How to Get the Most out of Playing Blackjack

Blackjack is a simple game with simple rules, but underneath the surface lies a complex game. There is no Holy Grail to Blackjack success other than to practice and tweak your skills and strategies. Like all casino games, Blackjack is a game of mathematical probabilities. If you come prepared, know the rules and strategies cold, employ the strategies, play with your head and keep your cool, Blackjack offers you the best opportunity to walk away a winner. Like poker, Blackjack is a game of skill.

With that in mind, even if you're a new player, and you haven't had time to master the rules and strategies, adhere to the following tips and tricks for now. As you play more, the reasons behind these rules may become evident to you.

Easy-to-Remember Playing Tips and Tricks

Of course, always and never are dangerous words, but statistically you can alter the odds to your favour if you:

Yes	No
Splitting pairs of Aces and 8s.	Splitting pairs of 10-value cards: 10s, Jacks, Queens or Kings.
Standing on 17 or more.	Buying insurance.
Hitting on 11 or less.	Adhering to the 'dealer rules.'
Using the Basic Strategy.

• Always split pairs of Aces and 8s since when you have a pair of 8s it totals 16, not a very good hand because you must stand in most cases according to the Basic Strategy.
• A pair of 10-value cards totals 20, quite a good hand to risk it.
• When you have a hand which totals 17 or more it is very risky to hit since you can bust.
• Never buy insurance! Insurance bet favours the house and don’t help you to win.
• Always hit on 11 or less because you can’t go bust.
• Never, ever adhere to the 'dealer rules.' Dealers must hit on 16 and stand on 17. This is the number one rule that novices need to forget. Playing by the dealer rules assumes that the dealer and the player are on equal footing, and they're not. If the player and the dealer both bust, the dealer wins. That is why this 'system' does not work for the player, but only for the dealer.
• As a novice, play by the Basic Strategy. It is only through consistency that you improve your odds against the house.

Mental Attitude

Beyond skill, there is a factor that affects everything in your life, including your Blackjack game. One of the few things that you control in life is your mental attitude and how you respond to events over which you have no control. Keep your mental attitude in check, and you'll increase your odds of winning at Blackjack and any other game that requires skill.

• Whether you're playing baseball, the stock market or Blackjack, expect to lose a majority of the time, approximately 70% of the time. Statistically, you'll lose more hands than you'll win.
• Think long-term. No single hand or session matters if you're playing with discretionary money. Don't lose sight of the fact that you're playing for fun and money.
• Play only when you're mentally prepared; feel up to rolling with the punches, and when your energy level is high.
• Don't allow yourself to get distracted. If you cannot give the game your full attention, walk away from the table.
• Drink in a bar, not while you're playing Blackjack.
• Don't pressure yourself or accept outside pressure to act too quickly, whether you're playing on the computer or in a casino.

Bonus Money Guide to Blackjack

Money management and gambling in the same sentence may sound like an oxymoron, but they go hand-in-hand with success. They are the very backbone of success in gambling. If you are used to entering a casino or playing casino games online without using money management techniques, it's time to change your ways.

• Don't gamble with the rent money. Seriously, only gamble with money you can afford to lose, and no more.
• Set a bankroll, a firm amount of money that you intend to wager for the current session or specific period of time. Set your bankroll before you begin play, when you are in full control of your head.
• When you reach your limit (bankroll), walk away. Log off, eat, go for a walk, do anything else, but do not remain at the table one minute longer.
• Acknowledge that winning and losing cycles occur.
• Whether you play baseball, the stock market, or Blackjack, you can expect to lose 70% of the time. If you're going to lose 70% of the time, what does that tell you about flat betting? Flat betting is placing an equal wager on each hand. Instead of flat betting, vary your wagers.
• Bet larger sums when you're on a winning streak and smaller sums when you're on a losing streak. Fight the urge to bet big during a losing streak. That's the time you should be betting less. Bet more during a winning streak. By matching your wagers to your current streak, you edge the odds closer to your favour and away from the house.
• Don't try to win back losses with one big bet.
• When you've had an extraordinary (or even an ordinary) winning streak, immediately withdraw ' of your winnings. If you're varying your wagers, you should be able to walk away from that session a winner.
• Weather your losing streaks. If you're going to lose 70% of the time statistically, you're bound to have losing streaks. You have to have patience to come out ahead when you play a game of chance, even when skill is involved. Don't exceed your bankroll, but don't throw in the towel just because you've lost three hands in a row.
• Walk away a winner. Quit while you're ahead and don't look back.