Todd’s Take: Casinos Closed? Teach Your Kid to Gamble from Home!

What's a parent to do in these -- wait for it -- unprecedented times?
Our kids have not been attending school, at least, in the traditional sense, and are also getting bored out of their gourds.
For us adults, some of our favorite avenues of entertainment have been missing for some time now as well. No movie theaters, concert venues or casinos are open to let us take our minds of the day's troubles.

Well, then... let's marry the three!
At my house, I've been teaching my son the math that is behind each and every hand of the card game Blackjack, or 21 as some refer to it as.

Unlike the spinning of a roulette wheel, the tossing of dice on a craps table or the spinning of a video slot machine, Blackjack is the one game in a casino that the player can, legally and legitimately, tilt the built-in house advantage to an almost 50-50 proposition. I decided to teach my son Basic Strategy while we took turns being the player and the dealer.

We own a portable poker/blackjack table and a case of chips. I also got a six-deck playing card shoe to replicate what most casinos use. While we don't play for "real" money, we do have fun regardless as we each start with the equivalent of $100 in checks/tokes/chips and see who can increase their stack the most!

With each passing hand, I have Drew make sure he is making the best play based on the sheer math - not what his "gut feeling" is. Do I hit? Stand? Double-down? Split? For each scenario there is one correct play to increase your chance of winning the hand or, at least, "pushing" the hand (not losing outright).

We have had a lot of fun with it as of late and play almost every evening before homework and dinner time.

If you are missing the casinos, you may want to check out any one of a number of online sites that allow for free gambling. You still get the adrenaline rush but don't wind-up in the poor house! It's also a great way to improve your blackjack and poker playing skills as well without having to go to the ATM!