Online Gambling |Some Splitting Pairs Memories 1

Some Splitting Pairs Memories

As I look back at my career as a blackjack player, what I remember most are not situations in which I had a huge bet on the table, but various instances where I was faced with a pairs-splitting choice of play.

Some years ago, Caesars Palace had a couple of single-deck tables, where you could bet from $25 to $3,000. Other than those two tables, all the rest of the games were multiple-deck shoe games. I naturally gravitated to the single-deck games, because the rules were so loose that a player had the edge over the house on the first round of play.

First of all, as with all casinos on the Strip, the dealers at Caesars had to stand on all 17s, including soft 17s, a plus for the player. Then they had the surrender option, another plus when played correctly. You could not only split any pair, but you could double down after splitting. Another big plus.

I was playing there one afternoon with a backer, who agreed to split the profits 50-50 with me. The reason for this generous split was simple. In the course of years of play, he had dropped between $50,000 and $100,000 at the game, and he figured that 50 percent of something was better than a 100 percent loss. Having seen me play and having heard of my reputation, he had sought me out.

This backer was a respected surgeon in the East and he liked to gamble. But he didn't really know blackjack, except for some basic' moves that weren't going to win him any money. He came up with some big money and there I was, sitting in Caesars and facing a dealer. There were two other players at the table, betting between $100 and $500 a hand.

heard of my reputation

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