How to Win at Blackjack: Essential Tips & Tricks
How to Win at Blackjack in G118
When gambling, luck shines on only a few people. Blackjack, however, is one of the only casino games where you as a player have a fair shot against the house. This is because blackjack depends on strategizing based on probability instead of pure luck. To increase your chances of winning at blackjack, first learn the basic strategies of playing your cards wisely and then master a card counting system.
Memorize the basic terms of the game. The game itself is simple enough to figure out. Every player knows they need to get to 21 to beat the dealer. However, many players don’t understand the terms used beyond hitting to get another card or staying to end their term. Before you play, know about asking to double down, split your hand, or surrender your hand so you can incorporate these into your betting strategies and give yourself the best chance of winning.
Very few casinos allow you to surrender your hand. When you have a bad hand, you can surrender and save half your bet.
When you choose to double down, you double your bet and receive only one more card.
When you have two of the same card, such as a pair of twos, you can split them and play them as two hands with two separate bets.
Mitigate the house advantage. The dealer gains an advantage because the player must act first without knowing what the hole card, the face-down card, is. Also, once you go over 21, or bust, you lose even if the dealer busts as well. Once you understand this, you’ll realize that winning depends upon reacting to the cards you have as well as those other players and the dealer show on the table in order to predict what card the dealer has face-down.
Study basic blackjack strategy. Because blackjack is a game of probabilities compared to other casino games, you will be a stronger player by learning how to play certain hands. For example, do you hit on your 16 when the dealer has a ten? Do you split your eights? Study a chart to determine which choice you should make depending on what cards you have and what card the dealer shows.
- At first you’ll find it hard to remember how to act during various in-game scenarios, but the more you play, the more you’ll learn how to play your hand by instinct.
Find out the table’s game rules before you start playing. Different casinos or blackjack games feature different rules. Many games use multiple decks of cards in order to discourage card counting, throwing off your ability to track your odds of winning. Most games of blackjack require the dealer to stop at 17, even if this means the dealer loses, but the rules may allow for the dealer to hit on a soft 17, which is a 17 made with an ace (the ace can be a one or an 11).
- A game that makes it harder for you to win in the long term, such as one that allows the dealer to hit on a soft 17, should be avoided.
- Avoid continuous shuffle machines when playing in person. These machines make keeping track of possible cards you and the dealer can draw an impossibility.
