HOW TO BEAT THE CASINO PLAYING BLACKJACK?
Before you consider playing blackjack at a certain online casino, it makes sense to brush up on the basic strategies of the game. After all, if you have any expectations of winning but don’t know how to play, you need to keep in mind that luck, no matter how significant, can only take you that far.
The popularity of blackjack can be easily explained by two important factors. First and foremost is one of the easiest games to master, even considering numerous strategies that can be followed. Secondly it has among the lowest house edge, which improves the player’s odds significantly.
It’s important to always remember the values of the cards, how the game goes and what you can and cannot do as a player. For instance, in one game variety you are allowed to touch the cards, while in the other variety players are not allowed to touch them at any point. It’s also important to keep in mind when to split and when to take some other kinds of action. Even if you’ve had some experience playing blackjack, it never hurts to review what matters, to know exactly what to do when you get a hard hand or a soft hand, which happens when you’re dealt an ace and the number of total points of your hand can be counted either way.
Main mistakes playing blackjack
While blackjack is among the easiest games to master, there are certain mistakes novice players are likely to make. The first thing to remember is that classic progression betting is not the right approach when it comes to blackjack. A money management plan, on the other hand, is something to stick to at any time. Progression betting, no matter if decisions are made hastily or in advance, can drain your bankroll in record time. Once you have worked out a certain strategy, it’s not a good idea to abandon your game plan and increase your bet even if you hit a winning streak. The problem is, with the odds skewed against you, the longer you play — the higher the chances of losing the money recently won. In the same way pushing your bets higher to regain the loss you just suffered is another bad idea that can speed up your bankroll depletion.
Another strategic mistake to keep in mind is carrying on with the game even though you might be exhausted. Exhaustion often leads to loss of concentration, and since blackjack is largely a game of skill and strategy, you will find yourself losing when you could have easily won if you were well-rested and focused. Whenever tired — pull back, regroup, come back filled with energy.
Overbetting for the wrong reason on is also surprisingly common. Quite often a casino would offer freebies, such as a bonus on top of your deposit amount that needs to be wagered a certain number of times, which prompts you to keep betting even though it would be wiser to stop. It’s important to size your bets according to your bankroll and play by your own rules rather than chase down another freebie dangled in front of you.
It’s also smart to check the specific table rules, in particular the payout rate. For instance, at some tables for natural blackjack, which is a 21 on the very first cards you are dealt, you may be paid 3:2, while other tables will offer the payout of 6:5, which, even though the numbers are greater means that payout is lower. At the end of the day it’s useful to keep in mind that thrilling as it may sound, there are no such things as hot and cold decks, especially game is played online with the random number generator in place. Outlining the rules and following them is your best chance of improving your odds significantly.
Winning blackjack strategy
An important thing to consider before you sit at the table, no matter if that happens at an online or land-based casino, is that each one may come with its own set of rules and limits. By learning those rules and limits in advance you don’t have to wonder and make mistakes during the game.
You also need to be comfortable with the limit and know exactly how much you’re willing to risk. Expert players recommend determining that amount in advance and putting down only one fourth of that amount at any time. There is also a recommended pre-defined win level reaching which will mean it’s best to quit the game while you’re still in the black. While it’s not a bad idea to raise your bet by a bit while on a winning streak, you must never take out your frustrations on the bankroll and bet more when you’re losing just to chase your losses. Surely enough, there are exceptions, when this kind of desperate strategy does work, but that involves a great deal of luck.
If you are serious about succeeding in this game, it’s crucial to memorize how to play certain hands. There aren’t too many combinations to memorize, and yet it’s very important for you to understand clearly what the best course of action is, as there usually isn’t much time for thinking. Just to give you an example, learning most basic combinations will help you decide in split second whether you need to hit on your 16 with the dealer’s card being 10. Or you might need to quickly decide whether it’s a good move to split your 8s.
There are charts you can study to memorize those choices, although it’s also important to understand what exactly it is you’re memorizing and what the reason is for this kind of strategy. At first might be difficult to remember all the possible scenarios and actions you’re supposed to take or avoid taking, but this is the exact situation when practice makes perfect and helps you remember it faster, at some point playing your hands almost intuitively. You will need to learn and be familiar with strategies for hard hands, pair splits, hard doubles, and soft hands.
Blackjack betting strategies and methods
To work out a winning blackjack strategy it’s important to remember that the game itself is all about individual hands that can be used to beat the dealer’s hand. With the primary goal of getting as close to 21 without busting, the players always lose a lot of hands before finally managing to do so. Add to that the fact that the dealer goes last, and you understand how the house gets its advantage in the game. The good news is that the house edge is only 0.5%, possible to be lowered even further, which is achieved by being smart and consistent, sticking to the strategy you chose and analyzing the situation at the table.
The flat-betting method is the most widely used blackjack betting strategy that involves betting the exact same amount of money at every hand. The method allows you more precise control over your bankroll without subjecting it to unnecessary risks and significant losses. The recommended approach is to decide on how many hands you intend to play and the amount of money you are prepared to lose, then divide the amount by the number of hands. The result is the amount that you are going to bet at every hand. Pretty much the only situation in which you may deviate from this method is when you have a perfect double down situation. The main disadvantage of this method is that it limits you in the amount of cash you can win while on a winning streak.
The positive progression system can also be applied to blackjack. The system involves increasing your betting amount continuously after winning wagers, up until you lose, at which point you return to the original wagering amount, sticking to it until your next winning streak, at which point you start increasing your bets again.
The negative progression method is designed to limit your loss and is based on increasing your bet for the next hand following a loss. The amount by which you choose to increase your bet is up to you, and the idea is that at the point when you actually win, you will be able to recoup the money previously lost. If you win, the bet stays the same. The Martingale system is also a type of negative progression. The difference is that the Martindale system calls for doubling on your losing bets for the next hand.
But regardless of the betting method you end up relying on (or a combination of those), it’s important to stay disciplined instead of riding on you hunches and trusting faith. Smart play combined with a successful gambling strategy devised specifically for blackjack is very likely to increase your chances of winning hand to hand.