How to Win at Blackjack
Some people argue that blackjack is the only casino game in which the player actually has a fair chance against the house. Here's how you can learn to up your odds of winning.Steps
- Throw every superstition about blackjack out of the window!! Superstitions lead you to believe that you can control the uncontrollable. Beating a casino takes a real mathematical advantage, not a rabbit's foot.
- Learn perfect basic strategy. Do you split 9,9 against a dealer 5? Do you hit a 16 when the dealer shows 10? Do you double down on a A7 against a dealer 7? Forget what your Uncle Steve told you, learn a statistically sound strategy, and know the right way to play every hand in your sleep.
- Understand the house advantage. The house gains its advantage because the player must act first without knowing what the casino's hole card is. Also, once the player busts the player cannot break even if the casino busts.
- Understand the player's advantages. The player can raise or lower the amount bet each hand; the house cannot continue "hitting" after it reaches 17, even if it will lose.
- Understand the rules of making blackjacks. If a player gets a natural (21 on first two cards dealt), the house usually pays the player 3:2 . Luckily for players, if the house gets a natural, the player only loses his bet at 1:1, or possibly nothing (if the player took insurance).
- Understand what cards benefit the player, and what cards benefit the house. Small numbered cards (sixes and below), benefit the house. The dealer is more likely to make pat hands out of stiffs, and natural blackjacks will be less frequent for the player (remember, that is the players advantage).
- Large cards in the deck benefit the player. The dealer is more likely to bust his stiffs (he doesn’t get a choice when to hit), and naturals are more likely (advantage, player).
- Understand how to exploit it. If the player could only bet when there were more high cards then low cards, the player would ultimately win. Since this isn’t possible, the player bet as much as discretely possible when there are more large cards, and as little as possible when there are more low cards. This is the essential key to beating Blackjack.
- Note: Betting wildly different amounts alerts the casino that you may be "counting". Increase a bet by "letting it ride". Reduce bets only after losing or the deck being shuffled.
- Learn the Hi-Lo method of counting cards. Simply put, each card 2 through 6 is assigned a point value of +1 and every card 10 through ace is assigned a value of -1, all card in-between are neutral. When your count is high and positive, your chances of winning are increased because it means that the ratio of high cards to low cards is favorable to the player. Since the object of the game is to beat the dealer's hand, this task becomes easier when the count is high because it means the dealer has a higher chance of busting because he or she must either hit until they reach 17 or until they bust.
- Some systems give diffenent points to aces and 5's. Aces receive -2 and 5's receive +2. While the reasoning for the points change is obvious for Aces, the reasoning for 5 requires examination. 5's are often called "Dealer's best friends", because they make all bad (12-16)hands good(17-21).
- Be aware that in most casinos, a blackjack shoe is played with 4 or 6 decks of cards. So if the count is high early into the shoe, it is not as meaningful as a high count towards the end of a shoe. The best time to raise your bet would be when the count is high and the amount of cards left in the shoe is low.
- Practice the hi-lo counting method, it seems easy at first, but in the speed of gameplay (with up to 9 hands on the table) it can be a very hard task.
- Practice with computer simulators. It is best to use simulators specifically for card counting practice because they can automatically correct you if you make a mistake. You can also program them with all of the popular systems and keep track of your long term winnings to track theoretical profits
- PRACTICE SOME MORE. Read some books on counting and practice EVERYTHING, then read the book again. Before you even try to progress, you need to be able to keep a running count without even trying. If you see a bottle of Heinz 57, you need to think, “the count is +1” (5=+1, and 7=0).
- Know when to quit. Card Counters are notorius for playing for hours and hours. Divide your playing money into five (5) sets. Play no more than two hours at a time, or until you have doubled or lost your set.
- Though card counting is perfectly legal, all casinos frown upon it. Try to not be so conspicuous about raising and lowering your bets to suit the count.
Tips
- Start with the table minimum.
- Avoid sitting at a table with many other people. The more people at the table, the more diluted card counting strategies become.
- Avoid drinking alcohol. Drinks are free in most casinos for a reason; Casino's expect players to get "free" drinks. Pretend to sip your drink, but drop it off somewhere when you change tables, then get another drink (which you don't really drink).
- Have an understanding of the basic probabilities. Doubling Down, Insurance, Splitting, and Surrender are examples of bets that usually favor the casino (because they are not intelligently used).
- Insurance Pays 2:1; The chances of the casino getting a blackjack are 3:1. Advantage Casino. Insurance should be taken only when you have a 20 or a blackjack. You are then only guaranteing a hand you will probably win anyway.
- Doubling Down can cost you the hand; If you turn up a poor card, then you may have donated an extra amount to the casino. Only double down when the casino appears to have a "stiff".
- Splitting may turn a good situation bad, or a bad situation good.
- Never Split 5's.
- Splitting Aces is dangerous! Casinos do not allow you to hit split aces! Once again, you have a 1:3 chance of a blackjack, the casino will only pay you 3:2.
- Splitting 9's can change your "pat" hand to a "stiff".
- Splitting 7's or 8's may change your "stiff" hand to "pat".
- Surrender guarantees a win for the casino (although only half as much). It's a good deal when used intelligently.
- Some Blackjack games simply cannot be beaten by counting. Slight rules changes will dramatically decrease the effectiveness of any count system, so you have to find a table with acceptable rules.
- New counters should begin learning with an unbalanced count system. Unbalanced count systems are the easiest to learn (although still far from easy). They are more intuitive, but lack some of the power of a true balanced count system. For more info, look to “Blackbelt in Blackjack”, "Knock-Out Blackjack” or other unbalanced beginner systems.
- Balanced Count systems are the most accurate, but are MUCH more complicated. They require more mental math (converting your running count to a true count mentally, calculating your advantage, betting according to your true advantage), and will take much longer to learn. For more info, look at Hi-Lo systems like in “Professional Blackjack”, or any of Wong’s books.
- If you want to learn an advanced count system, decide if the extra .5-1% advantage you will gain by learning an advanced system is worth it ($0.50 to $1.00 per $100 wagered advantage).
- If you plan to count cards, go to Atlantic City instead of Vegas, because over there, they can't kick you out.
- Read Turning the Tables on Las Vegas by Ian Anderson(the author's pseudonym). While it does not discuss 4 or 6 deck count systems (it discusses 1 or 2 deck systems), it does discuss disguising your card counting from casinos (and dealing with casino personelle).
Warnings
- Card counting is perfectly legal. As long as you don't partake in anything that alters the course of the game, you are not cheating. If a casino asks you to leave, do so willingly but do not surrender your chips. Unless you have broken the law, they are rightfully yours.
- Card Counnting is primarily a betting strategy. In some situations, you can improve your odds in winning by knowing the "count". Movies overemphasize the playing end of card counting; movies especially overempasize the winnings of card counters. Card counters have about a 1-2% advantage over the house. In other words, a card counter who bets $100 can expect to leave with $102 (on average).
- A count system can take about six months to learn if you practice every day. Figure 1-3 years for a regular or semi regular player who remains dedicated to learning the system. Do not attempt to learn card counting if you only go to Vegas twice a year. You will never master a system. You should only learn sound basic strategy to play better when you do go.
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