ISA-Guide caught up with affiliate marketing veteran David Zack, CEO of the American Casino Guide site USA-Casino, to discuss why affiliates benefit from teaching players proper gambling strategy and disciplined bankroll management.

Q: As an affiliate CEO, why promote optimal blackjack strategy to players? Doesn’t that reduce potential revenue?

A: That’s a common misconception. Educated players actually tend to be better customers. Our surveys consistently show that those who understand basic strategy have more realistic expectations and more disciplined bankroll behavior. They're less likely to chase losses or fall into harmful gambling patterns. When a player realizes the house edge is only 0.5%, not an even coin flip, they make smarter choices around session length and bet size.

Q: You’ve developed a free blackjack trainer app. What motivated that?

A: Honestly, it came from a love of math. We were fascinated by whether we were making the correct play at every moment based on specific rules. That curiosity led to the creation of our free online blackjack trainer.

What’s interesting is that casual players using gut instinct usually face a house edge of 2–4%. With perfect basic strategy, that drops to about 0.5–0.6%. Blackjack math isn’t a matter of opinion—it’s provable. Take holding 16 against a dealer 10: hitting gives you about a 23% chance of not busting, while standing gives you roughly a 23% chance of winning if the dealer busts. Those aren’t guesses—they’re facts.

Helping players enjoy casino games more responsibly is in everyone’s interest. After all, players who lose all their money quickly don’t generate much revenue for affiliates either.

Q: What specific rule variations does your trainer account for, and why do those matter?

A: It includes all the major rule variations because optimal strategy changes significantly depending on those details. For example:

• 6:5 blackjack payouts instead of 3:2 more than double the house edge—adding 1.4%
• If the dealer hits soft 17, the house edge increases by 0.2%, and doubling on 11 versus a dealer ace becomes correct
• Allowing double after split reduces the house edge by 0.14%, so you should split more often on pairs like 2s, 3s, 6s, and 7s
• Surrender rules can shave off 0.6–0.7% from the house edge when used properly, yet most players ignore them even in obviously losing hands

Q: What does your data say about how recreational players actually perform?

A: The data’s pretty clear. Only about 12% of casual players consistently follow basic strategy. A full 67% make the mistake of standing on soft 18 against a dealer 9, 10, or ace. Another 84% take insurance, even though it carries a 7.4% house edge. Fewer than 30% understand how specific rule changes impact strategy. Every time a player ignores basic strategy, they’re basically giving the house free money—like losing 25 cents for every $100 wagered by hitting 12 against a dealer 6.

Q: How is your app different from traditional strategy cards?

A: In U.S. casinos, blackjack played with basic strategy has a house edge of about 0.5%, meaning the casino expects to retain half a percent of all wagers over time. The player wins about 42% of hands, while the dealer wins 49%, and 9% are pushes.

The app goes beyond static memorization. It simulates different rules—like single-deck vs. eight-deck games, whether the dealer peeks for blackjack, and whether re-splitting aces is allowed. It gives real-time feedback on your choices, helping players internalize correct decisions through repetition instead of trying to memorize a matrix.

Q: What can basic strategy realistically accomplish—and where does it fall short?

A: Let’s be realistic: basic strategy can’t make you beat the house in the long run. What it does is minimize the built-in disadvantage. It provides the best possible play for every situation and removes emotional decision-making. That’s important. But it doesn’t eliminate the edge completely or guarantee short-term wins. With perfect play, you’re still facing a 0.43% to 0.65% house edge, depending on the rules in use. That’s as low as it gets without advanced techniques like card counting.

Q: What do you say to people who argue you're still encouraging gambling?

A: Gambling is part of human history—people will do it regardless. What we’re promoting is mathematical awareness. We’re not claiming you can eliminate the house edge, because you can’t. What we’re saying is: understand what you’re up against, and make the smartest decisions you can. Replace superstition and guesswork with facts and probabilities. That benefits everyone—players and the industry.

Q: What’s your vision for how player education should evolve in this industry?

A: The gambling industry becomes more sustainable when players understand the math behind the games. Look at poker—it used to be guesswork, now it’s driven by solvers and game theory optimal play.

We want to bring that level of understanding to recreational casino games. Our goal isn’t to eliminate the house edge but to ensure players know exactly what they’re facing. When someone knows they’re fighting a 0.5% edge, not “beating the system,” they make better decisions. That creates better long-term relationships between players and operators.

Q: Any final advice for recreational blackjack players?

A: Know the math. Whether you use our trainer or another tool, learn the right plays for the specific rules you’re facing. Understand that perfect strategy minimizes—but doesn’t erase—the house edge. Set a budget, stick to it, and treat blackjack like paid entertainment. The edge is clear, quantifiable, and unavoidable—but once you understand that, you can make the most informed decisions possible.