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Blackjack Rules

Basic Rules
The premise of Blackjack is to get 21 or be closer to it than the dealer without going over, or busting. You are not playing against any other players at the table, and the play of the dealer is determined by his own draw. So anyone seeing your cards is inconsequential, not to mention impossible when playing online because you’re playing a computer.

The value of your hand is the sum of the cards. The Ace is worth either 1 or 11 (doesn’t have to be specified, just assumed to be the value that makes the best hand). Jack, Queen, King and 10 are all worth 10. Number cards are, you guessed it, equal to the number on the card.

Blackjack Jargon
The first and most important distinction in blackjack is, the Blackjack, or Natural. A blackjack is 21 on the first two cards, an ace with a 10, J, Q, or K. Getting 21 with say 7, 5, 9 is 21, not blackjack. Blackjack has a higher payout than 21. Any time both the player and dealer blackjack it is a tie or Push.

After the initial two cards are dealt, if you’d like another card you may Hit. Once you are satisfied with your cards (you did play your hand to optimize your odds right?) you will Stand.

In addition to the original bet, you are allowed to increase your wager up to double after the first two cards have been dealt, and only after the first two cards are dealt. When you decide to Double Down you are dealt only a third card, so you should expect to be able to win the hand with only one more card. A prime example would be if you were dealt 5, 6, you have a fair chance of getting a card of value 10 and winning and the larger pot.

Should you be dealt a pair you have the option of Splitting. The two matching cards are separated and your bet for each hand is equal to the original bet, and each hand is played independently.

Casinos sometimes offer you an opportunity to opt out of a hand by giving up a portion of your wager. The aptly named Surrender comes in two forms, early and late. The late surrender allows you to opt out only after the dealer has checked his hand for blackjack. In the early form you can surrender before the dealer checks his hand for blackjack, giving the dealer a slightly smaller advantage. As you may expect, casinos are aware of this margin of advantage, thus you will rarely find a casino that offers early surrender.

The final betting alteration is Insurance. Insurance is offered when the first card the dealer gives himself is an ace. The insurance is for half of your wager and pays out 2:1. This is to ‘protect’ you from a dealer blackjack. Purchasing insurance is generally a poor choice and statistically you end up better off ignoring it. However, more advanced players can detect situations with a high likelihood that the dealer with blackjack thus taking advantage of the insurance.

Blackjack strategy
Before playing a hand you should know the context of the game which you are playing. This includes number of cards in the deck and how the dealers play is determined. These two points are important because, if you intend to win or at least optimize your odds, they will influence how you play.

The first fact you should not is how many decks of cards you will be playing from. More decks makes it more difficult to keep track of cards played, thus making it more difficult to speculate odds of cards coming up. For one deck you can simply mark cards played and see what remains. With multiple decks in play if you keep track of how many of each card has been played you will begin to get an advantage as the game progresses.

Slight variations in what determines the dealers play can have an impact on your decisions, therefore should be noted. There are two popular methods of laying out play. The most common method is the dealer stands on all 17s. All aces equal 11 unless it would make them bust. The variation is that the dealer stands on hard 17s and all 18s. This means that if the dealer has A, 6 (soft 17) he would still hit. If a 10 came up then the dealer would stand.

Above all, play with common sense and have a good time. Base your decisions on logic and you just might CrackTheCasino.

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Now that the hustle and bustle of Christmas is around us, this may be a good time to sit back, relax, and contemplate what would be the best gift that we could give this Christmas.

We are often told that wisdom is passed down through the ages, so I would like to take you on a little journey back to the time of the Magi and see what truths we can glean from their wanderings.

Follow me, if you will to the Book of Matthew, Chapter 2, verses 1-12. (I will place the text here so that you can refer to it as needed: Taken from the King James Version)
NOW when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east toJerusalem,
2. Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalemlace with him.
4. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6. And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
10. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
12. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
What are some lessons that can be gleaned from the previous passage: Well, to start, we notice that it was the light which drew the Magi to Christ.
The Bible tells us in Mt.5:14-16 that Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

This is exactly what happened with the Magi; They saw the light and it was that light which drew them to Christ. Is your light shining brightly? Are others being drawn to Christ through you?

It was this light, which caused them to search:

The Wise men could have stayed where they were, but they knew that they would find God ONLY IF they followed the light.

God Promises us in Jeremiah 29:13,14a
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord:…

And what did they do when they found Him? They Worshipped Him!

The word worship, comes from the Greek word PROSKOONEH’O. It means: To Adore- To Fall Down Before God in Awe.

An Example of this type of worship can be found in Revelation 4:10-11
The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Worship is not just saying, “I Love you Lord” with your mouth, but with your whole being. Ezekiel 33:31 tells us …With their mouths they show much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness.

Many at Christmas say “I Love You Lord” but in their heart they are more concerned with what to buy so and so.

At Christmas We Can Get More Caught Up With Christmas Presents Rather Than His Presence!

We must be careful not to get caught up with the tradition of Christmas and forget to truly worship Him of whom Christmas is all about.

And Lastly: They opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. These were COSTLY gifts!

We think nothing of spending money for an extra special gift for someone we love. We will diligently seek for just that perfect gift.

The Question Is,
WHAT GIFT HAVE YOU FOUND FOR JESUS?
He is the one who loves you so much, He was willing to die for You. John 15:13 says, Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends

Now Please take note: I am not saying that Christ Expects you to kill yourselves for Him! What he does want is your life, but in the sense of a life that is dedicated to Him. It is a matter of giving up your way of thinking and doing things and taking on His ways, by learning of Him and acting the way He would have you to act.

While we think of our families and the gifts we will give them, let us not forget about Christ and what gift is the most fitting for Him.

Matthew 10:37-39 tells us,
Any one who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me, and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

ARE WE WILLING TO SPEND THAT MUCH?
IT IS COSTLY!
BUT WHAT A PERFECT GIFT TO GIVE HIM

Let us give our lives to Christ this Christmas and live our lives all year through in fellowship with Him.
“O COME LET US ADORE HIM, CHRIST, THE LORD”

This article is bought to you by Sharron Myers

Sharron Myers has been a teacher of Spiritual Truth for over 30 years. She also is a Certified Aromatherapist and Personal Development Consultant. Be sure to check out her site: www.sharron-myers.com

To Live the Life You Want, Learn the Skills You Need
www.sharron-myers.com

“What are you looking at?” “What?” Furrowed brow followed by an uncontrolled bellow of expletives or worse! Flying debris, maybe, slamming doors. Have you ever found yourself in the midst of a potentially dangerous situation? Have you ever been on the receiving end of a flying ashtray? Or have YOU been violent or violently angry?

Anger has been increasing in recent years and violent behavior has been on the rise. This past year, my home city experienced a record number of murders and people are asking “Why?” Good question but not one with an easy answer.

Anger begins as an individual attitude or feeling and it is compounded when a similar attitude or feeling crosses its path. Anger needs to be dealt with on an individual basis. The way to combat a rise in anger and a rise in violence is to deal with individuals one at a time. Clergy, parents, teachers, counselors and psychologists need to begin teaching a combination of things from a change in attitude to a change in diet and exercise. It is all so very complicated but each group has a function and each group has a responsibility to society to teach and learn.

What I want to concentrate on is the exercise and attitude adjustment. As a parent of a self professed angry 17 year old, I want to share with you what I believe is my responsibility to my daughter and society at the same time.

The 3 most important things, in my opinion when dealing with anger in your teenager is:

1. Getting enough sleep

Staying up late and not getting sufficient rest is not “cute” or “just a phase” it is a serious issue and for a teen it can be the beginning of trouble. Especially when society is teaching them that caffeine(like these new “energy drinks”) can help you get through the day. No wonder kids start using methamphetamines and other uppers in their teens. Find a way for your teen to sleep normally. Night sleeping (at least 8 hours) and day school is still the best way to go. But with all of the tv shows and computer chats and video games, it is almost impossible to get your teens to sleep regularly.

2. Getting enough to eat

Now I’m not talking about snacks or macaroni and cheese. I’m talking about vegetables and fruit and helping them to control the intake of caffeine and sugar late in the day.

3. Getting enough exercise

It is vitally important in this day and age to have your teens moving so that at bedtime they are physically tired. I know the later it gets the more wired my daughter gets. I never see her go to bed anymore. I have to get up for work at 4:30 am and my daughter is sometimes just going to bed when I get up. And that’s on a school day!

Now these things won’t happen overnight, especially when you haven’t enforced them from the beginning. However it needs to be done and in the coming issues I will share with you what my daughter and I do to handle this problem. This is not an exact science but a learning and growing for both of us. You see, even though I’ve been a teen before and she hasn’t, I’ve never been the father of a teen. So in a way we are both learning together for the first time. I know we both love each other so we will begin with that and move forward.

Alan is a 50 year old divorced man with custody of his 17 year old daughter.