Amazing BlackJack!,,
I've been using this author's Black Jack apps for years. The are amazingly versatile and integrated with each other. The options and aids to playing better 21 are without equal. Thank you for making this available!!!
Very realistic, interface is good enough
In terms of appearance and interface this certainly isn’t the most smooth/pretty blackjack app to use, but for realism it can’t be beat. I’ve never actually gambled in a casino but I had no problem turning $500 in fake money into $80,000 using other apps, so I wanted to find one that would actually give me a realistic view of what I could expect sitting down at a real table. So far I’ve been playing for 3 days and my initial $500 has gotten as high as $2100 and as low as $50, while spending most of the time hovering back and forth between being a little in the black and a little in the red. I’m learning a lot from the training tools as well - glad I made this purchase.
One thing I have found frustrating in the app though is the betting interface. In all other apps I’ve used the default functionality is that if you bet $100 on a hand, then it will just bet $100 on every hand until you change what you’re wanting to wager. In this app though that functionality only works if you lose a hand. If you win, your next bet becomes your last bet plus the winnings from that hand (so a $100 bet would become a $200 bet on the next hand if you win). That means if you want to just bet $100 every time, when you win you have to move the $200 into your chip pile, then drag another $100 chip in as your bet. If you only cash out your winnings then forget to place a new bet for the next hand a computer player takes your place and you have to watch the round and wait for the next hand. I’ve been through all of the options (which are numerous) multiple times and I’ve found no way to get the app to just bet the same amount on every hand. One frustrating aspect of an otherwise great simulator!
One thing I have found frustrating in the app though is the betting interface. In all other apps I’ve used the default functionality is that if you bet $100 on a hand, then it will just bet $100 on every hand until you change what you’re wanting to wager. In this app though that functionality only works if you lose a hand. If you win, your next bet becomes your last bet plus the winnings from that hand (so a $100 bet would become a $200 bet on the next hand if you win). That means if you want to just bet $100 every time, when you win you have to move the $200 into your chip pile, then drag another $100 chip in as your bet. If you only cash out your winnings then forget to place a new bet for the next hand a computer player takes your place and you have to watch the round and wait for the next hand. I’ve been through all of the options (which are numerous) multiple times and I’ve found no way to get the app to just bet the same amount on every hand. One frustrating aspect of an otherwise great simulator!
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Great apps
All the apps I’ve played and they are all great.
Awesome app
Helped me to gain enough confidence to leave the slots behind and move on to better odds!
Great for counting practice
Continues to be my favorite game for honing counting skills. Been using it for years and it’s still the best. I have my own blackjack training game in the App Store but it will never come close to this one.
Great Practice for Casino BJ
This is an extremely flexible, easy to use, tool to practice BJ for you trips to the casino. I highly recommend this product! They remain top dog in this category.
One of the first apps I ever bought 10+ years ago
Still has a place on my iPad. Aside from some UI updates not much else to make it better, aside from full on training tools
Hands down the best in its lot
With the exception of much more expensive and sophisticated PS programs that permit various types of counting and betting using high level models, this app is hands down the best one out there. I like the in which you can bet 7 hands and the app recalls and maintains the same standard bet for the next hand instead of just adding your prior new bet to the winnings remaining from your last hand.
To take this app to the next level would involve proving various types of training tools building off a flash card type game where you play a series of long games using all hand type combinations tracking what hands are known how to be played and what hands the player already knows. Then set up games where some percentage of unknown hands are peppered in with known hands to keep from over burdening the play (always giving the player total control of what percentage and what types of unknown hands are involved. Also allow the player to break the unknown hands types into “Soft/Hard”, “Pairs”, etc and only play that type(s). The more detailed control over this the better. Help the player improve even their weakest card pairs. 10/2 vs Dlr 10/3. Of course this could be expanded to include the count in different, but a step at a time. Right now, let’s enjoy a really fine and fun game of 21.
To take this app to the next level would involve proving various types of training tools building off a flash card type game where you play a series of long games using all hand type combinations tracking what hands are known how to be played and what hands the player already knows. Then set up games where some percentage of unknown hands are peppered in with known hands to keep from over burdening the play (always giving the player total control of what percentage and what types of unknown hands are involved. Also allow the player to break the unknown hands types into “Soft/Hard”, “Pairs”, etc and only play that type(s). The more detailed control over this the better. Help the player improve even their weakest card pairs. 10/2 vs Dlr 10/3. Of course this could be expanded to include the count in different, but a step at a time. Right now, let’s enjoy a really fine and fun game of 21.
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Response from developer
Thank you for the great review, and would like more details on the additional training tools you are requesting. At your convenience and if you'ed like can you provide a bit more details on what you would like added via the support e-mail listed at PepperDogSoft.com. And thank you again for the great review.
so much fun
very realistic just like the casino tables
don’t know how they stack the rack
don’t know how they stack the rack
Unrealistic
I’ve played countless hands of live blackjack. I also understand the rules of blackjack are constructed to give the casino the advantage. I also realize there is a strong probability of the casino having lengthy winning streaks. While this game has the potential to be great a tool for practicing , the advantage given to the dealer is simply unrealistic. The first shoe or two (6 deck) are similar to what can be expected at a casino. However, around shoe 3, the game becomes decidedly dealer friendly…player winning streaks of more than 2 hands are rare and dealer winning streaks of 5-10+ hands are common. These results are consistent after each and every restart of the game. It’s as if some component of the underpinnings of the game changes after a certain number of hands are dealt or a certain number of units are played/won. I’ve read other replies provided by the game developer adamantly proclaiming this game accurately reflects real life gameplay. This simply is not the case; otherwise, I would have given up playing real life blackjack 25 years ago…it’s simply not fun. The developer also alludes that complaints are invalid because it’s free chips and make-believe money. That is definitely true and I am not looking to play an electronic version for real money…I prefer that for real life gameplay at casinos. The frustration with this version of blackjack is the inability to practice for extended periods of time. Additionally, the table max betting limits in this game are 100% unrealistic to casino table max betting limits. To claim otherwise would only prove ignorance. EDIT: In response to Developer’s reply, I never said there was a “magic algorithm”. Also, you imply since the game uses FREE/FAKE money then there should be no complaints about the game. I also acknowledged blackjack has the house advantage. The game layout is great. But, your adamant denial aside, there is no way the shuffles are realistic. The in-game stats support my claim. A simple “I’ll look into it” would’ve been tons more believable than your staunch refusal.
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