To differentiate, although the game play, rules, and techniques
you are to use are identical in online blackjack and casino
blackjack, there are still some points which contribute to the
outcome of the game which must be discussed to be realized.
By casino blackjack we mean the face-to-face game you play at
land based casinos. By online blackjack of course we mean the
software you use to play at an online casino. What's there difference?
Well, although there are potential differences between some
simple rules (such as the dealer being able to hit a soft seventeen,
or what odds a blackjack is paid at) for the most part the online
game should be identical with what is in the casino.
So what's different, given the online casino gives proper odds?
Its staring you right in the face… can you see it? The environment
you're playing in is different. Radically different. So what
you say? So a lot. The casinos in Vegas spend millions upon
millions of dollars ensuring that the environment you're playing
in is perfect for * them *, not for you. Every detail of the
interior of the casino is designed to be the perfect distraction.
No industry in the world is better at this technique, and nobody
else has refined things so well that you don't even notice its
happening. Beyond walking into the casino and realizing there
are no places to sit anywhere at all that are not in front of
a machine or table, once you are sitting down in a position
to give them money, a lot of effort is put into keeping you
there. From the complete lack of clocks, windows, or outside
intrusions, to the fresh oxygen pumped in so you never feel
groggy, Vegas has such complete control over your environment
that they can manage to keep gamblers in one place for hours
at a time... and increase their odds of winning (recall that
the house edge on many games is calculated, and more consistent,
over a longer period of game play, and as such the casinos are
more likely to keep more money if you play for an extended period).
Now do you see it staring you in the face? Your staring at
your home, the one place in the world where you have complete
control of your own environment. Think for a second about
how big an advantage this can really provide. While learning
blackjack (or any new game) you can take an hour between bets
to look up a table for basic strategy reference, or call brazil
if you happen to have a buddy who's an expert, or surf the
net for an informative site (ahem) about blackjack. Heck you
could email me your question and I could get back to you before
you even finish your hand! What casino in Vegas is going to
let you say 'oh hold on a second I have to go and make a phone
call to see what I should play next' - laughable. Truth is
this alone is enough to reduce the house edge in blackjack.
If you were to go out right now and spend a few hundred dollars
on a professional blackjack training course, half of your
time would be spent trying to memorize flash cards of proper
decision making in accordance to basic strategy. That's because
in casino blackjack, you need to be able to react very quickly
and you're not given time to think. This is the greatest advantage
the casino could possibly have over you. And now all of a
sudden, with online blackjack, it's the greatest advantage
you could possibly have over them. Every wondered about how
to count cards? You couldn't even mention the words at a land
based casino blackjack table. But you could have a printout
of techniques on the subject if you're playing from your own
living room. You can also have a nice cold drink in your hand,
not watered down, and no tip required.
