From the CountingEdge desk
Detailed explanations of rules, strategy, counting, casino mathematics and gambling risk—reviewed by Sam and written to remain useful after the search tab closes.
Bottom line: Texas Hold’em is poker, not blackjack. The games use cards but differ in objective, opponents, betting and hand values. A product using both names is a separate variant whose own rules must be read. Texas Hold’em Players combine private hole cards with shared community cards to make a poker hand. Betting occurs over…
Bottom line: “Video blackjack” can mean an RNG game or an electronic terminal, while live blackjack uses a human dealer and physical cards. Neither format has universal rules or minimums; compare the exact payout, procedures, pace and licence. Three formats that should not be conflated RNG blackjack: software maps random inputs to card outcomes under…
Bottom line: Blackjack Mulligan was the ring name of Robert Windham, a professional wrestler and member of the WWE Hall of Fame. The word “blackjack” was part of an outlaw character; it is not evidence of casino expertise or a blackjack strategy. Who was Blackjack Mulligan? WWE identifies Robert Windham as Blackjack Mulligan. Its career…
Bottom line: Marking a casino card to identify it later is cheating, not card counting. Do not bend, scratch, ink, daub or alter cards, use a device to read marks, or collaborate to introduce a marked deck. What card marking means A mark is a physical difference intended to reveal a card from its back…
A regulator-sourced 2026 guide to the seven U.S. jurisdictions with legal online casino blackjack, plus license checks, geolocation rules, and player-safety steps.
Real-money blackjack and the gambler’s fallacy Browse the explore blackjack index for related topics, or the online blackjack hub for where and how we evaluate games. Anyone who likes to play blackjack in an online casino for real money is subject to something called Gambler’s Fallacy. This psychological issue convinces a bettor that certain results…
There are many skill levels when it comes to blackjack players. Those who read Counting Edge come from all of those levels. Some are brand new to the game of blackjack. Some are recreational players. There are also experienced card counters. All of them probably read blackjack information online because they want to become a…
Editor note: Live blackjack is still a core table-game driver on most casino floors. What changed is where people first learn the game—often online—before they ever fly to Vegas. Blackjack has always been one of the most popular games in live casinos. It has been played in gambling halls since the 1800s, and it was…
Bottom line: Tipping at a live blackjack table is voluntary unless a disclosed service charge applies. Customs and casino policies differ; decide an affordable amount without treating a tip as a way to change the cards or rules. Ask about local procedure Some casinos allow a player to hand a chip to the dealer; others…
Most players start with a basic blackjack strategy chart, memorize a few common hands, and stop there. That is fine in the beginning. But if you plan to play seriously for real money, you eventually run into a problem: not every table uses the same rules. That is where the idea of “making your own…
