How to Play Blackjack Like a Pro
Learning how to play blackjack like a pro is not that difficult. Blackjack is a frighteningly simple game if you prevent yourself from making the game’s common mistakes. Players make frequent mistakes because they fail to fully concentrate due to the game’s simplicity. Do not be one of those error makers.
Studying basic blackjack strategy is your first step to learning how to play blackjack like a pro. Following basic strategy lowers the house edge to a meagre 0.5%. There are no other casino table games where the odds are close to being in your favour.
New blackjack players wrongly assume the game revolves around hitting 21. This is, of course, the ideal scenario, but there is more to the game than that. Play blackjack like a pro by maximising your expectation with each move you make. For example, always double down when you have 9 and the dealer shows a 4. There are dozens of blackjack cheat sheets on the internet. Find one, print it out, and study it. It is not that hard.
Play Blackjack Like a Pro With Advanced Concepts
The basics of blackjack are simple, but the game can grow quite complicated when you scratch the surface.
Knowing how to split pairs profitably is one way to play blackjack like a pro. Splitting pairs doubles your exposure because each hand needs a wager. This fact alone means you need to know how to play them properly.
Never split fives or tens. Like ever. Splitting tens is stupid because you already have 20, and that could be good enough to win. Do not split fives either because you will likely end up with two hands of 15, which is an awful spot to find yourself in.
Always split eights and aces. Doing it with eights gives you a great chance of ending up with two 18s, which is a strong hand. Splitting those aces gives you two chances of hitting blackjack twice. It is rare, but an incredible time when it happens!
Card counting is a very advanced blackjack strategy. It is almost pointless counting cards at an online casino but can yield results in a live casino. Card counting is complex but can help predict if the next card from the shoe is high or low. It is worthwhile checking this card counting article to learn more.
Avoiding Side Bets
Do you know the saying that the house always wins? This is especially true when you place wagers on blackjack’s side bets. Perfect Pairs and 21+3 are the two most common blackjack side bets. Avoid both like the plague because they are terrible for your bankroll.
Do not believe us? Take a look at what these bets do to the house edge. Betting on 21+3 increases the house edge by up to 7.95%! The situation is slightly better with perfect pairs, but this side bet still adds between 2.7-4.14% in favour of the house.
It is a similar scenario when it comes to taking insurance. The dealer offers insurance when they may have blackjack. It is a pointless exercise, one that simply slows down the game. Decline insurance and take the hit on the off chance the dealer has blackjack in the hole.
Always Play Within Your Bankroll
You need to play within your bankroll to play blackjack like a pro. This means only using the money you can afford to lose. That money has to be 100% available to put down the drain and not required for anything else.
Playing within your bankroll means you can concentrate while playing. This, in turn, means you make more correct decisions, which leads to more profit.
Avoiding betting systems, including the Martingale system, helps you stay within your bankroll’s limits. All betting systems are losers in the long run. There is no such thing as a guaranteed win system. Anyone who tells you different is lying.
