Dear Mark:
I disagree with you in that a player at third base in blackjack has no effect on the outcome of the game. I'mve seen dumb players take the dealer'ms bust card far too many times to believe otherwise. Willy H.

I'll stick by my past statement that poor play on third base does not affect the overall outcome of all hands dealt. Each card dealt is random and since you, the dealer, fellow players, and yes, even the player at third giving the house a 4-5% edge by playing poorly, has no idea what the next card is, the play at third will not have any repercussions on the game in general, just on his or her hand.

Also, Willy, you overlook in your statement the times when a player took a card that would have helped the dealer, resulting in the dealer's going bust with the following card dealt. For the decade plus that I had dealt cards, or oversaw a pit full of dealers, I can tell you unequivocally that having viewed a kazillion hands, I have seen it go both ways about equally.

Dear Mark:
Can you recommend a book on how to win at tournament blackjack? Gerald B

I just finished reading and thoroughly enjoying Play to Win, A World Champion's Guide to Winning Blackjack Tournaments by Ken Einiger. Einiger was the winner of the 2005 World Series of Blackjack as well as numerous other blackjack competitions. Another recommendation, Gerald, is Casino Tournament Strategy by Sanford Wong. This book combines his previous Tournament Blackjack and Tournament Craps books together. Anything that Wong writes is worth reading, and this book is no exception.

By the way, Stanford Wong is not his real name, but a nom de plume. He took his alma mater as the given name and an Asian last name to provide the "mystique of the Orient.” It's not true that he types with chopsticks.