Old Reno Gambling!

Blackjack is fun to play, and is even more fun when you have a good shot at winning. If you're playing in a casino you are more likely to lose than win, but there are plenty of people who do win, and that can be you.

The Better the Game, the Better Your Chance to Win

Not all Blackjack games are the same. They have different rules, many times within one casino there will be several Blackjack games each with its own set of rules.

To determine what the rules are, you just have to look at the table. There is a small card or plaque displaying the basic rules of the game, such as the upper and lower betting limits. Typically, you can find other information either on the table felt, or on other plaques displayed at the table. The things you want to know are:

- Betting limits: Pass up a table with a lower-limit that makes you a little nervous. You play for fun, remember?
- Number of decks in play: You may see this on a plaque, or not. You want a game that is played with one deck, or maybe two. Any more, and you aren't taking advantage of what Reno is all about.
- Blackjack payout: In the past few years, casino executives who consider you suckers rather than customers have introduced games that pay you 6-to-5 for your Blackjack, rather than the accepted 3-to-2 (7.5 to 5) payoff. You should only play at a standard 3:2 game.
- Table environment: If it looks too crowded, too smokey, or anything "too", choose another table. You're there for fun. I've found more than one stool situated right beneath an air conditioning outlet that I had to vacate right away!
- The dealer: Even though dealers change at a table from time to time, you don't want to feel you have to play with a dealer who deals too fast, or who seems grumpy to you. It's your money, take it to where you will have fun.

Blackjack Games to Avoid

- Any Blackjack game that pays 6 to 5 on blackjacks, single deck or otherwise. While there is always a chance of winning in the short run, this reduction in payment to you the customer makes this game for uninformed suckers only.

The cost of 6 to 5 Blackjack to you the player is like paying $30 per gallon of gas when you were paying $3 per gallon!

- Continuous shuffling machines. These nasty devices require the dealer to insert the used cards from each round back into the machine, instead of using a discard tray as is normally done. The effect is that of playing against a virtually infinite deck. Every round is played "off the top of the deck," when there is a 100% chance that the unskilled player is at a severe disadvantage. Also, because there is never a break for shuffling, the machine increases the speed of the game by about 20%, so the typical player will lose 20% more money in the same amount of playing time, or lose all of his or her money 20% faster.

- Hand-held multi-deck games. The dealer will hold one or two decks in his or her hand, but it is really a five to eight-deck game being shuffled every deck or less. There usually is a sign on the table that reads "Hand-Held Multi-Deck Game," though the casino will frequently try to hide the sign behind ashtrays or other objects on the table.
You can usually identify a fake double deck or fake single deck game by looking at the backs of the cards. If the backs of the cards being removed from the shuffling machine are the same color as the backs of the cards that were just played, it is very likely to be a fake double deck or fake single deck game.

- Superfun 21. Only a skilled advantage player can succeed at this game using an entirely different set of strategy numbers and plays than those for normal blackjack.
If played like normal blackjack, you are being taken advantage of. Frequently dealers and pit personnel will lie, telling an unsuspecting tourist that this game can be played "like regular blackjack," but it cannot. If this game is played like regular blackjack, expect to lose and lose very quickly.

- MindPlay Tables. MindPlay is a table that uses marked cards and knows the order of cards before they are dealt. An optical device is used to scan the cards and chips wagered by each player. By marking the cards and scanning the chips, casinos using this device can determine not only a player's average bet but also the player's skill level. The device also counts cards, and can be used to tell the dealer to shuffle whenever the count reaches a predetermined number, taking away any possible player advantage. Casinos that use MindPlay are able to squeeze players comp accounts, because they know exactly how much action you've put in play and for exactly how long you've played. This will dramatically curtail the ability of a pit boss to extend discretionary comps.
The easiest way to tell a MindPlay table is by the recessed "well" to the dealer's right. After shuffling or removing the cards from the shuffling machine, but before dealing, the dealer will insert the cards into this "well." Inside the "well" is a scanner that reads the marked cards, enabling the MindPlay device to know the exact order of the cards before they are dealt. A normal table does not have this recessed "well." In addition, you will see a black contraption that is used to hold the dealers first two cards. If you see such a table, do not play.

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