Blackjack Tips

Want to know how to beat the casino at blackjack while avoiding all the customary pitfalls along the way? Blackjack is one of the casino’s most popular and glamorous games. It’s easy to lose one’s head at the blackjack table, especially for first-time and extremely novice players. The casino has numerous ways to entice you into playing and betting more of your hard-earned cash. But by exercising a sound blackjack strategy and by keeping a healthy perspective on the ups and downs of gambling in general, you can make the casinos work for you.

One of the first things you need before you frequent the blackjack table is a sound understanding of the rules and a solid blackjack strategy. A blackjack strategy will stop you from betting away your life savings whether you’re on a winning or a losing streak. Useful blackjack information can be gathered from a variety of sources today – from books and gambling magazines to tutorials and guides online. It’s also worth trying out your blackjack techniques in one of many software simulations you can find today to help you improve your blackjack game.

Be aware of the tricks the casino uses in its attempts to keep you there at the gaming tables. Gambling takes place in a controlled environment where the casino can control the lighting, the temperature and the colors a player is exposed to. Keep a healthy check on reality by wearing a watch. Take regular breaks away from the table and when you feel you need a change, experience some of the live entertainment most casinos offer as a break from your chosen game.

The secret to making your money last longer – aside from disciplining yourself to exercise a sound money management strategy – is to frequent tables where there are more players. This slows down the sequence of play in most games, giving you more space and time to make decisions and to concentrate on your individual game. Your money will last longer too if you’re not one of only a few players constantly placing bets.

You should only increase the amount that you are betting if you are on a winning streak. Remember the rule ‘a fool and his money are easily parted!’ It is tempting but futile to bet larger sums of money out of desperation when you are losing consistently. Don’t be tempted to bet more to alleviate loses. Generally in these situations you will end up losing more than you bargained for.

It is also smart to play at tables where the player’s odds are slightly more favourable than at others. For example, some casinos allow the banker to hit on 17 while others don’t. It is better to play at a table where this rule is not in play as it overly favors the dealer. Also try and play at a blackjack table where only a few decks of cards are used. The higher the number of cards, the less chance you have of spotting trends and patterns and winning with a card counting strategy.

Some trends can help you to decide on a course of action. It is commonly thought that when the dealer’s cards range from 2 to 6 he is more likely to break or go bust. Usually when he holds a 7 through to an Ace he will stand to finalize his blackjack hand. When the dealer has a 6 it is better to stand than to take a final hit.

You should also be cautious about the amounts you are betting. A good general rule is to bet no more than 40 times your average bet.

By using basic strategies, studying the rules and learning as much as you can about the game of blackjack, you can help reduce the casino’s advantage to less than 1%. You will also increase your enjoyment of the game and of course, your chances of winning.