| Poker Players and Blackjack - PokerPosted.com |
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A lot of times when poker players start to get a little bored of the same old thing their minds begin to wander and in return their game starts to slide. Often online poker players will look for other poker games to play, often without very little experience in that game. For example, if you play Texas Hold’em exclusively you may want to try Omaha. The problem with that however is that many times these exclusive Hold’em players have never been dealt a hand of Omaha in their life, so they just end up taking a big hit in the bankroll. The game of blackjack is much easier to learn than Omaha, and you have a better chance of at least breaking even if you just learn some simple strategies. Below is a very basic introduction to online blackjack. There are numerous glory stories about people who have made a fortune playing blackjack due to the ability of counting cards. Let’s get one thing straight from the beginning: it is impossible to count cards online. The very near majority of online poker websites that offer blackjack as a side game use a six card deck and shuffle after every hand. There are still some people out there that believe you can count cards online. There are a few online casinos where you can see a running count of the card, and it could be possible to count cards on those sites. However, I have yet to see an online poker room that has offered a blackjack game that doesn’t shuffle the cards after every hand. Blackjack has been criticized by a lot of online poker players because they say it serves as a distraction. They say that they are tempted to press the little “blackjack” button, and it is there they waste away your bankroll. First of all, if you are unable to control an urge to hit a button while online then you probably shouldn’t be gambling online. The poker players who do enjoy playing blackjack online are able to control their urges, and just like in their poker game, if their luck starts running out then maybe it’s time to quit for a little bit. In gambling there is a term called “Expected Value” (EV). If your chances of winning said gambling event is in your favor than this is called +EV. If you are the underdog in this event then you are –EV. Online poker is one of those –EV games. In the casino, blackjack is one of the few games that is +EV due to the fact that you can keep track of the cards and take advantage of optimal situations (Card counting is a topic on its own. Basically, card counting isn’t illegal in casinos, but they can ask you to stop playing there if they suspect you of it, because casinos are private property). So, if you choose to play blackjack online it will be because you are just looking to have a little extra fun. You’re chances of winning are against you. Another fun thing that poker rooms that offer blackjack are starting to do is blackjack tournaments. A blackjack tournament is unlike a poker tournament. You start at a table with four or five other players and play a certain amount of hands. If you have the most chips at the end of the set amount of hands you advance to the next round of players who also won their table. This continues into you reach a final table. Usually everyone who makes the final table is guaranteed money, but like a poker tournament the majority of the money is going to go to the first place finisher. So, if you are interested in trying something new then maybe blackjack is for you. Yes, blackjack could deteriorate your bankroll, so please, play with caution. There are many strategy guides available online for online blackjack, and soon some should be appearing here on PokerPosted.com. |