Blackjack is one of the main staples in most
casinos. The casino loves the Blackjack tables almost as much as they love the
Slot Machines - and for very much the same reason. Blackjack is a major source of
revenue for the casino.
Contrary to popular belief, Blackjack is not one of the best games to play in a casino. While the game is simple in concept, and easy to learn, the knowlege needed to be a good Blackjack player is almost frightening in scope and complexity. The house edge varies depending on the skill of the player - from just under 1% for masters of the game (Not counting card counting tricks, which become increasingly less useful as the casinos employ methods to thwart this practice), to 10% for the average player, to over 20% for particularly bad players. And yet, almost every single player who sits down at that table is convinced he knows everything there is to know about the game.
The house preys on this illusion. Limited player knowledge is power, and money in the bank, to them. However, the house will happily educate you - to a limited degree - as an attempt to keep you from learning too much. When they control the information, they determine how much you can learn about the game. They want players to rely on fallible memory to remember when to double down, or split, or surrender. "Never surrender," says the House. Optimum strategy says there ARE times when it's wise to surrender - if the house allows it, which most don't. The methods that the House teaches will ensure a house edge of around 10%, which is well above the edge of many other games the house offers. Don't look to the dealer for help, though. Many of them are gambling addicts themselves, and don't know proper strategy. The only interest they have in you is whether you'll tip when you win.