There are many, many casinos out there which claim to be special, but which ones are the best? We’ve picked a few that we think provide the most impressive backdrop for playing blackjack and other games.

Casino de Monte Carlo, Monaco
Prince Charles III of Monaco opened the principality’s first casino in 1963 – and gaming has been a big part of the extravagant culture there ever since. The Casino de Monte Carlo was designed by architect Charles Garnier – who also designed the Paris Opera – and is filled with luxurious ornamental touches in gold and bronze.

Bellagio, Las Vegas
Bellagio is famous not only for its casino, but also its awe-inspiring fountains, which shoot hundreds of feet into the air from its 8-acre lake, choreographed to music. It is still widely regarded as one of the city’s most elegant casinos.

St James Club, Antigua
There are sea views on three sides of this casino, which is located on a private peninsula in the Caribbean. It has five blackjack tables, along with slot machines, roulette and stud poker.

Atlantis Resort, Bahamas
The Bridge Suite within the resort’s hotel costs $25,000 a night, which certainly tells you something about its clientele. The casino itself is the biggest in the Caribbean and has skylights and windows, making the most of its location.

Casino Baden-Baden, Baden-Baden
This German casino is situated within the Brenner’s Park Hotel, where many people come to stay while enjoying the thermal waters of the city. Legendary actress and style icon Marlene Dietrich reportedly said upon visiting that the casino, which dates from 1809, was the most beautiful in the world.

Players can compete with friends, with results shown on a leader board – and when you win, you can purchase avatar upgrades or hints. For example, an advantage named ‘I’m Killin’ It’ will tell you whether or not the next card will result in a bust, or you can get an Ace by choosing the ‘Ace Rich’ feature.

Many may think it is strange for a music industry star to have made this kind of move – but 50 Cent is also a businessman with a strong portfolio of ventures and investments.

Curtis James Jackson III (his real name) owns a clothing company; created a vitamin water drink for a company now owned by Coca-Cola (a deal which earned him an estimated $100m); created a body spray brand with Right Guard; signed an agreement to sell memorabilia via a sports company; created a line of headphones; and owns two film production companies.

He has also written an autobiography and launched a fundraising initiative to provide food to people in Africa, partly through the release of a charity energy drink, from which a percentage of profits are donated.

It’s therefore fair to say he’s not a man who undertakes projects lightly – and we can’t blame him for taking a serious interest in blackjack, the best casino game there is. Whether played in land-based or online venues, it’s such a thrilling and glamorous pastime.

There are many different areas of England’s capital city and a huge number of casino establishments. However, we’ve picked out a few notable examples we think you’d be interested to learn more about.

Crockford’s
This classic venue describes itself as ‘the pinnacle of casinos and clubs in Mayfair’. The venue on which it is based was a gentleman’s club founded by William Crockford in 1793 – rumoured to be one of the world’s oldest – which closed in 1845. Today, Crockford’s casino is owned by the Genting Group, which aims to recapture the luxury and splendour of the original club. Its high stakes focus tends to ensure a wealthy clientele.
Location: 30 Curzon Street, W1J 7TN.

The Ritz Club
Situated in the former ballroom of the infamously luxurious Ritz Hotel, The Ritz Club charges an entry fee and is known for its high stakes games. Both the hotel and casino are owned by businessmen David and Frederick Barclay, who spent £40m restoring the facilities after taking over in 1995.
Location: 150 Piccadilly, W1J 9BS.

Aspinall’s
Private club Aspinall’s was founded by famous conservationist and zookeeper John Aspinall, a colourful aristocratic character in the 1960s. He was a close friend of Lord Lucan, who vanished without trace in 1974 after the murder of his chidren’s nanny. The casino consequently became famous and a bust of Lord Lucan is displayed within the premises.
Location: 27-28 Curzon Street , W1J 7TJ.

The Victoria Casino
Known colloquially as ‘The Vic’, the Grosvenor Victoria Casino is one of the UK’s biggest. Established in 1964, it was extremely fashionable with US visitors in its early days and remains a popular venue. Its poker room can seat 250 players and it is open around the clock, offering low and middle stakes games.
Location: 150-162 Edgware Road, W2 2DT.

Being helpful types, we’re happy to get back to basics now and again, especially if it helps the online blackjack community to grow.

Here are some of the most common terms you’ll come across in blackjack…

Blackjack – The main aim of the game is to possess a hand of cards which add up to 21, or as close as possible to it, without exceeding it. Initially you are dealt two cards, then you can choose whether or not to take more. ‘Blackjack’ is when you reach 21 with your first two cards (one worth 10 and one Ace). You play against the dealer.

Bet – The amount of money in chips that you put down for each game, matched by the dealer. When playing a straightforward game, if you win, you receive all the chips. If you lose, the dealer takes them. There are variants to these outcomes, however.

Bust – This is what happens if your total exceeds 21. In short, you have lost.

Hit – The request to be dealt an additional card.

Stand – You turn down the opportunity to be dealt more cards.

Push – When you and the dealer end with the same total, making it a tie.

Surrender – You abandon your hand, but recover half of your original bet.

Why not get out there and give it a try? There are more rules, of course – but if you have the basics nailed, you can learn the rest as you play.

Here are a few we like…

Girls Aloud
The biggest girl group of the noughties (some say) recorded a track named Black Jacks for their 2007 album Tangled Up. The record was their fourth studio album (fifth overall) and very electronic in style, while the song itself was said to recall the psychedelic style of the 1960s.

Dave Matthews Band
DMB debuted a song named Black Jack at the Citi Field concert in Flushing, New York, in 2010. Its main theme was taking a chance on a new love and it featured an acoustic guitar, violin and vocals before concluding with a rock riff.

The Hives
Black Jack by Swedish rock band The Hives was part of their 1997 album Barely Legal, before they found mainstream success with songs such as Main Offender and Hate To Say I Told You So in the early 2000s. Typical of the group’s abrupt style, Black Jack is only 2 minutes and 45 seconds long and takes the form of an ode to a dark lifestyle in Las Vegas.

Blackjack
Did you know that US singer-songwriter Michael Bolton – lord of soft rock glory – was once in a band? Well, he was – and it was called Blackjack. It was active for just two years, releasing albums in 1979 and 1980 and touring America before breaking up. Another member was guitarist Bruce Kulick of Kiss fame.

2NE1
Legendary South Korean hip-hop girl group 2NE1 formed in 2009. What’s that? You’ve never heard of them? Actually, no – neither have we. But they do sound quite interesting, even if only in genre terms. The concept of their name is the combination of phrases ’21st century’ and ‘new evolution’ (apparently) and pronounced ‘To Anyone’ – which is also the name of their debut album. Blackjack is the name of their official fan club. It is not clear why.

However, you don’t have to listen to any of these just because they pay homage to your favourite game. One of the benefits of an online casino is that you can listen to whatever music you like while playing in the comfort of your own home.

Casino games come in three main forms: table games, electronic gaming machines and random number games.

Today we’re going to focus on table games, as that’s the category that blackjack falls into – so you’ll probably find them more suited to you than other types of games.

Historically – and still today, in bricks-and-mortar casinos – table games are operated by a real-life dealer or croupier and are played on a table. Funny that, isn’t it?!

Blackjack is part of the card game category of table games, along with baccarat and poker. There are many different versions of the latter, including Asia Poker, Caribbean Stud Poker and Texas Hold ‘Em.

Another category of table games is known as ‘dice and tiles’ and includes games such as craps, sic bo, pai gow and chuck-a-luck.

Finally, there are random number table games such as roulette, big six wheel and chase beezy.

Online roulette has become very popular in recent years, as have online poker and online blackjack.

There is usually no real dealer when playing online, but the player can still derive plenty of satisfaction and excitement from the experience. When playing poker online, it is possible to play against other online gamers and test your skills against theirs.

Roulette is more unpredictable, but like blackjack, mathematical skills can be used to judge chances and possible outcomes.

So, why not give something new a try? You might enjoy it. And even if you don’t, you’ll appreciate blackjack all the more when you return to it!

Today we’re looking at a few notable examples.

21
(2008)
The most recent successful feature film to be named after the game of blackjack is 21, a crime drama about six stellar pupils from the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology who conspire to make millions from Las Vegas casinos by card counting during games of blackjack. Directed by Robert Luketic, it stars Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey. Intriguingly, it is based on a true story.

Blackjack
(1998)
This action thriller, directed by John Woo, stars Swedish martial arts icon Dolph Lundgren as a US Marshal assigned to protect high-profile public figures. However, he is afraid of the colour white.

Croupier
(1998)
Apparently a popular year for blackjack films, 1998 also saw the release of Croupier, which follows the life of a man who becomes a blackjack dealer. Clive Owen stars.

Licence To Kill
(1989)
Made in the Timothy Dalton era of James Bond films, Licence To Kill shows the famous hero playing blackjack at a casino. Several Bond movies feature casinos – perhaps most prominently Casino Royale, which was made in 2006 starring Daniel Craig after being inspired by a satirical film in 1967.

Rain Man
(1988)
Rain Main is the touching story of Charlie (Tom Cruise), who discovers his autistic older brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) and needs to drive him home across America. Raymond helps Charlie to win money at a casino by using his incredible maths skills to count blackjack cards.

Black Jack
(1950)
Julien Duvivier directed this adventure film, which features a criminal who tries to go straight after many years of using his yacht to smuggle drugs.

From time to time we like to think about great places to play blackjack in major UK city centres. Today we’ve chosen one of our favourite north west haunts, Manchester.

Manchester235
This casino is one of Manchester’s newest but has made quite a name for itself with contemporary styling and popular restaurants Linen and Ocean Treasure. Housed in the city’s Great Northern development, it is close to Manchester’s Hilton hotel on Deansgate and a popular choice for both Manchester residents and tourists. Blackjack is available on the tables with a minimum bet of £2 and a maximum of £1,000. The venue also offers fun packages for beginners who want to learn to play blackjack.

Grosvenor Casinos
There are two Grosvenor Casinos in Manchester city centre – on George Street, in Chinatown; and on Whitworth Street, near Oxford Street. George Street describes itself as ‘Manchester’s friendliest casino’ and has a large menu of English and Chinese food to choose from. Whitworth Street prides itself on its traditional decor – complementing the thrill of a traditional blackjack game.

Circus Casino
Circus Casino is on Portland Street and offers a mix of table and electronic games. The minimum and maximum stakes on its five blackjack tables are £2 and £500 respectively – and in between games, you can visit the striking 110 Restaurant, which is open every day from 5:30pm to 11pm and offers deals combining set menus and bets.

Visiting Manchester
If you decide to visit Manchester for a casino trip, there are several options for accommodation. The city boasts a wide range of hotels, from one-star budget choices to five-star luxury. You might also want to take a look at serviced apartments in Manchester, which can be a handy option for sharing with friends.

She’s an absolute beauty and rides like a dream. Of course I got her in ‘Black Gold’. They didn’t have a ‘Blackjack’ option like my old Chevrolet but Black Gold sounded pretty swanky so I went with that. I was looking for an upgrade, a sleek, stylish comfortable drive to cruise around the town. Something that would impress the ladies. I know Renault doesn’t usually come to mind but this new model has something different – a new swagger that makes you stop and stare. I first noticed it when a I was back in the Chev doing my usual cruise around town, admiring the view. When the woman I was admiring ignored my car and instead was amazed by shiny black car steaming past me. A Renault Megane no less. Basking in the sun and stealing my manhood – I have to have one.

So round to the dealer I went and demanded he upgrade me to this Black beauty, this stallion of a car. He offered a test drive, of course I accepted – the moment I sat on that fresh leather I felt like I was back on the range. I owned the road again, and the ladies started to stare again. ‘This ride is mine’ I said, and laid down the dollar. The joy it’s brought me in just these few days is what compelled me to write this post. This Black Gold beauty is the ride of kings!

That’s right – I thought I’d throw together a little advice for those of you lucky enough to be headed over to the lovely lady that is Las Vegas soon. After all you don’t want to get dropped off outside the Bellagio just to be played by some hustler telling you he knows the best tables around, providing you part with some of your fresh American dollars. They see tourists with pockets full of cash raring to gamble and think ‘Kerching’, but a Vegas vacation doesn’t have to leave you feeling robbed. There are plenty of places to enjoy a good game of cards – believe me, I’ve done it. So pay attention cowboys, and let the good times roll.

These three Casinos are in Downtown Las Vegas and are three of the few Casinos still offering true Single-Deck BlackJack with full pay 3-2. These are hard to come across these days, but makes it all the more worth it when you do stumble upon the beauty.

El Cortez is one of the best joints around – it’s also a Hotel so when it’s getting late or if you find a pretty lady, there’s no need to call a cab. Fine dining and entertainment are as standard as they say. And when you have found that pretty lady there’s a tastey steakhouse with whacking great steaks the size of a small baby – I know ’cause I’ve tried one!

Next on my list is Four Queens – the croupiers here have some major talent; shuffling worth remembering. I swear I saw one throw a whole pack in the air, only to catch half the pack in his mouth and the other half fell behind his two ears – it was madness.

And finally – Binion’s Gamling Hall. This hall, founded by one of my greatest heros Benny Binion has changed a lot since his day, but I love the way his memory lives on through the gaming. It’s a must visit for any die hard casino lover.

Now get those tickets booked and head over to Nevada. I know I wanna!