Blackjack is the most popular table game in the casino. And since you've purchased a book that was written primarily for the serious player, you probably already know exactly how it's played. But just in case you're a "newbie", I'll provide a basic outline of the rules and procedures for casino "21" on the next few pages.

Casino blackjack is played on a semi-circular table that usually seats seven players, but there's nothing sacred about the number of gamblers at a "21" table. Several casinos also provide some slightly smaller tables with only five betting spots in certain pits. The largest blackjack table I've ever seen was at the Four Queens Casino in Las Vegas. That seated twelve players and required two dealers. A more typical blackjack layout is shown in the illustration on the following page. Pay close attention to the fine print on the playing surface. It doesn't always read identically in every casino.

The real answer is no. You really weren't expecting that, were you? Well, you really can't win-at least not for long stretches at the tables. The house's edge will most certainly grind your stake to zero dollars. Believe me, it's almost a mathematical certainty. The longer you expose your money to the casinos, the greater the chance of your taking it in the shorts. Then why are you reading this book? Because you can win in the short term! "Short term" by my definition is any realistic profit goal that can be attained in less than two hours.

Now, there's a caveat to this statement: You, the player, must be prepared to stay for as long as it takes to reach your profit or loss goal, and that may take longer than two hours! Sometimes you'll get stuck not reaching either, which is known as "trading dollars with the casino," and, if this hap¬pens, my advice is to just get up and leave with maybe mar¬ginal profits. Take a break and find a table that isn't as static as the one you left. This situation happens to all of us, and it's just a part of the weird phenomenon that happens when play¬ing this game.