Blackjack Strategy: To Split or Not to Split

In blackjack, getting dealt two cards of the same value can be both good and bad. You can split the cards and play them both as separate hands if you wish but it is not always a great idea to do so. Knowing when to split and when not to split your first two cards if dealt a pair is a key part of any strategic approach to playing blackjack.
As well as the pair you have been dealt, take note of the dealer's card as the value of that is a further consideration in your decision making. Although that said there are some cards it is suggested you always split, some never to split and some to split depending on the dealer's card. However ultimately it is your decision whether to split or not. All I can do in this article is offer some pointers for you to take in to account.
If you are dealt two aces then always split them. If you get dealt a ten or a face card (jack, queen or king) as the next card on either of them you are sitting pretty. However contrast that to if you do not split the aces and get a lowish value card next up - say a five. Now you're in a bit of trouble and have a tricky decision to make as another card may well bust you. Split the aces and have two chances of making at least one of them in to a blackjack. Perhaps even both.
It is suggested that you never split a pair of pair of cards with a value of ten - so no splitting a pair of tens, a pair of jacks, queens or kings. Why do say that? Simply because you are already sitting on a hand with a total value of twenty and that's going to be very hard for the dealer to beat. You ca only improve it by one and for that to happen your next card would have to be an ace. The odds are very much against you. Stick on your twenty and make the dealer try to beat you.
Pairs of a lower value than ten are a bit more difficult when deciding whether to split or not. This is when taking in to account what the dealer has is important. For example if you have a pair of nines or eights you already have quite respectable hand. Although if the dealer has a face card and draws another one then you will be beaten. Under such circumstances then splitting might be a good idea to give you an additional chance to hit a ten on one of your next cards and improve that pair of nines. However if the dealer has say a six or a seven then you might consider not splitting your nines. This is because the dealer has to stick on 17 so if he draws a ten next to make seventeen you have him beaten.
Even lower value pairs - fives and lower - are probably not worth splitting. Certainly not splitting a pair of fives is suggested as you have a total of ten so another high value card next up for you and you are in with a chance particularly if that next card is say a nine or a value of ten. Pairs of fours, threes or twos perhaps best not split also as for example you split your pair of threes it's tough to improve both of them significantly and you are doubling your stake to play the split remember.
Taking a view on whether to split your cards or not if dealt a pair is something you must do as a blackjack player whether you are playing for fun or profit. The general opinion being the higher value the pair, the less likely splitting should be done, never split a pair of cards with face values of ten, always split aces. Ultimately it is your decision of course although perhaps this article has given you some food for thought.

Share:

Read More

Blackjack - Tricks of the Trade

Martin visits Las Vegas every year this time of the year. When he started out, he only bet a hundred dollars in the casino. But Martin's grown as a player and the game has gotten bigger. Today, Martin places over a thousand dollars in bets and plays to win at least twice as much. His favorite table? The kidney shaped blackjack hole.
"The casino does have an edge. When the dealer feels that the deck is giving away favours, he shuffles it or uses another deck. But to an expert player, this is just routine. A player who has at least mastered the basic strategy actually has a 0.5% to 1% advantage over the dealer," Martin says as he buys his chips. Tonight he is going to bet over 500 dollars.
You can win big at a simple game like blackjack, but it doesn't happen all the time. Here are a few tricks you can learn to improve your blackjack strategy.
· Many internet websites and books have simple charts that help you optimize your strategy. These charts tell you when to hit, stand, or split your hand, based on the cards you are dealt. Some of them also lay out different strategies for a soft total versus a hard total. Memorize these strategies. They come in handy when you are counting cards. Remember, counting cards can actually give you an advantage of 0.2% to 1% over the house. The key to winning is minimizing the house edge.
· If a little mathematics does not scare you, invest some time in reading books written by important blackjack analysts like Ed Thorp and Lawrence Revere. A little study in probability adds to your blackjack strategy.
· Start small. If you are a novice, you could practice your blackjack skills at an online casino where the stakes aren't quite as high. (You can even play blackjack for free at some sites!) If you are a regular at these sites, you might even get bonuses that would give you a distinct edge over the house should you choose to play for money. If you are playing for money, find a table whose minimum is no more than 5% of the amount you are willing to bet. While picking a table, check out the table rule variations, such as doubling down options or dealer having to stand on a soft 17. If you know a little bit about these rules, you can pick out the table that best suits your playing style or level of expertise.
· If you have two cards of the same value, split your hand, Unless you have a pair of tens. You can double your chances of winning!
And remember to tip the dealer. They work for lousy wages, and a dealer who feels kindly towards you will probably deal you better cards, provided that they have any control over this at all. Regardless, it never hurts to have the person running the table on your side, and a little kindness can go a long way towards success.

Share:

Read More

Blackjack Hand Staking Plans

Blackjack is on the face of it a very straightforward card game. You have to beat the dealer and not bust out yourself by scoring over 21 with the value of your cards.
You simply put down your stake then in simplistic terms see what happens. But how much do you bet, when and how - is it purely a random thing to bet what feels right or is a more strategic approach beneficial.
It is a matter of personal choice and one possibly better played out in the online betting website you favour playing in.
You could stick to your "feel" bets or you could try any one of a number of different blackjack betting and staking methods. Let's take a quick look at a few. Betting a percentage of your chip stack is a simple method. Say 5% - this means you could stand 20 straight losing hands before having no chips left. But if you hit a winning run you are betting more thus can win more. Just don't get carried away. Learn when to leave the table with a profit!
Another important thing to remember before we look at a couple of progressive betting and staking methods is that whilst in theory you cannot lose due to the fabled law of averages the casino knows this so slaps on a limit to the size of bet they will let you have to eventually stop you from being able to place a bet on your hand. Always know what the table limit is before you take your seat and bet accordingly. Set yourself a limit and if you lose it, turn the computer off, leave the online casino and go do something else.
Now to the progressive betting strategies. Each is designed to place a bigger bet in a progressive way after a losing hand to recover your loss and make a profit.
The D'Alembert approach is a very simple staking system named after the eighteenth-century theorist Jean le Rond d'Alembert. Basically you raise increase your bet by a fixed amount if you lose and lower your bet by the same a fixed amount when you win a hand.
The Martingale system is even simpler - you bet one unit on the first hand and double the bet after each losing hand with the result being that when you do win a hand you will have recovered your losses and made a one unit profit. So you stake 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and so on until you win. Big beware here - sounds great but it'll wipe you out quickly if you suffer a bad run and before that happens you'll probably hit the table limit and not be able to get on. Under such circumstances you might set yourself a stop-loss and cease or go back to your starting stake after say six losses.
Another progressive staking plan which can be used in blackjack is the Fibonacci sequence which looks like this: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21. To get the next bet stake you add the previous two numbers together. It is arguably a safer approach that the Martingale above and less risky.
There's a key word - risk. When playing blackjack you have to consider your own attitude to risk and how far you are prepared to go and of course never, ever play with money you cannot afford to lose.
I hope this article has given you a little food for though for next time you play blackjack.

Share:

Read More

Tips To Keep In Mind When Playing Blackjack

Blackjack is a game of skill. That is strong contrast to slots and other similar games based mostly on luck. This means that a player needs a good strategy. Implementing that strategy will go a long way in determining the number of wins and time the player will spend at the table. A good quality strategy is therefore of utmost importance.
Working out a strategy is complicated. You need to know odds and work out the percentages each hand offers to win your bet. In a land based casino it will be seen as illegal to sit at the table with a card showing all of these factors and basing your play on that.
Here are a couple of general things to keep in mind when playing blackjack.
Determine your bankroll. Think of it as money you are willing to lose, money you have budgeted for on your entertainment spend. Stick to your bankroll and don't go over the limit you set yourself.
As mentioned before, blackjack is a game of skill. In order to develop your skill you'll have to practice. As they say "practice makes perfect." A number of online casinos offer free play. You can make use of this opportunity to practice and hone your skills. Once you are comfortable you can sign up for a real account and play for real.
There are also online casinos that offer sign up and matching bonuses. You'll need to find out what the wagering requirements are. In many online casinos blackjack only accounts for a small percentage of the casino games. Finding out the wagering requirements will help you to know how big the blackjack portion of the casino is.
Each blackjack game you play has different odds. There are many variations. You'll need to find out what the odds are so that you can play the game with the lowest house edge. It may sound simple enough, but the lower the house edge, the better your chance of winning.
Each game of Blackjack has different rules and the rules also differ from casino to casino. A general rule of thumb is to play where the minimum betting limit is not more than 5% of your bankroll. In this way you will extend your time at the table and also increase the odds of winning more hands.
A basic blackjack strategy is important. Cards with various combinations, odds and percentages are available. Some online casinos even offer these. It is important to memorize these and not to deviate from it. Apply it during your play. Never base your play on a feeling. Keep in mind blackjack is a game of skill, not emotion and gut feelings.
The object of the game is to reach a value as close as possible to 21. Copying the dealer as a strategy is not a good option as you will find that you bust (going over 21) more than you win.
Always split pairs of aces and eights. Do not split face cards or tens. Understand the rules and know when to stand or hit. Generally speaking, it is a good idea to hit until you reach 17+ and then stand.
Keep a close eye on the value of the hands. This will determine your strategy.
If the dealer holds 7+, play up to 17 and stand.
If the dealer holds 4, 5 or 6, double your 9 and stand when you reach 13-17.
If the dealer holds 9 or lower and you have 10 you should double.
Double any hand of 11.
Never take insurance on bets.
Develop a betting pattern based on your results. Increase your bets when you win and decrease them when you lose. This will lengthen your time of play and also increase the quality of your play.
Movies made counting cards look easy. It is not. Counting cards takes a great deal of practice and years to perfect. Many offers on the internet claim to have developed systems. Don't buy into them - they are scams.
Keep these tips in mind when you play and you will win more than you lose.

Share:

Read More

Effective Strategies Improve Your Chances at the Casino

All players want to win some money when they gamble at casino. However, the house edge makes the casino the winner in the long run. Does this mean it is impossible to beat the house? No, it is not. In fact, you still can win money from casino if you know some basic rules and which game to play. Let's discuss how you can improve your chance of winning at casino.
Many players tend to think that all casino games have equal chance of winning. It's simply not so. Each casino game has its own house edge percentage, and each type of bet has its winning probability percentage. If you want to win at casino, you have to play the right games and bet with the right strategies.
Generally, casinos games can be categorized into two groups: (1) the game of chance such as Roulette & Slots; (2) the game of skills such as Blackjack and Poker. In the games that based solely on chance, players have no control on how the outcomes turn out to be. The players can win or lose simply based on their luck. However, there are some good strategies used by players to improve their chances of winning for the game of chance. However, if you are looking for long-term & consistent winning possibilities, then you should learn and focus on playing the games that required skills such as poker and blackjack. These games have better odds for the players if you have learned the skills on how to play these games and with a right strategy, you will have better chances to beat the house and make money from the games.
Blackjack is one of the casino games, which provides the greatest advantage to its players. In fact, in some variations of the game, the players have a slight better edge over the casino. There are many Blackjack strategy guides available online that teach you how to play Blackjack with the best chance of winnings. If you have not learned one of the Blackjack strategies that work best for you, it will be a good idea to get one of those guides and learn to master the skills before you play the game with your hard-earned money.
Poker is another excited casino game favoured by many players. The game is highly depended the skills of the players. You can really tweaking the advantage edge to your side if you know how to play with effective strategies. It may not easy to learn the Poker skills. Moreover, it takes times and practices to master the skills, but you can do it. The best thing about Poker that makes it different from other casino games is you are playing against other players, not the house. Therefore, if your strategy of playing the game is better than your opponents, then you have a great chance to beat them and make a considerable amount of money. Consider getting a Poker strategy guide and sign up an online casino account to polish your strategies and master the mathematical skills of Poker game in the comfort of your own home.
Summary
Casinos have introduced house edge on every game to protect their advantage. But, you still can beat the house and make winnings if you play with effective strategies at the right games.

Share:

Read More