ShareSaveComment<a class="isDg-4PG" href="https://www.forbes.com/business/" data-ga-track="breadcrumb-L2">Business</a><a class="isDg-4PG _2XNbdi6I" href="https://www.forbes.com/hollywood-entertainment/" data-ga-track="breadcrumb-L3">Hollywood &amp; Entertainment</a>Jack Black’s ‘Minecraft’ Song Keeps Growing, Even As The Movie Falls From No. 1By<a class="_4tin10wS YbfXuVMn" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/" rel="noreferrer" target="_self">Hugh McIntyre</a>
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights
with a focus on the global charts.Follow AuthorMay 05
09:30am EDTShareSaveCommentJack Black lands a Hot Rock Songs top 10 hit with “Steve’s Lava Chicken” from the Minecraft movie
More as the viral track charts on seven Billboard rankings
CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 06: Jack Black attends &quot;Borderlands&quot; Special Los Angeles Fan Event at TCL Chinese Theatre on August 06
He may have guessed that fans would love it within the film and that it might even cross over and rack up some streams and a few sales
but its performance on the charts all around the world has quickly become undeniably impressive
The track has been gaining ground fairly consistently
even after the movie that made it famous dropped out of the top spot at the box office
and even manages to give Black a very special top 10 win on a competitive tally
Among the seven Billboard charts where “Steve’s Lava Chicken” can currently be found
its performance is perhaps most impressive on the Hot Rock Songs list
That tally — which highlights the most consumed rock tracks in America using a methodology that blends sales
and radio play — sees the Minecraft cut rise from No
it becomes Black’s first top 10 hit on the all-encompassing rock list
“Steve’s Lava Chicken” is actually Black’s only tune under his own name to reach that roster
He has appeared on the Hot Rock Songs chart in the past as one-half of Tenacious D
although both of the group’s smashes “Video Games” and “…Baby One More Time” didn’t even crack the top 20
The tune also manages to rise on one other list
It nearly breaks into the top 10 on the Hot Rock &amp; Alternative Songs chart — and may very well do so in a week or two
which also includes alternative tunes and is thus more competitive than the Top Rock Songs roster
“Steve’s Lava Chicken” has now reached the uppermost tier on a pair of Billboard lists
ranking among the bestselling tunes in the style
It currently still lives inside that space
Black’s surprise hit debuts on a quartet of additional rankings
It opens highest on the Rock Streaming Songs list at No
14 and also manages to crack the hugely competitive Hot 100
“Steve’s Lava Chicken” also now stands out as one of the biggest songs all around the world
In <a href="https://slate.com/tag/what-its-like">What It’s Like</a>
what it’s like to have experiences many of us have not even imagined
a 24-year-old from Canada who can beat Vegas at its own game
All of Quattro’s videos follow the same formula
He walks into a casino and—with a highly discreet video camera—documents the huge bounty of cash he harvests from his blackjack bets
Along the way he keeps his audience attuned to the technical strategies he employs to stay ahead of the house and how he evades the leering pit bosses who want to keep their games bulletproof
Quattro’s channel demystifies his forbidden knowledge and lets us all consider what life might be like if we gave up on all of our other aspirations to instead become an elite hustler
I’d go to the casino from time to time and quickly lose my $50 at blackjack or whatever
Things started to change when I made friends with a couple of guys who were into card counting
They wanted to introduce me to their techniques
But those friends were turning a pretty good profit
and determine whether or not all of this stuff was made up
you can get an edge on the house—so long as you know what you’re doing
a friend offered me a business opportunity
he was going to stake me with the money I play with
I travel to cities all across North America
spending as little as I can on lodging and food
so I can make huge gains playing blackjack
It’s a life I wouldn’t recommend to everyone
Card counting at blackjack is more straightforward than you might think
You don’t need to be a Rain Man–esque super-genius to pull it off
when a dealer draws a card from what we call a “shoe,” those devices where all the decks in the game are stored
that card is going to be out of play until all the decks are reshuffled
The goal is to keep track of how many “small cards”—twos through sixes—are out of the shoe
because when there are more big cards left
that gives the player a chance to pounce and make big money
when I’m playing and I’ve deduced that there are a majority of small cards left to be dealt
I’m going to be making the smallest bet allowed at the blackjack table
I’ll increase my bet size to the maximum possible
ideally erasing all the losses I’ve taken thus far with the math on my side
you might be thinking: Wouldn’t those high cards benefit the dealer just as much as the player
wouldn’t the house be hitting a ton of 21s
at practically every casino in the country
players win a larger payout whenever they hit blackjack
adding up to an instant 21.) You get paid more than double your bet in those scenarios
Card counters have a few other tools in their toolbox
using more complicated blackjack rules like splitting
We wait until we are more likely to hit a blackjack and push all your money into the felt
I could lose my grasp on the count from time to time
card counting gives the player an edge of about 2 percent
you can make some good money in the aggregate
I’ve walked out of a shift with a $20,000 profit in the past
The pit bosses at a gaming room are always on the lookout for anyone who might be card counting
You can see the results of those confrontations on my YouTube channel
the pit bosses in my peripheral vision are making phone calls to the surveillance team upstairs
I get a tap on the shoulder from security telling me that they don’t want my business anymore
they also tell me that I’m free to play any other game but blackjack.) In other cases
casino management will charge me with straight-up trespassing and tell me I’ll be arrested if I ever come back to their property
This is super common in the card counting world
Sometimes I’ll only be sitting at a table for 10 minutes before getting booted from the game room
Pit bosses are especially suspicious of players that massively increase their bet sizes—which is the primary way card counters make their money—so people in this trade are always racing against time
We aren’t using any information that isn’t available to everyone else at the table
casino owners treat their game room like a fiefdom
The one thing I’d say to any aspiring card counters out there is that it’s a good idea to weave some misdirection into your craft
If you sit down at a blackjack table and stare at the cards without talking to anyone
But if you look like an ordinary gambler—chatting with the people in the seats next to you
yukking it up with the dealer—you might be able to squeeze more value before you’re busted
nothing ever scary has happened to me during my encounters with security
I would like to highlight one establishment that’s on my shit list
I had two bets of $1,000 out and was dealt two different 20s
This is what you dream about as a card counter
“We’re canceling this hand.” So they gave me my money back
But that’s the kind of interference you can expect as a card counter
I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep this up
the better security is going to know my face
and that likely means my blackjack runs are going to get shorter and shorter
There is also the advent of this device called a CSM
or a “continuous shuffle machine,” that randomizes all of the cards as they’re being dealt
Those things basically make card counting impossible
and game rooms around the world are beginning to adopt them
but I intend to hold onto my edge over the house until they take it from me for good
Blackjack is one of the most iconic casino games
with high potential payouts and lower house edges
your decision determines whether you win or wipe out
While the game itself is remarkably consistent
the platform hosting it can change the overall experience
and player experience differences between European blackjack platforms and New Jersey’s top operators
New Jersey has one of the most rigorous regulatory frameworks in the United States
<a href="https://www.nj.gov/casinos/services/licensing/#:~:text=The%20New%20Jersey%20Casino%20Control,kind%20of%20job%20they%20perform." target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">New Jersey’s Casino Control Commission</a> (CCC) promotes integrity and credibility within the state’s casino operations
This regulatory body ensures that every card dealt in Atlantic City or online is above board
and uphold the reputation of the gaming industry
the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) oversees the operational and technological integrity of online blackjack games across the state
operators must face severe penalties or have their license revoked
state-owned and private operators offer traditional and online blackjack games
there is no unified legal framework across the continent when it comes to gambling
Many popular European blackjack sites are licensed in jurisdictions like Malta and Curaçao
but most countries also have their own regulators
operators are required to demonstrate financial transparency
If any operator hosts a game of chance played against the house
licensees must also pay fees based on gross gaming revenue
European operators must comply with EU-wide standards as outlined in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)
the European Casino Association (ECA) serves as a collective voice for the continent’s casino industry
While it doesn&#8217;t regulate casinos directly
it serves as a central forum for casino operators and European policymakers
helping to increase awareness and promote effective decision-making
New Jersey is famous for its classic American-style blackjack
Players can expect familiar variants like single-deck and multi-deck blackjack
all governed by strict rules set by the Division of Gaming Enforcement
Both American and European operators offer a range of games
where players can switch cards between hands
which allows an unlimited number of players at a single table
There are also different live dealer blackjack tables
where players can interact with real dealers in real time
the actual games are not too different from one another – what’s different
are the casinos you can play these games at
One of the most crucial aspects of online gambling is player protection
licensed casinos are required to implement a variety of player protection tools
the Division of Gaming Enforcement closely monitors and enforces these regulations
making sure that licensed casinos follow the rules designed to prevent gambling-related harm
While there is no single regulatory body overseeing gambling across Europe
many countries and licensing jurisdictions have introduced their own self-exclusion tools and gaming limits
Limits can be lifted with a few clicks and a “yes
Let’s explore the main differences between the EU and New Jersey
strict state regulations shape how money moves
Operators are required by law to use only approved
transparent methods like ACH bank transfers
Every withdrawal goes through multiple compliance checks
often adding a waiting period of 3 to 7 business days
players have the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) to turn to
ensuring formal oversight and legal recourse
European platforms operate under a patchwork of national and offshore regulations
often offering more flexible and varied payment options
cryptocurrencies (like Bitcoin or Ethereum)
players on European sites often face more risk: if a payout stalls or support goes silent
there’s typically no unified regulatory body like New Jersey’s DGE to step in
there are geographic restrictions for players
there are some software developers who work in certain parts of the world only
which means their games won’t be available at casinos everywhere
If you want to play in an online casino in New Jersey
you must be physically located inside the state lines
Platforms are required to use location verification software that tracks your IP address
and Wi-Fi triangulation before you can even load a game
while others just want a legal way to kill time
NJ platforms offer the kind of protection that lets you focus on your hand
If you speak in blockchains and think in tokens
European platforms are likely more your speed
Offshore sites often accept crypto for deposits and offer quick withdrawals
It’s also important to mention that less regulation means less safety net
If you’ve played all the most popular blackjack games and are looking for something new
They usually feature games from newer providers
Online blackjack might look the same on both sides of the Atlantic
but the systems behind the cards couldn’t be more different
the best platform is the one that suits your risk tolerance and playing style
Just make sure you know the rules before accessing the house
Be the first to know about our newest content
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The best online blackjack casino accepts debit card deposits
Should you get lucky enough to win real money playing online blackjack games
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How the Best Blackjack Online Sites Were Ranked
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Before you start playing blackjack at online casinos
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How to Sign Up At the Best Blackjack Site for Real Money
If you’ve never had the chance to play blackjack online
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Step 4: Deposit to Play Blackjack Online for Money
Step 5: Play Online Blackjack for Real Money
How Do Blackjack Online Games for Real Money Work
Online blackjack works the same way as traditional
offline blackjack – but the difference is that it can be played online
without the need to leave the comfort of your home
The main aim of playing blackjack is to beat the dealer to 21
Each cart you are dealt with is worth a certain point - the total sum of your cards should go to 21 to win (or as close to 21 as possible) without exceeding it
you can choose to 'hit' to receive another card or 'stand’ to keep your current hand
the dealer typically has to hit until their hand reaches a minimum value of 17
Players can enjoy blackjack in two modes: free play and real money play
your choice depends on your goals and gaming preferences
Let’s explore the key advantages of each option to help you decide which suits you best
Risk-Free Practice: Free blackjack allows players to enjoy the game without risking their money
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Improve Your Skills: There’s a psychological difference when real money is on the line
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Real Casino Experience: Playing real money blackjack online often includes live dealer games
offering an engaging experience similar to visiting a physical casino
You can interact with professional dealers and fellow players
What Is the Best Site To Play Blackjack for Real Money Online
When it comes to playing online blackjack for real money
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you can enjoy the thrill of real online blackjack anytime
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Why You Should Play Live Online Blackjack Games for Real Money
Most Popular Types of Online Blackjack Games
Each and every real money blackjack game has the same point – score higher than the dealer’s hand but not over 21
there are a handful of blackjack variants with slightly different betting options
The most popular classic blackjack variant around the world is Single-Deck Blackjack
this game is played with a single deck of cards
It’s highly popular because of its high 99.5% RTP
which you can achieve using the basic blackjack strategy
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The catch with this variant is that the online casino will determine the odds at which you get the early payout
as you can imagine – won’t really be in your favor
it’s best that you take this option only in special circumstances – like when you’re very
Zappit Blackjack is identical to the classic game with one interesting twist: If you get a 15 total against a dealer’s 17 or 18 total
you can “zap” the hand and replace your 2 cards with new ones
all standing hands will push instead of win
Perfect Pairs is a classic game of real money blackjack with one additional side bet – the perfect pairs
If you decide to take this bet – in addition to the classic game – you will be wagering on whether or not the first 2 cards you are dealt will be a pair or not
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The payout will be based on the type of pair you get
Blackjack Switch allows blackjack players to trade cards between two hands
you will need to place 2 equal wagers at the start of the game
and you’re allowed to switch the second dealt card to the other hand
Since this puts the odds in your favor – it doesn’t come without a trade-off
all non-busted hands will result in a push if the dealer gets a 22
Make sure to try out free blackjack games in demo mode before deciding which one to play
Can You Play Blackjack Online for Real Money
nearly all online casinos offer real money blackjack games that you can play
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It’s just like placing your bets in person sans the long entry lines
you can spend as little as $5 or $10 per hand
This is a great feature for budget-conscious gamblers
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Some of the best blackjack games that offer real money payouts include Single-Deck Blackjack and Early-Payout Blackjack
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Many platforms also allow you to try these games in free play mode
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What are the Basics of Playing Online Blackjack
is a card game where the player competes against the dealer
The goal is to have a card value as close to 21 as possible without exceeding it
Online blackjack for real money functions similarly to a physical game of blackjack but with the comfort of being able to play online blackjack from home
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What are the Odds of Winning Blackjack Online
the odds of winning are similar to those in traditional brick-and-mortar casinos
The house edge typically varies between 0.5% to 2%
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blackjack players can significantly reduce the house edge and increase their chances of winning
It's important to understand the game rules and blackjack variations
What Should I Know Before Playing at Online Blackjack Casinos
When looking to play blackjack for money online
one should look for a few key features: the site's reputation
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Which Real Money Online Blackjack Casino Has the Best Bonus
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Tips &amp; Tricks for Playing Online Blackjack for Real Money
If you know a thing or two about playing blackjack at online casinos
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Cheat Sheet to Play Blackjack Online for Real Money
Ready to play real money blackjack game but still need to learn more about it
Check out our cheat sheet to play blackjack games at online gambling sites below:
An Ace in blackjack is versatile; it can be worth either 1 or 11 points
depending on what is more favorable for the player's hand
This makes it a valuable card in reaching the desired total of 21
How Much is a Jack or Queen Worth in Blackjack
both the Jack and Queen are each worth 10 points
aligning with the value of other face cards like the King
How Much are Cards 2 to 10 Worth in Blackjack
The cards numbered from 2 to 10 are valued at their face value
These values are fundamental in all blackjack games
including live dealer games in online casinos and the European blackjack version of the game
Understanding these values is key to forming strategies and making decisions during the game
This article is provided solely for informational and entertainment purposes
Nothing within should be interpreted as legal
Readers should carry out their own research before participating in any gambling activities or signing up with any online casinos mentioned
It is up to each individual to verify whether online gambling is permitted under their local
nor any syndication partners condone or support unlawful gambling
Participation in online gambling is done at the reader’s own discretion and risk
If you click on a link and make a purchase or register
or syndication partners that republish this content do so understanding that it is meant for informational purposes only
These entities are not responsible for the legality
It's a slow week on the Billboard charts, but it's still a big week for <a href="https://www.npr.org/artists/166009689/kendrick-lamar" target="_blank">Kendrick Lamar</a> and <a href="https://www.npr.org/artists/532236099/sza" target="_blank">SZA</a>
1 for a 10th consecutive week — one of only 46 songs to do so in chart history — while SZA's SOS and Lamar's GNX sit at Nos
But this week's charts do feature an all-time record worth noting
Last week, the rapper <a href="https://www.npr.org/artists/g-s1-62355/ken-carson" target="_blank">Ken Carson</a> debuted <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/04/23/nx-s1-5371430/pop-charts-ken-carson-more-chaos" target="_blank">atop the Billboard 200 albums chart</a> with More Chaos
though it was a slow week on the charts — More Chaos had the smallest accumulation of sales and streaming for any chart-topping album in three years — a No
Carson's ride at the top was short-lived, however. This week, More Chaos <a href="https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/2025-05-03/" target="_blank">plunges from No. 1 to No. 38</a>, and with no major debuts to crash the party — the highest debut of any album this week belongs to <a href="https://www.npr.org/artists/628653537/wiz-khalifa" target="_blank">Wiz Khalifa</a>
62 — we're left in the company of the usual suspects
Tourmates SZA and Kendrick Lamar have been sticking around the Billboard 200's uppermost reaches all year, and now SZA's SOS and Kendrick Lamar's GNX sit at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively — albeit with numbers even lower than what More Chaos posted last week. <a href="https://www.npr.org/artists/963693317/morgan-wallen" target="_blank">Morgan Wallen</a> is surging a bit (One Thing at a Time from No
which isn't a surprise given the pending arrival of his new album
…No. 10, where Grammy-winning rapper <a href="https://www.npr.org/artists/1092906736/doechii" target="_blank">Doechii</a> vaults into the top 10 for the first time in her career
10 thanks to a combination of factors: The viral "Anxiety" is still booming on the Hot 100 — it rises from No
12 this week — while "Denial is a River" is still floating around in the top 50 after peaking at No
is that the album received two new vinyl editions (available exclusively at Target and Urban Outfitters)
But it faces looming competition from two different directions
The greatest threat to the reign of "Luther" is most likely <a href="https://www.npr.org/artists/g-s1-60448/alex-warren" target="_blank">Alex Warren</a>'s "Ordinary," which seems set up for long-term (perhaps even Shaboozey-level long-term) chart success
thanks to a surge in both airplay and streaming; it's now No
1 on Billboard's streaming chart and still has tons of room to move as more radio stations' program directors — who often follow the lead of streaming these days — add it to their rotations
You might be listening to it this very instant
there's not a scintilla of doubt that the 37-song I'm the Problem will be a blockbuster
But it remains unclear whether any one new Wallen track will take off as dramatically as "Last Night" or "I Had Some Help" did
given how much his new songs are competing with one another
Wallen currently has five songs in the Hot 100's top 20: "I'm the Problem," which jumps from No
7; "I Ain't Coming Back," which debuts at No
14; "I Had Some Help," which climbs from No
15 after nearly a year on the chart; and "Love Somebody," which ticks up from No
but fans can only stream one thing at a time
The rise of TikTok has complicated life for those who compile Billboard's chart rankings
TikTok popularity often leads and contributes to success on the pop charts
But it's tricky to compare streams of song fragments to streams of full songs
Of course, TikTok has changed the music industry in other ways, to the point where some analysts have gone so far as to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/12/29/1197959233/our-2024-pop-culture-predictions" target="_blank">(very prematurely) predict</a> that the app's rise would lead to unusually short songs — not mere excerpts
but songs themselves — replacing the three- and four-minute bangers that routinely round out the Hot 100
Setting aside the occasional blockbuster that clocks in at less than two minutes — lookin' at you, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YpvNgCSaCU" target="_blank">pre-Billy Ray Cyrus version of "Old Town Road"</a> — that prediction hasn't come to pass
set during this exceptionally slow week on the Billboard charts
for the shortest-ever song to hit the Billboard Hot 100
The song? "Steve's Lava Chicken" by Jack Black, from <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/04/04/1242780119/a-minecraft-movie-turns-a-best-selling-game-into-a-cinematic-block-party" target="_blank">A Minecraft Movie</a>. (Black, who stars in the film as Steve, co-wrote the song with director Jared Hess.) Its length? Incredibly, only 34 seconds, though there's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SILUNtF7lrs" target="_blank">a remix that drags it out to 1:22</a>
which is essentially a rock opera by comparison
(That song's runtime was a comparatively exhausting 1:35.)
It turns out that, while a 34-second runtime constitutes an all-time record — at least until Taylor Swift starts dabbling in skits — it's actually the third sub-1:00 song to crack the Hot 100. With a nod of appreciation to <a href="https://www.billboard.com/lists/jack-black-minecraft-song-steves-lava-chicken-hot-100-record/" target="_blank">Gary Trust at Billboard</a> and Paul Haney of Joel Whitburn's <a href="https://www.recordresearch.com/" target="_blank">Record Research</a>
here are the five shortest songs ever to hit Billboard's primary singles chart:
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Online blackjack is one of the most popular casino games
offering players a chance to test their skills and luck
But is it legal to play online blackjack in the United States
While some states fully regulate online casino gaming
Recent legislative efforts continue to shape the legal landscape
we’ll break down the current status of online blackjack laws in the U.S.
and what players can expect moving forward
The legality of online blackjack in the United States is complex
as gambling laws are determined at the state level
This means that while some states have fully legalized and regulated online casinos
others prohibit online gambling or have yet to establish clear laws
Online blackjack is legal and available only in a handful of states
where online casinos operate under state licenses
These states allow players to enjoy real money blackjack through various licensed online casinos
other states either ban online casino sites outright or lack specific laws addressing online blackjack
allow online poker but not online blackjack
demonstrating how gambling laws can differ even in major gambling hubs
players can enjoy a variety of game variations that offer different rules
Here are three of the most popular online blackjack variants available on licensed casino platforms:
The legal status of online blackjack in the United States has evolved significantly over the years
While some states have embraced online casino gambling
others have maintained strict prohibitions
Below is a timeline of key milestones that have influenced online blackjack laws in the country
the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed
restricting financial institutions from processing transactions related to illegal online gambling
While UIGEA did not outlaw online blackjack for real money or other casino games directly
it made it difficult for offshore operators to serve U.S
several major online casinos exited the U.S
the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA)
allowing states to legalize sports betting
While PASPA primarily affected sports wagering
its repeal encouraged states to take a more active role in regulating online gambling
and Michigan led the way in launching fully regulated online casinos
New Jersey became the first state to legalize online blackjack casino gambling in 2013
These states established licensing frameworks for legal online blackjack operators
states like Nevada have only permitted online poker
leaving blackjack limited to in-person casinos
with blackjack being one of the major contributors
The rise of online blackjack is fueled by the latest tech
from live dealer blackjack games to mobile casinos
With more states weighing the benefits of legalizing online gambling
blackjack’s popularity is set to climb even higher
The evolution of online blackjack legislation in the United States is influenced by several key stakeholders:
is a popular card game found at online casinos around the world
The game&#8217;s primary goal is straightforward: beat the dealer&#8217;s hand without exceeding 21 points
with one of the dealer’s cards placed face up and the other face down
Cards 2 through 10 are worth their face value
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called &#8220;blackjack,&#8221; comprises an ace and a 10-point card (10
though payout ratios can vary across different sites
players have several options depending on their hand and the game&#8217;s rules:
While online blackjack is an exciting and strategic game
it’s important for players to engage in responsible gambling
Excessive gambling can lead to financial losses
which is why regulated online casinos provide tools to help players manage their activity
Most legal online casinos offer deposit limits
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Organizations like the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) offer resources
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Many states also have their own responsible gaming programs where players can voluntarily self-ban from online casinos to regain control
is evolving as more states consider legalizing online casinos
and other states are actively debating online gambling expansion
which could lead to more regulated blackjack platforms
live dealer blackjack and mobile gaming innovations will continue improving the player experience
With the proven success of online casinos in states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania
more states may follow suit in the coming years
making online blackjack accessible to a wider audience
and bonuses that actually add value to your blackjack sessions
and that’s why we brought in our resident blackjack buffs — John and Peter — to make this guide to the best online blackjack sites as sharp as a fresh deck of cards
and rated the top casinos to play the classic game of 21 online
so you can skip the guesswork and focus on beating the dealer
Let’s see what they’ve uncovered and help you find your next favorite blackjack casino in the process
John has been taking on the dealer professionally for more than 5 years
While his heart lies with the fast-paced thrill of online casinos
he’s not afraid to hit the felt at local venues when the mood to play card games strikes
he’s still probably in the casino gambling on something else
and helping others get started with online gambling
Peter once bagged over $100,000 in a single blackjack session
he still talks about this epic event every chance he gets (even when people aren’t listening)
given that he thrives on the adrenaline rush of playing multiple games simultaneously
he enjoys dabbling in the crypto world and watching the Giants do an impression of an NFL team
To ensure you understand how our experts arrived at our top picks for online blackjack casinos
we’ll outline precisely how our review process works
we’re certain we were able to overlook blackjack sites that were merely ‘okay’ in favor of those that satisfied a wide range of criteria
Our experienced reviewers worked hard to initially identify the most important features that those searching for the best online blackjack sites are looking for
including types of real money blackjack games
we tested 25 online casinos out of more than a hundred to see which ones are often cited online in forums and blog posts
we made sure that each potential online casino candidate was licensed appropriately and that its website was made secure by SSL encryption
created an account on each online blackjack casino site
such as a lack of reputable and/or recognizable payment methods
the online casino in question was eliminated from the process
thoroughly testing each of the top online blackjack casinos
Top of their benchmarks were evaluating the overall mobile gaming experience
they claimed the welcome bonuses and other available promotions (especially ones focused on blackjack)
tested out the different deposit and withdrawal options
and played with both fiat currencies and cryptocurrencies to properly gauge each site’s payout speed
our iGaming experts scored each online blackjack casino on their overall performance
drawing on their years of experience of testing and playing at various online casinos
Once we’d tested all 25 blackjack casino sites
John and Peter rated and ranked their top performers for each chosen category
If you&#8217;re looking for the best online blackjack casinos
prioritizing these factors can make a huge difference in your gaming experience
Both experts then summarized their findings and turned them into reviews
justifying why they chose a specific blackjack casino for a particular award
ensuring all the facts were there and that no essential info was missing
Check out what John and Peter thought about the best online casinos for playing blackjack below:
Slots of Vegas might not seem like an obvious choice for you to play blackjack online for real money
and I must admit I was skeptical too when I saw the name
I realized this is where I want to play blackjack online all the time
Slots of Vegas has a comparatively modest selection of online blackjack games
including Blackjack + Perfect Pairs and Suit ‘em Up Blackjack
stake limits are flexible to suit everyone
You can play live dealer games (though you can’t see them as a guest) and score VIP rewards each time you play
and you can play the games in demo mode to test them out before you play real money blackjack
What I like about Wild Casino is the variety
I got to play around 23 video blackjack games and had over 20 live dealer blackjack games to pick from
And while many live games are VIP tables with high minimum stakes
Some of the blackjack games you can play include Single Deck Blackjack
as well as American Blackjack and European Blackjack
With so many different twists on blackjack to play
it wasn’t just the game variety that attracted me but also the exciting features that go beyond your typical casino experience
They offer blackjack tournaments for those looking to test their skills against others
an in-depth help center for easy access to information
and regular bonuses like Tuesday and Wednesday reload offers to keep things exciting
Live dealer blackjack is a big deal &#8211; and no one does it as good as Super Slots
you’d do well to ignore the name because this online blackjack casino lets you play more than 20 live blackjack games
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I rate it highly for the professionalism of the dealers
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Super Slots still offers some great daily bonuses that boost your bankroll with extra funds
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I was also concerned that Super Slots had too many VIP games
Slots.lv accommodates a wider variety of blackjack limits
I also thought the dealers were friendlier here
There’s also a helpful ‘how to guide’ on the website that helps you get started with live dealer blackjack
As soon as I started playing at Lucky Red Casino
it was a no-brainer that I’d pick it as the best for online mobile blackjack
you can only play just a few hundred games in total
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you can enjoy a seamless experience directly from your mobile browser
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including Blackjack + Perfect Pairs and European Blackjack
it’s essential that an online blackjack casino offers a top-notch mobile experience
and Slots of Vegas really stands out in this regard
and I was able to jump right into the action without any delays
Playing blackjack online on a well-optimized mobile site makes a huge difference for me
I found myself preferring the mobile version over the desktop one — it&#8217;s honestly one of the most well-designed mobile experiences I&#8217;ve had with an online casino
The only downside is that the selection of games is a bit limited
all the top blackjack options are available
and when it&#8217;s time to cash out your winnings on mobile
it became clear that many of you are looking for an online casino that lets you play blackjack online for high stakes
Slots.lv is the go-to blackjack site for this
If you become a VIP via their MySlots Rewards Program
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Slots.lv doesn’t explicitly advertise the exact limits for each blackjack game
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I’ve always liked Lucky Red Casino and hate that it’s got such a strong reputation for slots and games of chance
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There are some extremely high-limit games here
which gives you some insight into what you’re dealing with — a professional online casino that’s for those willing to take more risks
this is the online blackjack casino to join
but your best option is to play with crypto
you may be asked to provide extra documentation
I’m a fairly recent investor in crypto and have Bitcoin and some Litecoin
The minimum deposit is just $5 for USDT and $10 for everything else
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this time when it comes to playing blackjack games online with crypto at Ignition
from the choice of digital coins accepted to the crypto-boosted bonuses and the ever-reliable withdrawal process
and extremely fair deposit and withdrawal limits
I’d like to see some other crypto-boosted bonuses
but their loyalty program (known as Ignition Miles) will reward you anytime you bet on blackjack or any other casino game
Integral to an excellent online casino experience are the online blackjack bonuses
I personally found that Wild Casino not only had the biggest offers but also that its promotions came with the fairest conditions
This is followed by a $50 Tuesday reload bonus you can claim 3 times over 24 hours
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A $50 up to $500 reload bonus is up for grabs each Sunday
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While many of the bonuses require you to enter a bonus code
all the necessary information is available on the website
I’ve gone with Super Slots for bonuses simply because the offers never stop coming
but it doesn’t really matter when there are so many great bonuses to keep grabbing
but a weekly leaderboard contest somewhat makes up for the lack of a loyalty program and makes playing blackjack more fun and interactive
A $6,000 welcome bonus is one of the biggest of its type at any blackjack casino
and you can choose from a 25% up to $250 reload bonus or a 50% up to $250 reload bonus each Tuesday
we’ve assessed each of the top 6 online blackjack casinos based on their performance for very specific things
The thing is, there are more things you need to consider before signing up for any blackjack casino site. For instance, players from different regions may have unique preferences and restrictions, such as those looking for the <a href="https://lowerbuckstimes.com/au/casinos/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best Australian online casinos</a> that offer blackjack games tailored to their market
Let’s see what other key features matter to our iGaming experts
the first thing I look at when researching an online blackjack casino is its user interface
Or is its interface so gorgeously designed that I’m going to want to play here
especially when considering how the online casino functions both on desktop and mobile devices
email or telephone support — what matters is whether I’m able to get fast answers that actually help me get my issue solved promptly and efficiently
The sign of an excellent online casino is one that lets you place small stakes and high stakes and won’t try to limit you if you have a few decent wins
I agree with John that customer support is the bedrock of the online gambling experience
I find it hard to trust any casino site with my money
Another thing to look out for when choosing your next blackjack online casino is the software providers
Every seasoned blackjack player (and I include myself in this) have their preferred providers
You’ll find that there are lots of different blackjack titles at online casino sites
many of these are slightly different variations of some of the most popular blackjack games
Video blackjack or virtual blackjack is the opposite of live dealer blackjack
There is no real human dealer — just you and a piece of software
Video blackjack games come in different forms
The aim is always the same — to beat the dealer’s hand without exceeding 21 — and you’ll find that video blackjack games have lower min bets per hand plus a rapid turnover
If you prefer to play online blackjack at your own pace
these games offer a great way to practice strategy and decision-making
John says:“When choosing a video blackjack game
I often look at the RTP if I’ve never played it before
is the percentage of wagered money a game pays back over time
A higher RTP gives me a better chance of winning
but it’s still important not to go crazy because there’s no guarantee you’ll beat the dealer.”
Live dealer blackjack games are presided over by human dealers who are streamed directly onto your device
They’re more interactive than video blackjack games and seek to recreate the atmosphere of a real-life
The best online blackjack games that you can play with live dealers often have higher bet limits than video blackjack
but you might not always get a seat at your preferred table
There are fewer variations than video blackjack
with many blackjack casinos offering the same game but with different dealers
if you&#8217;re interested in exploring different blackjack variants
some platforms feature unique twists on the classic game
let’s take a look at some of the most popular variations and games that you can find at the best blackjack casino sites
Blackjack Switch gives you two hands instead of one
and you can swap the top two cards between them
But the thing is that blackjack only pays even money
If you like having more control over your hands
John says: “When I first played Blackjack Switch
I was surprised by how much strategy came into play
Knowing when to swap cards can make or break a session
so I always take a second to think before making any move.”
It’s a unique addition that forces you to adjust your strategy based on perfect information
Most online blackjack games use six or eight decks
but Single Deck Blackjack takes it back to basics
card counting becomes possible — though casinos compensate by offering 6:5 payouts on blackjack instead of 3:2
If you enjoy a more traditional experience
Peter says: “I like Single Deck Blackjack because it feels more personal
you get bonus payouts for certain hands and more player-friendly rules like late surrender and doubling down on any number of cards
Pontoon is a British variation of blackjack with different terminology — a blackjack is called a “pontoon,” and hitting is a “twist.” The biggest rule change is that a five-card hand automatically wins
Playing online blackjack on mobile has been steadily gaining traction in recent years
with a significant portion of players choosing to enjoy casino games on their mobile devices
with expectations that mobile gaming will continue to grow throughout the next half of the decade
millions of people around the world have embraced mobile gambling
contributing to the global popularity of online casino apps
It figures: All the top online blackjack casino sites give you the choice between playing blackjack games on your mobile device or desktop computer
with many taking the opportunity to try their luck at both when it suits them
many online casinos let you download an app but also give you the choice to play online blackjack games via your mobile browser
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with modern online casino apps offering the same real money blackjack games
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these mobile-friendly platforms ensure a seamless experience no matter where you are
we want to end by answering some of the most common questions related to playing at online blackjack casino sites:
it’s totally safe to play online blackjack for real money
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You can find such information on an online casino’s homepage
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including security measures like SSL encryption
reputable online blackjack casinos are not rigged
Online blackjack games use Random Number Generators (RNGs) to ensure that each hand is dealt fairly and randomly
These RNGs are regularly tested by independent auditing companies such as <a href="https://ecogra.org/igaming/rng-testing-and-ecogra-certification/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eCOGRA</a> (eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) to confirm their fairness
Although there are many blackjack strategies
the best and most popular is that you should double down whenever you have the advantage over the dealer after receiving your first two cards&#8221;
this one should be used at your own discretion as you play online blackjack
and you should only use it when you feel that the odds are in your favor
You can claim a variety of different bonuses at blackjack casino sites
which are usually matched deposit offers that match your first deposit with a casino bonus
you just have to meet the minimum first deposit requirement
Thanks to the insights of our expert reviewers
we’ve been able to highlight the best online blackjack sites that stand out for their unique features
with both experts pointing out that game variety was a key factor behind their choice
both agreed Ignition was the go-to choice for crypto users
Peter felt Slots.lv offered the most well-rounded experience for all types of live casino players
Each of these casinos brings something special to the table
so whether you’re into crypto games or prefer hitting live dealer tables
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“I always advise creating an account at any online casino you’re interested in
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You don’t have to make a deposit to check out the games but it always helps to have an account because guests sometimes don’t get full access.”
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You can use them to set deposit and loss limits
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and always double down whenever you get a 9
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The catchy 34-second-long &#34;Steve&#39;s Lava Chicken&#34; will be stuck in your head until further notice
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Black also made it onto the Hot 100 with The Super Mario Bros
Jack Black&lsquo;s meme song Steve&rsquo;s Lava Chicken from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.pcgamer.com/movies-tv/a-minecraft-movie-review/" target="_blank" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.pcgamer.com/movies-tv/a-minecraft-movie-review/">A Minecraft Movie</a> is now the shortest song ever to crack the Billboard Hot 100
which tracks the most popular current songs week-by-week
The Hot 100 made its own debut in August 4
and yep there's never been a shorter track on there
The previous shortest song on there was Kid Cudi's Beautiful Trip
which clocks in at a frankly indulgent 37 seconds
The Minecraft song happens when Black's character Steve decides to show his companions what happens when you combine lava with
extolling the virtues of Steve's Lava Chicken
which admittedly does look kinda delicious
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals
I bet Black just improvised the thing to be honest. Note: Steve's lava chicken should not be confused with the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.pcgamer.com/movies-tv/its-way-too-funny-a-minecraft-movie-director-loves-the-chaotic-chicken-jockey-trend-hitting-cinemas/" target="_blank" data-before-rewrite-localise="https://www.pcgamer.com/movies-tv/its-way-too-funny-a-minecraft-movie-director-loves-the-chaotic-chicken-jockey-trend-hitting-cinemas/">chicken jockey meme</a>
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
the song — which boasts deep lyrics like “la-la-la-lava ch-ch-ch-chicken” — has become the shortest ever to hit the Hot 100
which is pretty solid for a sub-35 second song
which was written by Black and the film’s director Jared Hess
Interestingly enough, this isn’t even the first chart the song has made it onto. Earlier this month, the song debuted at No. 21 on the UK’s official chart — so clearly Black’s solo is really connecting with the movie’s audience. Plus, this isn’t Black’s first time charting for a film either. He hit No. 58 for “Peaches” from <a class="link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined" data-cy="styled-link" href="/movies/the-super-mario-bros-movie">The Super Mario Bros. Movie</a> back in 2023 as well
A Minecraft Movie screenings have been <a class="link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined" data-cy="styled-link" href="/articles/a-minecraft-movie-sparks-chaos-in-theaters-chicken-jockey-screams-and-even-reports-of-cops-being-called">pretty rowdy affairs</a> so far
but it seems as though fans will have an opportunity to meme and scream their way through the “Chicken Lava” song and the rest of the film as the studios are debuting specific screenings meant for audience interaction
laugh out loud and belt out those lyrics like a true diamond-tier fan.”
We’ve got plenty more on A Minecraft Movie, including <a class="link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined" data-cy="styled-link" href="/articles/the-minecraft-movie-team-had-a-private-server-they-played-on-and-jack-black-even-built-his-own-mansion">how the Minecraft movie team had a private server they played on</a>.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
</a>Where to Watch<a href="https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/a-minecraft-movie" class="stack jsx-3647836811 jsx-4269505506 just-watch-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Powered by</a>Not yet available for streaming.
A Minecraft Movie continues to hit major milestones a month after debuting in theaters and catapulting its way toward becoming the highest-grossing video game movie ever at the global box office
has made its way to the coveted Billboard Hot 100 Chart in the United States
I post this comment knowing full well I am a bitter
My kid's 10 year old softball team sings this song all of the time
 I don't get it - but they are enjoying themselves
 I hope he knows how much he resonates with children
Jack Black could write a jingle about his last morning sh!t
Is it as shitty and lazy as that song from the Mario movie 
That being said its awesome to see people ignore reviews and loving it regardless
The shortest song ever to reach the Billboard Hot 100 chart isn’t by Lady Gaga or Taylor Swift. It’s actually Hollywood comedian <a onclick="_sendArticleBodyInlineLinkClickAnalytics('https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/jack-black/')" href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/jack-black/" target="_self" rel="" title="https://www.thedailybeast.com/keyword/jack-black/">Jack Black’s</a> Minecraft Movie meme jam ”Steve’s Lava Chicken,” which received 7 million streams nationwide in one week alone
Black is a key member of rock duo Tenacious D
and his tune booted out Kid Cudi’s 37-second “Beautiful Trip” for the historic record
A Minecraft Movie has been a high-grossing hit since its premiere on April 4
earning $800 million worldwide in less than a month
and follows a brother and sister as they join a legendary crafter to save the world of Minecraft from an evil sorceress
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast <a class="Short-author-bio-tips__tip-link" href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/tips">here</a>
Get ready for a night of elegance and excitement at the Black Tie &amp; Blackjack Fundraiser
 This highly anticipated event takes place on March 8th
bringing the community together for a night of casino-style gaming
all while supporting Hope’s mission to empower individuals with disabilities through education
The evening will also feature a silent auction
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there's a good chance you're an enthusiastic music fan
but even the biggest music lovers can get into a bit of a funk
It's something that actor/musician Jack Black understands and recently talked about on Good Hang with Amy Poehler
(Side note: Both Black and Poehler seem like really good hangs.) Poehler asks Black what are some films/TV shows or music he reaches to for comfort or to help him relax
I was only listening to podcasts and audiobooks
A little something he calls "chrono marathons," where you binge a band's entire catalog from beginning to end."It's a great way to get in the nooks and crannies," explained Black
"And there's probably some bonus tracks that you never listened to
It's just an interesting way to hear music
and I swear by it."As for the catalogs Black has binged
While we certainly can get behind "chrono marathons," Black has mentioned something like it before
when he honored Led Zeppelin at the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors.Black said in his speech
"Led Zeppelin: The greatest rock and roll band of all time
it's because you never did the 'Zeppelin Marathon.' The 'Zep-a-Thon' is when you sit your ass down and listen to all nine Zep albums in a row ..
[It's] the thing every true fan must do at least once in their lifetime
Download the app to LISTEN LIVE wherever you are and connect with us like never before
This article contains spoilers for "Bernie."
Richard Linklater's underrated 2011 crime drama <a href="https://www.slashfilm.com/1829545/jack-black-most-underrated-movies/" target="_blank">"Bernie" contains Jack Black's bet performance</a>
The film tells the true story of Bernie Tiede (Black)
known for his soft-spoken demeanor and civic generosity
Bernie works at a local funeral home and has a reputation for making funerals look better and more fancy
His kindness makes him a little inscrutable to the locals
with many of them debating if he is queer or merely likes spending time with old ladies
In 1990, Bernie meets Marjorie Nugent (<a href="https://www.slashfilm.com/806409/how-shirley-maclaine-inspired-the-apartments-famous-final-line/" target="_blank">Shirley MacLaine of "The Apartment,"</a> among many
seem like a romance but is more likely a friendship
their relationship evolves to a very strange place
Marjorie makes Bernie her financial manager and sole inheritor (leading some to assume Bernie is a gold-digger)
yet she remains bleakly abusive to him and makes increasingly difficult demands
In 1996 (and this happened in real life as well)
Bernie announces he is going to star in a local production of "The Music Man," which Marjorie staunchly refuses to attend
shoots her four times in the back with a rifle
He then stuffs her corpse in a freezer and proceeds to use her wealth to enrich the local community
Bernie is eventually apprehended by the police
but he is so beloved in the community that no juror will convict him
Now, curiously enough, the film "Bernie" is in the midst of a streaming revival. According to <a href="https://flixpatrol.com/title/bernie/" target="_blank">FlixPatrol</a>
it broke into Tubi's top 10 most-streamed movies in the U.S
The bulk of Linklater's movies are set in Texas
and he is clearly interested in local characters and local legends
The story of Bernie Tiede obviously fascinated him as well
He was the last person one might assume would commit a murder
Marjorie and her abusive behavior were enough to push Bernie to the brink
Bernie and Marjorie really did seem to understand each other and formed a relationship
Bernie received a life sentence for murdering Marjorie
believing him to be an endlessly decent man
He used his access to Marjorie's fortune to support local businesses and distribute gifts
they seized everything he had bought and forced those local businesses to close
<a href="https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/what-to-make-of-bernie-tiede-now/" target="_blank">In 2016, Texas Monthly</a> caught up with the real Bernie Tiede
and he seemed to be just as scrupulously kind as Black depicted him in the movie
He had been attacked in prison once but remained "a model prisoner," still treating everyone with kindness and even going so far as to teach a prison health class
It seems that "Bernie" had turned public opinion in Bernie's favor
(He stayed in Linklater's garage.) Tiede was re-sentenced in 2016
"Bernie" is not just a fascinating true-crime story
and deeply tragic portrait of abusive relationships
Linklater is one of our best filmmakers, and "Bernie" is worth a watch. <a href="https://www.slashfilm.com/1588298/hit-man-review-glen-powell-netflix/" target="_blank">Be sure and check out Linklater's "Hit Man," too.</a>
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Would Black have come onto the show anyway if he didn’t have a movie to promote
Black got to kill two blocky chickens with one stone
As Black surprised Tanner from behind the stage
It’s you!” Tanner was the gentleman that he always is
telling Black he “looked good” and that he’s “so handsome.” Which is basically a switch to bring on the waterworks for anyone watching
with Black suggesting they lift weights together
Tanner tried covering his mouth to whisper to Black
“I’m gonna get your phone number so we can work out together,” but thankfully
Maybe Clarkson can use this moment as her final talk-show tearjerker because it will be impossible to top this
Unless she invites Connor from Love on the Spectrum
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Welcome to your one-stop shop for all things Blackjack
beginner or someone looking to take your blackjack game to the next level - it's all here in the PokerNews Blackjack Guide
Read on to find out the basics of learning blackjack
and where to play real money blackjack online at the best casinos
We'll also tell you where to play blackjack for free
Take a look at our extensive blackjack guides to learn the rules
card values and the different bets you can make
find out which&nbsp;blackjack strategies&nbsp;you need to know to take your game to the next level
and then where you can play real money blackjack
The best bonuses and offers for playing blackjack can be found at these online casinos:
See even more <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/blackjack/online-blackjack-casino-bonus.htm">online casino bonuses for blackjack!</a>
found in most (if not all) bricks & mortar casinos worldwide
due to it's simplicity and the fact that it's easy to pick up and start playing a few hands
The origin of Blackjack is still debated;&nbsp;the most popular belief is that it originated in French casinos around 1700 due to its mention in Cervantes's novel Don Quixote
which dates to the late 16th/early 17th century
the game was referred to as 'Vingt-et-un' which translates to 21 in French.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
Blackjack is a game played against the dealer
and has the objective to get the total of your cards as close to 21 as possible without exceeding this number
and the dealer deals each player two cards face up so they are visible to all players and to the dealer
The dealer also deals themself two cards but only one is face up
Players then choose an option about what to do next including taking another card
Winning or losing is determined by the total of your cards
so in blackjack it's important to know the value of the cards and to be able to work out what you have in your hand
To learn the basics, you can read our <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/blackjack/how-to-play-blackjack-beginners.htm">How to Play Blackjack guide</a>
and the significance of the card values in relation to a hand
It's also a good idea to watch our how to play Blackjack video guide below to get started:
"hit" means to request an additional card from the dealer.STAND: In blackjack
"stand" means to keep your current cards and not take any more.DOUBLE: In blackjack
"double" means to double your bet and receive only one more card.SPLIT: In blackjack "Split" means to divide a pair into two separate hands
You can also learn more about playing blackjack by using our <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/blackjack-calculator.htm">free online blackjack calculator</a>
which allows you to test actions for specific blackjack hands
The online version of blackjack does a great replication of the 'real' game found in casinos, and there are multiple sites that offer <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/blackjack/online-blackjack-real-money.htm">real money blackjack</a> or free games.Typically in the online game
you'll get a top-down view of the blackjack table facing the dealer
Cards will be dealt out as your blackjack hand
There will be a button to use to decide what to do in terms of 'hit'
you'll find buttons to allow you to make different bets
here's a few blackjack games to get you started:
Blackjack is game of chance, just like all the other table games at the casino, and there is no guarantee of winning, even if you are using a card counter, for example. But there are tips, tricks, hacks, cheats, and tools that can help you to perfect your <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/blackjack/best-blackjack-strategy-tips.htm">blackjack strategy</a> and make better choices with the cards that you are dealt
such our free printable PDF Blackjack Cheat Sheet and Blackjack Calculator
<a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/blackjack/best-blackjack-strategy-tips.htm">Read More About Blackjack Strategy ></a>
or you just want an extra edge to bring to your next blackjack game
look no further than our blackjack chart cheat sheet (which is free to download and print)
This <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/blackjack/free-blackjack-cheat-sheet.htm">Blackjack Cheat Sheet</a> provides a number of actions for different scenarios based on the combination of cards you may be dealt in a game of blackjack
Learning what strategy to play with can help when learning the game of blackjack
and working out your favored way to bet and improve your chance of winning
<a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/blackjack/online-blackjack-real-money.htm">Play Real Money Blackjack ></a>
If you don't currently reside in a location with real money gambling, or you just want to <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/free-blackjack-games-for-fun.htm">play free blackjack for fun</a> before spending any money, you can look to practice with a casino by playing a demo game or play free blackjack at one of these <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/free-online-games/">free online games</a> casinos
<a href="https://www.pokernews.com/free-online-games/free-blackjack-games.htm">Play Free Online Blackjack ></a>
For anyone who's a fan of playing blackjack in a 'real' casino, you might look to play <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/blackjack/live-dealer-blackjack.htm">live dealer blackjack</a>
Many of the elements of online blackjack are still present with the live dealer game
but you get the additional feature of a real blackjack dealer to play with
Most recommended real money casinos offer live dealer roulette as part of their live casino games catalog
and sometimes you'll get a few variations to choose from
<a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/best-live-blackjack-casinos.htm">Read our full guide to Live Dealer Blackjack ></a>
It's never been easier to find a game of blackjack on your mobile
with many online casinos providing a compact game for their mobile website and app
This means you can play 24/7 and wherever you are
We've listed some of the best blackjack mobile games we've found at PokerNews below. We've reviewed each of these casinos, so they can be trusted to provide an excellent blackjack mobile experience for playing on the go. You can also read our full guide on <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/mobile-blackjack-casinos.htm">Playing Blackjack on Mobile</a>
<a href="/casino/review/fanduel-casino/" target="_blank">FanDuel Casino</a> are one of the standout casino operators in the US right now
and their mobile experience includes several blackjack titles
You can download the mobile app on both iOS and Android
accessible mobile blackjack to play whenever you like
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It can't be a huge surprise to see <a href="/casino/review/pokerstars-casino/" target="_blank">PokerStars Casino</a> on this list
but it is good to know that they dedicate a section of their casino app to blackjack games
The PokerStars Casino is available in a number of locations globally
offering blackjack to thousands of casino fans
<a href="/casino/review/pokerstars-casino/ext/" target="_blank">Download the PokerStars Casino Mobile App for Free</a>
A well-established global casino brand, <a href="/casino/review/888casino/" target="_blank">888casino</a> provides a mobile app on both iOS and Android which comes with blackjack games as standard
Take advantage of the latest casino bonuses when signing up and you'll be able to practice your latest blackjack strategy
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This huge UK-based sportsbook brand are now looking to expand their horizons to many other global locations and this includes providing top-rated casino and table games. The <a href="/casino/review/bet365-casino/" target="_blank">bet365 Casino</a> app is available in many different countries and comes with a standout blackjack offering
including many of the most popular blackjack variants
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This Canadian-based online casino is well-known for its <a href="/casino/review/jackpot-city-casino-ontario/">Ontario site</a>
which also includes a mobile app for playing casino games on the go
The JackpotCity Casino app is available on iOS and Android
and counts a few blackjack games in the casino games catalog
<a href="/casino/review/jackpot-city-casino-ontario/" target="_blank">Download the JackpotCity Casino Ontario Mobile App for Free</a>
Use <a href="/casino/review/jackpot-city/ext/" target="_blank">this link</a> if you live in Canada outside ON province, or in another location.
Blackjack is a card game which utilizes the whole 52-card deck. Players are dealt cards and must build a hand to get as close to 21 with the total of their cards, without exceeding this number. You can wager on the likelihood of achieving this goal with the cards dealt versus the chance of the dealer being able to do the same with the cards.
Winning at blackjack depends on luck to a large degree. You can however, improve your chance of winning your next blackjack hand by knowing the rules and improving your knowledge of the game.
This is a tricky question to answer as a lot depends on your skill level, and the kind of blackjack you like to play, but for our money the best online casinos for real money blackjack are FanDuel Casino, BetMGM Casino, PokerStars Casino, and Sky Casino.
The live dealer version of blackjack works in the same way as the online game but you play with a live dealer on screen instead of an automated version. The controls for playing blackjack are the same.
Yes most online casinos (and certainly all casinos we recommend) provide a version or multiple versions of blackjack to play on mobile. Casinos offering blackjack on mobile include: bet365 Casino, 888casino, PokerStars Casino & PartyCasino.
Latest casino news, game strategies, and special offers.
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And a song from the the live-action adaptation of the hit video game has set a new record: it’s the shortest track to ever make it on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
And another thing Jack Black does a lot of in the Minecraft movie is sing songs
Many of these songs are short and not very memorable
But one about really hot chicken has turned out to be a bit of a hit
which is pretty impressive considering its just 34 seconds long
That’s so short that it’s set a new record for shortest track to chart on the Hot 100
that record was held by Kid Cudi’s 2020 song “Beautiful Trip” which was just 37 seconds long
Use the PokerNews FREE online blackjack strategy calculator to get the best odds every time you play blackjack online
No more guessing or trying your luck with yet another audacious &quot;hit.&quot; With the free blackjack calculator, you can play <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/blackjack/">online blackjack</a> the way you were always supposed to
Follow these simple steps to try our Free Blackjack Calculator:
Curious about how to use our Blackjack Calculator
Start your online Blackjack journey by playing with a bonus at our recommended online casino in your location
Why risk ruining your bankroll with the wrong move or count cards when you play blackjack online
you can use the online blackjack strategy calculator to know exactly when you are supposed to Hit
With our blackjack calculator, you can see when it&#039;s best to cut your losses during a hand or when it&#039;s better to fight on and try to make a better hand than the dealer. Find out more about <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/blackjack/blackjack-surrender-rule.htm">how surrendering in blackjack works</a> with our complete guide
let&#039;s say the dealer has an Ace and a six
as any card above a four will not bust their hand
but instead change the Ace&#039;s value from 11 to a one
So if the dealer&#039;s third card is an eight
the value of their hand goes from 17 (soft) to 15 - it&#039;s no longer soft as the Ace now cannot have a value of 11 or the dealer would go bust
Different blackjack variants will have different rules for the dealer standing or hitting on soft 17 and it can significantly impact what the optimal play will be
make sure you&#039;ve got the filter set correctly on our Blackjack Calculator depending on the rules in your game
If you&#039;re not already familiar with the rules of blackjack then we suggest you view our &#039;How to Play Blackjack&#039; video guide:
Here on PokerNews, we have a whole article dedicated to <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/how-to-play-blackjack-beginners.htm">how to play blackjack</a>
but if you&#039;re looking to learn quickly we have broken it down into 7 easy steps
Understand the Aim: The main aim in blackjack is to beat the dealer by having a hand value as close to 21 as possible
If your hand is closer to 21 than the dealer&#039;s
Know the Card Values: Cards from 2 to 10 are worth their face value
depending on what benefits your hand the most
Players usually receive their cards face up
while the dealer gets one face-up (upcard) and one face-down (hole card)
Playing Options: After receiving your initial two cards
The Dealer&#039;s Turn: Once all players have made their decisions
The dealer must follow a specific rule- they must hit until their hand totals 17 or higher
the player&#039;s and dealer&#039;s hands are compared
and the closest to 21 without going over wins
winning player hands receive a 1:1 (even money) payout
If you get a &quot;blackjack&quot; (an Ace and a 10-value card)
Repeat or Cash Out: You can choose to continue playing by placing another bet or cash out with your winnings
The PokerNews blackjack hand calculator is your best ally to increase your chances of winning at blackjack
Using mathematical probabilities and the blackjack basic strategy charts
we developed an algorithm that shows you the optimal play every time you play a blackjack hand
We base this calculation on all the information available in a blackjack game: the dealer upcard and your two hole cards
and the blackjack calculator will show you the best possible play of your blackjack hand based on mathematical probabilities
or what is known as basic blackjack strategy
A blackjack calculator uses mathematical algorithms and a basic strategy chart to calculate the expected value of each possible decision. It considers factors such as the player&#039;s hand and the dealer&#039;s upcard. You can practice for free with our Blackjack calculator and there many different <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/blackjack/best-blackjack-strategy-tips.htm">blackjack betting strategies</a> that you can choose to adopt
but here we also include a table which shows you how you should play for every hand
according to basic blackjack betting strategy
Card counting is a casino strategy some players use to reduce the house edge when they play blackjack
Made famous by the &#039;MIT Blackjack Team&#039; in the 80s
this casino strategy isn&#039;t as effective when you play online
card counting is effective only under very specific circumstances connected to the number of decks in play and how often the dealer shuffles them
Although <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/single-deck-blackjack.htm">some online sites offer single-deck blackjack games</a> - the best-suited variant for card counting - the majority of online games are built to make card counting nearly impossible
That&#039;s where a blackjack tool like the probability calculator comes into play. As pointed out on <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/best-blackjack-strategy.htm">this blackjack strategy guide</a> the game&#039;s basic strategy gives you the guidance you need to reach optimal play and know exactly the best way to play each hand of blackjack
There is no better way to improve your winning odds
so keep it open on the screen every time you play a blackjack game online if you want to get your top chances to win
On PokerNews you find some of the juiciest games of blackjack for free (and for real money)
to play with a live dealer or to enjoy a solo match against a casino software
If you are just starting out and you want to see what promotions are available to play blackjack games, have a look at <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/latest-promo-bonus.htm">this list of casino bonuses</a>..
and don&#039;t forget to read the terms and conditions and wagering requirements
Below we list the best sites for <a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/blackjack/online-blackjack-real-money.htm">real money online blackjack</a>
and don&#039;t forget to use the blackjack calculator to increase your winning odds
If you want to know more about our free blackjack calculator
and about playing online blackjack in general
The PokerNews blackjack calculator combines information about your blackjack hand with the game&#039;s basic strategy to show you what is the best way to play your cards
or split based on the player&#039;s and dealer&#039;s cards
A blackjack calculator uses mathematical algorithms and a basic strategy chart to calculate the expected value of each possible decision
It considers factors such as the player&#039;s hand and the dealer&#039;s upcard
There are many different Blackjack calculators out there
but the PokerNews version is very simple to use...
click on the &#039;Reset&#039; button and repeat the process
The blackjack calculator is a free tool that shows you what is the best play of each hand based on mathematical calculation
While this helps you get the best winning odds possible in a game of blackjack
it does not give you the mathematical certainty to win every game you play
Using a blackjack calculator to make decisions during a game is generally legal in most casinos
using electronic devices to count cards is often prohibited
Always check the casino&#039;s rules and regulations to ensure you are in compliance
<a href="https://www.pokernews.com/casino/blackjack/best-blackjack-strategy-tips.htm">Basic strategy in blackjack</a> is a set of rules that suggest the optimal decisions for each possible combination of player hand and dealer upcard
A blackjack calculator often incorporates these strategies to recommend actions
It&#039;s recommended to use a blackjack calculator as a learning tool to improve your understanding of the game and develop better decision-making skills
relying solely on a calculator without understanding the underlying strategies may not be ideal for long-term success
You can find blackjack calculators as mobile apps
or even build your own spreadsheet calculator based on the basic strategy chart
but we recommend using the PokerNews Blackjack calculator which you can find right here on this page
<a href=\u0022https://www.pokernews.com/casino/blackjack/best-blackjack-strategy-tips.htm\u0022>Basic strategy in blackjack</a> is a set of rules that suggest the optimal decisions for each possible combination of player hand and dealer upcard
PokerNews.com is the world’s leading poker website
visitors will find a daily dose of articles with the latest poker news
Disclaimer: any promotions presented on this page were correct and available at the time of writing
We encourage all users to check the promotion displayed matches the most current promotion available by clicking through to the operator welcome page
Please read the terms and conditions carefully before you accept any promotional welcome offer
modified or distributed without the express prior written permission of the copyright holder
The pilot for <a href="https://www.slashfilm.com/919911/the-conversation-that-got-dan-harmon-kicked-off-of-community/" target="_blank">"Community" creator Dan Harmon</a> and Rob Schrab's TV series "Heat Vision and Jack" was ordered by Fox back in 1999
but the network was a little put off by the show and never picked it up for a series
The pilot did end up airing on Fox as a 30-minute TV special
although it gained more notoriety among VHS traders and cult TV lovers
"Heat Vision and Jack," as directed by Ben Stiller
was to be a "Renegade"-style series about Jack Austin (Jack Black)
an itinerant loner-on-the-road who helps random people in trouble
His only possession is his reliable motorcycle
The twist is that Jack's motorcycle could talk to him
as it contained the spirit of his best friend Doug (Owen Wilson)
Doug had been recently shot by an experimental ray gun
shunting his consciousness into the motorcycle
He's a former astronaut who was bombarded with solar radiation on a previous space mission
causing his brain to mutate and granting him super-intelligence
His enhanced intellect only activates when he is in direct sunlight
a vicious goon from NASA and a fictionalized
seemingly bullet-proof version of actor-filmmaker Ron Silver (as played by the real Ron Silver
The theme song was Tom Jones' cover of Yazoo's New Wave hit "Situation." The pilot was pretty great, although one can see how it might have been deemed too weird for a primetime audience. Stiller has since acknowledged the project several times, including <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hnLM8PrDRY" target="_blank">on a 2025 episode of "Late Night With Seth Meyer."</a> 
Stiller explained the premise more succinctly on "Late Night," saying:
[...] It's a pilot that was never picked and it starred Jack Black as an astronaut
It was created by Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab
and [Black is] an astronaut who flies too close to the sun
and he becomes the smartest man in the world
His friend [...] got melded into a motorcycle
The story for "Heat Vision and Jack" is pretty fun
The great Vincent Schiavelli plays a fry cook who becomes possessed by an alien intelligence named Paragon after it transmits itself into his body through his radio
Paragon "absorbs" his wife (O-Lan Jones) and sets about on a quest to destroy humanity
Jack then stumbles into the aftermath of the absorption
arousing the ire of the local sheriff (Taylor)
Hearing the voice of Owen Wilson coming out of a motorcycle, especially as it gulps down gasoline in relief, will definitely <a href="https://www.slashfilm.com/1604648/pixar-cars-movies-ranked/" target="_blank">remind viewers of the "Cars" movies</a>
The pilot climaxes at a strip club that Paragon has mistaken for a power center of the Earth
Stiller has a cameo as the announcer at the strip club
and Jack has a fistfight with Paragon while blindfolded
(The alien can only use its powers by looking in your eyes.) The pilot also bothered to license a few hot pop songs of the time
including "Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind and Puff Daddy and Jimmy Page's "Come with Me" from the "Godzilla" soundtrack
The pilot never went to series, but Harmon was always fond of the project. Way back in 2007, while speaking <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071104050658/http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/wizard/004063569.cfm?page=2" target="_blank">in an interview with Wizard Magazine</a>
he even said he was aiming to adapt the concept into a feature film
Harmon seemed hopeful that it would be made
but he's saying he loves it and he wants to do it
I just have to get the right script and make sure that everyone who wants to be involved with it has the time to do it because Jack's doing a movie like every other month
So he's going to be picky with his free time
especially now after going on a world tour with Tenacious D
and I'll figure it out because I want to do this.'"
even if the film version should (miraculously) come to fruition one day
this cult oddity may be too far removed from the present to attract an audience
the original lives on in low-quality videos on YouTube
Timberlake x Nike shoe collab early access
but his quantitative skills go only so far on the course
It&rsquo;s a sun-kissed morning in the Napa Valley, and Ma is taking stock of his approach on a snaking par-5 at <a href="https://golf.com/tag/silverado/">Silverado Resort</a>
&ldquo;I understand the analytics,&rdquo; Ma says before pushing his approach into a greenside bunker
&ldquo;I just don&rsquo;t have the ability to pull off the shots.&rdquo;
Ma also understands where his strengths lie in the game
Even golfers unfamiliar with his name have likely heard about his expertise. In the early 1990s, as an undergraduate studying mechanical engineering at MIT, Ma was a key player on a team of card counters that swooped in regularly on<a href="https://golf.com/news/troon-golf-jeff-ma-mit-blackjack/"> Las Vegas casinos</a> to cash in at the blackjack tables
Their exploits &mdash; think &ldquo;Ocean&rsquo;s 11&rdquo; meets &ldquo;A Beautiful Mind&rdquo; &mdash; inspired a best-selling book
&ldquo;Bringing Down the House,&rdquo; which begat a high-grossing movie
&ldquo;21,&rdquo; in which Ma had a cameo as a casino dealer
Where he didn&rsquo;t make appearances back then was on the tee
Ma didn&rsquo;t touch a club until after college and didn&rsquo;t fully convert to golf until Covid
But in a plot twist befitting a Hollywood script
he has since become a prominent industry player
the largest golf-course management company in the world.&nbsp;
Troon&rsquo;s hiring of Ma as its chief digital officer
After a successful and varied career in which he&rsquo;d traded stocks
launched (and sold) several startups and filled high-ranking roles at such tech juggernauts as Twitter and Microsoft
married with young kids and living in Northern California
fresh off a pandemic-era boom that had begun contracting
pondered how to best respond to a changing market while preparing for challenges ahead
recognize that&rsquo;s there&rsquo;s been a demographic shift in the game
that that shift tends toward a greater use of technology and that we need to be out in front of it,&rdquo; says Troon CEO Tim Schantz
&ldquo;Jeff&rsquo;s reputation as an innovative thinker preceded him
He also happens to be passionate about golf
As we thought about our evolution as a company
and a lot of things just converged.&rdquo;
Says Ma: &ldquo;As much as I liked playing the game
there was probably even more of an intellectual motivation to what made golf so interesting to me
The industry was obviously ripe for disruption
I would rather talk about opportunities.&rdquo; 
the point was plain: Ma saw&nbsp;cause to question the status quo
&ldquo;It happens in any industry that has done things in a certain way for some time,&rdquo; he says
&ldquo;If you ask why are we doing it this way
and the answer is because that&rsquo;s how it&rsquo;s always been
there&rsquo;s a good chance you should be doing something else.&rdquo;
But not all the callers were older and tech-wary
that people preferred to pick up the phone
And then there was the cumbersome check-in process, which, even if you&rsquo;d paid online, required a visit to the <a href="https://golf.com/tag/pro-shop/">pro shop</a> to pick up a receipt
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s like me calling to make an airline reservation then walking to the front desk to get an actual piece of paper,&rdquo; Ma says
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve largely moved away from that in air travel
But it&rsquo;s still happening in golf.&rdquo;
And while not every issue could be resolved overnight
nearly all could be addressed through tech
&ldquo;The whole idea was to take that startup mentality
and apply it within an existing company,&rdquo; Ma says
Ma&rsquo;s first move at Troon was to take a page from the MIT playbook and assemble an A-team of engineers
software whizzes with backgrounds at bleeding-edge outfits like Robinhood and Microsoft
Atop their to-do list was to be build a platform for what was meant to be the largest rewards program in golf
Troon Access was up and running at full speed.&nbsp;
Like Troon Card before it, the program offers discounts at Troon courses. But it is more than an analog idea updated. Along with tee-time savings of 15 percent, the <a href="https://troon.com/access">$249 annual membership</a> (a $400 annual membership delivers up to 50 percent discounts within 78 hours of play) comes with guest passes
partner perks (such as discounts on Ship Sticks shipments
fee-free tickets to NBA games and entry into tournaments and other members-only events)
&ldquo;The idea is to allow members to do all kinds of fun things with their rewards points,&rdquo; Ma says. &ldquo;Maybe it&rsquo;s something like playing a round with <a href="https://golf.com/news/justin-thomas-letter-tour-players/">Justin Thomas</a> or another top Tour pro
We&rsquo;re talking about experiences that are second-to-none that we can roll out on the back of a best-in-class booking system.&rdquo;
Troon Access has enrolled more than 10,000 members; the goal
that&rsquo;s in part because he knows that he&rsquo;s getting a head start
he isn&rsquo;t trying to create a business from scratch
Troon&rsquo;s portfolio of 850-plus courses represents a vast
Ma is brimming with ideas for how to do so
both of which have undergone a digital-age transformation reflected in such services as Resy and the Marriott Bonvoy app
click-of-the-button platforms that drive demand
because what he and his team are building is not third-party but in-house
which means that all the revenue stays in-house
even the busiest courses could do better by thinking differently
make more effective use of dynamic pricing and offers of more flexible ways to play.&nbsp;
&ldquo;If I get off work and want to squeeze in six holes
I can only really do that if I&rsquo;m a member of a private club,&rdquo; Ma says
There&rsquo;s no reason we can&rsquo;t get some of our properties to work together to make those experiences available to our customers.&rdquo;
including on the Troon-managed grounds where Ma is playing today
The North Course at Silverado is an annual stop on the PGA Tour that
with non-member times available to overnight guests only
It sits in the heart of a marquee tourist region
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s sad to think about a course like this not having more people experience it,&rdquo; Ma says
Not that he&rsquo;d want to fling its tee sheets open wide
as that would alienate the membership and alter a key feature of the property&rsquo;s appeal
But Ma can envision a middle ground that would preserve Silverado&rsquo;s country club feel while boosting revenue for the resort: for example
by giving Troon Access members tee times in windows that do not infringe on member play.&nbsp;There is room
And don&rsquo;t even get him started on the untapped potential of Napa itself
Though the area is home to a cluster of fine courses
it isn&rsquo;t widely thought of as a golf destination
Why not stitch those courses into a regional coalition
creating a product &mdash; and marketing power &mdash; beyond what any single property could muster
you obviously have different constituents who you have to make happy,&rdquo; Ma says
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not saying that there aren&rsquo;t challenges
But these are all solvable problems.&rdquo;
Ma&rsquo;s challenge at the moment is the greenside bunker in which his approach has landed
he blasts a sand wedge to about eight feet
a respectable play for a double-digit index
The greens are pure and Ma&rsquo;s stroke is smooth
even pros miss such putts nearly half the time
&ldquo;And I&rsquo;m not clearly not a pro,&rdquo; he says
snatches up his ball and walks to the next with the unbothered look of a man with bigger targets in mind
Josh Sens has been a GOLF Magazine contributor since 2004 and now contributes across all of GOLF&rsquo;s platforms
His work has been anthologized in The Best American Sportswriting
of Are We Having Any Fun Yet: the Cooking and Partying Handbook
All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team
A Blackjack player got a Royal Flush Tuesday
winning the jackpot prize at MGM Springfield.MGM Springfield
.st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By <a class="byline__authorLink" href="https://www.masslive.com/staff/HeatherAdams/posts.html" title="Heather Morrison at hmorrison@masslive.com">Heather Morrison | hmorrison@masslive.com</a>A Blackjack player got a Royal Flush Tuesday, winning the jackpot prize at <a href="https://www.masslive.com/casinos/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.masslive.com/casinos/">MGM Springfield</a>
The casino currently offers <a href="https://mgmspringfield.mgmresorts.com/en/casino/table-games.html" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://mgmspringfield.mgmresorts.com/en/casino/table-games.html">five different table games</a>
A few weeks ago, a <a href="https://www.masslive.com/entertainment/2025/04/mass-casino-winner-5-blackjack-bet-turns-into-more-than-250000-prize.html" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.masslive.com/entertainment/2025/04/mass-casino-winner-5-blackjack-bet-turns-into-more-than-250000-prize.html">$5 Blackjack bet</a> turned into a prize worth $250,347.70
It was the largest jackpot prize won at a MGM Springfield table game in March
Overall in <a href="https://mgmspringfield.mgmresorts.com/en/casino/table-games.html" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://mgmspringfield.mgmresorts.com/en/casino/table-games.html">March</a>
there were seven table game jackpot winners
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and he couldn’t always take his eyes away from the cue cards for very long
bringing a level of energy to the show that proved infectious to his oft-breaking castmates
Just look at the sheer joy on Heidi Gardner’s face as she rocked the tambourine in the background near the close of Black’s monologue performance running through his biggest movies of the last 20 years
Who cares if many of those movies weren’t good
he makes for a more than capable Tom Petty stand-in while undercutting his chill vibe with an increasing frustration at the musical imbalance
Affability was also a big theme throughout the episode for the host
who brought his signature intensity when needed but played it earnest when the characters required it
a contestant on a dating show where the bachelorette (Chloe Fineman) isn’t supposed to know anything about the three dudes’ physical appearances
But host Todd Bruff (Andrew Dismukes) can’t help telling her that the sweet
well-meaning Gene is clearly dressed as Indiana Jones
including a whip and “adventure hat.” Part of me felt slightly let down when I realized there wouldn’t be much more to the skit than Black and Dismukes’s debate about whether or not the Indiana Jones get-up is intentional
but it makes for some pretty funny moments
especially when Gene slips up and mentions a fact he shouldn’t know about Indiana’s origin story
And the appearance of Bowen Yang as a new contestant dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow makes for a good-enough final beat to end on
When the name of the fake product alone is funny
And crossing over Flamin’ Hot Cheetos with hemorrhoid cream is just good stuff
especially with the care taken to the graphics to show the “total eruption” that would result
screaming in agony while applying the nightmare product
and using Chester Cheetah as the alarmed straight man is inspired
Creating a solid comedy song often means pairing the right content with the right form, and in this case that means a reggae song sung by Jamaican locals (Kenan Thompson and Ego Nwodim) about goth American kids on vacation with their families. Black appears unexpectedly as My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way in a new version of the opening verse of “Welcome to the Black Parade” (and outfitted as Way in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRKJiM9Njr8" class="editor-rtfLink">music video</a>)
This week’s Update featured some of the better one-liners of the night, arguably peaking early on when Colin Jost acknowledged <a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/morgan-wallen-walk-off-snl.html" class="editor-rtfLink">Morgan Wallen’s abrupt departure</a> at goodnights last week
But the Trump skewering was good and tough this time around
has been plundered and raped by other countries … and Trump will not stand for plundering.” I also appreciated the flashback to Russell Brand introducing Chris Brown as a musical guest
was Nwodim practicing an apolitical stand-up comedy set for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner
The humor comes not so much from watching her stick to food jokes as it does from her confusing
apparently over-50 “Miss Eggy” stand-up persona
which had everyone in the studio cracking up
including the Update anchors — and led to a great unexpected moment when the audience contributed a loud “shit!” to follow her “men ain’t what?” call
For someone who doesn’t always get her due on this show
This one is also based around a silly but amusing concept: When the Greeks put on their “first play” in 500 B.C.
not understanding that they weren’t being spoken to directly
and Fineman as the befuddled audience members
loudly chiming in from the front row after every line to reply
The sketch goes on a bit long without taking any particularly unexpected or clever directions
but I liked the outraged reactions to the transparently fake stage murder
• Another week, another appearance by Mike Myers as Elon Musk in the<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEle3pZRqmI"> cold open</a>
this time present at the Rose Garden to hear Trump’s tariff plan and “MAGDA” (“Make America Great Depression Again”) agenda
The idea of a new self-vandalizing model of Tesla with “self-smashing headlights
and AI-powered graffiti” doesn’t feel far off from a stunt Musk might actually pull to show how in-on-the-joke he apparently is
and “swastikas made out of penises” really does encapsulate his sense of humor
• The sketch about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMZ6LM1rJYY&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Few.com%2Fembed%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.youtube.com%252Fwatch%253Fv%253DnMZ6LM1rJYY%26id%3Dmntl-sc-block_42-0-iframe%26options%3De30%253D%26doc&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE">one uppers</a> doesn’t really go anywhere new after establishing the basic “humblebrag followed by eagle sound cue” pattern
• I don’t have much to say about Elton John and Brandi Carlile
especially Carlile’s voice in the second song
Carlile was also brought in for the making-lurv sketch as a fourth to Sarah Sherman and Black’s relationship
• “A ballet dancer set a new world record for the longest distance covered while performing a split on two moving ATVs
less because it “went there” than because it’s just pretty lazy
especially compared to some of the other topical humor here
• I could use less of Marcello Hernández breaking
but I did laugh at his delivery of “We’re gonna live happily ever after
• “You think Tom Petty is liking this?” “I do not.”
• The other part of the bass skit that made me laugh is Yang coming in with a keyboard
only to reveal it as a guitar case carrying yet another bass
• The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN3EiclzlW4&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Few.com%2Fembed%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fyoutu.be%252FBN3EiclzlW4%253Fsi%253Dg_u1RiIYfoeP8ZlQ%26id%3Dmntl-sc-block_98-0-iframe%26options%3De30%253&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE">Times Square Kiss</a> skit
based on the famous Alfred Eisenstaedt photo
repeatedly hitting the same note about Black’s jealousy of the various men kissing his nurse girlfriend (Gardner)
But I understand where he’s coming from in wanting four hot dogs
By submitting your email, you agree to our <a href="https://nymag.com/newyork/terms/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Terms</a> and <a href="https://nymag.com/newyork/privacy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Privacy Notice</a> and to receive email correspondence from us
at Black Jack Battlefield just east of Baldwin City
The Civil War is said to have officially started at Fort Sumter in South Carolina in 1861
but Bleeding Kansas had been home to numerous antislavery battles well before that
including the Battle of Black Jack just outside of Baldwin City
Some historians say Black Jack may have been the war&#8217;s first true battle when abolitionist John Brown and a group of men attacked pro-slavery agitators led by Henry Clay Pate on June 2
Now the site is home to 40 acres of wooded trails
prairie landscapes and historical markers for Douglas County residents to explore
Visitors can take a self-guided walking tour of the battle site; view the Pearson House
built in the 1880s; and enjoy miles of hiking
and just a short hike from the battlefield visitors can see ruts carved into the ground from passing wagon trains
Another mile down the road sits Black Jack Cemetery
which is home to numerous 19th century gravestones
A decaying bridge along a trail on Thursday
The battlefield&#8217;s future has been up in the air in the past year after the nonprofit that owns and cares for the land, Black Jack Battlefield Trust, ran into financial troubles when some large donations fell through, <a href="https://www2.ljworld.com/news/general-news/2024/jun/19/black-jack-battlefield-is-facing-financial-challenges-but-still-hanging-on/">as the Journal-World reported.</a> 
But the Baldwin City Council voted earlier this month to ensure that the battlefield has a chance to continue to educate and entertain residents and history buffs
and council members said that the city may eventually purchase the land outright
Baldwin City Mayor Casey Simoneau said at the meeting that the city would lease the land from the bank for 12 months at $1,500 per month and could at any time before the lease ends choose to purchase the land for what the Black Jack group owes the bank
An old barn and grain elevator on Thursday
Baldwin City Council Member Cory Venable said that the council&#8217;s decision not only would preserve the site as an outdoor destination for people to enjoy but also would preserve the site&#8217;s historic status
He said the site is not currently protected as a historic site and if someone were to buy the land
the new owner would not be obligated to maintain it as a historic site
Simoneau said that he planned to reach out to Kansas&#8217; congressional delegation to start taking the steps to register the land as a federal park
He said that it would take a vote in Congress or a presidential order for the park to be protected federally
Council Member Scott Lauridsen said that purchasing the property would be a good investment for the city overall because 40 acres of land near Baldwin City would cost much more than the $257,000 price tag that the battlefield group owes the bank
He said if the city can&#8217;t afford to maintain it as a park down the line
it would still be a net profit to sell it later
The Pearson House built in the 1880s on Thursday
The site is well marked and has plenty of parking with a few handicapped-accessible spots
the site is not handicapped accessible since most of the site remains in its natural state; however
the hiking trails and loamy fields are relatively easy to traverse on foot
Some of the trail markers are old and worn out but still easy enough to follow
Visitors can see the landmarks and take in the views in about an hour
but outdoor enthusiasts should plan for two to three hours to explore the network of trails
The site also hosts a reenactment each June of the famous Black Jack battle
The entrance to Black Jack Cemetery on Thursday
at Black Jack Cemetery just east of Baldwin City
A large gravestone for a toddler on Thursday
An old farm implement half buried in the ground along a hiking trail on Thursday
An old machine sitting inside of an barn on Thursday
Overlooking part of the 1856 Black Jack Battlefield on Thursday
The entrance to Black Jack Battlefield on Thursday
The latest headlines from the Lawrence Journal-World and KUsports.com
Copyright © 2025 Ogden Newspapers of Kansas, LLC | https://www2.ljworld.com | 1035 N. Third Street, Lawrence, KS 66044 | 785-843-1000 | <a style="font-family:'Roboto Slab'; color:#999"  href="/terms-of-service/">Terms of Service</a>
09-27-2024<a class="border-l border-solid border-primary-dark pl-2 pr-2" href="https://www.fastcompany.com/section/venture-capital" target="_blank">VENTURE CAPITAL</a>
Here are three lessons blackjack can teach investors about how to best calculate
[Source Photo: <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-playing-poker-1871508/">Drew Rae</a>/Pexels]
BY <a href="/user/semyondukach" class="underline underline-offset-4 text-black">Semyon Dukach</a>
Venture Capital (VC) can be a rewarding place you could invest your money. But nowadays, some are <a href="https://fortune.com/2023/09/12/limited-partner-preqin-venture-capital-risk/">reconsidering</a> whether to <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90830822/vc-funding-is-drying-up-how-founders-can-fundraise-regardless">invest in VC</a> as an asset class at all
A number of VCs have responded by “reducing risk” and slowing their investments
and I first learned about high-pressure bets while playing blackjack
I left the Soviet Union as a child in 1979
I was attending MIT and I joined one of MIT’s blackjack teams
We won millions from various casinos by counting cards and inspired the book and the movie 21
Counting cards isn’t illegal and it isn’t magic either
Assuming we all played the way the algorithm told us to
Yet it’s no coincidence that several of my MIT blackjack teammates went on to build billion-dollar companies
or that I ended up investing millions into tech startups
Counting cards has a lot in common with the worlds of risk
I didn’t stay very long in the world of flashing casino lights
but we played a zero-sum game like Wall Street traders do
without actually creating any value for anyone
It’s infinitely more gratifying to invest in and mentor companies whose customers actually thank you
and I launched a VC fund for immigrant-founded startups
much of my card counting skills come back into play when I’m placing a bet on the right product
or assessing a founder’s ability to soar above competitors
The one ingredient that was missing back then was meaning
This is what I took from the blackjack tables to the boardrooms
and how it helps me understand today’s more risk-wary VC climate
all you see are the few cards in front of you—the rest is unknown
But the difference between a gambler and a card counter is that one is playing luck and emotion
The cards you see affect the probability of distribution
and with that little data you have to project likelihoods
but we knew that if we stuck to the process over time we’d come out with a profit
That strict belief in the science—that if we made the most objective decisions based on the data
we would win—is fundamental to my current decision-making process as an investor
of course: Good VCs will accept more than a 50% chance of a company failing
but can also 10x their investments in a few years
But the principle of applying near-scientific rigor stays the same
<a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/91191854/venture-capitalists-america-us-ai-artificial-intelligence-startup-vc-invest-region-china-europe-asia-latin-caribbean">VC is about making bets</a> with all the information you can get for outsized potential gains
VC doesn’t have a formula to predict a founder’s value generation
Thinking probabilistically for us ultimately comes down to pattern matching
remembering decisions over a long period of time
and being honest about mistakes that you’ve made
I match patterns I’ve seen before in successful companies
you know which types of founders have a rare combination of skills and experiences that make them good bets
Though I often look like I’m taking a risk on a company
I’m actually being quite careful and rational
So when I hear about VCs trying to be risk averse
it sounds less like venture capital and more like a regular business investment
The difference between VC and most other forms of investment is that if you don’t expose yourself to perceived risk
then you will never set yourself up for huge returns
In the casino there’s an emotional environment meant to suck people in
and create an exaggerated urge to act on your feelings
Gamblers might feel that they’re on a streak
and respond to whether they’re already winning or losing
There’s a temptation as humans to deviate from what the math tells you to do
For a card counter who sees that they’re losing again and again
it takes nerve to stick to the original plan
But if you don’t bet the optimal amount the situation tells you to—high or low, depending on the data—you won’t have that marginal advantage. So, <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/91016041/your-emotional-brain-can-give-you-fake-news-heres-how-to-make-decisions-with-a-clear-mind">emotional decision-making</a> will ultimately push you to lose
an investor might perceive that all their investments in last-minute delivery startups
So they place most of their eggs in the one basket
they see that they haven’t been getting returns from their biotech investments
A smart investor knows that they’re playing the long game
They know that an overhyped market could lead to a bubble
They know that a niche that’s slow to develop could give them the most outsized returns in the long run
They just have to keep their emotions in check and not be reactive when valuations are spiking or everyone else is jumping ship
Conventional wisdom decades ago said the house always wins
and anyone who spent too much time at the tables was perceived as having a gambling problem
someone proved that you could actually beat the casinos
We were taught the basic methods for counting cards
We knew that it was possible using the method we had perfected
I don’t take the assertion that a certain entrepreneur’s goal is “impossible” at face value
I take it as an opportunity to back something that no one else has been able to do
Smart investors will be unfazed by naysayers when they see the right chance in front of them
So if a founder says they can do the impossible
And even if those experts tell me it can’t be done
I ask them to double check and talk to the founder
You want to see a similar determination in all founders who approach you
You want to see in them a robust vision of the future
a belief in their goal regardless of how many people tell them it’s too risky
They must be willing to make their own bets
Even in the most innovative spheres of entrepreneurship
not everyone is willing to look past consensus
if a VC examines a startup’s target market and sees that there are already strong competitors who are doing well
they’d probably tell the founder: “You don’t need to launch a company to do that
others are way ahead.” Founders have to refute that statement
show you that they understand that there is competition
but lay out a plan in which they can prevail
How do you know if a founder really can make the “impossible” possible
They need to hear the questions you’re asking
and have a good answer that even nonexperts will understand
It shows they have a broader view of the market and their user base
and are able to step back and take stock of their business
but I’m also appreciative that it gave me my first experience as an investor
Back then it felt like the greatest thrill in the world to make fools out of the casinos
probabilistic thinking and apply it to the far greater stakes of trying to find the companies that are going to change the world for the better
The final deadline for Fast Company’s <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/apply/brands-that-matter">Brands That Matter Awards</a> is Friday, May 30, at 11:59 p.m. PT. <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/apply/brands-that-matter"> Apply today.</a>
Semyon Dukach is the founding partner of One Way Ventures, a VC firm funding exceptional immigrant founders. A Ukrainian-American, he came to the U.S <a aria-label="Read more about user link" class="text-link" href="https://www.fastcompany.com/user/semyondukach">More</a>
Fast Company &amp; Inc © 2025 Mansueto Ventures
 Fastcompany.com adheres to NewsGuard’s nine standards of credibility and transparency. <a class="underline" href="https://www.newsguardtech.com/ratings/rating-process-criteria/"> Learn More </a> 
A Minecraft Movie came out earlier this month
and its soundtrack features a 34-second song called “Steve’s Lava Chicken.” That is now the shortest song to ever chart on the Billboard Hot 100
closely followed by Kid Cudi&#8217;s 37-second &#8220;Beautiful Trip.&#8221;
The most important stories and least important memes
By <a href="/en/bio/abonderson/">Aaron Bonderson</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ABonderson" target="_blank"></a>
Visitors at Lincoln&#x27;s casino can now play table games for the first time
Lance Morgan, CEO of <a href="https://www.warhorsecasino.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WarHorse</a>
said a revamped sportsbook and a new casino area highlight the upgrades
this is great because it adds more restaurant space
The blackjack tables will likely bring in a new crowd to the casino
Lynne McNally is the head of government relations at for the company which is owned by <a href="https://www.hochunkinc.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ho-Chunk Inc.</a>
The common casino games coming to Lincoln boosts the atmosphere inside
when they think of Las Vegas style gambling
we&#x27;ve been open for two years with only enough room for slot machines
but we now have 10 table games,” McNally said
The casino is expected to expand again and add about 500 more tables and slots in 2025
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