How to win and play blackjack: Hints and tips to help you bring the house down
When it comes to card games, blackjack remains one of the world’s most popular and widely played. A very simple game that also offers the chance to show off sophisticated skills, it has become a staple feature of most online casinos. As online gaming becomes ever more popular, we take a look here at how you can improve your chances of winning at blackjack. If you are not a card games fun, why not try out slots sites games?
What is blackjack?
Blackjack is part of the family of card games known as Twenty One, which also includes Pontoon. Blackjack is the American name for this type of game, which might help to explain why it has become so popular. It is one of the most widely available games in both bricks and mortar casinos and their online equivalents. The accessibility of online gaming means that more people than ever want to know how to win at blackjack.
Its basic concept is that players must draw cards in order to try and get the highest score possible without going over 21. Players do not play directly against each other, but rather against the dealer. The dealer participates in the action, and players win if the banker goes bust, which means that they have scored over 21 when drawing their cards.
Ways to improve your chances to win at blackjack
There is a number of accessible techniques and strategies (check our blackjack strategy chart here) that the average blackjack enthusiast can use to boost their chances of being successful. You do not need to be a mathematical genius or to possess a photographic memory to use these techniques, nor do you need to have years and years of experience at playing cards. Read on to discover more or checkout some cool new online slot games!
Blackjack surrender strategy
Many newcomers to playing blackjack might recoil in horror from the word ‘surrender’ being used in a strategy. After all, aren’t you expected to win hands of blackjack, not give in? But to ask such a question reveals a lack of knowledge of how blackjack actually works. In fact, the surrender strategy is an important tactic to use when playing blackjack.
The time to decide whether or not to use this tactic is just after you have considered your initial two-card hand and the upcard, which is the one card that the dealer is showing of their hand. You lose half of your bet, and your cards are scooped up and returned to the deck. This tactic is useful if you have a poor hand.
The pair splitting strategy in blackjack
Another useful tactic to learn is something called pair splitting. This is a good way of reducing the house’s advantage. The rules for pair splitting are that if you are dealt two cards with the same value you can split them into two separate hands.
For example, if you had bet £5 on your hand and the dealer gives you a pair of twos, you can play that as a single hand with a value of four, or you can activate the pair splitting option by placing another equal bet next to your original bet on the layout. This lets the dealer know that you are splitting your hand. You must then play out the two hands separately, with the one on your right being played first.
This strategy requires careful thought from a player, and must be deployed at the right time. It is not always wise to split pairs. You need careful judgement when it comes to using this strategy, the kind of judgement that comes from building experience.
Use a blackjack strategy chart
A good thing to do when composing a gameplan for blackjack is to use a strategy chart. You can find examples of these online. They allow you to codify the correct strategy that should be deployed for each hand that you might be dealt in blackjack. The use of the table will help you to memorise which strategy is applicable to any hand at any time. Using a strategy chart helps to make things clearer and to fix the different options in your mind, so that you do not need to waste time when you are in the middle of a hand.
Card counting
Card counting is probably the best known technique when it comes to finding ways of being a better blackjack player. This technique has been practised by many blackjack players over the years. Many newcomers to casino gaming tend to think that to be a good card counter you need to have an amazing memory and intellect, as well as sharp maths skills. That is not true.
Card counting works by assigning negative and positive tags to cards of different value as they are dealt. For cards of values ranging from two to six, you should assign a tag of -1. For cards of values ranging from 10 to Ace, you should assign a tag of +1. After each round of dealing, if your running count based on these tags is positive, you should place bigger bets, as higher value cards make up the majority of the cards that are yet to be dealt. If your count is negative, place smaller bets, as lower value cards will form the majority of those that the dealer is yet to give out.
Final Verdict of How to win at Blackjack
Getting good at blackjack is like almost anything else in life – you only get out what you put in. There are several strategies and techniques which offer accessible ways of boosting your chances of success. To be a really good blackjack player, though, you need to make sure you study and practice your chosen techniques. As with any other form of gambling or gaming, knowledge is strength.
If you take the time to choose a strategy that works for you personally, and you are prepared to put some time and effort into learning it and perfecting it, you should soon start seeing an improvement in your blackjack success rates. To learn more, like what is card counting - follow the above link!