Using different methodologies, as well as scaring dealers into committing errors, Johnson is still ranked as one of the top 10 winners in a single night in casinos. The Hot Shoe Unlike other documentaries on this list, The Hot Shoe offers more historic look into blackjack and playing blackjack online. The 3 Best Blackjack Counting Systems Beginning Players Should Consider 100 Best Casino Sites Posted on January 31, 2018 by Kristen Hickling January 31, 2018 Gamblers have been fascinated by card counting ever since Edward Thorp shared his secrets through the 1962 book Beat the Dealer.

• How To Play Top 3 Blackjack
• Best Way To Win At Blackjack
• 21+3 Top 3 Blackjack Payouts
• Blackjack Top 3 Rules

Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games, if not the most popular among big name players. It has become such a household name, that Hollywood is jumping on the bandwagon train to get some inspiration from the game.

Casino games have long ago been immortalized in movies, starting from James Bond and his eternal love for baccarat and other casino games, to the big name actors such as Robert De Niro and his great role in Casino. However, documentaries linked with casino games have been a rarity in the past. At least until the last few years.

It looks like it is time for casino documentaries, and blackjack documentaries for that matter to emerge from the shadows. We present you three blackjack documentaries, all focusing on the popular game, as well as playing. Let’s take a look at the history of blackjack online and see firsthand how some people have beaten the system in the world of card counting and blackjack.

Breaking Vegas

The documentary was aired as a television series, starting in 2004 in the US. The background for the popular documentary was set when the book by Ben Mizrich, one of the team members, emerged in libraries. The book became a national scandal in the US, as casinos got a chance to read how they were scammed.

Breaking Vegas is a great dramatic recreation of the popular blackjack teams by MIT students. The documentary tells the whole story, but doesn’t add unnecessary dramatics. Breaking Vegas is a true documentary, following a documentary style that really suits the subject it covers.

The movie shows the method the players used, but one can be sure that it is not 100% the method the MIT team used, as players all over the world would try to copy it. That is the only downside of the documentary, as not enough substantive mathematics is explained. The team didn’t explain other strategies as well in the movie.

The Player: Secrets of a Vegas Whale

How To Play Top 3 Blackjack

Another documentary inspired by a real life story, “The Player” tells the story of Don Johnson, one of the best gamblers in the history of Vegas. Johnson managed to walk away with $15 million in a single winning streak.

Johnson is known for beating three casinos in Vegas in a single night. In the documentary, Johnson explains his strategy, and admits he needed a little luck, but his winnings were mostly due to smart gambling.

In the documentary, the big whale player explains how he beat the system, and how he managed to turn the odds to his favor playing table games. As most veteran players know, it is almost impossible to win lot of money with table games, as odds are always stacked against you.

The theory explained in the documentary is simple, when casinos in Vegas and Atlantic City were down in popularity and money, they needed big name whales such as Johnson to play. They offered whales benefits, which Johnson used to take advantage of the system.

His system was simple, he managed to arrange a 20% refund every time he lost money, and by splitting and doubling, he managed to get up to $50,000 in free play. Using different methodologies, as well as scaring dealers into committing errors, Johnson is still ranked as one of the top 10 winners in a single night in casinos.

The Hot Shoe

Unlike other documentaries on this list, The Hot Shoe offers more historic look into blackjack and playing blackjack online. The movie offers a great access to the history and system of card counting and blackjack.

The Hot Shoe features many interviews with famous blackjack players and experts, as well as people writing on the topic of card counting. An interesting twist is the addition of casino executives, lawyers and detectives, offering their insight how they manage to fight with card counting.

Naturally, there is a throwback to the MIT Blackjack team, one of the most famous blackjack teams that practically invented card counting system in blackjack. And of course, the detective that put an end to their winning streak is part of the documentary, offering his insight in an interview.

The documentary goes into details on card counting, what it means, and how to use it in casinos. Unlike other blackjack documentaries that follow a specific team, the Hot Shoe puts the focus on the card counting itself.

The documentary by filmmaker David Layton also offers a fantastic “how-to” section, and several hints and tips.

Overview of 21+3 Blackjack

Best Way To Win At Blackjack

The 21+3 side bet is optional, and its size does not need to be the same as the main bet. In order to play the side-bet, you need to participate in the main hand.

Placing a bet in the 21+3 square is all you need to do to participate. As soon as the deal is made, and before any player takes any actions the 2 player cards and the dealer’s up-card (or only card in European Blackjack) are compared to the pay table.

There are several variations of 21+3 payouts, the most simple pays from a ‘flush +pair’ and up, with 9-to-1 payouts in each case. When pairs are also included, this is hit more often, so the prizes are lowered to reflect this. There are 3-to-1 for all hands (pair, flush, straight, trips and straight flush) or there are staggered pay tables.

When the prizes are staggered, a straight flush or better can win significant money. Here is an example:

• Flush – Pays 5:1
• Straight – Pays 10:1
• Straight Flush – Pays 35:1
• Three of a Kind – Pays 33:1
• Suited 3 of a Kind – 100:1

Keep in mind that depending on the pay table, the house edge can get as high as 13% for this side bet. You can find examples of games (depending on the number of decks in use) where this is around 2.78% instead.

Strategy for 21+3 Blackjack

It goes without saying that knowing the correct basic strategy of the base game is a prerequisite here. Without this you are just handing money to the house.

Your main ‘strategy’ decision over the long run with the 21+3 side-bet is whether to play or not. The house edge is bigger than in most base games. If you know this, then you get to decide whether the added interest and entertainment (and chance of a windfall win) are worth it to you. If the extra engagement from the 21+3 bet works for you – then you can simply add a little to your bankroll to cover this.

Card counters can beat this game by memorizing the suits as they are dealt. It is possible on some deals to find one suit over-represented as the shoe gets smaller – turning the edge positive for players. The expected hourly rate for this is very low compared to other forms of counting. Online the deck is shuffled after each hand, making card counting impossible.

Pros and Cons of 21+3 Blackjack

21+3 Top 3 Blackjack Payouts

Adding a poker style hand to blackjack makes for an interesting variation – though I do wonder whether ‘purists’ in either discipline would approve! Depending on which of the pay tables you use there is the chance of a 9-to-1 or even bigger windfall. That elusive suited 3-of-a-kind (paying 100-to-1) would certainly be memorable.

Blackjack Top 3 Rules

Whether you participate depends on your attitude towards side-bets in general. Some players like these bets, and are happy to pay the extra house-edge for the chance of the occasional big win. Others scorn these bets as long-term losers.