Blackjack in Popular Culture

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In my previous post, I outlined the different depictions of casino in popular culture and how they differ from each other, which was a post that I had an absolute blast writing! And judging by how many views it got, it seems like you guys had a blast reading it too, so… Let’s keep going into the world of popular culture, shall we?  This time I’m not going to be nearly as detailed, firstly because I don’t really want to write another monstrous post, and second because I want to focus on one particular casino game – namely, blackjack! We all love blackjack, right? If you say you don’t like blackjack, you’re either lying or have never tried it, and I’m pretty positive of this when I say this! I often like to look up the casinos featuring the highest table limits and just compare them, not because I’m a super rich high roller or anything, but because I like the fantasy of being a high-profile blackjack player that sits down at a (virtual) table, bets a few grand and then expertly counts the cards and leaves richer than ever. It’s a very appealing fantasy that speaks to us on a fundamental level. We want to see smart, talented, charming and daring people take huge risks and be rewarded for it. Hell, practically all of our modern heroes, from James Bond to Tony Stark, are gamblers (often times literally). So is it any wonder we keep seeing blackjack pop up over and over again in our entertainment?

Probably the most famous example is the 2008 movie “21”, starring Jim Sturgess and Kevin “I’m going to be famous again in a few years, you guys” Spacey. This movie basically singlehandedly caused a resurgence in blackjack and card counting for a while, and with good reason – it’s pretty good, even if it’s somewhat clichéd. Based on the novel “Bringing Down The House”, which in itself is based on a supposedly real story (if a heavily dramatized one), the movie tells the story of a young MIT student named Ben who, alongside some of his classmates, decides to infiltrate the world of Vegas and use his card counting skills to make it big on the blackjack table. Like I said, the idea of a smart and talented guy making it big on the blackjack table isn’t new at all – in fact, it can be observed quite clearly in the 1988 movie “Rain Man”, in which the main character, played by Dustin Hoffman, suffers from autism, which obviously makes him a master at card counting, no prior knowledge required! This movie basically created the stereotype that all autistic people are secretly savants, which is the second most outrageous claim since the one stating that vaccine cause autism. But I digress. The scene in which Raymond manages to make it big in the casino despite the fact that he’d never set foot there was parodied in the 2009 movie “The Hangover”, where a group of guys celebrating a bachelor party in Vegas need to get out of some money trouble by basically speed-reading through a book on card counting and then hitting the casino floor.

But the blackjack fever has hit numerous fronts, not just movies. One of the most surprising one is anime, or Japanese animation. Not many have heard of Osamu Tezuka, but most have undoubtedly seen his style and creations in some form or another. Often cited the Father of Manga, Tezuka pretty much invented the modern anime style as we know it today. And, wouldn’t you know it, one of his most famous characters is known as Black Jack. Admittedly, Black Jack isn’t a gambler – he’s a doctor who works for money. But the manga, as well as the various anime adaptations Black Jack has appeared in, have made quite good use of the symbolism of his name (as you can see in the opening of his newest series, where playing cards are prominently featured), with one of his series even being named “Black Jack 21”. Additionally, plenty of books have been written about blackjack, and I’m not talking about card counting ones. Probably the most famous example is “Sucker Bet” by James Swain, in which the main character, ex-cop Tony Valentine (gotta love that name) is working security for a casino and discovers something rather peculiar about the blackjack table. In any case, I believe it’s fair to say that the game of blackjack has infiltrated any and all aspects of our popular culture, and it’s not hard to see why! It’s iconic, it’s timeless, it’s recognizable, and it allows us to see one of our favorite stories – of the intelligent hero persevering against all odds.

When Will Mobile Gambling Be Culturally Accepted?

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One of my favourite subjects to write about, discuss with friends or even just think about relates to the cultural acceptance of various gambling activities. Cultural acceptance, of course, refers to just how okay society in general is with a certain activity. Let’s take, for example, videogames. Before the year 2000, videogames were mostly viewed as entertainment for children – you mostly saw little kids in the arcades playing Pac-Man and Centipede. When the NES came out, the overwhelming majority of purchases were made by parents for their children, which is why there were almost no games for adults released in that era. When “Mortal Kombat” came out and featured highly comical (by our modern standards) blood and gore, everyone went nuts over it and insisted that the game be banned due to the idea that videogames were simply for children. But at some point gamers grew up, and by the early to mid 2000s, when consoles such as the PS1 started appearing on the market, for the first time in history they were being bought by adults for themselves as well as for their kids, which saw an increase in release of games that were more mature in tone, such as “Metal Gear Solid”.

The problem was that society as a whole still saw games as children’s toy, so the adults who still played them were largely considered to be juvenile nerds. It wasn’t until the mid to late 2000s when that myth gradually began to dissipate (and, honestly, it still hasn’t dissolved completely thanks to shows like “The Big Bang Theory”). Eventually, as more and more adults began to play videogames, playing them naturally became more socially acceptable, and these days it’s not all that uncommon to see someone with a 3DS or a PS Vita, or even just gaming on their phone in the subway or while waiting for the bus stop. As a matter of fact, according to studies we’re playing handheld videogames a lot more than we used to, so that should end the debate once and for all – it’s now, more or less, socially acceptable to be an adult who plays videogames in public.

But what about online gambling? Well, believe it or not, but there was actually a reason why I spend so much time talking about gaming! See, gambling and gaming aren’t just very similar words, they’re also quite similar as industries, at least as far as cultural acceptance is concerned. Just like many people considered videogames to be for children, there’s a common misconception that only old people with no education looking for a quick win are interested in online gambling. And sadly, as far as I’ve personally noticed, that particular notion hasn’t really gone away. Despite the efforts of sites like bestmobilecasino.org.uk to raise awareness, online gambling – especially mobile gambling – is in the same boat that gaming was 15 years ago, and that’s a real shame. Who knows, maybe things will change for the better – the industry keeps growing in the West and starts to gradually be adopted in the East, so maybe there’s hope for it yet. I just hope we won’t have to wait as long to feel comfortable playing blackjack in the bus than we did playing a videogame.

Bonuses at Online Casinos – Which Offer to Go with

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As you all know, online casinos offer many treats to attract new users and reward the ones that have reached higher VIP statuses. But there is more to that than meets the eye and here is where this article comes in. I love playing online and bonuses are always the cherry on top. However, some offers are as good as they come, while others may actually harm your bankroll instead of giving it a boost. Here are the main three types of bonuses that you can receive and the terms and conditions that come with them. And, as a special treat, I will tell you how to play through your bonuses and cash-out faster.

First deposit bonuses are the most common type seen at gambling sites and it is usually the easiest one to claim and play through. This means that once you sign up and make your first deposit, this amount will be matched up to a certain maximum that you can claim. For example, if the offer is 100% up to £200, you will deposit £200 and you will get £200 bonus, which adds up to £400 to play with. Not a bad deal, but check the terms that go with the offer, as sometimes the operator may ask you to wager the bonus and your deposit a number of 50 times, which is not at all easy to comply with. And, of course, you should first check if the casino has a valid UK licence.

Deposit packs are a sort of the same like the previous type, only the bonus will be spread across your first 3, 4 or even 5 deposits. This means that instead of making one big deposit to claim the whole amount, you can just make smaller instalments. Let’s say that you have an offer of £1,000 bonus pack for your first 4 deposits. Each instalment you make will be matched to a certain amount. This offer is always easier to play through, as it is one thing to wager £250 twenty times, rather than having to wager £1,000.

No deposit bonuses may be appealing at first sight, as they don’t require an initial investment from you. However, most of the times the wagering requirements that are tied to such bonuses are incredibly high, sometimes to such an extent that it may be even impossible to withdraw your winnings.

A very important aspect of playing with bonuses is the game contribution to their playthrough requirements. Most of the times, slots contribute 100%, which means that it is recommended to stick to playing slots and arcade games when trying to play through your bonus. Roulette and blackjack titles usually have a very low contribution, especially the games with high RTPs, such as French Roulette and Blackjack Switch.

Gambling as a Worldwide Culture

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The exact origins of gambling are somewhat unknown, although many voices say that even the Bible holds several references to similar activities, such as casting lots to determine something or to divide property. While it would probably be mission impossible to determine where and how gambling came to be, the initial versions of card and table games are said to come from China and certain parts of Europe. No surprise there, if you keep in mind the fact that once the Chinese people invented paper, the next step was to make paper money. Once they did that, it was only a matter of time before they went on to create the first set of paper cards.

The anthropology of gambling includes numerous studies and research publications which hint at a strong connection between the culture of a certain geographical region and the gambling habits of its inhabitants. Take the Asian countries, for example. It is said that the Chinese also invented the shuffling of cards, so perhaps this is why they have probably laid the first stone to card games such as Sic Bo, Pai Gow Poker, Fan Tan and many more. Asian people have an extremely well-developed gambling culture and in such countries, gambling is part of their long-time tradition.

On the other hand, many of the most popular casino games such as baccarat, craps, blackjack and roulette are said to originate from different parts of Europe. Nevertheless, the current versions of these games have suffered many changes over the years, after having been “adopted” by other regions. Roulette is such a game, which has undergone many changes, starting with the numbers on the wheel, the numbers and colours of the 0 slots; at first, there were two zeros – the single zero was red, while the double zero was black.

Poker’s popularity exploded in the beginning of the 21st century, thanks to the TV broadcasted poker shows and the availability of online sites. There are many types of poker games, some you play against the house, others against other players. The latter includes titles like the prolific Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Duke, Irish Poker, Pineapple Poker and many other variations of these games. Omaha and Irish Poker are pretty much the same. Unlike Texas Hold’em, these two games are played with 4 dealt cards and 5 community cards, instead of 2 dealt and 5 on the flop. What is different about Irish Poker is that, unlike Omaha, players are required to keep only 2 of the 4 cards or fold, once the flop is dealt, while at Omaha you have to use exactly 2 cards, but you can choose which 2 after you’ve seen the river. All card games that are played with community cards are extremely interesting and exhilarating to play. I wonder if the Chinese knew what they would start with the development of paper…?

A High Roller’s Life – The Stu Ungar Story

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A friend of mine recommended I watch this film, knowing that I am passionate about cards and Texas Hold’em, in particular. I must admit I was a bit skeptic, since most films about poker, gambling, and gamblers that I have watched were, imho, pretty thin and lacking substance. But imagine my surprise when I watched the trailer – I told you I was skeptic and found that this could just as well be the greatest poker film of all times. I say this because this motion picture has everything you would expect: the character’s family ties and his upbringing, his father’s inconsistency in educating him, how our hero met his savior and protector and a whole lot of money, drugs and sex. Not to mention that it’s based on a true story and the storyline was kept true to the letter. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here and start from the beginning.

Our character was born Stuart Errol “Stu” Ungar, to Jewish parents and he was raised in Lower East Side, Manhattan. His father was a loan shark and owned a social club, where the main attraction was gambling. Thus, our hero was exposed to gambling and card games at a very early age and, despite his father’s attempts of preventing it, Stu was quickly recognized as a very talented, almost unbeatable gin rummy player. Following his father’s death, one of the most respected figures in organized crime – Vincent Romano, took him under his wing.

By 1976, at a young age of 23, he was regarded as the best gin rummy player in New York. However, his bad habits quickly got the best of him and he would start losing at the racetrack all that he won at cards. On top of that, his lack of money management skills led him from one bad decision to another, taking unnecessary risks for the sake of gamble. Following another huge loss at the racetrack, he was forced by Vincent Romano to go to Las Vegas and win a tournament worth $100,000, to pay back another figure of the crime world that he had indirectly borrowed money from. Stu then decides to pay his debt and remain in Las Vegas.

I will only say that we have almost reached the best part of the film, but I have no intentions of spoiling it for you. I will let you discover the rest of the plot by yourself, but I have to tell you that this masterpiece reminds me of a friend of mine. After his bachelor party totally wasted, he went in a casino and gamble with the honeymoon money on the roulette, not having the slightest clue what he was doing. The truth is, he is a card player, much like Stu was, and that’s what he knows and that’s what he should do. If you want to try another game, you need to know it well before you hit the high stakes.

For example, I found this excellent UK online roulette site, where you can not only learn a lot about the game, but you can also find useful information, like how to use progressive betting systems, which casinos have the best game selection and so on. And once you feel comfortable enough to raise the limits, the site also includes information about where to play roulette for the highest stakes and how to go about it.

Strangely enough, my friend skipped all of the above-mentioned steps and not only did he get his honeymoon money back, but he even doubled it. Go figure! Oh, well, I guess some people simply have a natural talent, just like our hero – Stu Ungar.