Carefree Arizona Real Estate 0 comments

Carefree, a hamlet neighbors with Cave Creek which lies on the north of Scottsdale.
It is generally known as the place for people who have retired and wanted to have peaceful life during retired. Many people also staying in Carefree temporarily during winter just to avoid the cold climate. There are also people who have jobs either in Scottsdale or Phoenix but staying is Carefree.

There are several public facilities in Carefree such as stores, restaurants. Carefree are also have become a host for some activities such as antique car show, horticulture event, art show and for the past years Carefree have become a destination for tourist and people who wants to find a residential.

Across to the south of Tom Darlington Road there is “El Pedegral”, it is a shopping area. In this shopping area there are boutiques, jewelry stores, art galleries. There is also a stage where the style is just like an amphi-theater. This is the place where musical concerts have been held for several years.

There is also another great place where you can enjoy for relaxation such as The Boulders Resort. As for the ladies, there is a place where you can’t resist on visiting this place. It’s The Golden Door Spa, the place where you can have a relaxation and healthy treatment.
With all the facilities in Carefree, it will certainly be the place where people would love to stay.

For further information contact the nearest Carefree Arizona Real Estate service.

Ice Hockey Stick Buying Guide 0 comments

Executive Summary about Ice Hockey Sticks by Drew Mers

Ice Hockey Sticks are used to score a goal in ice hockey. It has two main parts; the shaft and the blade. The shaft is the long part of the stick held directly by the player. The official stick measurements are as follows: the shaft should not be longer than sixty-three inches; the blade should not be longer than twelve inches and the width should be 2 to 3 inches. Sticks of the goalkeeper differ from other players. The blades are wider measuring 3-4 inches and longer, up to fifteen inches. The shaft also contains a protective knob at the tip.

When buying, consider the materials used for the stick. Ice hockey sticks can be made of fiberglass, wood, graphite, aluminum, Kevlar, or titanium. Sticks made from wood are the cheapest and have a good fit for young players. Wooden sticks have acceptable flexibility and durability and from this, the player can gauge the properties he would want for his permanent stick. Graphite sticks also offer the same familiarity as the wood, but quite stronger and is more expensive. When one is going for superior durability, one should grab a stick that has a shaft made up of aluminum or titanium. Kevlar was originally used for enforcing the strength of aluminum, but are now available as the lone material for shaft.

Also check for the sticks flexibility, which is printed on the shaft. The most advisable stick is the one with detachable blades and shaft. One-piece sticks are not ideal for beginners as they do not offer much adaptability. Choosing ones stick is something only the user can do. There are no hard and fast rules. The stick should complement the position of the player and the player himself.

Choosing the Best Sleeping Bags 0 comments

Executive Summary about Different Types of Sleeping by Radhika Verma

Are you planning a trip, hiking or trekking? Well, if the answer to these two questions is yes then of course you need a comfortable sleeping bag. What is a sleeping bag? It is a bag which can be carried on such trips and then can be used to sleep.

These bags are available in market under different brand names. Usually, these bags are in three shapes, these shapes are mummy style, rectangular and tapered. The rectangular bag comes in single and double design. If we talk about the second type of bags, then mummy style is a cozy bag which covers the body from all the sides. It is also known as cocoon style bag. The last type of bags available is tapered style.

When someone has to choose between various sleeping bags, one of the most important thing to be considered is the type of filling used in the bag. Down sleeping bags are considered to be the best ones as they are filled with natural down feathers and hence provides natural warmth. If someone needs to travel to place where the weather is cold, down sleeping bags are considered to be the best option.

These bags are very light in weight and can be easily packed in small size. Zipper allows a person to open the bag while sleeping as much as they want. Good sleep is essential for next day's trip. If prices are compared for different types of sleeping bags then one might notice that down sleeping bags are costly as compared to other types of bags with different fills. However, if you want a product which can help you get a home bed like sleep, you should opt for down sleeping bags.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Fishing Rod 0 comments

Executive Summary about Fishing Rod by Zac Kurtsmier

There are basically three types of fishing.

Bait fishing is where bait is attached to a hook on the end of the line. Weights are attached to the line which gives the line impetus to carry the bait to its intended mark.

Spinning is where you attach an artificial lure designed to attract predatory fish and retrieve the lure by winding in the line, making it move in the water in a way designed to encourage the fish to bite. It is the weight of the lure and weights attached to the line that gives the impetus to the cast, just like bait fishing.

Fly fishing is different. Whilst some flies are weighted, it is the combination of the action of the rod and the type of line that gives impetus to the cast. Unlike other types of fishing where the line is chosen by breaking strain according to the size of the fish you expect to catch, you can use a single rod for lines of varied breaking strengths.

However, with a fly rod, the line has to be matched to the rating of the rod. This is not just because bigger fish need a higher weighted line, indeed this is not often the case, most lines are very strong and it is the leader, the length of monofilament attached to the end of the fly line that is varied by breaking strength according to the size of fish you expect to catch.

For example, if you are fishing in an area known for trout no bigger than two pounds in weight, a three pound breaking strain leader will do the job. The fly line itself is less important.

A heavier fly line is used when fishing larger waters such as lakes, or for casting into a strong headwind. Fly fishing rods often come with a dual rating, 7/8 for example, meaning a seven or eight weight line will work fine.

Choosing a rod depends on what type of water you will be fishing most, streams, rivers or lakes.

Save Environment with Solvent Recovery System 0 comments

Executive Summary about Solvent Recovery System by Jason Miller

One of the most important considerations for any auto repair shop is the handling and treatment of toxic chemicals such as chemical solvents, paints, and coolants. It is a requirement for any facility that handles solvents to properly deal with their disposal when no longer required, and the best way that this can be achieved is through the use of a solvent recovery system.

Recycling solvents is both an environmentally, and economically sensible measure to take. Most solvent recovery systems also act as a cleaner, combining the jobs of removing the solvent from any tools and other items, and then treating it in order to make it ready to be used once again.

Pretty much any item that you use in the workshop can be cleaned using a solvent recovery system. From auto parts through to HVLP spray paint guns, anything that needs solvents to clean can be popped into the machine, and then it will be handled properly from start to finish.
One of the most popular models currently available on the market is the sidewinder solvent recovery system. The Sidewinder solvent recovery system can simply be loaded with your tools at the end of a job, then switched on and left. When you return to it, you will have your tools clean and ready to use, and all the cleaning solvent recycled and usable.

There are numerous different solvent recovery systems available. The SprayMax UNRURS900EP2 solvent recovery system features a 6 gallon cleaning well that will be able to handle the biggest parts in one go. It has a fully automated cleaning cycle, and a twin pump system that will allow you to have dirty used solvent go in through one, and recycled, clean, and ready to use solvent come out of the other end. solvent recovery systems are a tool that will pay for themselves a thousand times over, not just in the reduced operating costs that you get from reusing the same products again, but also by the knowledge that as a business, by using a solvent recovery system you are doing your bit to protect the world outside your workplace.

The slots operators are threatening to sue 0 comments

Just as we all used to follow the form of horses - think the Great Depression and the success of Seabiscuit to see we all love a champion - the latest form book covers the race among US states to balance their budgets. Of course, everyone has been focussing on California with Arnold Schwarzenegger leading the charge to the winning post on getting the budget signed into law. He has enough strength for arm twisting and 'gator wrassling to bulldoze the bill through. But Pennsylvania is just as interesting with the Governor's office matching California's use of IOUs by refusing to pay funds to the four state universities. Probably someone somewhere is running a book on which US state will be the first to declare itself bankrupt. These would be the front runners among an alarming number of states lacking initial prudence and the political will to raise taxes, to cut spending, or both.

Anyway, the real point of interest in Pennsylvania is the growing threat of litigation from the group of license holders who run slot machines. When the licenses were first issued, the state sold maximum exclusivity for a high fee (that's $50 million a license). The enabling law is very clear. No other gambling outlet will be allowed to compete directly with the market for slot machines. At the time, this looked a good deal for both sides. Gambling was a popular activity and the state benefited from a generous input to its finances. Fast forward and the recession has forced people to cut back on their discretionary spending. This means less money to spend on trips to gamble. Ironically, the casino operators to benefit from this have been online. Had it not been for the changes in the law making it difficult to move money into and out of the online casino accounts, they would have cleaned up. So this leaves the current license holders under pressure with building work on some of the proposed casino and resort sites put on hold. While the government finds an expanding black hole eating up its cash reserves as tax revenue falls. The state's answer is proposals to increase the number of slot machines allowed in the existing resorts and to license new resorts. To the existing license holders, this looks like plans to allow direct competition from new operators. They are up in arms with their attorneys slavering on the end of a short leash, just waiting for the chance to sue.

There's no doubt slots still represents a pot of gold for both the license holders and the state. The machines are still a big draw even though the recession is biting hard. But this plan looks like an expansion too far. The average spend has dropped. If the state increases the number of machines, this will only spread the same amount of money around more machines. It's not going to increase the size of the spend. This leaves the state with a growing hole in its accounts and the existing license holders with a good case in contract and constitutional law. With the online casinos introducing new slots games every month and keeping up player interest, this is no time to be fighting over a reducing market in the real world.

What's new in the casino world? 0 comments

The world never stands still too long. If it does, this may mean it's dying and has nowhere else to go. The eternal question for every business lucky enough to hit a winning formula is whether to change it and, if so, by how much and how quickly. In one shape or form, casinos have been around for centuries. They were gambling in Ancient China and Rome long before anyone thought of building in the Nevada desert. Yet, the basic idea has remained the same. If your luck is in, a small bet will win you a fortune. It's a remarkably seductive temptation. Just think. All you need is for the dice to fall just so, or the next card to be the 8. The games may change their appearance, but the principle of betting on the outcome of random events remains the same. To that extent, gambling never changes and probably never will change significantly. If there is change, it's superficial. Say, from the one-armed bandit invented by Charles Fey to the video slots version you start by the press of a button. This makes the arrival of online casinos the first real revolution for at least a century. People have always gathered together to gamble. It could be in a friend's home, a private club or a place with public access. The internet does away with the requirement for a "place". Now people can stay home and still enjoy the pure experience of gambling. It avoids the inconvenience and expense of travel, buying food and drinks in more impressive surroundings and, in many cases, finding somewhere to stay overnight. All you have to tolerate is the quality of the animation and the annoying soundtrack of "live" players and the games. Over the last decade, real world casinos have come under real competitive pressure. They are not doing too well. But, before you all celebrate, this means the states take less in revenue and, as their deficits rise, tax hikes may have to fill in the gap.

This article brings two "back-to-basics" gambits by the competing forms. Let's start in Atlantic City. There has been a significant drop in the number of players in all venues and for all games. The recession is biting hard. So, albeit only on a trial basis, the management has gone back to the $2 game at two blackjack tables. The thinking is easy to explain. High table minimums frighten away the learners and the more conservative gamblers. People want the maximum gambling experience for the least possible outlay. The casino assures us that, if the trial is a success, more tables will go back to the $2 minimum. Except there's a twist. If you only bet in the range $2 to $5, you pay a fee of 25 cents per hand as a "contribution toward the operating costs". It seems casino managements cannot resist biting gamblers in the ass.

Going to online blackjack, Microgaming is introducing a live dealer version. You will be able to interact with the no doubt sexy dealer through the wonder of streamed video. Better still, it makes the online experience more obviously "fair". Although we have all come to trust the RNG, it's always more reassuring to see someone deal real cards. Others can also Bet Behind on the seated players and you can book a seat with your favorite dealer. It will be interesting to see whether live dealers represent a new nail in the real world casinos' coffin.

The house edge on blackjack worsens 0 comments

Well, the inevitable has begun to happen. When the recession first hit and credit dried up, everyone predicted the casinos would lose out. If the banks squeeze credit, people cannot maintain their levels of discretionary spending and, sadly, gambling is always going to be one of the choices made less often. The prediction then ran on: if fewer people go into casinos and those that do go spend less, the casinos will find their profits under pressure. At this point, the forecasters would take a deep breath. This will not be a problem so long as the casinos hold their nerve. The economy will slowly pick up. Confidence will return as consumers save less and spend more. In three to five years time, casino revenues will be back to their normal levels. But, and this is where the forecasters would look grim, if the casinos try to suck extra dollars of profit out of fewer players, they risk killing the golden goose. So which way have casinos played their hands?

In most states, blackjack has always been the biggest table game. But in 2009, casinos across the US lost an average 20% of their annual revenue from the tables. When you lose such a big slice of your revenue from just one game, this puts pressure on the casino operators. Unfortunately, they have tended to move in the wrong direction. Most states regulate on the basis of a 3:2 payout on blackjack (i.e. if you bet $10 and win, the casino pays $15). In Colorado, operators have applied for an increase in table odds to 6:5 (i.e. a winning $10 bet pays out only $12). For those of you who like the math, this lifts the house edge from 1.5% to 2.9%. In Nevada, the table odds moved to 6:5 months ago, closely followed by a general raise in the table minimums. This drove away the casual players and, not surprisingly, the high rollers followed. The casinos shot themselves in the foot by both tightening the rules and reducing the payouts.

Where has the business gone? Well, the hard core gamblers have decided they don't like the deck being so obviously stacked against them. There's no reason why should they tolerate low payouts when online casinos have kept their table odds at a fair level and not changed their table minimums. Online, you can still play at $1 or $5 tables if that's all you want to risk. The higher table minimums are there if you want them but there's no pressure. In the real world, slightly stressed staff are trying to encourage you to spend more. Sitting in the peace of your own home, you can pull a beer out of the fridge and take life easy. There are so many good online casinos where you can play blackjack online with many different styles of online blackjack to choose from. If the mood takes you, there are tournaments to play. If the money runs out, you can always play for free. This is one time when the greed of the real world operators has worked against them. In the good old days before the internet, it was a real world casino or nothing. Now that the internet has come of age and the quality of the casino software has improved, the real world casinos have a real fight on their hands if they want to remain relevant.

What are the options for betting? 0 comments

Although there are a number of slot games repeated on some of the sites with shared operations, the reality is an expanding universe of different games. Like the Big Bang which supposedly began our universe, the inventiveness of the different software producers knows no limits. This fuels the competition for players between the sites with the endless rollout of new games. As a result, it would take you years to try them all. Nevertheless, the actual betting choices to be made come down to a few simple steps. The three main variables are the number of paylines to play on each spin, the number of coins to bet on each line, and the value of the coin(s) to bet. The majority of the games allow a free choice on the three variables. But some games restrict the choice on the second or third options (none of the major games eliminate both). So, some fix the value of the coin to be bet or only allow one coin to be bet per payline. This allows us to offer this summary. The amount you decide to bet per payline is the value of the coin multiplied by the number of coins. The total bet on each spin of the reels is the bet per payline multiplied by the number of paylines.

Now we come to an odd truth. The majority of games allow you to choose the number of paylines to play. Where the number of available paylines is great, there can be a real decision to be made. If you are betting one coin of value per payline, one hundred paylines per spin can work out quite expensive. Yet answer this question. What is the point of playing with paylines disabled? With the exception of games permitting scatter wins, you only win on enabled paylines. While this is merely a source of frustration in a conventional game when you see winning combinations on disabled lines, it can be critical on progressive machines. Often the jackpot only pays out when the highest payline has the winning combination. If the total bet looks outside your budget, reduce the value of the coins. If the bet is still too high with the minimum coin size selected, this suggests you should not be playing this game.

When you first approach a game, look carefully at the choices you can make. The critical differences lie in the coin sizes and the gaps between each coin. The best games have a big range of coin sizes with even gaps between them at the lower end and gently scaled gaps at the high end. This allows you the maximum flexibility to fit the line and total bet per spin to your budget. In calculating your budget, factor in the length of time you prefer to play. Slots is a game meant to be fun. If you burn your budget in ten minutes, this is not fun. Always remember to set a loss limit before you start playing. Decide the point at which you will stop. Slots is only fun so long as you are not digging yourself out of debt for the next six months. If you win, as everyone does from time to time, you should also stop. These winnings can buy you a drink and a meal. They can pay for your next session of play.

Why play for free? 0 comments

Walk through the doors into any real world casino and you hit the slot machines. There's a slight difference of opinion between the casino operators. Some believe the machines are the most popular form of gambling and make everyone walk into the floor area where the machines are sited before they get to the table games. Others have a floor plan called the premium strategy that pitches their operations at the non-slot players who spend more per head on the table games. The machines are still featured as you walk into the casino, but the view of the tables is more obvious. Interestingly, there seems to be very little difference in the spend-per-machine in both layouts. The people who favor slot machines will play them no matter where they are sited in the casino. It's also a fact that, except for the contributions made by individual whales, casinos make more money from slot machines than from the table games, the balance shifting depending on whether the premium strategy is in operation. Online, there are sites that are exclusively based on slot machines. Other sites operate the full spread of casino games. This leaves the operators to compete on the bonuses (welcome and otherwise), comps and the quality of the service. In real world casinos, the operators can comp you on the machines but it's technically difficult to enable free play. Online, all that changes.

Every site allows all users the opportunity to play some of their games for free. Why should anyone want to play for free and give up the chance of winning some real money? The answers are both simple and complicated. The spinning reels are essentially the same in both real world and online casinos with the games easy to understand and so quick to learn. Once the reels are set in motion, all you can do is wait for them to stop moving. This means no particular skill is required to play. As a bald description, this misses out two key factors. The spinning reels are quite hypnotic. You almost feel you can reach out and stop each reel in just the right position to score a big win. Secondly, it's fun to play. This fun element is what sells free play. Yes, you lack the extra excitement by giving up the chance of winning. But it really is still fun to play. More importantly, with more and more new games coming online every month, it's very useful to be able to study them without risking your money. Although the basic concepts are the same, the individual variations still have to be learned. In the real world, you can stand and watch others play, learning from their mistakes. Online, you are denied this opportunity. That makes free play a fair offer from the casino operators.

There is one final reason and this may be a little complicated depending on your view of luck. Many people who play slots believe in flows of good and bad luck. If your luck is out, it's good to be able to keep on playing for free. No-one wants to keep feeding money into a machine when you know you are not going to win. Slots and Lady Luck do go together so mix and match free and paying play as you come into and fall out of her favor.

What makes games popular? 0 comments

Given the history of some games starting in China around 2000 B.C., the question naturally arises as to what makes any game popular. The first games to achieve success were based on dice. It probably all started around the fire in the cave when, having stuffed themselves with dinosaur rib at the bar-b-q, they moved on to a little action with a few carved bones. But, as time progressed and money was developed, the idea of money changing hands based on a throw of the dice caught on. In this, you see all the key elements making any game popular. The concept of gambling is seductive. You place a small wager on the outcome of an event outside your ability to control.

If you win, there's a big profit and this is a compelling reason to carry on playing because you believe you will win again. The second feature is the sociable nature of the playing environment. There's a crowd watching. Sometimes it's only other players but, more often, gambling is a spectator sport. This creates a community and it supports and encourages the players. Rich backers appear and bankroll the best players for a share of the expected profits. Add in good customer service from whoever provides the playing environment, and the honey pot nature of the exercise is complete. As to the game itself, it must be fun to play. It must be easy to understand the rules. Everyone must be able to see the skill or luck of the winners. And, the organizers must make realistic attempts to prevent or control cheating.

So where does this leave us? In the modern casino, both online and real world, the most popular games are probably blackjack and poker on the card tables, craps and roulette on the other tables. All four are simple to understand. The cards must add up to 21 or a limited number of card combinations makes you the winner. Or you bet on the throw of dice or the spin of wheel. It takes only a few minutes to explain. You watch for a while and then you feel confident enough to play. It's almost immediately exciting. You handle the dice and throw. You finger the chips and play the cards. All with money riding on the outcome. If your luck is in, you end up a winner and most are hooked. The problem with more complicated games is people do not want to put in the effort to learn. They must see it, see others win and feel confident they can start winning immediately. Any game where it looks easy to win big money is popular.

Now when you transfer the experience on to the small screen of a computer and strip away everything about the experience of being in a casino, the true popularity of online casino games is revealed. Slots are slots. You click on "play", the animated reels spin, and you win or lose. It has a hypnotic quality. Click, spin, win. It's the same with blackjack, craps and roulette where you are betting on the results produced by the random number generator. Poker remains interactive where you bet on the cards and your skill in playing them. In all, it's the belief you will win big that makes casino games popular.

Money transfers and online casinos 0 comments

More or less any place you go on the internet, you can see goods or services you want and pay for them. Most sites accept credit cards. Those that do not, deal with the other players in the banking world to make sure the funds get where they are supposed to go. This works whether you are buying clothes for your newborn baby or hard core pornography. E-commerce is the new life blood of trade. Yet, when it comes to online gambling, something dramatic happened in the US. If you are resident anywhere else in the world, all the standard methods for transferring money work with online casinos. You can open an account using a credit card and your winnings can be transferred to any bank account you nominate. But, if you are resident in the US, the world was turned on its head by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA). The history of this is revealing.

A bill dealing with security in our ports was working its way through the legislative process and, at the last moment, the internet restrictions were added. They had nothing to do with the security of ports. It was a device to slip the law through without real debate. As a result, it suddenly became illegal for any financial institution to transfer funds to an internet gambling operation except for horse racing, online lotteries and fantasy sports. So states protected their revenue streams with lotteries and the racing industry gained an edge over all their competitors. This law is probably unconstitutional but, so far, the courts have been reluctant to give clear rulings. This leave US players with real problems. No matter where the online casino is based, it's still difficult to open an account and recover winnings. So how do you get round the law?

The first option is to use eChecks. This produces an immediate electronic funds transfer between your bank account and the payee casino. They work in exactly the same way as paper checks. But a word of caution - one company providing this service was recently shut down by the Attorney General of New York. Although other companies continue to offer eChecks, this method is risky with winnings being seized in the New York court action. The alternatives are the following. A limited number of casinos including Rushmore accept American Express, bank drafts, wire transfers and checks for opening an account and making deposits. But these methods cannot be used for withdrawals. This brings us down to Central Coin, Citadel, Click2Pay, CLICKANDBUY, NETeller and others. Online casinos pick and choose which methods they accept. Alternatively, you have to set up a third party account outside the US and transfer the funds into and out of that account instead of directly to the casino.

It should not be this difficult to play your favorite casino games and there are various moves in the pipeline to encourage the lawmakers to repeal this oppressive law. While there's no constitutional right to gamble as such, this law chills the banks and achieves prohibition by the backdoor. While we wait for either a definitive court ruling or Washington to act, find the online casino with the payment methods you can access and set to enjoying your favorite online casino games.

The basic strategy and doubling down 0 comments

There's a sad fact about playing in a casino, whether real or virtual. The operators have worked out how to play the games on offer and set the odds to favor themselves. After all, if the majority did not lose, there would be no money to pay out all the money you win. Needless to say, the casinos have invested time and money into working out every possible variation on the rules and the ways to play under them. So, if you are going to take on the House edge, you have to become as big an expert on the rules as the operators. So let's start with one of the more interesting rules which decides when you are allowed to double down. This applies when you have received your two cards. If you decide you are going to draw only one more card, the casino rules can allow you to double your initial bet. The different possibilities are to double:

• on any card combination;


• only when the two cards total 9, 10 or 11; or


• after splitting.

Why should you double your bet? The answer is deceptively simple. You double the bet when you think you are going to beat the Dealer. That really does make sense. But because you are suddenly investing more money in playing the game and have more to lose, you need to get on board with the math. You need to know the frequency with which the Dealer is likely to go bust based on the card you can see. If the Dealer's card suggests a bust is probable, i.e. the Dealer's hand is weak, you double the bet when you have a strong hand. You are maximizing the chance of making a good profit on the hand. If you build the doubling rule into your basic strategy, you reduce the House edge. If you refuse to play the doubling rule, the House edge actually increases. This is not to claim you will win every hand when you double down. If you are on a losing streak, you could lose every doubled bet for the session. But, in the long term, you will win more than you lose if you double. If you hesitate to double the bet, it suggests you are outside your comfort zone and already playing for higher stakes than you can afford.

At the blackjack table, the Dealer is weakest when showing a card in the range 2 through 6. With a 2, the bust percentage is 35%. It rises to a 42% chance of busting with a 5 or 6. Your hand is strongest if the two card total is less than 11. Do not be thrown off the basic strategy by the casinos that allow you to add less than the original bet. Blackjack is a game for winners. Never give up the chance to double and take the maximum win against the Dealer. Adding a few dollars to the original bet but not doubling is half-hearted and cowardly.

The first steps to a basic strategy 0 comments

The game is one of the simplest ever invented. The rules are few and there's no physical effort involved in playing it. You just sit, look at a few cards and make your bets. That's probably why it's become one of the most popular casino games of all time. Of course everyone knows the House has an edge. That's how it pays all the expenses for running the casino. Remember it makes no difference whether this is a casino in the real world or online. You still need people and a base. So common sense tells you that no-one beats the House unless they invest some effort. Put another way: if everyone could beat the House without breaking sweat, the casino would go out of business in a day. This produces the headline: no pain, no gain. You have to put in some study time to master the basic strategy.

So what is this strategy? Over the years, some serious math types did all the work for you. They calculated the best way to play all the card combinations and wrote them down in simple charts. If you were going to play in a real casino, you would have to learn all these rules. That saves you having to pause before every decision to check the charts. Not only would the other players around the table be less than impressed, the casino would probably suggest you leave. But playing online changes all that. You can consult the charts as often as you like before deciding which card to play. It may be slow but, if you get the strategy right for every hand, you just shifted the odds in your favor.

So what are these charts? The first gives you the rules on when to split a pair. The strategy changes depending on the value of the cards dealt to you and the value of the card you can see the Dealer holding. So it starts with the rule that you split a pair of aces no matter what the Dealer holds, and goes down to the choices when you hold a pair of 2s. The other two charts deal with hard hands and soft hands. A hard hand is when neither card is an ace and the strategy changes significantly depending on the card held by the Dealer and the table rules on when the Dealer must stand or draw. A soft hand contains an ace and is easier to play because you can always draw one more card without busting - this takes some of the pressure off the play. I started off by saying blackjack is an easy game but, like all games, you can play for fun or you can take it seriously and play to win. In this case, you are more likely to win if you learn the charts and can play the strategy without thinking. To really take on the House edge, you also have to become a card counter but that's a whole new story because it does not work in a virtual casino. For now, focus on the basic strategy and start your winning blackjack career.