Friday March 28th, Columbia Pictures will release 21. The movie is inspired and based on the true story of Jeff Ma and his MIT blackjack team that took Las Vegas by storm with their use of math and team work. Their system was so successful that it took nearly two years before the casinos began to catch on. Their small blackjack club developed from an experiment in counting cards and then into a ring of card savants with a system for playing large and winning big.

As always the Hollywood version of this story is glamed up with flashy looking people and unrealistic dialogue. Check out the real MIT blackjack team here and check the video for the movie trailer.

You would be lying if you said that you never had a bad day at the casino. In fact more days are bad than good, but some days are a complete disaster and make you wonder why you game at all. It only makes sense that if you can hit a jackpot and beat the odds, you will have days where you will lose with the same extremity as hitting a jackpot.

I’ve had some bad days at the casino. I recall losing nine blackjack hands in a row once. It didn’t bust me so I left that game to find something that would treat me a little better. That didn’t work well because I went to the roulette table and tried my luck there. I didn’t hit a single bet for the ten minutes that I was at the table, and within 40 minutes I was busted and leaving.

Take the bad with the good and keep on plugging.

1. Poker – the most popular game of chance played today in North America and Europe.

2. Blackjack – most commonly played game only available in the casino. More women play blackjack than poker.

3. Video Poker – popular with slot players and poker players. Current payout percentages have made the game popular.

4. Roulette – easy to play and popular with the ladies. The game is popular in Europe and North America.

5. Baccarat – popular with a wide range of players because of ease of play.

6. Caribbean Stud – progressive features attract a lot of players to this game.

7. Craps – very popular where available. Not every casino has a craps table.

8. Pai Gow Poker – bonuses on big hands and the option to have the dealer help you during play attracts players.

9. Let It Ride – popular because players have more interaction.

10. Slots – always popular with new gamers and senior players.