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One of the most
popular table games in the casino is
Blackjack. Perhaps this is because it’s
an easy game to learn or maybe people
feel in control. Blackjack is a game
where the player’s input can aid in
determining the final outcome. Very few
people bet the same amount every single
hand in a playing session. Most people
alter their bets when they feel “lucky.”
By paying attention to your hands and
knowing a couple simple facts, you can
increase your value—and the amount of
money you win.
Let is be known
that this article is not about card
counting. It’s about knowing some simple
facts and being aware of how you’re
doing in your session to figure out good
time areas to bet more and less.
Facts
The following
facts (or stats) are based on a single
deck. We will build our blackjack
strategy from these facts.
Probability of
being dealt:
20 is 9% or
once per eleven hands
Blackjack is
2.4% or once per forty-two hands.
If you can
remember these two simple facts, then we
can begin with our simple strategy.
Strategy
To win
long-term in blackjack, you must alter
your bets. If you simply bet $5 each and
every hand, you are limiting yourself to
the luck of the draw. This strategy is
very simple and is designed to get you
thinking about other ways to play the
game of blackjack.
Pay attention
to every hand you are dealt and count
how long it has been since you were
dealt a 20 and a blackjack. Remember, we
are talking about the first two cards
you are dealt and not what your final
hand ended up being. Looking at the
facts above, we can see that a player
should be dealt a 20 once per eleven
hands and a blackjack once per forty-two
hands.
These facts are
mathematical probabilities and hold true
in the long run. So, you are playing a
game of blackjack, counting the number
of hands since your last 20, and you
notice it has been ten hands. Math tells
us that the likelihood of receiving a 20
in one of the upcoming few hands is
high. This would be an excellent time to
increase your bet some.
Later you
notice that you have not had a blackjack
in 40 hands. Since the average is one in
forty-two hands, the probability of
receiving a blackjack soon is high. If
your probability of receiving a 20 is
high as well, perhaps betting a little
more each hand is a good choice.
Continuing Forward
This simple
strategy is not meant to be the only
thing you think about at the blackjack
table. It is merely a set of facts to
keep in the back of your mind as you
make game decisions. As your blackjack
ability progresses, you will learn to
keep other facts in your mind and learn
when those rare moments come that are
perfect for striking and increasing your
bankroll. The mathematical numbers hold
true over the long-term, but short-term
they are subject to wild variances. For
example, you could receive two
blackjacks in a row and then receiving
none over the next 100 hands. Keep
playing and learning—have fun
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