| Casinos have been in existence since the | | | | The Dealer, where her outlined specific and |
| 1700's, during the early years of the United | | | | verifiable strategies on how to win, and how |
| States. In small, scattered towns, casinos | | | | to win big, at the casino tables. |
| were established to give those weary | | | | |
| travelers and townsfolk a form of recreation | | | | The centerpiece of his book was the game of |
| and a way to earn some money from what they | | | | Blackjack. And all the revelations he |
| were willing to wager. | | | | mentioned in its pages compelled people to |
| | | | troop back to the casinos. The rest, as they |
| Throughout the eyars since then, casinos | | | | say, is history. |
| became more organized. They got bigger. | | | | |
| They started serving better food. They | | | | Take a look at Las Vegas today. |
| developed a more efficient dealer system. | | | | |
| And the money that was laid down on hte | | | | Take a look at Nevada. |
| table, and consequently, the money lost by | | | | |
| players, grew into eye-popping amounts. | | | | Take a look at all the progressive states in |
| | | | the world. |
| Hence, many States banned gambling from their | | | | |
| territories. Nevada, for instance, received | | | | What's common in all of them? That's right. |
| so many complaints of broken families, ruined | | | | They all have a burgeoning casino industry. |
| careers, unpaid loans, and the like as a | | | | And they owe a lot of gratitue to Mr. Thorp |
| result of the many gambling establishments in | | | | and his then revolutionary book. The |
| their area, that in 1910, they had to put a | | | | strategies therein, surprisingly, can still |
| stoppage to the gambling industry that had | | | | be employed with great efficiency today. Try |
| sustained their desert county. | | | | to get a hold of a copy, if you still can. |
| | | | |
| Operations resumed in 1930, but business was | | | | As you can see, however, Blackjack is a very |
| slow then, and casinos were never the same | | | | popular game in every casino. It can even be |
| flourishing business that they were before | | | | argued that Blackjack is probably the most |
| their initial cessation. Part of this was | | | | popular game of chance there is, at least, |
| due to the Great Depression that struck the | | | | when there is betting involved. |
| land. Even when the economic effects of the | | | | |
| period settled down, Mafia money found its | | | | Blackjack, probabilitywise, is the most |
| way into the casino circuit, placing in doubt | | | | winnable game of chance there is, ba none. |
| the credibility of the gambling system and | | | | It is a great entry level game for beginners, |
| effectively keeping people away from the | | | | and it is also a great pot filling option for |
| tables. | | | | veterans whenever the Baccarat table or the |
| | | | Roulette wheel ahs depleted most of their |
| That is, until 1962, when a scholar named | | | | resources. |
| Edward Thorp publihsed a book entitled Beat | | | | |