STREETWISE BLACKJACK

On Winning

Those of us who have played the game for a while realize how difficult it is to win at blackjack, or any type of gambling. Realizing everyone's character and approach to life is different, there are certain qualities which will enhance your chances of reaching the window and collecting.

One of the many documentaries I've been part of recently was aired last week The following day, a man came by Gambler's Book Shop and asked for me. When I greeted him, he told me he saw me on TV and liked my presentation concerning blackjack. Then said he had been losing steadily, a great deal of money, and wanted to know how to get it back. This isn't the first time I've been asked this question, just the most recent.

There are a couple of different ways of looking at this: there is humor involved as the question might be construed as ridiculous. But, it was sincere and has been asked frequently enough to warrant a reasonable response.

This just in... People love to gamble! Problem is, they love to gamble so much they lose because they don't take the time to learn how to win. I can illustrate this with an example which might sound familiar to more than a few folks.

You drive/fly into Las Vegas for your business/vacation visit. After the customary hotel lobby follies, you reach your room. Do you relax, take a shower, a nap, sit down and catch your breath? No way! You head right back down that elevator shaft and make a beeline straight for the casino. You hit the tables running, with both fists. Naturally, you're thirsty so the alluring cocktail waitress and her tray of adult beverages is looking mighty fine. Second time 'round, it looks even better.

By the time you catch your breath, you're stuck $500. This was not the welcome mat you expected. At this point things usually get progressively worse, with blame placed on the dealer, casino, fickle lady luck, the ex-wife, anything or body but the main culprit. These unfortunate losing souls surface Monday morning at Gambler's Book Shop, dragging their shriveled bankrolls, seeking assistance.

Might I be so bold as to suggest a startling new approach. Before you get town, try reading as much as you can. Assuming you aren't the reincarnation of Ken Uston and don't play blackjack for a living, you will profit greatly from studying the game. I've been playing for more than three decades and am always reading, practicing on the computer or discussing the game with customers, dealers and friends. I try to have an open mind and learn from the experiences of others.

After you've analyzed the seemingly simple but deceptive game of blackack, you might want to consider looking at one of several publications which specify the latest playing conditions of most American casinos -- Stanford Wong's Current Blackjack News (monthly, $10), Arnold Snyder's Blackjack Forum (quarterly, $12.50) or Eddie Olsen's Blackjack Confidential (monthly, $15). All three offer up-to-date evaluations of games, the latter two magazines filled with articles bound to increase your playing savvy (all available at GBS).

If plumbers carry wrenches and carpenters their hammers and saws, all we bring to "workplace" is a singular tool -- the brain. To play well, your brain needs to be functioning optimally. When you are tired, over-wrought, or in a panic, these are not states of well-being. The synapses are not snapping sharply -- your play will reflect it. If you are in a mean losing streak, you should consider stopping. Las Vegas and its casinos are open 24/7 -- seats are always available.

Come to town with the fruits of your reading and practicing behind you -- you're loaded for bear. Then, after you check in, RELAX! You don't need to rush into a deep black hole called losing. Again, to belabor a crucial point -- it's very difficult to win. You want to be at your best.

The worst blackjack beating I ever took was on a day years ago I should never have played. I was upset, not in the right frame of mind. Still I stubbornly sat down and got my rear end walloped. Nothing good happened. Every blackjack was tied, every 20 was beat by a blackjack or 6-card pull, every 19 lost to a 20, every hard double brought a stiff and all splits busted. It was a player's nightmare with no end. Why didn't it? Because I refused to leave.

If you play long enough, you will find yourself in a losing situation. Then, one of three things occur. You pour more money into the existing black hole and fortunately turn things around; disasterously, you lose even more money, or you stop. Sometimes it seems you can't lose, sometimes, it seems you can't win, and sometimes it's a battle back and forth. You win a bit and lose a bit but the game just doesn't go anywhere. Almost as bad as losing is when you put yourself in a situation where you stayed too long at the fair -- you were up enough money to grin about and you gave it all back and then some. Inevitably, you feel like a fool -- you didn't know when to stop. You got greedy. If you're winning and start to lose -- STOP!

That's the thing about gambling -- you never know. Again, everyone is different. Some people play a tight, conservative game designed to protect their financial health. Others are risk-takers, hoping for bigger scores but bound to suffer greater losses when things go sour. I can't tell you the "right" way to play -- you have to be comfortable with your own style.

I will suggest you learn as much as you can about blackjack or any game before you spend your hard-earned money. Like I told the inquisitive fellow attempting to discover how to get his money back -- I'm not in the funds recovery business. In gambling as in life, there are no guarantees. (Yes, I've seen the ads, for years, promising all sorts of assurances you will WIN, WIN WIN!). In the first place, don't put yourself in a position to need a defibulator for a rescue -- don't play games you can't win and play smart in those you have a fighting chance. Secondly, you need to play when you are clear to put yourself in a position to win. Finally, when you do win, keep the money in your pocket. If you won it, it's yours. You're not playing with "their" money -- it's yours fair and square!