My favourite games...

Ontario's casinos offer a good variety of games to play. In general, you can see me at any table (except Roulette, which I abhor) but I have a few favourites. Here they are:

Blackjack Switch: You get dealt two blackjack hands and you get to switch the top card for the other. That means if you get dealt a 10-6 and an 5-10, you can switch it to a 10-10 and 5-6, which is way better! You still get to split and double down. The house, however, gets to push on a 22 and player blackjacks get paid 1-1. The Wizard of Odds calculates the house advantage at .58%, but the Great Blue Heron (where I play it) stands on any 17, lowering the house advantage to a mere 0.36%. Because you push on 22, the basic strategy changes slightly, and you should print out the strategy page and bring it with you.

Blackjack: Ontario's casinos mostly have liberal rules for blackjack and use alot of decks and the continuous shuffler to avoid card counters. The house advantage is 0.38% and is an excellent game. What I don't like about this game is the high minimums ($15 - $25) and the people (and dealers) giving me bad advice. Bring your strategy card and follow the advice (in a previous post). This game is my staple as it offers a very low house advantage and is fun to play. You get to multiply your bet to your advantage and you can go up (or down) very fast.

Craps: Name another game where you control the outcome (by throwing the dice). While craps looks complicated, it is a simple game to play (I'll illustrate in a later post) with house advantage sitting below 1.6% for the basic bets. The players are all relying on your throw to determine their financial outcome as well as yours. The game is filled with superstition: female first time rollers are lucky, male ones are unlucky; if you throw the dice off the table, ask for the same dice; throw the same way every time; never say SEVEN; you'll throw badly after the stickman changes; you'll throw badly if you order or receive a drink; you'll throw badly if your partner approaches the table. So the game is alot of fun: cheering when you win; lamenting your losses and trying to figure out how you threw that seven when you lose. You can bet on ANY number, at any time. It is a great, great game. I've had great rolls and I've had terrible rolls.

Blackjack Tips

Blackjack, by far, is the best game to play, in Ontario's casinos. However, it is only a great game when you know how to play it.

Blackjack has become more popular with the movie "21". As a result, it is almost impossible to find $5 dollar tables in Niagara Falls, Rama, Great Blue Heron, or Windsor. Brantford sometimes has a $5 table but it seems always full.

Typically, weekend nights will make the minimums at blackjack at $15 at most Ontario Casinos.

You can buy blackjack books and read up on blackjack online, but all you need is a basic strategy card (you can visit the Wizard of Odds page on blackjack, here) to view it and print it. Follow the strategy (you can have it at the table), and you will do the best you could possibly do. Here are some tips:

• Memorize basic strategy. Bring the card with you until you do. This goes for Spanish 21, Blackjack Switch, or regular blackjack.
  
• Never bet insurance, or take "even money". You are betting up to half of your bet to bet that 4 cards of 13 are a 10.
  
• Don't be afraid to hit those 12s on a 2 or 3. Players and even the dealer will admonish you for hitting that 12, especially when you get a 10 and the dealer makes a hand (17 - 21). Standing on a 12 has a house advantage of 29.3% on a dealer 2 and 25.2% on a dealer 3, while hitting has a house advantage of 25.3% on a 2 and 23.3% on a 3. So it's better to follow the strategy.
  
• Don't be afraid to hit those soft 18s against the dealers 9, 10, 11 and to double it against the 2-6. Hitting A-7 will help you more than it will hurt you. Standing on 18 has a expected loss of 18.3%, 17.8%, and 10% vs a 9, 10 or 11. Hitting has an expected loss of 10, 14.3, and 9.3% against the same dealer 9, 10 or 11.
• Don't be afraid to stand on 16 against a dealer 10, especially when your 16 is made up of 3 or more cards and you see alot of small cards on the table. The strategy for hitting reduces your house edge by a mere 0.06% versus standing. Remember that for every A-5 on the table reduces the odds that you will get one by 1% for each one that you see (there are 100 A-5 in a five deck infinite shuffles). Seeing small cards out there increases the odds that you won't get one. So stay on that 16 if you see a bunch of small cards (that outnumber the big ones).
  
• Double and split when you should. This is an essential part of your strategy. This includes the more "risky" one, like doubling an A on a 10 and the soft doubles. Never double 8s.
  
• Don't admonish people for making boneheaded moves. Sometimes the person at third base (the last person to receive cards) will do something dumb like stand on a 14 against a 10. But remember that the dealer is just as likely to pull a 3-7 as much as the player. It's their money.
  
• Don't get mad at the dealer for making his/her hands. She doesn't control the cards coming out of the shoe. You can get up and leave at any time.
  
• Give people advice if you know the answer and the player is seeking it.
• Avoid the side bets, ESPECIALLY Lucky Ladies (house advantage 25%) and Super Sevens (12%). Perfect Pairs and the Streak offer a house advantage of 4 and 3.2% respectively.
• Don't be afraid of the continuous shuffle machines. They do not affect the house advantage significantly at all.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos.