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B |
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B. 1) Acronym for bonus may be available. 2) Acronym for bad penetration.
BA
. Acronym for Stanford Wong's Blackjack Analyzer - a software program. . {CS} To count cards while standing beside or behind a table but not actually playing. This technique is particularly useful for multiple-deck shoes because the counter can wait for a favorable count before he wagers any money. In single and double-deck games the dealer will be more prone to shuffle up on you. This technique is usually done from a position in back of the players and can be the basis of team play. See Wonging.back-off. To be informed by casino management or pit personnel that you may no longer play blackjack in their establishment or that you must flat-bet if you play or you must limit your bet spread if you play.
back room. The room or area in which a suspected cheat or card counter is questioned by casino security personnel. See cheating.
. Also called backer man. Also called the bankroll. An individual or group who finances a game.back-spotter. A back-spotter is someone who counts cards without being seated at the blackjack table. He/she will signal for another team member to place a bet when the count is high or high enough.
backlining. The rule option that allows standing players to place bets on or along side of a seated player's bet. Typically, the seated player is always in charge of playing the hand. This option is very popular in Europe where you will find several players standing behind a winning player and betting along side him.
Bahamas.
Blackjack is offered on Grand Bahama (Freeport) and New Providence (Nassau) Island. At
time of writing, the following casinos were in operation:
[6,7/86, 2,7,8/87, 4/89 Olsen Blackjack Confidential]
[Sum 93 Dalton Blackjack Review]
[90 Gaffney Winning BJ in Atlantic City and...87]
[9/89 Jay Blackjack in the Bahamas BJF]
bank risk of ruin. See risk of ruin.
. A term used in social blackjack games where the players share the responsibility of being dealer or banker. Some establishments (e.g., California card rooms) have offer blackjack games which require a player to be banker. . (BR) 1) A money management term referring to the total amount of money that a player or team has set aside for gambling purposes. See betting handle. See joint bankroll. 2) See backer.
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bar. As in to be barred from a casino. A casino game control measure to restrict a game from undesirables. This includes cheats, disorderly persons and players suspected of card counting at blackjack. See cheating. [1/80 Wong Dec 1979 in A.C. WBN] [80 Barred Counter Uston Taking... C&S Vol.14,24] [81 Uston Million Dollar Blackjack 255] [81 Eddie How to...Never Get Barred C&S Vol.15,30] [81 Eddie ...An Anti-Barring Tactic C&S Vol.17,22] [83 ...Rep. the Barred Counter C&S Vol.22,76] [83 Notice of Trespass C&S Vol.23,65] [12/86 Wong The Nevada Trespass Statute... BJF 9] [ http://www.BJRnet.com/member/openfree_archive6/index.cgi?read=4561 ] |
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basic strategy. {BS}. Also called the zero sum strategy or the strategy for a neutral deck. A mathematically derived and computer proven system providing the optimal way of playing any hand and based only on the values of the player's cards and dealer's up-card. The basic strategy is slightly different for single and multi-deck games and due to rule variations. See chapter 4 for comprehensive basic strategy charts that cover most games in the world.
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The first scientific and mathematically sound attempts to devise a basic strategy were made by Roger R. Baldwin, et al in 1953. In 1962, Edward O. Thorp published his findings of an optimal blackjack strategy utilizing a high-speed computer. Thorp's work was later refined by Julian H. Braun who wrote the first program for computing the exact probabilities of the game. See Basic Strategy Charts.
Frequently Asked
Question
What is the "correct" basic strategy for
blackjack?
[56 Baldwin Optimum Strategy in Blackjack]
[66 Thorp Beat the Dealer]
[80 Braun How to Play Winning Blackjack]
[80 Revere Playing Blackjack as a Business 43]
[81 Uston Million Dollar Blackjack 45]
[88 Griffin Theory of Blackjack]
[90 Zender Card Counting for the Casino Exec. 20]
[92 Wong Basic Blackjack]
[Fall 92 Dalton Lesson 2: Basic Strategy]
basic strategy card. A convenient pocket sized card (plastic or paper) that contains the correct basic strategy for the game being played. Most casinos will allow players to use these cards as long as they do not slow the game down. See basic strategy.
 Be cautious of basic strategy
cards that are purchased in the casinos. They are not always accurate. |
Baye's Theorem. Named after Rev. Thomas Bayes, an 18th century mathematician.
Baye's calculations were published in 1763, two years after his death and brought into
its modern form shortly thereafter by the great French mathematician Pierre Simon de
Laplace. Baye's theorem is the fundamental mathematical law governing the process of
logical inference—determining what degree of confidence we may have, in various
possible conclusions, based on the body of evidence available. This is exactly the process
of predictive reasoning; therefore, to arrive at a logically defensible prediction one
must use Bayes’ theorem.
[ http://www.bayes.com/theorem.htm
]
[ http://www.dis.strath.ac.uk/vie/CaDDiS/docs/Bayes_Theorem.html
]
[ http://turnbull.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/References/Bayes.html
]
[ http://www.pass.maths.org/issue9/news/banks/index.html
]
BC. Acronym for betting correlation.
BCA
. Acronym for Stanford Wong's Blackjack Count Analyzer - a software program.BE. Acronym for betting efficiency.
Beat the Dealer Computer
. {BS} (H.T. Bean, Technical Research of Florida) A non-electronic and palm-sized mechanical computer developed by Dr. H. T. "Tom" Bean in 1964 with some assistance from Edward Thorp. This plastic device was basically a circular slide rule that computed others/tens. The ratio and the bet size could be read visually or they could be obtained by touch.| Players should be aware that
cards held in the hand with no borders are easier to deal seconds
from. The diamond design dazzles the player and generally makes it impossible to see
whether the dealer has pulled a top card or a second. Many casinos use Bee brand cards
with or without their own logo printed in the center of the card. |
BEP
. Acronym for break-even-point.Benson, Leonard. Developer of Power Numbers Blackjack.
bet. A wager in dollars or checks (chips) that a player makes before the cards are dealt.
bet sizing
. To vary one's bet according to the advantage held in any given situation.bet spread
. See spread. . To vary one's bet as the count or other system indicator rises and lowers. See play variation.betting
correlation. (BC) An index measure of how closely a card
counting system approximates the advantage that a player has in a given situation. The
best betting efficiencies approach 100% when the ace is given a non-zero point
value. These indices are often used to compare the relative strengths of one system over
another. See playing efficiency.
[88 Griffin Theory of Blackjack
43]
[90 Chambliss Fundamentals of Blackjack 86]
[82 Snyder The Blackjack Formula 85]
[ http://www.bjmath.com/bjmath/Stats/correl.htm
]
betting progressions
. See progressions.betting ratio
. The mathematical ratio between the highest and lowest bets placed by a player.betting spread
. See spread.betting strategy
. As compared with playing strategy. The strategy a player uses in sizing his bets before being dealt his first two cards. See spread. . In mathematics, the difference between the estimated value and the true value of a statistic obtained by random sampling. In blackjack, a bias can be described as a tendency in the game. A player bias is often defined as a game where most players are winning and a dealer bias as a game where the dealer is winning most hands. A bias in either of these situations would imply that these games would have a tendency to continue as before. However, it can also be said that the standard deviation of a number of hands of blackjack can account for both these cases. Whether detectable and exploitable player biases exist in blackjack is still a very controversial subject. See TARGET."New" BIAS Barometer. {RWC}. (c1988). (Douglas J. Devine and Jerry Patterson). An updated version of the BIAS Barometer reflecting the effects of such things as player breaks, the dealer two-card total, integrity of the table (vs hand). Not recommended. See TARGET.
BIB
. Acronym for Arnold Snyder's Blackbelt in Blackjack.big
player. (BP). The blackjack team player that
makes the large bets but does not count cards. The BP is often supported by team members
who are making small bets or not playing at all. It is generally preferable for the BP to
be to the left of the counter. This allows the counter to dispose of his cards prior to
using his hand (or hands) to signal the BP how to play. See high
roller. See gorilla BP.
[81 Uston Million Dollar Blackjack
167]
[86 Uston Ken Uston on Blackjack 98]
BJ. 1) In a casino, the letters on the drop box beneath a twenty-one
table. 2) Acronym for blackjack.
1) [79
Newman Dealer's Special 12]
BJA. 1) Acronym for Stanford Wong's Blackjack Analyzer software. 2) Acronym for Donald Schlesinger's book Blackjack Attack.
BJAPR. Acronym for Michael Dalton's Blackjack: A Professional Reference. This was the former title for the document you are currently reading.
BJmath. This is the official web site for Richard
Reid's web site which emphasizes the mathematics of blackjack.
[ http://www.bjmath.com ]
bj21. This is the official web site for Stanford
Wong's Current Blackjack
News and online blackjack discussion groups.
[ http://www.bj21.com ]
BJC. Acronym for Eddie Olsen's Blackjack Confidential magazine.
BJF. Acronym for Arnold Snyder's Blackjack Forum magazine. See Bishop
BJFB. Acronym for Bryce Carlson's book Blackjack for Blood.
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BJ Quick-Eye. CRN Enterprises, El Monte, CA. This is an ingenious device for speed
reading cards based on the principles of a tachistoscope. It is comprised of a viewing
tube and a card-sliding tray and may be helpful for players alert enough to spot cards
accidentally flashed by a dealer.
[82 Casino & Sports Vol.21,40]
[5/82 Wong Nevada Blackjack Vol.4,83]
[6/82 Snyder Blackjack Forum
41]
[ http://www.BJRnet.com/member/bjapr/BJQuickEye.htm
]
BJR. Acronym for Michael Dalton' Blackjack Review magazine.
BJRnet. This is the official web site for Michael
Dalton's Blackjack Review Network.
[ http://www.BJRnet.com ]
BJW. Acronym for Stanford Wong's Blackjack World newsletter.
black. Short for a black check, a $100 chip. See black action. See black chip.
. A phrase that the dealer might make to inform pit personnel that a player is wagering black checks. This is typical house policy at most casinos. See green action.black
chip. (BC) 1) A $100 value casino chip.
2) A reference to one of the restricted member's only pages on Stanford Wong's blackjack
discussion group.
[ http://www.bj21.com
]
black
book. Also written blackbook. Also called the list
of excluded persons. In Nevada, the state-maintained list of undesirable people who
must be excluded from gambling establishments by the owners. See Griffin Investigations.
[87 Clark Dictionary of Gambling &
Gaming 19]
black box
. A small calculator or computer dedicated to providing the correct play strategy based on a given count or to determine the true count. See computers (concealed).black check. See black.
Black Jack Calculator
. {BS} (C.W. Roden) Milwaukee, WI. A cardboard basic strategy wheel that can fit in your hand.Black-Jack-O-Matic
. {BS}. TBD blackjack
(BJ). 1) Common reference to the game of twenty-one, a card game played between a
dealer and one to seven players. Also called vingt-et-un, pontoon, and van-john.
2) When the player's first two cards are an ace and any ten valued card. Also called natural and snapper.
In casino twenty-one a blackjack is an automatic winner unless tied by a
dealer blackjack. Typical casino rules pay player blackjack wins at 3 to 2. (e.g., a $5
bet will win $7.50.) If a blackjack always wins but is paid at even money the basic strategy player is at a loss of about 2.1%.
If paid at 2 to 1 the player has an advantage of about +2.3%. The origins of
the game of blackjack are somewhat uncertain but it is known to have been played in this
country early in the eighteenth century. It is also said to have been the favorite game of
Napoleon. Only in relatively recent years has it been called blackjack. See Rules of the Game.[ http://www.BJRnet.com ] [1875 American Hoyle ???] [38 Asbury Sucker's Progress 49] [80 A Look at Blackjack in the 1930's C&S V.13, 29] [1887 U.S.Playing Card Official Rules 228] |
| Translations for: blackjack Deutsch (German):
Schlagstock, schwarze Piratenflagge Français (French): matraque Español (Spanish):
porra, cachiporra, veintiuna Italiano (Italian): sfollagente, gioco di carte Português
(Portuguese): n. porrete (m), espécie (f) de carvalho (Quercus marilandica) (Bot.),
vinte-e-um (m) (jogo de cartas) Nederlands (Dutch): wapenstok, zeeroversvlag, leren
drinkkruik, eenentwintigen, afdwingen, met de wapenstok slaan Svenska (Swedish): n.
blydagg (amer. gummibatong med blyklump) |
Blackjack II. An anti-card-counting system developed by Thomas Kadlic (President of
Vingt-Et-Un Corp, Absecan, NJ) and Murray Kirch for the casinos. A double shoe with 12
decks held in two separate compartments was proposed. Six decks would be red and six decks
would be blue with the deal alternating based on suit color.
[81 Kadlic Blackjack II - An Anti-Card
Counting Sys.]
Blackjack '21' Calculator
. A Radio Shack wallet-sized blackjack calculator. (Catalog #60-30-11)Blackjack (21) Solitaire
. {PBS}. (c1979?) (John Bollinger) Long Beach, CA. TBDBlackjack Calculator
. (c1979). Toshiba BC-1010 BJ calculator. Similar to the Unisonic Computer calculator this is a 10-digit game in which you can be player or dealer. It features betting, insurance, double-down, splitting pairs and hit or stay decisions. A win-loss function keeps track of how you are doing. It's also a regular calculator. Originally sold for about $30 from the May Company (West) and Eastern Department Stores.Blackjack Gold Card
. {BS} (1991) (Charles Jay) Charles Jay Enterprises, Hallandale, FL. A nice pocket sized basic strategy card (4 sides) that gives an accurate basic strategy for multiple-deck games, variations for single-deck, DAS, no soft doubling, and surrender. Helpful information and 11 cardinal rules. . A bonus game offered at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City during 1992. Jackpots started at $250 and increased by 1 cent per second until a player was dealt an ace of spades and the jack of spades on the first round of an 8-deck game.Blackjack-Mate
. {BS}. (Lantana, FL) (c1978). A 1-2-3-5 progression betting system is offered along with inaccurate advice on basic strategy and insurance. Originally sold for about $10. Not recommended.Blackjack Playmate
. {BS}. (c1999) A pocket sized basic strategy wheel.Blackjack Profits. {PBS}. Whit McCall. TBD
Blackjack Shields
. A card counting prevention apparatus designed by Kenneth C. Dylag of Westmont, IL. A method to prevent players from seeing each other's hands.Blackjack Winning Wheel
. {BS}. Artech Products. TBDblind shuffle
. A procedure for appearing to mix a pack of cards while maintaining a stacked deck. See false shuffle.blister
. {CHS}. As in dealing a blister. A cheating technique whereby a deck is prepared in advance by lightly pressing all of the high cards (or all of the low cards) against a tiny needle-like projection. This leaves a bump or blister which the dealer can feel.body language
. See tell play.BON
. See bonus. . (B) As in a bonus hand. To be paid extra or to win automatically on special hands. Only a few casinos offer bonuses on special card combinations. These bonuses can include the following hands:Occasionally, you will also find bonus options offered to players. These
include, for example, the option to double-down on any number of cards. (e.g., Las
Vegas Club) See Progressive Blackjack.
[81 Uston Million Dollar Blackjack
41]
[92 Wong Basic Blackjack]
bonus code
. A reference to an online casino bonus code which offers new players an incentive to deposit and play in their casino. For example, the PartyCasino.com online casino has offered a 100% cash bonus up to $75 on a first deposit for new players. In this case, bonus code "BJRCASINO" would have to be used to activate the special free money offer. When searching the internet for poker, blackjack and online casino bonus codes the most important thing to take into account is whether the advertised bonus code is valid. Only use a bonus code from a web site you trust! To verify the above bonus code is still valid and for more information on other bonus codes offered by the Blackjack Review Network visit the web sites below.bop
. {CS} To jump from table to table as decks or shoes become favorable to the player. See Wonging. See table hopping.Boyd System
. {PCS/L1}. Also called The Play Better Blackjack System. (C. Boyd). TBDBP
. 1) Acronym for big player. 2) Acronym for bad penetration.BR
. Acronym for bankroll.
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Braun, Julian H. Author of the book How
to Play Winning Blackjack. Braun was a major influence in the
development of computer proven blackjack systems. In addition to the High-Low Braun calculated the strategies for Lawrence Revere's books and the Hi-Opt
I and II systems. Julian Braun died on September 4, 2000, after a long
illness.
[ http://www.gamblersbook.com/ruchman0403.htm
]
[ http://www.rge21.com/lib/refpgs/braunart.htm
]
[ http://www.casinogaming.com/columnists/blackjack/022501.html
]
[ http://www.casinogaming.com/columnists/blackjack/030401.html
]
[ http://www.casinogaming.com/columnists/blackjack/031101.html
]
[ http://www.casinogaming.com/columnists/blackjack/031801.html
]
Braun High-Low. {PCS/L1} (Julian Braun)
(c1971). See Hi-Lo System.
A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
-1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 -1
BC = .97 PE = .51
[80 Braun Casino & Sports
Vol.10,39]
[80 Braun How to Play Winning Blackjack]
[81 Julian Braun Interview BJF]
| Dealers will break, on
average, approximately 28% of the time. Basic
strategy players, on the other hand, will bust only about
16% on average. |
break card clumping
. The clumping effects of player breaking. Generally limited to multi-deck games.break cards
. Cards valued 6 through 10. The only cards that can break the dealer or the player since all dealers must stand on 17 and most players stand on 17 as well.break down a bet
. In casino dealing, to separate a stack of chips of various colors into separate stacks, each of a single denomination. This is performed by dealers to make it easier to pay off the bet and, as casino policy, to prevent cheating on the dealer's part. See rainbow bet. . A new dealer or a dealer in training.break-in tells
. Term coined by Steve Forte to refer to tells given off break-in dealers when they fear having to pay off big rainbow bets.break the bank
. A blackjack team expression referring to the time when monies are distributed to members of the team.break the deck
. To shuffle up. To stop the play of the hands and reshuffle. Often used as a casino game control measure when a player is suspected of card counting and that player suddenly increases his bet.breaking hand
. Two cards totaling 12 through 16 points. So called because a single card may put the total point count over 21. See break.BRH. {PCS} A reference to the card countings systems as developed by Brett
Harris. The BRH Card Counting Systems make use of significant advances in card counting techniques in the late 1990s.
In particular, they are unbalanced running or true count systems. BRH-1 is very similar to Wong Halves multiplied by two,
but while being easier to use, it is a more powerful system. BRH-II is related to HiOpt-II, but may be converted to BRH-I
for betting using a secondary count. A report was available with accompanying diskettes for an additional charge or the
800 pages of diskette material could be emailed to you. See Ubalo.
[ http://www.BJRnet.com/member/archive/BRH.htm
]
BRH-0. {PCS/L2} (Brett Harris) More info.
A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
-2 2 2 2 2 2 1 0 0 2
BC = ?? PE = ??
BRH-I. {PCS/L3} (Brett Harris) More info.
A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
-2 1 2 2 3 2 1 0 0 -2
BC = ?? PE = ??
BRH-II. {PCS/L2} (Brett Harris) More info
A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 1 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 -2
BC = ?? PE = ??
bridge. {CHS} A card bent in such a fashion as to be recognized by the person
making the cut, indicating that the cards are to be cut at that place. A
bridge is a card slightly curved and may have been intentional or unintentional. See warp.
[87 Clark Dict of Gambling & Gaming
27]
BS
. Acronym for basic strategy.BTD. Acronym for Ed Thorp's book Beat the Dealer.
. An action in which a dealer, by squeezing the top card on a deck between his little finger and the heel of his hand, can see the index value of the card before dealing it. . A dealing term referring to the push dealer's often make with a stack of chips into a player's shorter bet stack while cutting the excess chips off so that both stacks are equal. Payoffs are usually performed this way, however, players should be aware that a expert dealer can manipulate the chips in such a way as to actually cheat the players out of their own chips and the payoff itself. This cheating technique can be done only when the player has a multiple unit bet out. . As in to burn a card. To remove a card from play. See burn card. . The card that is removed at the beginning of a new deck or shoe, or when a new dealer comes on duty. One or more burn cards are typically placed in a discard tray or on the bottom of a hand-held deck of cards. In single-deck games the burn card is usually not shown and in multi-deck games it may be shown on request at some casinos. In single-deck games, especially, it is very advantageous for the player to know the value of the burn card(s). . As in to bury a card. To place a card in the middle of a deck or among the discards, so that it cannot be readily located. . {PCS/L2} (T. Hopper) An alternative to the T-H Intermediate and T-H Advanced systems. See T-H Card Counting System(s).A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
-1 2 2 2 2 2 1 0 0 -2
BC = ?? PE = ??
bust. See break.
. This is a side bet that you will break with exactly one card. Changes to basic strategy include betting the bust box with 15 and 16 vs 7,8,9,10,ace and 17 vs 8,9,10,ace.PA = +6% to +8% (bust box bet)
PA = +3% to +4% (original bet)
PA = +0.2% (overall value)
[92 Wong Basic Blackjack]
Bustout Blackjack
. (1993) Also called Bustout 21. A side bet where players can bet that the dealer will bust with a 10 valued card when he has a total of 12-16 on his first two cards. This makes this bet similar to the insurance bet except the option will come up 4 times as often and you can bet twice as much!. This side bet was first introduced at the Golden Gate casino in Las Vegas during the Summer of 1993.button
. See marker button.buy-in. The amount of money exchanged at a table for chips before beginning play. For example, a typical buy-in at a $5 minimum table might be $100. The dealer, in many cases, would usually give the player two green $25 chips and ten red $5 chips. A typical player buy-in chart (see below) can therefore be developed from actual observations of how most players enter a game.
TYPICAL PLAYER BUY-IN CHART |
|
TABLE MINIMUM $1 |
BUY IN $10 |
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