to settle the Sunshine State’s ongoing dispute with the Seminole Indian tribe over the rights to offer blackjack in casinos, however the State Senate delayed a vote on the compact for one week, extending a disagreement that has been ongoing since last summer.
Florida’s House of Representatives voted to approve of the compact, but with several new amendments attached. That caused Senate Regulated Industries Committee Chairman Rob Bradley to exert his authority and postpone discussion and debate of the bill for a week, allowing those in the committee to review the changes.
“My intention is to (temporarily postpone) the gaming bills today for one week to give our committee members the opportunity to digest the various amendments being filed,” said Bradley.
The Seminoles and state had an agreement in 2010 that gave the Indian tribe exclusive rights to shoe games (including blackjack), but the deal expired last summer, and because the state allowed other casinos to offer electronic blackjack games, the Seminoles cried foul. An agreement between the two groups was not reached until last month, when Governor Rick Scott and the Seminoles came to a 7-year deal worth $3 billion, which would expand the exclusive game rights to games such as roulette.
Online Blackjack Odds will update this story as more developments arise.
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