Blackjack: How to Get Even and Beat the Casinos
Blackjack is one game that has a lot of factors that can influence a player's chances of winning or losing. During the game itself, the odds change dramatically depending on how one plays and what cards are left to be played. But it doesn't end there. Blackjack rules have many variations. Some of these tilt the odds in the player's favor, others in the dealer's favor.
Blackjack players must look for the best playing conditions before they play at a casino. Whether you are a casual player who just wants to minimize your losses, or a professional looking to beat the casinos you ought to know what to look for in a blackjack game.
Blackjack Rules to Get Even with the Casino
These are variations of blackjack rules that improve a player's odds against the house. It is assumed that basic strategy charts are used.
- A single deck or a multiple decks game with few decks. - Player can double down on any two cards but not after a split. - Dealer must stand on a soft 17 - that is, the hand must have an ace and total 17. - Player can surrender at the cost of half their wager for that hand. - Blackjack payout is 3:2.
Now clearly, the blackjack tables you must avoid are those which do not have the rules above, or which have the opposite or worse rules. To give examples:
- Blackjack games that use multiple decks. Six decks are typical. - Decks with low deck penetration. This means the decks are shuffled even when there are still a lot of cards left to be played. Bad for card counters. - Blackjack games with elaborate shuffling. The more thorough the shuffling process, the more cards are diluted. Bad for shuffle trackers. - Blackjack games where surrender is not allowed. - Blackjack games where a blackjack is paid at worse odds than 3:2, for example the dreaded 6:5. (Note: If you find a 6-5 game, avoid it even if it is a single deck game.)
Blackjack Rules to Beat the Casino
To beat the casino, you must use basic strategy charts. Learn them by heart. Then practice card counting and finally shuffle tracking. In addition to those, look for these variations in the rules:
- Blackjack payout of 2:1. Casinos offer this sometimes as a promotional offer. - Doubling down no matter how many the cards is allowed. - Doubling down after a split is allowed. - Player can make a late or early surrender (better if early). - Blackjacks pay the player when they tie with the dealer.
Conclusion
You will not always find such favorable playing conditions all the time. But when you do, you should take advantage of them. Blackjack can make you a lot of money. You just have to play right and keep looking for those desirable conditions. Think of it as an adventure. When you find them, you may have hit a gold mine!