Gaming Guru

Scobe's Quick Tips: #57 and #58 (Many Dealers Are Not Expert Players, Splitting 4s and 5s)

Scobe's Quick Tip #57

Many dealers are not expert players.

They know the game from the casino's side. That means they know what the payoffs are for the various bets but they do not necessarily know the house edge or odds of the bets they handle.

Generally a dealer who knows his or her stuff will answer advice by saying: "The book says..." as opposed to "well, in my opinion...." If they say the former, listen; if they say the latter, you are on your own!

For more information on gambling read Thrifty Gambling by John Brokopp and Ask Barney by Barney Vinson.

Scobe's Quick Tip #58

Many blackjack players have been told that they should never split a pair of 4s or 5s.

This is only half true. You should never split 5s.

However, in games where you are allowed to double after splits, you should split your 4s when the dealer has an upcard of 5 or 6.

You want to be able to double down after the split and get as much money on the table as possible when the dealer is in such a vulnerable situation.

For more information on blackjack read Frank Scoblete's Best Blackjack, John May's Get the Edge at Blackjack, and Henry Tamburin's Blackjack Take the Money and Run.