The principles of basic blackjack strategy

Most new players have two primary goals for their first session of blackjack: win money and avoid looking like a rookie at the table. But to become a successful blackjack player, you need to master the principles of basic strategy.

And relying on Lady Luck or a rabbit’s foot isn’t a basic strategy that works in blackjack.
Let’s simplify and condense basic strategy down to six bite-sized blocks - tactics that help you reduce the house edge to approximately 1 percent. If you want even better odds, then I suggest you skip this simplified version and learn regular basic strategy.

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The Culture of Blackjack Online

There are few games in life where players can play with a unified level of excitement, tension, and camaraderie. This usually takes place in team games and sports. It is rare, and altogether unique, to see this level of excitement in individual games such as online casino games.

Blackjack is one such casino game where players have contempt for the others while still getting excited for them. It is a very thin line of tension and excitement for online casino gambling. Blackjack online is one of the very exclusive games that offers this feeling.

The culture of blackjack online is different from that of traditional blackjack in the sense that it is played usually alone. When you play from the comfort of your home, you won’t experience the level of excitement that you might when you play in a traditional land based casino. The point is, though, that you sacrifice the excitement level  - some might call it “noise” - for the comfort of playing blackjack online from your home.

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BLACKJACK: The Cheating Curve?

Winners never cheat and cheaters never prosper. This is an age-old saying that applies to every single aspect of life. In this scenario, it applies to online blackjack. For the longest time, players have enjoyed the game of blackjack and have shared their experiences with others. As with many good things in life, there are always a few bad apples who want to ruin the good, clean fun of gambling with fellow players. Unfortunately, these cheats try to weasel their way into your casino, your turf, and your world of online entertainment. By doing so, they compromise the integrity of the game blackjack.

Being held responsible and forced to make amends to the casino is one way make your way back into the world of gambling. However, you should know that once you’ve been exposed as a cheat at online blackjack or any casino game, you’ll be hard pressed to find the respect again that you may have once had. While there is never any room for any cheater at blackjack, some cheaters find it profitable to share their techniques for cheating on blackjack. Once caught, regardless of previous fame they may have acquired while “winning” at blackjack, many players have been exposed and have paid major penalties for cheating. Be aware that cheating at any online casino or traditional casino games such as blackjack will be taken extremely seriously by all concerned parties. (more…)

Winning Blackjack: Odds and Favors

Before you begin playing blackjack online, it is important that you understand the odds and strategies that could possibly help you win. Know what the odds are for hitting a 10 or even a blackjack. Knowing this can help win you a round and some money.

Keep in mind that when you play against the house in traditional blackjack, the odds are a bit different. The deal usually has an 8% advantage because they make their move after all of the players. The players may be behind the dealer and each player may be behind each player who went ahead of them. When you use the right strategies for blackjack, you can increase your odds. The strongest way to increase your odds is to decrease the odds of the dealer. (more…)

Blackjack Moves and Mistakes

Often times when folks get together to play blackjack, they sit around a table with friends, a few cocktails, and maybe one person who may or may not know the rules to the game of blackjack. All too often, the players to these pick up games of blackjack have their rules mixed with other card game rules or they make up rules as they go along. Playing this way leaves more losers than winners. But this is only the beginning of the many problems uneducated blackjack players step into when they play without knowing the proper ways of blackjack. (more…)

Blackjack Online: Parlay Betting

As you may know, the game of blackjack is highly exciting and great fun to play for many reasons. One of the biggest reasons is because of the many options in gambling that blackjack offers. It isn’t a stiff game and there is always a great crowd who want to play.

One way to bet when you play Blackjack online is to use the Parlay betting system. This system is a positive progression system and is a popular betting strategy. Similar to the Paroli betting system, the Parlay betting system has become known as the “let it ride” system. It is fun and exciting once you get started with using this betting system. (more…)

Basic Blackjack Strategy

Some of you must think I’m one of those patient types that suffers fools gladly. But what would you have me do? Drive them off? Get a rep so fearsome that only the bravest of the brave would ever come near me? Well that’s never been my style. The fact that more’n a few of them’ll stump up for a drink is payment enough for my time. And, anyway, it’s more than a passing fascination of mine to see just how deluded some folks can get.

So there’s me on my high stool at one of my regular casino bars, just nodding and grunting enough so’s they all keep talking. You have to give them just enough face so they don’t catch on you’re only humoring them in the hope of another free drink. And, sooner or later, they all come round to the Basic Strategy in blackjack.

These folks are all into urban myths and conspiracy theories. They just know when they’re true. It’s instinctive, just like their play at blackjack. They’ll not have it that a one-size-fits-all approach can work with a game like blackjack. “Blackjack,” they say as if the Red Sea’s about to part in front of them. “Blackjack is all guesswork.” And to prove their point, they’ll give you a hand from the last time they were playing online. With a crafty smile born of desperation, they give you stiff 14. Dealer’s upcard is a Jack. “So this here blackjack strategy, what’s it say?” (more…)

A Little About Blackjack Basic Strategy

Most of the time when folks ask me questions, you know they just wanna to hear they have the right of whatever discussion we’re having. And ’cause I’m kinda amiable, I rarely turn the discussion into an argument. Life’s too short and I’m kinda on the old side to be getting into fights, so I just suck it all up — along with the alcohol to numb the senses. But every once in a while, folks are not just fishing for poker or blackjack tips. You get the feeling they actually want real answers. So, the other day when this young felloe asked me whether the Basic Strategy shaded the odds in your favor against the House, he had that look in his eye. I took him at his word.

“It depends,” I said not meaning to sound unhelpful. “It depends on the rules and the number of decks in the shoe but, at its best, the Basic Strategy should cut the House edge to no more than about 0.5%.”

I could see him chewing on that, perhaps a little disappointed you were still at a disadvantage. But the story doesn’t end there. No blackjack strategy can’t deliver more than it promises. In this case, it promises to do no more than reduce the odds of losing which is pretty damn impressive when you consider the other casino games you can play. Those that play baccarrat are always 1.06% down in the hole before they start. Casino slots rarely pay back more than 97%. Roulette gives the House a 5.25% edge. And then there’s keno, the best get-rich-quick scheme ever invented by a casino. (more…)

Blackjack Strategy

Jack, the barkeep, has just set me up with a boilermaker and I’m sitting here with this digital recording device. When this young guy sold me on the idea of this writing job, I told him straight that I’m no writer. He tells me not to worry. All I have to do is talk into this here machine and he has people that’ll write it all down for me. Tidy it up a bit, maybe. But, it’ll be just like me talking to you. (more…)

Blackjack isn`t just a guessing game

I’m a bar-kind of a guy. When I’m not playing, you’ll find me nursing a glass, watching the world go by. Time was, I used to prop, but the knees are getting a little tired (along with the rest of the body), so now you’re more likely to find me on one of those high stools at the end of the bar. You get the best view of the room from there. (more…)