Syntax (or unavailability of same) for variable join results?

[Ben]

I want to say:

SELECT tableA.stuff,tableB.morestuff,tableC.stillmorestuf f
FROM tableA,
LEFT OUTER JOIN tableB ON (AB match conditions)
LEFT OUTER JOIN tableC ON (AC match conditions)
WHERE etc

However, in some cases, tableB does not have rows where the other two do
(it contains credit card records... but when an order is paid by check, there is
no record.)

What happens with the above syntax is I don't get a row at all.

Is there a way to say that if tableB has no row, I get blank columns?

Maybe I'm just looking at the wrong, but I can't seem to find out how, or
if, one can do this.

Thanks for any input.

--Ben