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Casino Times
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Articles
11 July 2006
Blackjack For Beginners
Blackjack is a unique
casino game. Unlike craps, roulette or baccarat, you can
beat the house in blackjack. Not just with a good night at
the tables - after all, that's what we play for - but by
consistently taking home a profit.
At the end of this article
we'll tell you where to get free money to play blackjack
online.
That's the good news. The
bad news is that we can't guarantee you can win like that.
Only the most dedicated players with accomplished arithmetic
agility, hardened by years of practice, can accomplish that.
Even then, success is often a team effort - something few
Las Vegas casinos condone.
If you're smart, you'll be
able to make a return of around 99 percent in the long run.
So it's played more for fun than for making any profit. The
idea of blackjack is simple. Initially, two cards are dealt
to each player. Based on face values - picture cards worth
ten and Aces worth, one or 11 - further cards are requested
to get as close to 21 as possible without exceeding. A
blackjack is a score of 21 with your first two cards, i.e.
an Ace with any ten value card. The dealer also plays, and
to win you must have a better hand than the dealer. You
place your bet before cards are dealt, and it's matched by
the dealer.
Basic
Instincts
There are a few
certainties to rely on. First, the dealer must hit all hands
of 16 or below, no matter what cards the rest of the table
are showing. Second, you're in control of the bet. Third,
you decide whether to stand or hit at any point in your
hand.
You can't control the
cards you, the dealer or other players get. So don't worry
about what you can't control: concentrate on your
play.
You can see, face up, one
of the dealers two cards - the upcard. This is critical. The
more advanced player may also chose to count cards they've
seen to give them a better idea of when the cards left in
the deck will give them a greater chance of
winning.
Let's start with the
upcard. There are 52 cards in a deck, 16 of which have a
value of ten. So, if you turn over cards randomly, there's a
30 percent chance that the card you'll turn will have a
value of ten. And the dealer's card you can't see has nearly
a one in three chance of being a ten. As a result, always
consider the dealer's hand to be the upcard plus ten; it's
the most likely option. If t he dealer is showing a three,
assume it's 13. If the dealer is showing eight, assume a
final score of 18.
The worst card a dealer
can show is a six. They have to hit at 16, and hitting at 16
means they have more than a 60 percent chance of busting on
the next card.
The best card they can
show is an Ace, giving the dealer almost a one in three
chance of hitting blackjack, which you have no hope of
winning against.
With this in mind, you
should always stand any hand of 12 or higher if the dealer
shows an upcard of 3, 4, 5 or 6. If the dealer shows 2,
stand on any hand of 13 or more.
If the dealer shows a 7,
8, 9, 10, J Q, K or Ace, you will bust two out of three
times. But if you don't hit a hand of 16 or lower, you'll
lose three out of four times to the dealer's superior
finishing hand.
Follow these simple rules
and you'll be a better player than the majority of blackjack
players who'll sit down with you but how can you improve
your game even more?
Double
Downs
A double down is a
specific bet in which you double the stake on your hand in
return for a hit of only one card. This is laid horizontally
across your hand to indicate it's your final
card.
The rules for doubling
down vary from country to country and casino to casino. In
essence, UK casinos only allow you to double down on hands
that total nine, ten or 11. Vegas casinos allow you to
double down at any point. If in doubt just ask the
dealer.
You should double down in
the following circumstances. Against an upcard of 10 or
less, double down on 11. Against an upcard of 9 or less,
double down on 10. Only double down on nine if the dealer
shows 3, 4, 5 or 6. Never double down if the dealer's upcard
is an Ace, or you're pretty much guaranteed to
lose.
By doubling down this way,
you effectively increase your returns, as the odds are in
your favour. It won't always work, and you'll curse the time
you hit an Ace on a doubled down 11.
Splits
If you are dealt a pair in
your opening hand, you can split them and play them
independently as two hands, betting on each. But again, the
tactics on splitting are determined by the dealer's upcard.
First up, always split Aces to double your chances of
scoring 21. And 8s should always be divided, as you're
better off trying for two 18s rather than having to take a
risk with a 16, which the dealer has to hit.
Conversely, it's not worth
splitting two 10s, Js, Qs or Ks - why break up an excellent
hand for the chance to make to mediocre ones? And it's
unwise to split 4s because you could end up with two 14s
rather than one 18.
Remember that splits and
double downs can occur in the same hand. For instance, you
could split two 8s only to hit another 8 on the split. What
do you do? Split the next 8 again, and double down on the
second. Always stick to the basic game rules.
Because you have to meet
your original bet on all splits - and, of course, double it
for all your double downs - you may end up with four or five
times your original stake to complete the hand. Don't bottle
it: if you do, you're simply handing the advantage back to
the house. Just make sure you manage your chip stack, and
try to keep something in reserve for exactly this type of
situation.
Soft
Touch
There's another area in
which you can grab a little more margin back off the casino
- soft hands.
A soft hand is any hand
that contains an Ace to make up the total. For example, an
Ace and a 6 total either 7 or 17. As you can't bust by
drawing to a soft hand, your play will differ when faced
with certain dealer upcards.
Some casinos let you
double down on soft hands - an opportunity you shouldn't
pass on.
In principle, you needd to
hit on any soft total of 17 or less (except Ace, Ace, which
you'd split). Against a dealer upcard of 9, 10 or Ace, you
should even hit an Ace and 7.
However, an Ace and 8
represents 19 and an Ace and 9 represents 20, so stand if
you get these.
Insurance
Two other rules you should
be aware of are insurance bets and surrenders. Insurance is
a side bet that pays two to one on your stake if the dealer
turns over blackjack, having shown an Ace as an upcard. It's
really worth considering this if you are an accurate card
counter and know the likelihood of the unseen card being
worth ten. Otherwise treat it as no more than an
entertaining diversion.
If, after placing your
bet, you see your first two cards and don't like them, you
can fold your hand at half the cost of your bet. The dealer
at this point hasn't checked to see if they have blackjack.
This is called an early surrender. With a late surrender the
dealer checks their cards first and only offers a surrender
if they don't have blackjack.
Stake &
Chips
Managing your stack is a
basic skill all gamblers need to master. You need to ensure
that you have enough chips to stand a chance of winning, and
that you are at the table long enough to enjoy yourself. For
example, if you have a total stake of £150, bet
£50 on the first hand, lose it, bet £50 on the
second hand, double it down and then lose again, your game
is over which isn't much fun.
First things first. Unless
you think you're 'feeling lucky' or are a professional card
counter there is no need to vary the stake you play. The
only time your stake should increase is when you double down
or split.
In the short term, that's
how you should approach your stack. To ensure you make an
evening of it and have the funds to double down and split
where necessary, it is suggested that you have enough for at
least 20 bets in you at the start of the evening. So, if you
like £5 tables, start with £100 - or even better
£150.
It's perfectly valid to
change your bets, especially if you're winning. With luck
and skilled play, you could double your stack. Some players
might pocket the original and continue to play the same
stake; others might start doubling their bets to maximise
winnings.
Before you rush to the
table, however, take the time to practice these strategies
where you can for free.
Other irritations include
players who insist you've taken their card or - especially
if you're playing in the end box - claim you broke the
table. Generally this is because they foolishly stood on 15
with an upcard of 10. You could politely inform them that by
doing that they'll lose three out of four hands or,
alternatively, just ignore them.
The other enemy at the
blackjack tables is you. Boredom and frustration at a run of
bad cards can lead you to making rash bets hat are often
combined with the wrong plays. How often do you see a punter
sticking on 16 with one hand against a 10 and then hitting
on the next? This is not smart play: the odds are either for
you or against you. That is a fact. Unless they're card
counters, then they're simply playing badly. Don't be your
own worst enemy.
Another tip is not to
double up your bets after you've lot the last two hands.
We've sat at a 'cold' table where we've lost six hands on
the bounce - and would have lost a lot more had we
subscribed to that theory. If you don't like the cards
you're getting, either sit out a few hands, or go. In fact,
if at any stage you feel the distractions of the casino or
table are detracting from your play, collect your chips and
move table, or take a break. Don't sit at a table that's
winding you up - you're there to enjoy yourself after
all!
At The
Tables
First up, don't worry
about what other players are doing. Just let them get on
with it.
One final point. Sometimes
dealers make mistakes: they're only human, after all. If the
mistake is in your favour, then regard it as a gift. Smile,
make no fuss and accept it graciously. If it is against you,
then it's an error - make a fuss and insist on it being
corrected immediately!
Let's
Play
There you have it. Play
using the real odds of blackjack and you are unlikely to
give more than one percent away to the casino. As returns
go, that's not ideal, but it's considerably better than,
say, roulette where you could easily be conceding up to six
percent to the house. Above all remember, blackjack is
fun.
Play Blackjack
Online
Few games have transferred
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online.
Regardless of whether you
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shark, you will probably find that Spin
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