When I was a kid, we didn’t go on holiday to exotic sunkist destinations. No evenings walking on the beach or playing in an outside fairground. Oh no, it we were in a VW camper van in Wales, freezing our bits off.
I loved it though. I loved every minute. The smell of Calor Gas still reminds me of those times. We’d sit, with the wind and rain pounding down on the camper, playing board games and card games. No smartphones or iPads back then – you made your own games and passed the time by colouring or having a quick game of “Rummy”, which is a card game that nobody else seemed to understand apart from my own family.
Rummy involved you matching cards of the same rank or sequence and same suit. Getting three or four of a kind of the same rank was the goal. Now that card game is available to play on my phone, along with the game that everyone used to play on their PC at work (before the internet came along) – Solitaire.
We also used to play a game called “Switch”, where the aim of the game was to get rid of all the cards you have, however the one I remember the most is Blackjack, which we used to simply call “21”. It’s such a simple game, and still strangely addictive even on a smartphone. You basically get dealt two cards, which you then look at. The aim of the game is to get as close as you can to 21.
Aces can be worth one or eleven and you compete with the dealer, who will deal his first card face-up. If you’ve got a rubbish hand, you can get an additional card. I used to shout “hit me”, thinking I was some sort of Las Vegas-style gambling style professional.
However, there’s always the risk that you’ll “bust” the 21 limit, and crash out. Blackjack is now one of the most popular casino games in the world and it’s available for you to play from your smartphone. For me, it takes me back to those cold but fun times on holiday.
Blackjack as popularised in America, during the early 20th century. Casinos were springing up all over the nation, with a mix of table games to play. Nevada legalised gambling in 1931 and this really gave rise to most of the casino games that we play to this day.
Now there’s a variety of options, from the basic game to the likes of Spanish 21. Some of these are inspired by regional variations, while others add in new elements to the gameplay. This Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide was written by Henry Tamburin, Ph.D., a respected authority on the game – it could help you get to grips with not just basic Blackjack but some of its varieties too.
Live casino games are becoming ever more popular, as casinos and players seek to spice up the action on these classic games. These feature a real dealer, broadcasted live to the player. They can then make actions and influence the gameplay.
In a typical mobile game, you’ll be playing against a computerised dealer. Your aim is to get closer to the number 21 than they do, as you’ll both reveal your cards at the end of the round. As for me, well, I’m still as terrible at it as I used to be.
Like many casino games, Blackjack is a game that doesn’t take long to learn, but it takes much longer to refine your strategy. It seems that my strategy just isn’t good enough yet. The closer you get to 21, the higher the risk of calling for more cards.
With the right strategy, it is possible to get more wins than losses. However, it’s important to note that all gambling contains an element of risk, no matter how sure you are on the strategy. Back when I was a kid, we used to bet with 2p coins, so the biggest risk I had was losing the cash I was going to us for the 2p coin pusher games in the local arcade the next day.
Oh, and there’s also smartphone versions of the coin pusher arcade games too!