Archive for November, 2009

The basic strategy and doubling down

There’s a sad fact about playing in a casino, whether real or virtual. The operators have worked out how to play the games on offer and set the odds to favor themselves. After all, if the majority did not lose, there would be no money to pay out all the money you win. Needless to say, the casinos have invested time and money into working out every possible variation on the rules and the ways to play under them. So, if you are going to take on the House edge, you have to become as big an expert on the rules as the operators. So let’s start with one of the more interesting rules which decides when you are allowed to double down. This applies when you have received your two cards. If you decide you are going to draw only one more card, the casino rules can allow you to double your initial bet. The different possibilities are to double:

  • on any card combination;
  • only when the two cards total 9, 10 or 11; or
  • after splitting.

Why should you double your bet? The answer is deceptively simple. You double the bet when you think you are going to beat the Dealer. That really does make sense. But because you are suddenly investing more money in playing the game and have more to lose, you need to get on board with the math. You need to know the frequency with which the Dealer is likely to go bust based on the card you can see. If the Dealer’s card suggests a bust is probable, i.e. the Dealer’s hand is weak, you double the bet when you have a strong hand. You are maximizing the chance of making a good profit on the hand. If you build the doubling rule into your basic strategy, you reduce the House edge. If you refuse to play the doubling rule, the House edge actually increases. This is not to claim you will win every hand when you double down. If you are on a losing streak, you could lose every doubled bet for the session. But, in the long term, you will win more than you lose if you double. If you hesitate to double the bet, it suggests you are outside your comfort zone and already playing for higher stakes than you can afford.

At the blackjack table, the Dealer is weakest when showing a card in the range 2 through 6. With a 2, the bust percentage is 35%. It rises to a 42% chance of busting with a 5 or 6. Your hand is strongest if the two card total is less than 11. Do not be thrown off the basic strategy by the casinos that allow you to add less than the original bet. Blackjack is a game for winners. Never give up the chance to double and take the maximum win against the Dealer. Adding a few dollars to the original bet but not doubling is half-hearted and cowardly.

Get Free Mac Games

Due to technology improvements, now we can easily playing high quality games on game consoles like Sony Playstation, Nintendo Wii, and XBOX 360. And we can even listening to music at the same time with portable music player like Apple ipod, etc.

And it will become easier if we combine it with audiobank.fm. At this site, we can easily get mac games and stock music for free. Just point your browser to audiobank.fm and get your free mac games now.

The first steps to a basic strategy

The game is one of the simplest ever invented. The rules are few and there’s no physical effort involved in playing it. You just sit, look at a few cards and make your bets. That’s probably why it’s become one of the most popular casino games of all time. Of course everyone knows the House has an edge. That’s how it pays all the expenses for running the casino. Remember it makes no difference whether this is a casino in the real world or online. You still need people and a base. So common sense tells you that no-one beats the House unless they invest some effort. Put another way: if everyone could beat the House without breaking sweat, the casino would go out of business in a day. This produces the headline: no pain, no gain. You have to put in some study time to master the basic strategy.

So what is this strategy? Over the years, some serious math types did all the work for you. They calculated the best way to play all the card combinations and wrote them down in simple charts. If you were going to play in a real casino, you would have to learn all these rules. That saves you having to pause before every decision to check the charts. Not only would the other players around the table be less than impressed, the casino would probably suggest you leave. But playing online changes all that. You can consult the charts as often as you like before deciding which card to play. It may be slow but, if you get the strategy right for every hand, you just shifted the odds in your favor.

So what are these charts? The first gives you the rules on when to split a pair. The strategy changes depending on the value of the cards dealt to you and the value of the card you can see the Dealer holding. So it starts with the rule that you split a pair of aces no matter what the Dealer holds, and goes down to the choices when you hold a pair of 2s. The other two charts deal with hard hands and soft hands. A hard hand is when neither card is an ace and the strategy changes significantly depending on the card held by the Dealer and the table rules on when the Dealer must stand or draw. A soft hand contains an ace and is easier to play because you can always draw one more card without busting – this takes some of the pressure off the play. I started off by saying blackjack is an easy game but, like all games, you can play for fun or you can take it seriously and play to win. In this case, you are more likely to win if you learn the charts and can play the strategy without thinking. To really take on the House edge, you also have to become a card counter but that’s a whole new story because it does not work in a virtual casino. For now, focus on the basic strategy and start your winning blackjack career.

Store Bikes Safely

For some households, finding enough space to store bikes inside can be a problem. These people often have no choice but to store their bikes outside and face the risk of having their bikes stolen. However, there’s an alternative that will let these people store their bikes outside safely: bike storage sheds.

These useful things come in various sizes and storage capacity. Some are only 2.3ft X 6.3ft small and enough for one bike only, while some are alot bigger and may store up to 6 bikes. Prices also range from 633 pounds to 1244 pounds. Visit asgardsss.co.uk and take a look at the full range of bike sheds available. There’s currently a discount on some of the bike sheds so hurry up before they run out.

The links on this page will take you to asgardsss.co.uk. Visit now, get those bike shed and make sure you store your bikes safely.

Discounted Billet Grilles

Billet grilles make cars look bolder and stronger, there’s no doubt about that. Install one of these aluminium grills and the face of your car will improve greatly. If you’re looking for an accessory to give your car a tougher look, billet grilles are the most obvious choice. However, the price of these things may deter some people from buying them. Top of the line billet grilles can cost around $10000, an amount that not everyone can afford. However, there’s a good news for people trying to find high quality but affordable billet grilles. CariD is currently giving discounts for their billet grilles. You can save up to 20% if you buy your billet grilles at CariD. This certainly makes those grills much more affordable.
So waste no more time. Click on the links above to get to CariD and get those discounted billet grilles today. They won’t last forever, you know.

What is Cash Advance?

A cash advance, also called a payday loan, is a short term loan secured against the debtor’s next paycheck. It’s usually rather small in amount, ranging from several hundred to one or two thousand dollars. In the recent years, cash advances or payday loans now have become an increasingly popular solution for people caught between paychecks or for people who have an urgent need for some quick cash. Many companies in the real world provide cash advances, but it’s still easier to apply for a cash advance online.

One of the main advantages of an online cash advance is that it’s really a lot easier and faster to apply for. In fact, the whole application process, which involves filling out an online form and faxing some documents, can probably be done in a few minutes and the money will usually be direct deposited into our bank accounts the following business day. And most of the time, no faxing is even required.

There are many websites you can go to if you ever need an online cash advance, but I would strongly recommend Personal Cash Advance, one of the best, if not the best, in this field. Just follow the links above and you’ll see why.