Dear Mark, I am going out to Las Vegas in a few weeks to do a lot of gambling.
I've been working on a method for playing blackjack that I want to try, but I
recently read an article online that made me worry my system would not even be
playable. My question is, if a table limit is, for example, $5 - $100. If I initially
bet $100, and am given cards that either allow me to split or double down, am
I allowed to bet more to perform that split or double down? Or, will the casino
tell me that I cannot bet any more because I am at the maximum bet? The article
I read was saying the maximum was actually the maximum that you will ever get
paid back. So according to it, if you bet $100 on the table limits previously
mentioned and hit blackjack, the casino would only award you $100, not $150 (assuming
you were playing at a 3-2 table). Joey S.
Here's a little casino trade secret, Joey, concerning systems. No Lamb,
even with a system, slaughters the butcher. Do ya think Steve Wynn just
bucked-up nearly three billion to build Wynn Las Vegas so you can give
him a shellacking? Notta chance! He didn't spend bazillions on his
gambling joint so that Joey can come in, beat the hell out of the
place, and ask him for the keys to the front door.
I'm also going to poke a bit of fun at your question, because your
query was a gimme. If you are going to take a whack at Steve's
bankroll, you should have at least known this particular rule of
blackjack. Newbies I'll excuse for being wet behind the ears, but if
you are going to chunk that kind of dough on the layout, you should at
least know all the rules of the game you're playing on.
Betting limits on table games establish the minimum and maximum amounts
of money you can wager on your original bet. You cannot wager less than
the minimum or more than the maximum amount posted. The key word two
sentences back was your "original" wager. Let's say your initial
wager
is $200 on a $200 maximum bet blackjack table. When you double down,
you turn your cards face up, double your $200 bet, and receive one, and
only one more card. The advantage of doubling down is that you are
allowed to increase your bet after you've seen your hand and the
dealer's up card. You should ALWAYS be able to make another wager that
equals the original bet, even if the total amount wagered is above the
table maximum. The same holds true for a blackjack. You should always
be paid 3 to 2 for a natural, no matter what the table limit is. (Note:
There is a single-deck blackjack game where a blackjack pays 6:5. Look
for a review of this game in an upcoming column.)
As for that article you read on the Internet, I suggest that you become
more skeptical regarding content online. Sure, there's a lot of great
stuff on gambling, however it's also a dumping ground for content that
is inaccurate, out-of-date (including a few of my earlier columns
floating around in cyberspace), and sometimes deliberately misleading
content. Exercise some caution.
One final point, Joey. If you just happen to come across a casino where
they pay you less than the appropriate amount for a blackjack, find the
nearest door, and just keep running!
Gambling quote of the week: "Just as outlawing alcohol did not work
in the 1920s, current attempts to prohibit online gambling will not work, either."
— U.S. Congressman John Conyers
