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Bill Kaplan – Essential Rules to Improve Your Blackjack

All blackjack players have heard of Bill Kaplan. This Harvard graduate set up and ran the very successful MTI blackjack team that took the casinos to the cleaners in the 1980's. Today their exploits are still regarded with awe. But they would be practically impossible to replicate. Casino security has come a long way over the last 40 years. The idea that you could count cards in blackjack and go unnoticed would just not happen. But Bill Kaplan still has some advice for today's blackjack players.

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Bill Kaplan’s Essential Rules to Improve Your Blackjack

If you’re a serious blackjack player, then for sure you would have heard the name, Bill Kaplan. Within all blackjack playing circles, the name resonates as someone who was determined to beat casinos at the blackjack gaming tables. His claim to fame was that he put together a team of MTI researchers, who then hit up casinos around the US and made an absolute killing. It was Bill Kaplan who came up with the original idea and then provided the training program for his team members. The seed money they started with was around $90,000. But they managed to double this in around 2 months of playing. After that, they increased their income dramatically and managed to walk away with millions of dollars from many different casinos across the country.

It’s A Different Strategy Today

When you read about Bill Kaplan’s exploits, you might be tempted to think that someone could probably do that today. But you’d need a tremendous amount of time, limitless resources, and a high level of intelligence to follow in his footsteps. Then there’s the fact that today’s casinos are completely different beasts from those in his time. Casino security and the introduction of card shuffling machines have seen the death of card counting in casino games, particularly blackjack.

But there’s no need to repeat his previous actions. Bill Kaplan is only too happy to share his jackpot winning tips and tricks for all blackjack players. One word of warning though, none of these tips may guarantee you a wonderful payday. But even today, they do still represent some interesting insights into blackjack strategy and gameplay. If you can combine some of these correctly together, then you stand a much greater chance of increasing your winnings. And equally importantly, at the same time reducing your losses. Once you’re competent with following his advice, then why not head over to King Billy Casino. They have many versions of live dealer blackjack and many other fantastic casino table games.

The Basic Math From Bill Kaplan

As you well know, blackjack is really just about statistics. There are a number of rules which exemplify the fact that this is a numbers game. For example, as Bill Kaplan points out, statistically speaking, it’s said that you should always double down on 11, split 8’s and aces, and always hit a soft 16. Likewise, you should always stand on a 17 or higher. On the other hand, it’s a bad idea to stand on a 12 to 16, especially if the dealer’s score shows 7 or more. You also have to keep in mind that in all casino games, there’s going to be a huge luck factor involved.

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Bad Habits Die Hard

You’ll be surprised at how many bad habits blackjack players pick up over the course of their playing career. What’s more, in many cases they are not even aware of them. Many of these have nothing to do with the overall jackpot winning strategies. But they do have an effect on the gameplay. Bill Kaplan points out a classic example is playing too long without taking any time for breaks. Some players have an addiction to playing the most foolish moves as if to see what the result might be. Then there are those players who fall into the trap of thinking they are on a winning streak. Of course, as we all know, even the best of luck will run out eventually.

There’s No Hot and Cold

Whenever we hear the term “hot” or “cold” in reference to casino games, it makes our elbows itch. You’ll often hear this used in describing slots machines. This points to the fact that some might believe that a certain machine is more likely to pay out than another. Then the machine is described as “hot.” When it comes to the table game of blackjack, some gamblers believe that the table itself can be hot or cold. And the dealers also. It’s kind of crazy because everyone knows, in the back of their mind, that everything is a 100% random occurrence without patterns or rules. In spite of this, the idea of hot and cold still persist. And you’ll still find those crazies who will do their utmost to stay away from a cold table. Nuts!

Tips on Tipping

No matter if you happen to be playing in a real-life casino or at a live dealer room online, keep in mind that tipping is not mandatory. Yes, we know if you’re in the United States you will receive some pretty severe looks if you hang onto your small change or small chips. But there’s no hard and fast rule saying that you must tip. Some new players may assume that by tipping, the dealer will somehow move the odds in their favour. Unfortunately, this is impossible and you’re surely going to be very disappointed if you think this way. Here at Jackpotfinder.com, we suggest you tip generously. In particular in places where the service industry workers receive very bad pay on a basic level. But remember you don’t have to.

The Perfect Number of Card Decks

Back in the days when card counting was the thing, it worked well thanks to the fact that casinos would use single decks. Today it is very, very rare to come across a game using just one deck of cards for their casino table games. You can find plenty of tables that use between 5 and 8 Decks. For most players, the sweet spot as far as the number of decks being played is generally considered to be five. By using more decks, it’s true that your odds are going to be less. But only to the point of a very small fraction of a single percent.

Bill Kaplan Says Don’t Fear the Shuffle

Unless you’re deliberately going to the casino to count cards, then it really is of no relevance how many times the cards are shuffled. All of today’s land-based casinos will use card shuffling machines. If you happen to be playing at the best online casinos with jackpots, then the card shuffling is via a random number generator. This is infinitely more capable than a manual shuffle by a dealer. Bill Kaplan suggest that when you’re playing blackjack online, keep in mind that there is no such thing as card counting, as it’s absolutely 100% impossible.

Stop With The Superstition Already

There’s no such thing as an unlucky or lucky seat. Some gamblers like to think that there’s a seat at the blackjack gaming table that has their name on it. Conversely, there are gamblers who believe that sitting in a certain position around the table is going to be their undoing. But take it from us, it’s all superstition and mumbo jumbo. Of course, it’s perfectly harmless to put some faith in a little token or lucky charm. But there’s a huge difference between this harmless activity and actually starting to base your gaming decisions around your ideas of superstition and luck. According to Bill Kaplan, if you follow this path, then you’re going to get a spanking at the blackjack table.

Bill Kaplan Recommends That You Go Uninsured

Some players swear by insurance and we have to admit that the whole subject of insurance in blackjack is a hotly debated topic. Bill Kaplan and his team were very clear in saying that insurance is pointless. That’s because the odds will always be against you. Unless you’re keeping a very careful watch on the remaining 10 cards and aces. On a technical level, it’s absolutely pointless. You can try your hand at all types of blackjack strategies at King Billy Casino. Not only do they have a massive selection of table games, but they also offer all new players a bonkers welcome bonus of 151% up to €/$500 plus 51 bonus spins. That’ll keep you playing for much longer, thereby increasing your chances of winning.

Progressive Bets Are A No-No

Keep in mind that betting progressively in blackjack simply does not work. Some players believe that by doing so, they are maximizing their blackjack winning strategy. According to Bill Kaplan, the reality is that it really doesn’t matter how much you choose to bet. Or how long you choose to stay at the table. The disadvantage will always remain exactly the same. Put another way, a player that has a disadvantage of 2%, sooner or later, will eventually lose 2% of all the money they bet at the games table. On the whole, you may be able to increase your winnings by upping the ante. But in reality, there is a better chance you will lose more than you gain.

Bill Kaplan Says No Emotions At The Gaming Table

Here at Jackpotfinder.com, we believe that all gambling should, first and foremost, be about entertaining yourself and having fun. When you start to let your emotions take the driving seat then you’re going to be making some very stupid decisions down the road. As caution flies out the window, gambling will stop being fun for you. Keep in mind that the moment the fun stops, then it is really time to go home.

Always Keep it Simple

Finally, Bill Kaplan suggest that you spend some time and effort studying a little blackjack strategy. You can download a blackjack strategy card from the internet and we suggest you do so. Then study it and memorize it before you actually head off to a casino or start playing online. This chart will show you the optimal move for every hand, which will certainly help you win the jackpot online. It’ll stop you from making foolish decisions, as you know the right and wrong moves for every possible card combination. This includes all the hands that the dealer receives himself. The main reasons for following basic blackjack strategy are that the disadvantage you’ll have when playing will never be more than 5%. For everyone, including Bill Kaplan, this translates as more wins and fewer losses.