Louis Wheeler
Blackjack is the name of the game. It's played fast and furious at Las Vegas casinos. Blackjack certainly packs a punch at online casino like 888casino too, where it is played with gusto by casual players and high rollers alike. This centuries-old casino card game has murky origins, with many aficionados claiming a French influence dating back to 1700, with games like Vingt-et-Un, a derivation of Chemin de Fer.
The modern-day game of blackjack that we have come to love ranks among the most popular card games of all time. This behind-the-scenes expose presents players with many never-before-seen blackjack tips. We have all read about basic casino blackjack tips before, but many of them are abstract concepts. Our professional blackjack coaches have poured tremendous effort into bringing this blackjack tips guide to fruition.
Whether you're a casual blackjack player, or a seasoned card shark with mad blackjack skills, this blackjack guide can really help you. These tips for playing blackjack will demystify this casino card game and present you with sage advice to make better blackjack decisions. Let's unravel the great game of blackjack together, and tailor make a blackjack tips guide that fits your needs.
Table of Contents
Demystifying the Game: Blackjack Tips for Beginners
As far as casino card games go, blackjack is master class. Merriam-Webster defines blackjack as follows, ‘… a card game the object of which is to be dealt cards having a higher count than those of the dealer up to but not exceeding 21… an Ace and a face card or 10 as the first two cards dealt to a player in the game of blackjack’
These definitions are important insofar as they dispel the notion that the objective of blackjack is to form a hand total of 21. In fact, the objective of blackjack is best summed up as follows: ‘Beat the dealer's hand total without exceeding 21.’ The maximum permissible value a blackjack hand can assume is 21. A 2-card blackjack – Ace + Face card OR Ace + 10 outranks 3, 4, 5, or 6 card 21-value hands. From an arithmetic basis, 21 is 21, but not all 21-value hands rank equally.
Implementing Winning Blackjack Tips
As one of the world's premier casino games, blackjack towers above the competition. The rudimentary rules of the game are easy enough to understand. Players are dealt cards, and must make betting decisions based on imperfect information. Only 1 of the dealer's cards is visible to players – the other remains face down.
In blackjack, the purpose of the game is to beat the dealer – not to beat other players. In fact, it is inconsequential whether other players beat the dealer or not. At times players get cards that other players wish the dealer would get. But it’s neither here nor there. Unlike poker games where players lock horns with one another, in pursuit of the poker pot, blackjack is all about the tussle between player & dealer.
Naturally, blackjack tips and tricks can be implemented to assist players in making better blackjack decisions. For example, perfect blackjack strategy is often touted as the best path forward. The masters of blackjack, including Edward O Thorpe, Ken Uston, Peter Griffin, and Stanford Wong have provided fascinating insights on this very subject. Their insights have given rise to a new generation of avid blackjack players.
Of all the blackjack tips circulating in cyberspace, none is more important than a thorough understanding of the rules of the game, the mathematics of the game, and the probability analysis of the game. Several professional blackjack books have transformed blackjack from a static game of chance to a strategy-based casino card game where players have a real shot at reducing the house edge, and consistently performing at a high level.
• Million Dollar Blackjack – Ken Uston
• The Theory of Blackjack – Peter A. Griffin
• Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for The Game of Twenty One - (Edward O Thorpe)
The complexity of blackjack books is often cited as the primary reason why they are consistently ignored by players intent on improving their blackjack skills. Fortunately, proponents of the game have forged easy-to-use visual aids which can provide useful blackjack tips for beginners. These basic blackjack strategy charts can be used for 4-6-8 decks of cards where the dealer stands on all 17s (hard and soft).
A blackjack strategy chart uses intersection points between the player’s hand and the dealer’s upcard. For example, a hard hand total of 13 for a player and a dealer upcard of 7 would indicate that a player should HIT. Likewise, a player hard hand total of 17 should stand irrespective of the dealer’s upcard.
When soft hand totals are brought into play, such as Ace-5 for the player, and a dealer upcard value of 5, the player should DOUBLE DOWN. A soft hand total of Ace-7 for the player with a corresponding dealer upcard of 9 warrants that the player HIT. Blackjack strategy charts list actions for every possible combination of cards that can be dealt.
BEST BLACKJACK TIP
Basic blackjack strategy charts are widely regarded as the most useful resource for beginner blackjack players. Newbies to the game of blackjack will derive tremendous benefit from following the rules of basic blackjack strategy charts on every play. Careful analysis of blackjack hands over millions of simulations is attributed to the long-term accuracy of these blackjack basic strategy charts.
Tips for Playing Blackjack Like A Pro
Blackjack players are strongly encouraged to carefully select the right blackjack games. The ritz and glitz of blackjack may blind players to glaring realities of certain games. 6/5 blackjack games versus 3/2 blackjack games is a prime example. As a blackjack player, you're always looking for ways to whittle down the house edge. This is an important blackjack tip, since it can be extrapolated to every single casino game that you play. The house edge is best defined as the long-term advantage the casino has over the player.
The literature on the blackjack house edge states that it is generally around 0.5%. Put into perspective, this means that on average, every $1000 that you bet will yield a profit for the casino of $5, and a return to player of $995. Of course, it's an abstract concept which hardly ever plays out in reality, because the vast majority of players never play 1 million+ hands of blackjack in their lifetime.
In a single session of blackjack where you might play 50 - 100 hands per hour, you may lose your entire stack of $1,000. The theoretical RTPs are based on simulated outcomes using computer modelling, when perfect blackjack playing strategy is implemented. Since none of us is a perfect blackjack player, we can expect imperfect outcomes during blackjack sessions.
So why is 6/5 so much worse than 3/2 blackjack games?
Few games have house edges as low as blackjack. Yet, despite a low house edge, the casino remains in charge. Savvy blackjack players can ‘reduce’ their odds by picking the most player-friendly blackjack games in the casino. A classic case is the 6/5 blackjack variant vs 3/2 blackjack variant. Don't be fooled by the higher nominal value of the numbers 6 and 5 – the ratio they represent is what you should be paying attention to.
6/5 is the equivalent of 1.2. On the other hand, 3/2 is the equivalent of 1.5. If you play 10 hands of blackjack at $100 a pop, your profit would be $200 at a 6/5 blackjack table [6/5 X 100]10 -1000 versus $500 at a 3/2 blackjack table [3/2 X 100]10 - 1000. The difference in your back pocket is $300. On the one hand you’re getting a return of 20% or $200 every time you score blackjack, versus a return of 50% or $500 every time you score blackjack. Little numbers make a big difference in the game.
Do the number of decks in play affect your chances of winning in blackjack?
Yes. When the number of decks in play changes, this can increase or decrease the house edge accordingly. A general rule of thumb is as follows: the lower the number of decks, the lower the house edge. The greater the number of decks in play, the higher the house edge. When you implement basic blackjack strategy with just 1 deck of cards in play – such as Classic Blackjack – you are operating at optimal capacity as a blackjack player. That's one of the best blackjack tips for beginners to understand.
BEST BLACKJACK TIP
If possible, seek out Classic Blackjack games with just a single deck of cards in play. These have the best return to player and the lowest house edge.
You may be wondering why 2 decks is better than 4 decks, 4 decks are better than 6 decks, et cetera. The reason relates to your chances of hitting a natural blackjack. If you're playing blackjack with just a single deck of cards, and your first card is a 10-value card, there is an increased probability of an Ace being dealt, allowing you to score a natural blackjack. This also reduces the probability of the dealer having a natural blackjack.
It's worth examining the house edge when the number of decks in play increases from 1 to 8:
• Single deck blackjack – 0.17% house edge
• Double deck blackjack – 0.46% house edge
• 4-deck blackjack – 0.60% house edge
• 6-deck blackjack – 0.64% house edge
• 8-deck blackjack – 0.66% house edge
A simple mathematical probability analysis indicates why single deck blackjack has better payback potential to players. Recall that a 52-card deck includes 4 suits (hearts, spades, clubs, diamonds) comprising 13 cards in each suit. There is a total of 16 X 10-value cards (10-Jack-Queen-King) and a total of 4X Aces (Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades).
The odds of scoring a 10-value card are 16/51 (an Ace is removed), and the odds of scoring an Ace are 4/52, or 1/13, or 8%. When evaluating the probability of scoring blackjack, it can be an Ace/10, or 10/Ace. Therefore, when these probabilities are multiplied, the percentage amounts to 4.83%. Using the same rationale, the probability of drawing blackjack from 2 decks decreases to 4.78%, and so it goes down the line.
The lower the house edge, the greater the RTP!
Winning Blackjack Tips
Perhaps the most frequently asked question relates to the ideal blackjack tips to win more games, lose less money, and stretch your bankroll a whole lot further. The answer to this question is multipronged. All of the aforementioned blackjack tips should be incorporated into your basic blackjack game plan. Let's recap the most important winning blackjack tips for beginner players:
• Practice blackjack games before you play for real. You can practice online blackjack in demo mode, no deposit down at leading online casinos. You can also buy a deck of cards and practice blackjack tips and tricks at your leisure, before throwing down real money at a casual game, or a casino.
• Avoid bad blackjack bets. A bet is only bad if it consistently fails to yield profitable returns. One such bet in blackjack is the insurance bet. When the dealer has an Ace upcard, the option to take insurance will be presented. Unfortunately, the odds strongly advise against this. Insurance pays 2:1, and all that's required is a 10-value card for the dealer. This bet wins 16 times out of 49 and loses 33 times out of 49, leaving you with a net loss overall.
• Play blackjack games with a low house edge. This cannot be stressed enough. The odds are skewed towards the house in Blackjack. Keep those numbers low by picking single deck classic blackjack over other games if possible.
• Implement basic blackjack strategy in all your gaming sessions. It takes time to master basic blackjack strategy, but ultimately you will benefit. Knowing when to hit, stand, double, split, surrender, or take insurance (strongly advised against) is really important.
• Always use blackjack strategy charts for the specific game you are playing. You may not know the difference between a hard 17 and a soft 17, but that may mean the difference between winning or losing. Use the correct blackjack strategy charts for the specific game you are playing. If the dealer draws to 16 and stands on all 17 (hard and soft), choose the appropriate blackjack strategy chart for that game. FYI: a hard 17 is a hand which does not include an Ace, such as 10+7. A soft 17 includes an Ace such as Ace + 6.
• Budget for your blackjack gaming sessions. Believe it or not, a budget is your lifeblood in blackjack games. Without a well-structured budget, you will be blown out of the water. Split your bankroll up into manageable components, and never exceed your allotment.
• Dispel the myths and learn the truths. Blackjack is not about scoring 21, or even about getting as close to 21 as possible. It's simply about beating the dealer’s hand total without exceeding 21.
There you have it folks! The quintessential library of online blackjack tips. This serves as a complete guide for new blackjack players who want to learn how to play online blackjack better. Implement these winning tips for blackjack during your gaming sessions. Eventually they will become second nature every time you play blackjack.
By
With digital marketing strategies in his blood, Louis Wheeler has traveled around the world, exploring gambling cultures and gaining experience in casino games from 2003. If you are in a casino anywhere around the planet, you may find him right next to you, playing blackjack, roulette or texas hold'em.