Blackjack is more than just 21... Pay attention to what the dealer is showing...

I've got something on my mind that I need to get off of my chest.  Blackjack is often referred to as 21.  Most people understand that the goal is to get to 21, without going over.  Only a minority of people seem to understand that there is more to the game then hitting to point where you think you won't go over.

You NEED to understand the cards and the dealer's actions.  In Singapore, the dealer must hit to 17.  HIT TO 17.  Did you catch that?  I'll repeat it.  HIT TO 17.

What does that mean?  That means that if the dealer is showing a 4, 5, or 6 ~ UNLESS you have a total equal to or less than 11, you should NOT hit.  You should NOT hit.  Did you catch that?  I'll repeat it.  You should NOT hit. 

To go one step further, I'd recommend that you double down when the dealer shows a 4, 5, or 6 (i.e. if you have 11 or less).  However, I realize that some of you need to forget that I just wrote that and stick with today's learning that, if the dealer is showing a 4, 5, or 6 ~ UNLESS you have a total equal to or less than 11, you should NOT hit.

You should know that when you hit in these situations (i.e. when the dealer is showing a bust card), that the people at the table who know how to play  the game begin to hate you.  We start giving you dirty looks, because you throw off the rhythm of the game and mess up the shoe.  Don't talk to me about the randomness of the shuffle and the true odds of the cards.  No gambler wants to hear that stuff.

If you mess up the cards enough or make the mistake more than once, while betting only the minimum, the other people at the table start seething with frustration and even the dealer starts to question your intelligence.  Listen to the dealer.  He or she will try to save you.  The rest of us will color up to stop the bleeding and curse about you as we walk away.

I've walked away from 4 trips to the casino a winner every time.  I have the discipline to wait for a novice player to lose all of his/her money before I sit down and to get up once my lucky streak is over (i.e. usually when I hit $1,000).  I've gambled in numerous difference casinos in different countries and have seen just about everything.  Some of you needed this lesson...


THE WIRK