TABLE GAMES By TJ Jorgensen
NO CLUE A Sorry Sight At Blackjack Tables
I
recently went to a casino to play some Blackjack on a Monday night. I like to go to this casino during the week late at night when it’s not so crowded. At the table I chose to play at were two younger gentlemen who had absolutely no idea on how to play the game of Blackjack! They didn’t know how to signal to the dealer that they wanted to hit, or stay on their hand. They didn’t even know what basic strategy was. Their way of playing was to hit every hand until they got over eighteen or bust, regardless of what the dealer was showing for an up card. You would think before someone put their hard earned money into play they would want to have some idea how the game is played, especially in this economy. I am not one to tell players how to play their hands, I figure it’s their money, let them play however they want. But I hadn’t seen a beating like that by the dealer since a man stuck a banana in his pants and someone turned a monkey loose! I finally stepped in and helped them play the game correctly. I happened to have a copy of my book How To Become A Blackjack Jedi in my car which I donated to them in the hopes it would help them with their Blackjack play. By the end of the evening they were happy because they made a little money and had a pretty good handle on the game. The game of Blackjack is a lot more fun when it’s played correctly. It’s worth mentioning there are some little things that you as a player can do to give yourself a better chance at having a winning experience. Before I sit down at a Blackjack table I “scout” the tables. What I am looking for is a winning table. Blackjack tables tend to have similar results. If everyone is winning at the table chances are if you sit down you will win as well. If you walk up to a Blackjack table and one player has a single chip left and another has two chips, chances are it’s a losing table and if you sit down you will probably lose too.
18 Arizona Gaming Guide | November 2023 | azgamingguide.com
When you start to play, if you lose four hands in a row, sit out and wait until they shuffle or change tables. Blackjack is a streaky game, you will save yourself a lot of money if you recognize a bad streak instantly. Did you know that seventy percent of all the money you will win at the game of Blackjack comes from the hands of twenty and Blackjack? If you are pushing or losing the hand of twenty and pushing on Blackjack, find a different table because I can tell you from experience the table you are at isn’t going to be a winning table for you! Set realistic goals and loss limits. I have seen way too many times a player hit their profit goal almost instantly, then stick around because they are not tired of playing just to lose it all back almost as fast, instead of walking out a winner. Keep a little notebook with all your wins and losses so you can be honest with yourself. It will give you a realistic picture of how good your actual game is, and help you identify any potential problems. Above all, keep your emotions out of your game. If you get emotionally charged you tend to make bad decisions, so keep a clear head. $ Writer TJ Jorgensen has been a professional Blackjack player for several decades. He is well known for his tournament play and has beaten some of the top tournament players in the world. He has also won the World Series Of Blackjack. His newest book “How To Become A Blackjack Jedi” is available online at Amazon.com.
