Since the dawn of gambling, blackjack has been the casino game that attracted most players. Especially when card counting appeared, which became extremely popular in movies. Stories about card counters and their life-changing wins were quite popular, too. And while card counting is impossible in live blackjack, there are still strategies you can use to get amazing payouts. If you’re reading this, it probably means that you are considering playing blackjack online.
You have probably learned a thing or two on it, at least you have looked at the basic rules. And now, you wish to master it with a strategy that will keep you in the game longer. Lucky for you, blackjack is a game for which you’ll find the most thorough expert opinions and tricks. There are so many strategies you can look into, but we’ll give you the one that pro players swear to.
But we cannot sugar-coat it for you. You’ll still need years of experience to master it since blackjack is all but a simple game. It might look like a simple game, but it is quite complicated when it comes to implementing strategies to win. Therefore, here are some things you need to know before you consider playing blackjack online.
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Why Card Counting Is Out of the Question
There’s not a single human being on Earth that hasn’t heard the myth that counting cards is a blackjack strategy. But is it? Is it really? Maybe in brick-and-mortar casinos, and maybe in the past, when security was loose. But now? In online gambling? Afraid not. And there’s another problem. If you’re looking for a strategy that will help you beat on online blackjack, you’re doomed. Online blackjack is controlled by a Random Number Generator, a device that generates random outcomes. This means that the cards are shuffled and reshuffled all the time so that you cannot predict the outcome. Hence, there goes the card counting idea.
So what can you actually do? Is there something you could do, anything at all, which would help you become an online blackjack pro? With the RNG implemented, the card counting out, is there anything you can do? Sure there is. Maybe you won’t have control over the cards dealt, but you will know which step to make and when. Basically, you will master increasing your odds of winning.
How to Increase Your Odds of Winning?
If you ask the world’s most brilliant minds, they will tell you that the basic blackjack strategy does wonders. Seriously, geniuses and mathematicians who have studied the possible strategies have ruled out that the basic one really works. They have all agreed that the basic strategy will help you get most out of blackjack.
So what’s the basic strategy? It is the strategy that will make your odds of winning increase. You just need to learn when to hit, stand, split or double down. We can thoroughly explain why and how to do that, but examples really work best.
We will, therefore, give you the most basic examples so that you can learn it more easily.
If your hand is a hard 17 or soft 18, 19 or higher, it’s the best time to stand. As for hitting, hit always when you have a soft hand or your hand total is 11 or less. Splitting is the trickiest. But as long as you have a pair of 10s, 5s, 8s, 4s, or 1s, you should make this step. When your hand totals in 9 or 11, it is your moment to double down.
As simple as that. Learn these basic tips by heart, and you’ll have no issue mastering the basic strategy.
Things to Avoid
Now, this may have been helpful, but it won’t be as helpful as telling you what to avoid. If you’ve read a couple of reviews on blackjack strategies, you must have read all kinds of contradictive things. For instance, you must have read both reviews which are pro and against the insurance bet. Why? The answer is simple: until you master the game, it is not clever to make the insurance bet. In fact, forget about it at all. Even though it pays double your initial bet, do you know how tricky the insurance bet is?
Basically, when you place it, you’re actually betting that the dealer’s face-down card is a 10-value card. So, why is this tricky, you would wonder? Well, when you place this bet, it means you are certain there is a 10-value card left undealt. And how can you be sure of that, especially in online blackjack where card counting is not possible? Until you’re confident you know what you’re doing with it and all that’s at stake, forget about the insurance bet.
What to do when you are on a winning streak
Another thing you need to keep in mind is: you need to raise your bets when you’re in a streak. This is part of a money management theory that will save you from unnecessary losses. Money management is confirmed by real blackjack experts. You need to raise your bet if you’ve won three hands in a row, that’s the rule. Now, we will try to give you an example as closest to a real-life blackjack round as possible.
Say, your boss gave you a $2,000 bonus this month. You haven’t planned on using it for something else, and you want to spend it on blackjack in a live casino. Rule number one in gambling is never spending more than you can afford to lose. So, let’s say you’re comfortable losing these $2,000. That’s how money management starts. You have a $2,000 budget. Now, put these $2,000 in three piles, mentally. One pile should have $100, another $50 and the last one $25. Start playing with $25 bets. When you see you’ve won three hands in a row, raise your bet to $50. You’ve been lucky enough to have three more winning hands? Raise to $100. The next hand should be a winner, too, meaning you could collect way more than you’ve invested.
Always keep in mind that although you might require skills to play blackjack, it is still a game of chance. Don’t put your mind into earning something from blackjack; you’ll risk getting disappointed. Make sure you play for fun, and if you win more than you expected, pull out. Stop playing and go enjoy your money.
