Blackjack

[MJ]

Hey CAL! First post here so that makes me an O.G - I was hoping we could start a discussion on blackjack.

I've been wanting to promote blackjack for a long time, I started making a site awhile back and it didn't get off to the right foot so I'm in the process of re-working it.

Funny story about me, growing up I never ever played card games - as my friends would sit around and play spades and euchre while hanging out, I never participated. I'm not sure why I never wanted to learn any card games but I never did.

Then, when I turned 21 I hit the local Indian Casino and sat down at the blackjack table with $60 ready to gamble. I was totally "that guy" at the table and basically got advice from everyone on how to play.

Mind you this is a seven deck shoe so no counting or anything like that, I mean I was being coached in the very basic of strategy like standing on a 3 with dealer showing a 3.

$4,500 a free hotel room, dinner, and 30 hours later I was pretty well hooked! I played only occasionally while living in WI at the local Indian casino but at the time was an avid ski bum who would move back and forth from WI to Colorado so I could ski in the winter and boat/wakeboard back in the midwest for the summer.

One day we decided we'd do a winter in Tahoe, I met this great girl who only a few months after meeting me wanted to make the move with me. So we did.

That's when I got crazy for blackjack, with Nevada having single deck I learned how to count cards and while she worked at the ski hill full time for income I played blackjack to make us $100 or more a day to get buy, after a full day of skiing of course.

I was also an independent flooring contractor so I did the occasional job for good $x,xxx paydays. Through the course of a winter we realized I made more money playing small stakes blackjack in Reno than she did working 40 hours a week at $8.50 an hour it really lit a flame under me.

Unfortunately I never had the money to try and increase my bankroll, we just kept a small one and lived off what it fed us - though Alicia got many-a-$xxx-spa days with all my comps, and we also ate a hell of a lot of great steak and lobster on the house as well.

Living in an area like Reno/Tahoe we basically lived the ski bum dream - my buddy introduced me to poker and here we are.

Ironically, I'm a winning poker player and have spent six month stretches playing live 2/5 NL for income - but because of my distaste for cards when I was young I never learned how to shuffle and deal!

I literally learned about cards in the casino - so to this day when I play a home game or bar game or charity tournament, for the sake of not having misdeals I let someone else deal for me lol.

Anyways long story short, most that know me understand that when I discovered the poker affiliate money that could be made - I became really passionate about it because I love the game.

Right now, I'm feeling very excited about making a really great blackjack site at some point in 2009 as well, and thankful I have CAL/PAL and guys who pop in and post words of wisdom like Greg and Randy Ray.

What sparked this post is even though I have not yet built a earning blackjack site, in recent months I've inadvertently made $4,000 off of poker players playing blackjack - it got me excited.

[RockbetJohn]

I don't want to encourage you to copy everyone but have a look at all the different blackjack strategy sites and such out there. I think from some of the blackjack targeted sites I see many of them omit any discussion of card counting but I think those make good keywords and the content goes hand in hand. Learn how to play basic strategy online then throw in some card counting tips and resources.

[MJ]

I agree Jon, I think blackjack is going to be a tough market to break into, but mostly I think I'm really looking forward to enjoying making a good informative site. Frankly, a lot of blackjack sites are spammy.

I've been so amped about it lately I've been playing a bit online to brush up my skills.