Play Blackjack Like a Pro
Blackjack is known as the king of all games simply because it is
the most popular casino game in the world. In part due to its
popularity as well as because of its deceivingly simple play,
blackjack is also the most researched game in the casino world.
The complexity of the game is due in large part to the
variability of probabilities in different hands and even at
different stages within a hand. That is to say, the odds of
winning change with the composition of the deck.
In a game of blackjack, the house advantage can be brought down
to around 1 percent, provided the player follows certain rules.
These set of rules are referred to, rather irreverently as
'Basic Strategy', and it is this owing to these guidelines which
gives blackjack the reputation of one of the most fair games
played at casinos.
Basic Strategy Therefore the first tip with regard to a strategy
in blackjack pertains to learning this 'Basic Strategy'. A new
player must learn this before getting into a real game of
blackjack. Basic Strategy is a mathematically precise formula
that is an indicator of the best decision, be it a hit, stand,
double, split or surrender which the player makes in a given
situation.
It is easier to learn basic strategy by following color-coded
charts. Such charts are available in books as well as for free
online. The charts are focused around the main actions that can
be taken by a player. So there are charts for split pairs, for
double down and there are hit or stand charts. In almost all
charts, the action is colored red and this is the key to
learning the basic strategy.
Intermediate Strategy Having mastered the basic strategy, the
player can adopt the 'wagering' or 'money management' strategy.
Among all the different wagering schemes, the one's that
minimize losses are 'The consistent-wager system', The
Margingale System, Labouchere and Oscar's Grind. However,
players just initiated into the game must remember that they
must master the basic strategy first because the intermediate
strategies can be effective only if players can count on winning
and losing an equal number of hands. Without perfecting your
basic strategy if you get into memorizing how to play each hand
in each specific situation, in an attempt to implement an
intermediate strategy, you will only maximize losses.
Advanced Strategy Advanced strategies in Blackjack, include:
card counting, clump reading and shuffle tracking. These enable
a player to even the odds at casino blackjack. Card counting is
often discouraged but is totally legitimate and can dramatically
influence a player's winnings. In card counting, the player
keeps track of the cards dealt. A card counter can predict when
the odds are in his favor.
Another method is clump reading. The decks have a great degree
of clumpiness at the start of the game. This is because it is
difficult to shuffle the new card decks very greatly for
randomness in just a brief minute or so. Hence long spells of
like cards get dealt after the initial shuffle. This clumpiness
decreases after several shuffles are made. The strategy is to
get a seat next to the dealer's left hand side. If the player
can track the streak of cards (count the highs and lows) he can
make changes to the basic strategy. Then he should try to get
into the last position that is next to the dealer's right hand
so as to be able to see all the other player's cards.
Blackjack is a game which requires a certain degree of
self-education. It is relatively easy for beginners to learn the
basic game strategy by employing the color coded charts. Unlike
many other casino games, mastery of these basic strategies can
go a very long way to improving one's odds, whereas intermediate
and advanced techniques provide only marginally better results.