Archive for the ‘Blackjack News’ Category

Blackjack Player Caught Cheating At Sands Casino Resort

Monday, October 8th, 2012

A Blackjack player from Allentown was recently caught red handed as he tried to add to his blackjack bets while playing at the blackjack tables at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem. The player, Jeremy Joseph Pahula, was found to be adding to his bet when he had a good hand and removing chips from his bet when he knew he was about to lose. In gambling terminology, this is called “capping” and “pinching.”

The 34 year old blackjack player had done this several times during game play and had spent around 4 hours at the casino. Pahula was caught on camera and the security video footage revealed him tricking the dealer with capping and pinching many times. Pahula was arrested and taken to court where a case was filed against him.

Pahula’s defense against his crimes is that he was ignorant or unaware that what he was doing was illegal. It was only after he was informed by the dealer that what he was doing was wrong that he stopped. The players also calmed that he had stopped as soon as he was informed that it was wrong and seems to feel that this should stand in his defense.

Considering Pahula’s case, perhaps it is necessary for casinos to have dealers run through the betting rules and basic blackjack etiquette before seating them at a table.

Posted in Blackjack News | Comments Off on Blackjack Player Caught Cheating At Sands Casino Resort

Casino Introduces New Blackjack Game Called House Money

Friday, October 5th, 2012

Players and fans of the game of standard blackjack will now find that the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort has a new standard blackjack game with a twist called House Money. The game allows players to wager n $1 to $25 on a special bet called the House Money circle which is located to the right of their main blackjack bet. This is the first bet to be paid out.

House Money blackjack is a table game from Las Vegas’ Shuffle Master and allows players to place a side bet called house money. Here, players will have to buy-in for a minimum blackjack bet.

Roger Snow, the inventor of the game commented, “House Money is the first side bet that gives players total control. It’s totally up to them how they play.”

Cory Laird, Jackson Rancheria’s table game instructor, explained the game as follows, “If you put $5 on House Money and end up with $30 or $40, all of a sudden your $10 blackjack wager can become a $50 blackjack wager.”

It is based on how this game fares, and the reaction from the blackjack community that will determine how far the game of House Money blackjack will go and whether we can expect other casinos to add this offering to their casino floors.

Posted in Blackjack News | Comments Off on Casino Introduces New Blackjack Game Called House Money

Dakota Alters Blackjack Payout Rules

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012

Recent news reports reveal that Dakota may be in store for some changes in its blackjack payout options. These changes were issued by the South Dakota Gaming Commission and will alter the payout system for single deck blackjack games. A request for these changes was issued from the Cadillac Jack’s establishment.

The only casino to now host the game of single deck blackjack is Saloon No. 10. Surprisingly the new order was unanimously passed by the commission and calls for the payout go from 6 to 5 from what it once was at 3 to 2 and only on games of single deck. Also, players will get paid only if they get a blackjack. Considering that Cadillac Jacks does not even host even one game of single deck blackjack, the fact that it pushed for such an ordinance has surprised many single deck blackjack players.

Louie LaLonde, the owner of the Saloon No. 10 establishment, commented on the matter stating, “Everyone who deals cards at the Number 10 and works at the Number 10 believes that our success is because our customers come (here) and get a good deal. Part of this is getting a full return on their bet.

LaLonde also assured players that their payouts would be met saying, “If someone gets a blackjack at the Number 10, they will always get what they would have won before the rule change…As soon as we become so stuffy and rule-driven like Vegas, we take away from the charm that Deadwood has.”

Posted in Blackjack News | Comments Off on Dakota Alters Blackjack Payout Rules

Deadwood Casinos Propose 6 – 5 Payout for Single-deck Blackjack

Monday, October 1st, 2012

Cadillac Jack’s Gaming Resort has proposed that Deadwood casinos must be permitted to change the payout structure for single-deck blackjack from 3 – 2 to 6 – 5 for a blackjack. This will increase the present house edge eight times for single-deck blackjack games.

According to Bill Zender, a consultant, author, and casino gaming expert based in Las Vegas, single-deck blackjack players will immediately notice the difference. For instance, players who wager $50 and get blackjack will receive a prize of $60 instead of the usual $75.

Players are likely to protest if Deadwood casinos introduce the 6 – 5 payout structure. Players do not mind low payouts in the gambling hotspots of Las Vegas, where they are surrounded by attractive men and women and a wide choice of entertainment.

Deadwood casinos suggested this change because of the 5% drop in their 2011 profits as compared to last year. Casino operators blame the fall in profit to the ban on smoking imposed all over the state. The lawmakers had made up to the casinos by approving a maximum bet hike from $100 to $1000, as a result of which table game profits in casinos jumped by 20% this July. Blackjack revenue, in particular, shot up by 15%.

Posted in Blackjack News | Comments Off on Deadwood Casinos Propose 6 – 5 Payout for Single-deck Blackjack

Blackjack Games Now Offered Outside Casinos

Thursday, September 27th, 2012

Blackjack games are played online at internet gambling portals like casinos and even a few poker rooms as side games. Players can even find blackjack games on Facebook, and in their local casino. Hard core blackjack players tend to opt to visit the casinos in Las Vegas to compete in blackjack tourneys and play high roller games.

Unlike online casinos that can keep introducing new promotions and new themed blackjack games to keep their player’s interests, land based casinos have problems keeping things fresh. One of the latest schemes that some casinos have introduced involves placing blackjack tables out of doors. Here, players will be able to try these blackjack games near the pool and other such comfortable venues.

The Atlantic City casinos have to try a little harder than Las Vegas casinos as they have been losing out on a lot of traffic. The Golden Nugget Casino in Atlantic City has done its bit by being the first casino to introduce blackjack games outdoors near the pool in the state of New Jersey.

The state Division of Gaming Enforcement recently granted the casino’s request to move three blackjack tables onto its outdoor deck. According to Tom Pohlman, the vice president and general manager of the Golden Nugget Casino in Atlantic City “It’s the only place in Atlantic City where you can play blackjack, listen to live entertainment, look out at the beautiful Atlantic City skyline and look out over the water.”

Posted in Blackjack News | Comments Off on Blackjack Games Now Offered Outside Casinos

Blackjack Mobile Tournaments Available at Bet365 Casino

Monday, September 24th, 2012

Blackjack players who like to gamble on the move are in for a treat if they are members of the Bet365 Casino. For those players who are looking to play Blackjack whenever they want, do not even need to go to an online casino anymore, as Bet365 Casino has just made life easy by introducing mobile blackjack tournaments.

By playing blackjack games on their mobiles, players will be able to access their favorite blackjack games including classic blackjack and a few of its variants with ease. However, now Bet365 Casino has brought blackjack tournaments to their mobile platform, ensuring that players do not miss out on the competition and excitement.

Players can also access their other favorite casino games while sitting on the bus or at work. To enjoy this facility, players will only need to connect with the mobile version of the Bet365 casino, download the software and start playing. They will be able to play against the dealer and win real money prizes.

Bet365 has made this facility available to all its patrons and has made playing blackjack tournaments easy accessible 24/7.

A variety of tournaments, including roulette games have been lined up on this mobile application.

Posted in Blackjack News | Comments Off on Blackjack Mobile Tournaments Available at Bet365 Casino

Film on a Team of Card Counting Christians

Thursday, September 20th, 2012

“Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians” is a documentary of the Church Team, a group of churchgoing Christians, including pastors, who claim to see the glory of God in counting cards playing blackjack at casinos. They consider it their divine mission to plump their blackjack bankrolls making plenty of money. The documentary is much more entertaining than the 2008 movie “21.”

Ben Crawford, co-founder of the Church team, says he learned card counting from the book “How to Make $100k a Year Gambling for a Living.” He admits in the documentary that he had dreams of making it big, but never though that it will be converted into a business.

The Church Team says that their pursuit of wealth doesn’t have anything to do with their faith. When questioned by family members or friends, they say that they are going for work, not to gamble. Besides, no member of the team keeps his/her winnings. Instead, prizes and amounts lost are pooled together, and as soon as the team’s total winnings become $100k, each member gets a share.

All the members of the team enjoy playing blackjack. One of them calls it his calling, claiming that God provided the game for him.

Posted in Blackjack News | Comments Off on Film on a Team of Card Counting Christians

Black Friday Comes to Close, Paving Way for Online Gaming Legislation

Wednesday, September 12th, 2012

The online gaming industry has spent nearly a year and a half waiting for a resolution to the Black Friday indictments. Questions surrounding the legal predicaments facing the three companies named in the lawsuit with the Department of Justice appear to have finally been answered. The industry is confident that the deal with the Justice Department could help legalize online gaming in the United States.

The resolution to the Black Friday indictments may play a key role in the future of online gaming legislation. The federal government has been deliberating the charges against Full Tilt, PokerStars and Absolute Poker since April of 2011. Now that those charges have been resolved, officials will likely want to ensure they are not repeated in the coming years.

Many lawmakers are concerned that so many players have still spent their money on foreign gaming sites. They warn that American citizens are at risk of becoming victims of a major scam. They want to take new measures to prevent that from happening.

The Black Friday case hasn’t been fully fixed. However, they expect most of the underlying problems to be resolved shortly. Full Tilt has successfully transferred assets to PokerStars. PokerStars has said that it will keep Full Tilt Poker intact under a separate brand and management team.

As the lawmakers are no longer concerned about resolving the civil and criminal charges that arose from Black Friday, they may be more likely to focus their efforts on legislation. However, a number of key challenges remain. The odds of passing a bill to legalize online gaming this year may not be particularly high. However, every step in the right direction brings the United States closer to regulating online gaming.

Posted in Blackjack News | Comments Off on Black Friday Comes to Close, Paving Way for Online Gaming Legislation

Shuffle Master Creates New Blackjack Game with Strategy Side Bet

Friday, September 7th, 2012

Several online blackjack variants are associated with side bets, although blackjack players wonder why a side bet that pays in the range of 75 percent to 90 percent is required in the first place while a simple, straightforward game of blackjack pays anywhere in the range of 90 percent to 95 percent.

Side bets are successful because they give blackjack players the opportunity to win a large cash prize on one hand. Since the payouts on a side bet can be as low as 4 – 1 and as high as 1000 – 1, players can quickly convert a $5 bet into as much as $5000. Side bets are not associated with any strategy, owing to which the house has a low payout percentage for them.

Two months ago, Shuffle Master came up with blackjack variant called House Money, which has a strategy side bet, which means that players can actually improve their chances of winning it. While this is the only blackjack side bet of its kind with strategy, it hardly affects basic blackjack strategy.

The casinos in which House Money was demonstrated appear to have liked the idea, and the blackjack variant will be launched at Siena Hotel in Reno after two weeks.

Posted in Blackjack News | Comments Off on Shuffle Master Creates New Blackjack Game with Strategy Side Bet

Blackjack Robber Claims He Stole to Help his Grandparents

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

Michael Belton, a blackjack player who had robbed the Bellagio Casino and was caught and arrested finally admitted to his wrong doings and made a guilty plea before the court. The blackjack player, who is 24 years of age attempted to rob the blackjack tables at the casino floor in the Bellagio Hotel, one of the biggest and most well reputed enterprises in the entire Las Vegas Strip.

However, Michael Belton, the blackjack player badly botched his attempt at robbery when he entered the casino, made his way to the blackjack table and proceeded to rob the table. The player had planned the entire scheme well in advance and did his best to disguise his appearance by wearing sunglasses and a wig. Belton claimed he needed money in order to help his ailing grandparents.

The player tried to make away with hundreds of blackjack chips from the casino table. Michael Belton now faces up to 21 years of prison as he attempted to rob the casino with an accomplice. The plan was to pepper spray the blackjack dealer and steal around $115,000 of chips. However, Belton was apprehended by bystanders and dropped the chips.

Posted in Blackjack News | Comments Off on Blackjack Robber Claims He Stole to Help his Grandparents