Blackjack Strategy
Blackjack strategy is one of the most important factors as a player that you need to master in order to give yourself the best chance of betting the house and increasing your odds to win. Unlike other casino games where the element of chance is completely uncontrollable, Blackjack allows a simple set of rules to be followed that maximize the player advantage and bring the house edge to approximately 2.5% based on a normal rule structure. The house edge refers to the expected win of the house (dealer) over a certain period of time and is an important factor in blackjack odds. For example, if you brought $1000 to a blackjack table and played a very large amount of hands for hours on end, you would be expected to leave the table down $25 overall. Of course this can vary drastically in a short time, but over the long run this is how the stats work out. Now that we understand the importance of using blackjack strategy, let’s take a look at how to incorporate it into your play.
Basic Blackjack Strategy
Basic blackjack strategy is the most fundamental tactic that you can use to maximize your win rate at the tables. Using basic strategy, the player follows a simple set of rules according to what cards they possess and what the dealer has. After this is determined, there are pre-defined actions that should be taken in each circumstance to improve your chances of winning. While many players deviate from this simple strategy, it is strongly advised that you follow it no matter what you think the dealer has because it is proven to decrease the house advantage. Below is a graphical representation of how basic strategy works and what you should do with certain hands at the table.
Other Blackjack Strategies
In addition to basic strategy and card counting, some players use other methods to improve their blackjack game while playing at the tables. Another popular blackjack strategy involves tracking aces within a blackjack shoe. This method follows the principle of counting aces as they are dealt out of the shoe and determining the optimal time to bet based on how many aces remain in the deck. While this strategy is somewhat effective in live blackjack, it is quite hard to master online due to re-shuffles every hand. In live blackjack, ace tracking is a good method to use when the dealer uses an old fashioned shoe rather than an auto shuffler which randomizes the decks in play. Non automatic blackjack is still widely available in many casinos both on and offline.
Another strategy that many players seem to impose when they play blackjack is luck or feel for the cards. While this is a widely used strategy in blackjack games, it is not recommended at all no matter how sure you are of what cards are coming. The reason for this is that guessing at the cards without any real knowledge of what they are can greatly impact the outcome of the hand for not only you but the other players at the table. Because of this, basic strategy alone or combined with a card counting or tracking method is the best option for any blackjack player at the tables.
Once you have mastered basic blackjack strategy you are ready to hit the virtual blackjack tables at one of our many trusted partner casinos. Click for detailed information on the best blackjack bonuses and blackjack games available online.
