Online Gambling » Blackjack

Bonus Hacking 101: Because Bonus Whoring Is Old School!

Bonus Hacker — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:42:34 +0000

Yes, I said it. Bonus whoring is old school. For those of you who aren’t familiar with bonus whoring, it’s basically taking advantage of poker and casino bonus offers. Bonus whores sign up at a site, play the minimum required to clear the bonus, cash out, and move on to the next victim.

But don’t you tell people that they SHOULD take advantage of gambling bonuses?

Yes, I do, but not the same way that bonus whores do. See, I too was at one time, a bonus whore *shameful look*. I’ve changed my philosophy somewhat since then and advocate a slightly different approach I call bonus hacking. So how is bonus hacking different from bonus whoring? I’ll explain that and more in the following article.

As a new player I learned quickly that one of the keys to becoming a successful gambler was proper bankroll management. I started looking for any article I could find on building a bankroll. That’s when I discovered bonus whoring.

That was back in 2004, when bonus whoring was in its prime. Now, things have changed significantly. Most of it has gotten worse as far as players are concerned. Bonuses have become much more difficult to clear, and gambling sites now make examples of bonus whores by banning them and/or confiscating their winnings.

A new approach is needed to ensure new players have a chance to build a nice sized gambling bankroll, and gambling sites aren’t completely ripped off. So that brings me to the first difference between bonus whoring and bonus hacking;

Bonus whoring is shortsighted, while bonus hacking is in the long-term interest of players and gambling sites.

My main purpose is to help you make money gambling. However, in order for online poker rooms, online casinos, and bingo sites to continue providing quality bonus offers, we have to consider their interests as well. If selfish players (me included) hadn’t abused the gambling sites for the past few years, everyone would still be reaping the rewards of great online gambling bonuses. So what is the answer?

Bonus Hacking Principle #1: Play more than required

When playing for a particular gambling bonus, ALWAYS play between 50-75% more than is required.

For example, if a poker site requires that you get 100 points to clear a $100 bonus, you should get between 150 - 175 points before trying to cash out any winnings. This way, the site will view you as a valuable player, and gladly offer you bonuses in the future to come back. At the same time, they won’t be as inclined to change the bonus requirements to make their offer more difficult to clear.

While there is a slight chance that you will lose some of your winnings in the process, there is also the same chance that you’ll win even more.

Bonus whoring focuses mainly on poker bonuses. There’s nothing wrong with that, I love poker bonuses. But there’s so much more money to be made from casinos, bingo sites, sportsbooks, and even rummy and spades sites. If Bonus Hacking Principle #1 was the bad news, here’s the good news.

Bonus Hacking Principle #2: Diversify your bonus portfolio

Just like with investing, diversification is key. By expanding the range of bonus offers you take advantage of, you will make thousands of dollars more over time. It doesn’t matter if you want to be a poker player, a craps pro, or a blackjack card counter, there’s no reason you can’t take advantage of an online bingo bonus while you build your roll.

Are you ready to start your bonus hacking career? If you are, you need to stick around for the remainder of this series of articles on bankroll management. I’m going to show you how to build a bankroll of over $5,000 with gambling bonuses, and then how to manage your bankroll as you move up in stakes. It’s going to be very valuable information, so I hope you’ll join me as I show you how to make money gambling!

Do you have any questions about Bonus Hacking? Or perhaps you have an idea on how to improve the concept of Bonus Hacking – if so, let me hear about it!

Managing Your Blackjack Bankroll: How much is enough?

Bonus Hacker — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:45:51 +0000

Once you’ve learned blackjack and basic blackjack strategy, you may want to start taking your play more seriously. So this week’s Gambling Q&A will deal with blackjack bankroll management. Here’s a question that is asked a lot.

Hey BonusHacker, I’d like to start a separate bankroll for my blackjack play. What is the proper size bankroll for blackjack?

In this article, I’ll share with you the importance of establishing your blackjack bankroll, and what size you need to reduce the risk of going broke.

Why you need a blackjack bankroll

You’ll hear me say this over and over, but it’s always worth repeating. Practicing proper bankroll management is half of the winning formula when you are trying to make money gambling. I’m not talking the casual gamblers amongst you; I’m talking to you people who want to take this more seriously. Having the proper blackjack bankroll will allow you to play comfortably without worrying about going bust.

What is the right size blackjack bankroll

As with most things in gambling, it depends. Yes, there’s a formula for calculating bankroll size, but it’s likely to make your eyes glaze over. For the sake of those who don’t want to know all the complicated math, I’ll keep this answer relatively simple. Here’s the important information that you need to know.

You need a minimum of 20 bets per hour of blackjack. So if you’re betting $5 per hand, and want to play 5 hours, you should have $500 for that session ( 20 x $5 x 5 hours = $500). That doesn’t mean you need to buyin for $500. It means you should have that much money with you to avoid going broke. This refers to your session bankroll. Professional blackjack players would want around $10,000 to play at $5 per bet.

Did this article help you understand blackjack bankroll management? Please feel free to post any comments or questions you have about having the proper size blackjack bankroll.

Basic Blackjack Strategy Simplified

Bonus Hacker — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:25:14 +0000

Yesterday, in my article on learning blackjack, I introduced the most basic concepts, terms, and tips for new blackjack players.

In this, the second article in my Blackjack Strategy Guide series, I’ve simplified basic strategy for blackjack so that anyone can learn it in a short amount of time.

First, I’ll talk about how basic blackjack strategy works.

Next, I’ll go over the rules to my easy blackjack strategy.

Finally, I’ll tell you about an awesome tool that generates the correct blackjack strategy charts while you’re playing at an online casino.

What makes basic blackjack strategy so powerful

When computers were invented, mathematicians & blackjack players developed a simple, yet powerful strategy that virtually eliminates the house advantage. This is what is commonly referred to as, Basic Blackjack Strategy. As casinos come up with rule variations to gain an edge, blackjack experts quickly counter with a new strategy for that game.

Although you should eventually make yourself familiar with all the rule variations and strategy adjustments, there are certain universal blackjack rules that you will follow nearly always. Here they are.

Easy blackjack strategy for beginners

There are 10 hard and fast rules for blackjack strategy that apply to all blackjack games. You should work on memorizing this easy blackjack strategy before you start risking a lot of money.

You should ALWAYS:

Stand on 17 or better
Split aces and 8’s
Double down on 11
Hit on 12-16 when the dealer shows 7 or higher
Hit on 8 or less
Double down on 10 when dealer shows 9 or lower
Double down on 9 when dealer shows 6 or lower
Stand on soft 19 and soft 20
Double down on soft 13-18 when dealer shows 5, or 6
Split 3’s and 2’s when the dealer shows 4,5,6, or 7

You should NEVER:

Take insurance (or any other sucker bet)
Split 5’s
Split 20 with two 10/face cards

So many blackjack strategy charts… so little time

Once you start to master the easy blackjack strategy I presented in the last section, you’ll want to start using blackjack basic strategy charts. These charts will help you make tough decisions when the casinos change the rules. I’ve added a great tool for online blackjack players to manage different charts. If you took my advice from yesterday and started practicing blackjack for free (with no download) at Bodog Casino, it’d be wise to check out my new blackjack basic strategy charts to use while playing.

I hope you enjoyed this post about easy blackjack strategy. As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them in the comments.

Learning How to Play Blackjack for Fun & Profit

Bonus Hacker — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:15:17 +0000

This week’s theme will be one of the most popular casino games around, Blackjack. Sometimes referred to as 21 (twenty-one), Blackjack is one of the best gambling games you can play to win money. To start my Blackjack Strategy Guide, I’m going to teach you the very basics about how to play Blackjack.

Today is just to get your feet wet before getting into more advanced Blackjack strategies later this week. In this article, you’ll learn the 10 most important blackjack terms, basic blackjack rules, the best place to practice for free, plus my 5 tips for becoming a successful blackjack player. So if you’re ready to start learning the game of Blackjack, let’s go!

10 Blackjack terms you should know

Bankroll - The amount of funds you set aside to gamble.

Bust - If either you or the dealer goes over 21 its a bust.

Card Counting - Refers to the strategy of tracking the high and low cards played to gain an edge in blackjack.

Double Down - To double your initial bet and take exactly one more card.

Hit - To take another card.

Insurance - A side bet that the dealer has a blackjack.

Push - When you and the dealer tie by having the same total. Most of the time your bet is returned when there is a push.

Shoe Game - A blackjack game dealt from a shoe. Multiple deck games are usually shoe games, while single deck games are often dealt by hand.

Surrender - If you decide the odds are not in your favor, surrendering allows you to not play the cards you were dealt while keeping half your bet. Not all casinos offer the surrender option.

Stand - To decline additional cards.

Basic Blackjack rules

The Objective
The objective of Blackjack is to beat the dealer. You win by either having higher cards than the dealer without going over 21, or by standing on less than 21 when the dealer busts.

Card Values
In Blackjack, cards 2 through 10 are all equal to their number value. Face cards (Jacks, Queens, & Kings) are all count as ten (10). Aces can count as a one (1) or eleven (11). A hand with an ace in it is referred to as a soft hand, since the value can change. Here’s an example to illustrate.
Suppose you are dealt,

This can be either five or fifteen. If the dealer is showing a face card like , you’ll want to take a hit. You get another card and end up with,

Now you have 20! Sweet! Even though it could be a 10, you’re happy to stand on 20. The dealer shows,

and you win! (This game is easy, right?)

Blackjack table layout
Casinos deal Blackjack on a special table shaped like a semi-circle. Each player gets his or her own chair and section to play. You can buy chips from the dealer either by putting the cash on the table and requesting a certain amount, or by bringing chips from another table game. If you want to be dealt a hand, you place a bet inside the small betting circle in front of you.

Learn & play blackjack free online

Don’t feel like planning a trip to the casino? Don’t want to spend money to learn blackjack?

Good news, you don’t have to leave you home or have a monster bankroll to start learning blackjack right now!

You can practice at Bodog Casino without downloading any software.

Before you get started with Bodog’s no download blackjack, check out my five beginner tips.

5 Beginner Blackjack tips to help you succeed

1. Leave the lucky rabbit’s foot or miniature frog at home
If you ever want to make money gambling, you have to forget about all superstition. I know its fun to think that my miniature frog will somehow align the stars to give me gambling prosperity, but it won’t. (I really don’t have a miniature frog, no really I don’t). Gambling is a numbers game. Learn the math - forget the rabbit’s foot.

2. Learn & play basic blackjack strategy (without a chart)
Forget your hunches - learn & play perfect Blackjack basic strategy and you’ll be a step above most casual players. At first, it’ll be necessary to use a blackjack strategy chart while playing. You should make it a point to memorize perfect strategy and be able to do it in your sleep. Card counting and all that other advanced stuff will come later.

3. Insure your home & cars, but not the dealer
You should almost never take insurance. It’s a sucker bet. When & if you rise to the level of Blackjack card counter, you will know the few instances when taking insurance could be profitable. Otherwise, don’t do it!

4. Mange your money wisely
At the risk of sounding preachy, you should never gamble what you can’t afford to lose. That advice is for the most casual gamblers, who may put aside a few bucks a month to gamble. For those of you who plan to make some real money at Blackjack, you need to treat your Blackjack bankroll as gold. In any gambling venture, your bankroll is your lifeline. You should learn all you can about bankroll management if you plan to do this long term.

5. Build your starter bankroll online
Ah, isn’t the internet great? While most land-based casinos have $5-$10 minimum bet tables, you can play online blackjack for as little as $1. At land-based casinos, you may get a free buffet and a shirt for playing. Online you can get thousands of dollars in free sign-up bonuses. I hope you’ll always look to Bonushacker for online casinos with the best blackjack bonuses.

If you have any questions or comments about learning Blackjack, please feel free to post them.

4 Top Gambling Strategies to Help You Make Money Gambling

Bonus Hacker — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:00:37 +0000

There aren’t too many ways that someone can consistently make money gambling. However, I have found 4 top gambling strategies that will surely make you money. In the future, I’ll be spending a lot of time researching, testing, and teaching you more about these gambling strategies. For now I want to share them with you so you can decide for yourself which of these top gambling strategies you want to use to make money gambling.

1) Online Poker

When you play online poker, you’re playing against other opponents, not the house. For the past several years Texas Holdem has been the most popular choice among poker players. I just wrote an article on how to play Texas Holdem that you may want to read if you’re new to poker. I’ve made a lot of money playing poker so I know first-hand how lucrative the game can be.

Pros of playing online poker:

Lots of new players create plenty of money-making opportunities
It’s simple to learn to basics of poker and feel comfortable playing for real money
Many quality online poker rooms give players great poker bonuses which add to profits from the beginning

Cons of playing online poker:

To successfully move up to higher stakes takes a lot of study of the game and self-analysis
Due to the popularity of televised poker, online poker, and poker books, opponents are much stronger than in the past

2) Blackjack Card Counting

Recently made (even more) popular by the movie 21, blackjack card counting is a system of figuring out when you have an edge over the casino and thus, should bet bigger. Most of the time the house edge for blackjack is around .5% (meaning you lose $1 for every $200 you bet). By card counting in Blackjack you can gain an edge of .5% - 2% over the house (meaning you would make $5 - $20 per $1000 bet)! The key is to first learn and practice basic blackjack strategy first, and then study and master blackjack card counting.

Pros of Blackjack Card Counting:

There are plenty of resources including books, websites, and software to help you learn card counting
With the availability of online casinos, it’s easy to gain plenty of practice card counting before hitting the live casinos
Anytime you can gain an edge over the casino it is a “pro”

Cons of Blackjack Card Counting:

Just like any other area, if you want to be successful you will have to practice, learn, and master blackjack
Because casinos are aware of card counters, you will have to learn how to make money without arousing suspicion

3) Sports Arbitrage

Sports betting is a new area for me. It’s one that is intriguing to say the least. Sports arbitrage is a way to make money with each bet you make. To make it work, you have to find two different sportsbooks that are offering the right odds. Then you bet on both teams at different books. You will lose money on one bet and make more money on the other.

Pros of Sports Arbitrage:

Sophisticated professionals can make upwards of $100,000 per year using this method
The large number of sites that allow sports betting online give you more opportunities to find these “sure bets”

Cons of Sports Arbitrage:

It takes a lot of time, capital, and organization to get started developing the processes that will make you the most money
Without a large bankroll to have money at many different sportsbooks at the same time, transfer and withdrawal fees may eat away your profits

4) Gambling Bonuses

One of my favorite ways to make money gambling is with gambling bonuses. By finding and signing up at sites with the best gambling bonuses, you can make money without being an expert in any certain area. As long as you understand correct gambling bonus strategy, you can make a build a bankroll to pursue any of these other top gambling strategies.

Pros of Gambling Bonuses:

Provides a great way for new gamblers to build a bankroll
Plenty of competition between online gambling sites means bonuses will be around for a long time
Fun and easy to learn the strategy involved in getting top gambling offers

Cons of Gambling Bonuses:

Once you build a bankroll to over $5,000 other gambling strategies may yield more profits
If you immediately cash out after clearing a bonus the gambling site will label you as a bonus abuser and at a minimum refuse to give you future bonuses, and at a maximum refuse to pay your winnings

I hope this article has given you some ideas about how to make money gambling. If you’ve used any of these top gambling strategies with success, or have more questions about them please use the comments to share your thoughts.

Online Gambling » Blackjack

Bonus Hacking 101: Because Bonus Whoring Is Old School!

Bonus Hacking Principle #1: Play more than required

Bonus Hacking Principle #2: Diversify your bonus portfolio

Other articles you may enjoy…

Managing Your Blackjack Bankroll: How much is enough?

Why you need a blackjack bankroll

What is the right size blackjack bankroll

Other articles you may enjoy…

Basic Blackjack Strategy Simplified

What makes basic blackjack strategy so powerful

Easy blackjack strategy for beginners

So many blackjack strategy charts… so little time

Other articles you may enjoy…

Learning How to Play Blackjack for Fun & Profit

10 Blackjack terms you should know

Basic Blackjack rules

Learn & play blackjack free online

5 Beginner Blackjack tips to help you succeed

Other articles you may enjoy…

4 Top Gambling Strategies to Help You Make Money Gambling

1) Online Poker

2) Blackjack Card Counting

3) Sports Arbitrage

4) Gambling Bonuses

Other articles you may enjoy…