Posts Tagged ‘blackjack variations’

« Older Entries

Perfect Pairs Blackjack tournament at InterCasino

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

InterCasino has a Perfect Pairs Blackjack Tournament going on right now and it’s a good opportunity to take a shot at prizes without risking much of your own money. The blackjack tournament only has a $250 prize pool, but the stakes are low – the entry fee is only $10.

If you only play the traditional blackjack game and are unfamiliar with the different blackjack variants, perfect pairs is a common variation with a side bet where the player earns extra money if their first two cards happen to be a pair. The payouts depend on the type of pair. A “perfect pair” is two identical cards, such as two aces of spades. Another type of pair is a “colored pair,” which is two cards that match in rank and color. An example would be a three of spades and a three of clubs, since both suits are black. The third type of pair is a “mixed pair,” which is a pair that matches in rank but is an opposite color.

InterCasino’s Perfect Pairs Blackjack Tournament is running now and ends Sunday, August 29. Until it ends, you can enter at any time. You just have to pony up the $10 buy-in. When you enter the tournament, the online casino gives you $500 worth of tournament chips with which to play. Your tournament lasts 30 minutes and you want to make as much tournament money as you can.

At the end, only the top six players in the blackjack tournament will win prizes. The tournament winner will earn a $100 prize. The second-place finisher will win a $50 prize. The players who finish in third through sixth place will win prizes worth $25 each.

To take part in the Perfect Pairs Blackjack Tournament, visit InterCasino before it ends on August 29.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Blackjack Games at Intercasino

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Online casinos tend to favor players of poker and online slots. It makes sense, since those are the two most popular games. Also, slots have a significantly higher house edge than blackjack, so the casinos make more money off of it. For online blackjack players, though, it can be hard to find a casino with a decent selection. Most casinos seem to have one or two blackjack games and that’s not enough variety for me.

Intercasino is different. They’re one of my favorite casinos for a reason. Intercasino has seven different online blackjack games. There are the standard games of Atlantic City Blackjack, Vegas Blackjack and European Blackjack as well as a game that you play using only one deck, ingeniously called Single Deck Blackjack.

If you like variations on the traditional blackjack game, there are plenty of options. Pontoon is one of the most common blackjack variants, and it is available at Intercasino. They also offer Progressive Blackjack for the big spenders going after a progressive jackpot. Super Fun 21 is available for when you’re in the mood for a blackjack game with wacky rules. They also offer Perfect Pairs blackjack, another common and fun variant.

For a blackjack game with a little more technology and better visuals, Intercasino offers Video Blackjack. Now they just need a live-dealer game and blackjack players will have pretty much every type of blackjack game they could ask for.

To sample the blackjack selection, visit Intercasino.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Online Blackjack Casinos: Aladdin’s Gold Casino

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

Not all online casinos are created equally. Some are good, some aren’t worth your time and some are great. I would put Aladdin’s Gold Casino in the “good” category. The only thing that keeps it from being a “great” online casino is that, like every other casino that uses Realtime Gaming software, they no longer offer blackjack tournaments. As someone who loves playing in blackjack tournaments, that is a drawback for me. There is still a lot to like about Aladdin’s Gold, though.

For starters, Aladdin’s Gold Casino has the best-looking website in the industry. They have Disney-quality animation and fully-animated and interactive screens and menus. That may not be a big deal to some, but aesthetics are important when it comes to online casinos. The overall look of the website is like that of a Middle Eastern palace, with Aladdin, Jasmine and the Genie as central characters. Right now as I type this I’m being entranced by dancing harem girls. Like I said, the aesthetics are important.

When it comes to blackjack, though there are no tournaments, Aladdin’s Gold has a good selection of games. There is the standard Blackjack game in addition to the blackjack variations of Perfect Pairs, Face Up 21, Match Play 21, Pontoon and Super 21.

Aladdin’s Gold also offers a good number of promotions for blackjack players. For example, right now there is a weekly promotion that gives blackjack players a 45% match bonus of up to $1,000 on all deposits. The many online casinos, they also issue comp points for the money you wager and once you have accumulated enough comp points you can redeem them for a cash withdrawal or wager them on more games.

Because they use the respected Realtime gaming software, Aladdin’s Gold also features games that are certified to be safe and fair. They also have sophisticated security technology that protects players from cheats, hackers and more. Aladdin’s Gold Casino is also known for good customer service, should any problems, questions or concerns arise.

In all, I would say that Aladdin’s Gold Casino has almost everything I look for in an online casino. To join their casino, click here.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Online Blackjack Casinos: Lucky Red Casino

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

Most online casinos cater to online slots for obvious reasons. Slots are the most popular casino games and they have an incredibly high house edge. Blackjack, on the other hand, has a low house edge that can be as low as 0.5% when the player sticks to perfect basic strategy. For that reason, slots are much more of a money maker for the casinos. There are some casinos that offer enough blackjack excitement to satisfy hardcore players like me, though. One such casino is Lucky Red Casino.

Lucky Red does have an abundance of online slots, as you might imagine, but there is also a good selection of blackjack games. There is a traditional blackjack game that is cleverly titled Blackjack, but there are also several blackjack variations. Such variations include Blackjack and Perfect Pairs, Face Up 21, Match Play 21, Pontoon and Super 21. Each of these blackjack games offers a different experience and different rules. I generally stick to the traditional game but do play the others on occasion for some variety.

Unfortunately, Lucky Red Casino doesn’t offer blackjack tournaments, which are becoming harder and harder to find. Along with the good variety of games, though, Lucky Red does offer comp points for players who play with them regularly. By earning comp points for every wager, players are rewarded for doing something they would do anyway: playing blackjack. Once you have enough comp points, you may redeem them for credits that can be wagered on more games or you may withdraw them as cash.

Lucky Red Casino also regularly runs promotions that give out bonuses for playing blackjack and other table games. It’s not a tournament, but it’s still nice to get rewarded for playing your favorite game. Lucky Red is also known for having good customer service that resolves issues in a timely and professional manner. Their software is developed by Realtime Gaming, which means their games have good animation, crisp graphics, fun gameplay and are safe and fair.

Right now Lucky Red is offering an unlimited 35% coupon for blackjack players. In addition, players who join the casino receive a welcome bonus of a 100% deposit match of up to $1,000. Players can also receive a bonus for referring friends to the site.

To visit Lucky Red Casino and begin playing online blackjack, click here.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Online Blackjack Casinos: Pure Vegas

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

It seems that there are more online casinos on the web than there are actors in Hollywood, so finding the right casino to join can be tough. How do you decide which casinos are the best? For me, the best online casinos are safe, fair, have a good selection of blackjack games and have good customer service. I decided to run a series of casino reviews offering casinos that fit the bill. One such casino is Pure Vegas.

Pure Vegas Casino has a good variety of blackjack games – certainly enough to keep you from getting bored of playing the same thing over and over. Aside from a regular blackjack game – simply called Blackjack – the casino offers Blackjack + Perfect Pairs, European Blackjack, Face Up 21, Match Play 21, Pontoon and Super 21. That variety means that you can choose whether to play a traditional blackjack game (e.g. Blackjack), a blackjack game with a side bet (e.g. Blackjack + Perfect Pairs) or a variant with totally different rules (e.g. Pontoon).

All of Pure Vegas Casino’s blackjack games (and all other games, for that matter) are designed by Realtime Gaming, which means that they have sharp, exciting gameplay, are fair to the players, and are safe from cheaters and hackers. Unfortunately, it also means that the casino no longer has any blackjack tournaments, which is something that RTG recently decided to abandon.

The blackjack games on Pure Vegas can either be played by downloading the casino software or by streaming the games on your browser using Flash. Pure Vegas Casino is new to the industry, launching just last year, but has already built up a solid reputation for good games as well as fast and helpful customer service. Pure Vegas also uses a system of Comp Points that reward frequent visitors to the casino. Each player is given one Comp Point for every $10 wagered and the comp points can later be redeemed for money, which can be wagered or withdrawn.

To join Pure Vegas Casino and play the wide variety of fun online blackjack games, click here.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Online Blackjack Casinos: Go Casino

Friday, May 7th, 2010

Welcome to the second installment in the series where I will highlight a good, reputable online casino where you can play blackjack. In order for me to suggest any casino, I must be confident that it is safe and fair and it also has to offer good blackjack games. One online casino that fits the bill is Go Casino.

Like most online casinos, Go Casino has more online slots than any other game. They do have a good selection of table games, though, including blackjack. In my game of choice, Go Casino offers Perfect Pairs Blackjack, Vegas Strip Blackjack, European Rules Blackjack, and Progressive Blackjack. They also offer a variety of poker games if you are into that other skilled card game.

Not only does Go Casino have many different online blackjack games to choose from, but they also regularly host blackjack tournaments. I love blackjack tournaments because they offer a different kind of gameplay, where you compete against other players instead of only the dealer. The tournaments also offer the possibility of winning prizes while wagering only a small amount of money (usually only a small entry fee).

Every month, Go Casino holds a number of online blackjack tournaments. The tournaments last for 24 hours, from 8:00 PM on one day to 8:00 PM the next day and they are held every day of the week except Sunday. Those blackjack tournaments are usually played on the Vegas Strip Blackjack game. The blackjack tournaments have entry fees that are usually only $0.99, which buys you 50 credits. If you decide to re-buy, the cost is $2.49. In these blackjack tournaments, you play for a percentage of the pot, with it being split among the top 41 players. Therefore, there is more money at stake the more people participate in the tournament. The downside is the more people participate, the lower your chances of being at the top of the leader board.

Like most online casinos, Go Casino offers you bonus incentives for becoming a member. They are offering up to $20,000 in deposit match bonuses over your first 20 deposits.

To visit the website and play blackjack at Go Casino, click here.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Online Blackjack Casinos: InterCasino

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

My online blackjack blog is constantly evolving as I add new things to cover and discuss. I routinely write about blackjack news, strategy, and different types of blackjack games. Those blackjack blogs often refer to both brick and mortar casinos and online casinos. I’ve never really gone into too much detail about the different online casinos out there, though.

For that reason, I decided to start a new series where I outline where I play, what you can find there and why I recommend them. First of all, I will never recommend an online casino that I’m not certain is safe and fair. But what else should you look for? Read on and see.

The first online casino that I want to highlight is InterCasino, which is a great casino to play some online blackjack. InterCasino has a variety of blackjack games, so even if you play at this casino exclusively there will still be plenty of different games from which to choose. The many online blackjack variations they have includes Atlantic City Blackjack, Double-Deck Blackjack, Progressive Blackjack, Single-Deck Blackjack, Vegas Blackjack, European Blackjack, Pontoon, Super Fun 21 and Video Blackjack.

Each blackjack game has different rules, which you can easily find on the website. In addition to the regular games, InterCasino also sometimes holds blackjack tournaments. Players who are new to InterCasino can take advantage of a welcome bonus that matches your initial deposit 100% up to $225. In addition, as you play games you accumulate points and earn money in the My Cash Rewards bonus, which is given out monthly. The My Cash Rewards bonus rewards players for wagering and playing games, which is something you would do anyway. Players can also join the Cashback Club in order to get additional bonus money.

Perhaps the best thing about InterCasino right now, though, is a specific contest that you probably won’t win. It’s well worth it if you do, though. I’m taking about the Space Race promotion. The Space Race contest is kind of like a raffle. Simply by joining you have one point in the contest, but you earn more for accomplishing certain things, such as making deposits and playing games at the online casino. At the end of the promotion, some lucky player will be randomly drawn from the contest pool to win a trip into space.

Yes, you read that right. InterCasino is sending people into space by partnering with the company Space Adventures. I can’t think of a more exciting grand prize in an online casino promotion. There are other prizes as well, though, including trips to the Super Bowl, Grand Prix and an African safari. There are also cash prizes of up to $100,000 in the promotion.

So yeah, by playing online blackjack at InterCasino, you have a chance to get sent into space. I can’t think of a better reason to play there than that.

To join InterCasino, click here.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Blackjack Variations: Quick Seven

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

The thing about blackjack is that there are countless little tweaks you can make to the game to make a variant. Some are minor while others are big enough that it creates an entirely new game, such as pontoon or Spanish 21. There is a new blackjack variation that I have just read about called Quick Seven and it may soon be coming to a casino near you.

Quick Seven is the brainchild of a man named Larry Cockrell, who came up with the idea for this blackjack variation back when he drove concrete trucks for a living. Since then he has created a company called Innovate Gaming and is marketing Quick Seven.

Quick Seven is already available in some brick and mortar casinos, such as Harrah’s Hotel and Casino in Iowa. It is also available as an iPhone app. There is not yet an online casino license for the blackjack variation, so online blackjack fans cannot yet play it online.

Since I don’t have an iPhone and you can’t play it online, I have not yet played this game, so I don’t know everything about it. I will tell you what I do know, though. Quick seven is a game where instead of trying to outdraw the dealer without going over 21, you can’t go over 7. With the lower number, one change in the game is how the cards are counted.

In a press release, Cockrell said that in blackjack, the most exciting part is when you draw a natural blackjack (10 and ace). That only happens, on average, once every 20 hands. “In Quick Seven,” he said, “the most exciting thing happens once every 13 hands or so, which is 53.8% more often than in blackjack.”

He seems to be talking about drawing a 2-card seven, which could be a 6 and ace, 5 and 2, or 4 and 3. Then again, the card values are different in this game, so that may not be the case. As with 21 in blackjack, drawing over a 7 in this game busts you. The game also has different rules for hitting, doubling, and standing, among other things.

The most exciting rule in Quick Seven that differentiates it from blackjack, though, seems to be the discard option. In Quick Seven, you have the option of discarding one of the cards in your hand if you have a bad card. I believe you can only discard once per hand and I’m not sure if you can do it if drawing a card busts you, but being able to discard opens up more options and gives players more control over the outcome of the hand.

I haven’t been able to play Quick Seven yet, but I am hoping I’ll find it at an online casino soon. Cockrell seems to think it’s only a matter of time before this variation takes the blackjack world by storm. If he’s right, then you heard about it here first… unless you already read about it somewhere else.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Blackjack Variations: Reno Rules for Doubling

Monday, April 26th, 2010

Blackjack is a game that, though rather simple in its basic form, has enough variations to make it complex and constantly evolving. All the time I am learning about new rules or side bets offered at certain blackjack tables. Each rule change carries different odds, though, and affects the house edge. Before playing any blackjack game, whether at an online casino or the brick and mortar variety, it is important to know what your odds are and how the game is played.

Doubling rules are common variations for blackjack games. While the most beneficial rule is that the player can double down on any hand (as long as he hasn’t already doubled), sometimes only certain hands can be doubled. Any blackjack games that only allow certain hands to be doubled are said to use “Reno rules.”

The most common Reno rules are that you can only double on hands of nine through eleven or ten and eleven. At these blackjack games, you can only double down if your first two cards fall within that range. If you can only double a 9-11, that increases the house edge by anywhere from 0.09% with an 8-deck game to 0.15% fir a single-deck game. This rule is fairly common with online blackjack.

If you can only double down on a hand of 10 or 11, the odds are even worse. Those blackjack games increase the house edge by anywhere from 0.17% with an 8-deck game to 0.26% with a single-deck game.

Whether you are playing online blackjack or blackjack at a brick and mortar casino, it is important to know all of the rules ahead of time. It helps you to know which decisions to make and it can also help you decide whether you want to play at all. Believe me, there are some blackjack games where the rules are so bad I would never consider playing. For that reason, always make sure you know the rules ahead of time and if you have a variety of blackjack games to choose from, pick one with rules that are the most beneficial to the player.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Blackjack Strategy: Read the Rules

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

Most people know that you can’t sit down at a blackjack table without knowing what you’re doing and make money. Just randomly picking what to do in blackjack results in a house edge of, oh, I don’t know, probably around 90%.

Okay, admittedly, I made up that number. I don’t know what the house edge would be in that situation, but it would be very high. Most people know that you have to memorize blackjack basic strategy and stick to it, but even then the casino has a slight advantage (0.5%), unless you count cards correctly.

There is one part of blackjack strategy that people often forget, though, and that is to read the rules. Let me make this very clear. Not all blackjack tables have the same rules. There are countless variations in the rules in both online casinos and the brick and mortar variety. Therefore, you should not assume that you know what the rules are for that particular blackjack game. Unless you have played at that particular table enough times that you know the rules already, you should always familiarize yourself with the rules before you play.

Rules variations can significantly affect the house edge and your decisions. Though a natural blackjack traditionally pays 3:2, some table pay 6:5 and I’ve even seen even money tables. At some tables the dealer will hit a soft 17 while at others he will stand. Some tables will allow you to split any pair, while others will only allow you to split tens or nines and tens. Some blackjack games let you resplit while others don’t. Some blackjack games offer insurance and late surrender, while others do not. Those are just a few of the many rule variations you will find at blackjack tables.

For that reason, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules before you play. At a brick and mortar casino, you can usually find the rules clearly printed on the table itself. If you’re unsure about any rules, feel free to ask the dealer. For online blackjack, it is even easier, because you can simply go to a section of the website that explains the rules. If you have any questions, you can contact customer service. You should never play blackjack without knowing all of the rules for that game ahead of time.

By knowing the rules, you can make sure you don’t make an error in judgment and make sure you are following the correct strategy. In addition, it helps you know whether that is even a blackjack table at which you want to play. If the rules aren’t good, you might want to find somewhere else to play. But you will never know that if you don’t check.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

« Older Entries