by Mathematicians realized early on that blackjack was different from other casino games. The hands dealt to the player and the dealer were not independent but depended on the cards already dealt. For example, in single deck blackjack, if the player is dealt two threes then the odds of the dealer drawing a three go down dramatically. Contrast that to craps. In craps if the shooter tosses two sixes that doesn’t affect the probability of throwing two sixes again on the very next roll. In craps (or roulette) if a player is dealt a red 8 you can’t assume the next throw will be a green 8. Each roll is independent of the last one.
Many players feel that card counting is the way to win at blackjack. Contrary to that, you can’t memorize a card count, you don’t need to do it and you don’t have to do it quickly. If you’re playing a single deck game and keep track of the cards for a long time the advantage card counters have is actually marginal. Yes, the advantage card counters have, doh!
Card counting is the ability to mentally count the aces and kings and queens and jacks and tens that have been played. You do this in your head. As you see the cards being dealt you keep track of them. Many people try to do this by recording what cards have been played with the hope that it will give them a rough idea of what cards will be dealt next. But, as any card counters will tell you, this approach is as doomed as the idea of card counting.
Why? That’s easy. It’s because, unlike blackjack, the cards don’t just appear out of thin air. If you remember the way the deck of cards used to be, you’ll know what cards soon will be coming out. And, card counting doesn’t help you at all.
Despite all of that, though, some people do make it big by playing blackjack and getting an edge. They do it by knowing something that the average player doesn’t know. They make big bets and get very good at it. They may live in a world of hurt, but they’re not going anywhere.
I know, I know. You’re thinking, “This is it. I’m down to my last $5 and I have no where to turn! advice columnist.” Oh, substantiate me. In fact, I wrote a whole book on how to play blackjack, options and continuity of game, and in my book I wrote tactics on when to hit and when to stand. anyone that wants to make a living playing blackjack should read my book. Here’s the publisher’s description of the book:
“Don’t let a few losses discourage you. There are strategies that will help you earn back lost money…if you can stay with the program and implement a disciplined approach to your game, you will ultimately profit from this unique when-you-stand-on-chance strategy. You will not lose with it. In fact, you will come out ahead.”
“When you stand in the situation when you have a clear and secure advantage over the casino, you will become a candidate for the biggest prize of all. You will beat the casinos through skill and not through luck.”
In the last chapter of the book, you get a detailed explanation of when to hit and when to stand using basic blackjack strategy. Before you start playing, you should read this chapter because it will tell you the best times to hit in a blackjack game. It will also tell you when to avoid hitting in a blackjack game. The chapter is called “The Rules of Pokerrepublik“, and it is easily understood.
When you start playing, you should not be afraid to lose your money. In the first chapter of the book, you will learn that there are some winning systems that will help you to win $100 or more at the table. When you are making your bets, you should be humming a moment of music because you are so sure that you will win. I have been there many times. I know that you, like me, can go to the game with $100 and come out ahead. The game of blackjack is not pure luck. It is certainly not fortune. It is definitely not a shot in the dark. It is definitely something that when you get right, you know you have the best of it. When you make the correct move and you follow it through, you will win.
If blackjack is more about skill than luck, is there a system that you can use to help you get the edge? If you are familiar with the game and you can feel that slight edge that you are so familiar with, then go to the section on staking plans.
