Las Vegas Blackjack

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 26th, 2010

As the years fly by, more and more people play online Blackjack. Unfortunately, many of these people fly into Las Vegas (or their local establishment) and expect real-world Blackjack to be just like it is online-it's not.

I love playing Blackjack online, but nothing compares to playing at a real casino when the atmosphere is just right. It's a feeling that's hard to capture at home-although you can do things to get close. When you play solo online, it's all you. There are no other players taking cards. This can be a great joy or major source of pain offline.

Heck, when you play online, you can hit with 16 and the dealer showing a 6. No one cares, but you. When you step to the big boy tables in Vegas, you need to be more thoughtful-otherwise the table will hate you.

If you're about to sit at a real table for the first time, here's a great tip-sit in the middle. The spots immediately to the left and right of the dealer have a little pressure attached to them. First base (seat that gets the first card) is a crappy position as far as I'm concerned. And third base (seat that acts last, before the dealer) should only be occupied by someone who knows how to play. This seat is coveted by Blackjack players the world over.

Think I'm making it up? In Las Vegas, I've seen entire tables (yes, every single player but one) get up and locate to other tables, because some knucklehead made an incredibly bad move at third base. It happens, just don't let it happen to you. That's the worst feeling I'm sure. I'd recommend following this special tip. If you don't know what play is the right one, ask other players. Some will say they don't care (that's crap, they do). Others will offer advice.

As a personal rule of thumb, if someone is at the table with say 10-20x my wager, I'll ask for their opinion. Sometimes I've even cut deals for the big bettor on the hand (buying my hand basically). It's not just about you. It's an energy if you will. Try to keep harmony when you can.

Another big advantage of playing at a real table is seeing the cards in play. Online Blackjack tends reshuffle all decks used after each hand. When you play in the real world, strategy like counting cards comes into play. However, online blackjack nullifies this strategy (that's why they reshuffle after each hand).

Whatever you do, remember that Blackjack is fun. Have a blast at the table and try different tables until you find the atmosphere you love.