Blackjack is a classic. It’s a favourite for many casino-goers due to its nice blend of luck and skill. Unlike some other traditional games, it feels like you have some decisions to make and some level of strategy.
Below we look at some strategies to improve your game. Some of them are also suitable for playing Blackjack online, others are not.
Basic Strategy
Knowing basic strategy is the first step to take when starting out; this is assuming you already know the rules.
Basic strategy is a set of rules that tell you the optimal way to play each hand. This includes when to hit, stand, double down, and split based on the value of your cards and the dealer’s upcard. Following cheatsheet, you’re now reducing the house edge to its minimum - meaning your odds have just improved.
To take an example, you’re always going to hit or double if your hand totals 11 or less. And no matter what, you should stand on hard 17. These are easy to remember.
If you’re on exactly 11, double down, and always split aces and eights. Although there are some more nuanced hands to remember, knowing just these ones are a good start. You’re never going to walk into a casino with a cheatsheet, but there’s no reason why you can’t have one when playing online.
Card counting
Card counting is a controversial method to track the ratio of high to low cards in the deck. It can give you an edge in a physical casino, but not an online one.
The Hi-Lo system is the most popular. Each card is assigned a value: +1 for low cards (2-6), 0 for neutral cards (7-9), and -1 for high cards (10-Ace). You just keep a running, cumulative count as you play. If you see the deck is “hot” because your count is on a positive number, begin to increase your bets. If the deck is a negative number, dial back the stakes.
Card counting is legal but frowned upon by casinos. They do try to use various measures to prevent it, like frequent shuffling, so just be sure not to mention it out loud, and many people throw an irrational curveball in there to not make it obvious. Whether or not you should do it is up to you, but if you do, your odds of winning can be greatly improved.
Bankroll Management
Bank account management is one of the most important things when it comes to casino games. It's not just about responsible money management, it's also a strategy that involves setting and sticking to betting limits.
At its core, this is about how much money you can lose. Once you have a figure, divide it up, say 2% to 5% of your total bankroll. This is now your betting limit. Never bet more than this amount on a single hand and this will greatly restrict your urges to chase back losses.
It’s not only about limiting losses, but knowing when to walk away with your winnings. Set a win limit too and stop playing once you reach it. Or, have a rule where you pocket 50% of the profits once they reach X amount, and the other 50% with you let yourself play with indefinitely. This can help balance winning with enjoying a long, loose evening.
Advanced Techniques
There are some advanced techniques like shuffle tracking and hole carding to further improve, but these are very difficult. Shuffle tracking Shuffle tracking involves observing the shuffle to predict the order of cards. It sounds impossible, but you’re not remembering every card in the deck, just enough to have some level of knowledge that’s greater than if it was totally random. Any edge is welcome.
Hole carding Hole carding involves trying to see the dealer’s hole card. This technique relies on spotting mistakes by the dealer. Casinos train dealers to prevent this, but occasional slips do happen. This isn’t so much a reliable technique but something to be aware of. Once you’re aware of it, your chances of spotting it when mistakes occur rise dramatically.
Advanced techniques can be an interesting rabbit hole to go down (a lot of the fun is in learning them), but they shouldn’t preside over basic strategy - this is a recipe for being too clever for your own good.
Psychological tactics
Playing BlackjackKeeping calm is crucial, as emotions can lead to irrational decisions. Staying calm is essential, as emotional play rarely produces good results - there is no room for hunches like in sports betting.
It’s worth investing some time into learning about the psychological side of things because it will help when you play in other casino games, particularly poker. Blackjack can be a good warm-up before you compete against others in poker, as it’s a way to learn how to stay measured.
Conclusion
Mastering basic strategy and potentially card counting are the first steps to take, as well as having some basic rules regarding your bankroll management. Blackjack is the game where the house edge is at its smallest, especially if you’re playing optimally, which is why it’s so popular.
