Players often are not aware that the rules of blackjack give them a built boost to their odds. Seriously, it really is there. But in order to turn your blackjack odds and actually benefit from this little boost you have to not be afraid to use it.
I am talking about doubling down. This popular blackjack term gives rise to visions of daring blackjack players doubling their wagers for a one-card shot at beating the dealer. And really that is all that a double down is
I have heard tell of a creature, a creature so frightful in its ineptitude at playing blackjack that seasoned and skilled blackjack players quake at its very existence.
Okay, skilled blackjack players do not actually quake in their boots when they come into contact with an unskilled or novice blackjack player. And by
Math is not the most favored aspect of a casino game. I can completely understand this
I hate having my hand forced. It is just a really rotten feeling, playing a variation of blackjack that is far from ideal to me.
Such is how I feel when the only blackjack tables available are ones offering a 6-5 payout on a natural blackjack. If I were playing blackjack online I could find a different online casino to play at. If I were playing in Vegas I could simply walk to another casino. But when you are trapped in an environment with no other options, like when you are on a cruise ship for example, and the only payout ratio available is that nasty 6-5 you will find yourself pressed with a choice: to play and accept a poor house edge or to not play at all.
I know, it is a tough call. On one hand you really like to play blackjack. And when stuck on a giant boat with limited gaming options, 6-5 is the only option. But a 6-5 game of blackjack is, to me at least, just not an acceptable option because of the house edge.
A 6-5 payout for a natural blackjack is 1.45%. And that is taking basic strategy into account.
In a 3-2 blackjack game the house edge, again considering basic strategy, is 0.5%. So you have a 1.4% difference that favors the house. And that is one house edge that I will not play with. You can probably guess at this point that I do not play blackjack when on a cruise ship that only offers me 6-5 blackjack payouts.
That is what I mean by a facing down a forced hand. And you thought staring down a hard 16 with a dealer
Do you know? Are you sure you know?
Yes, blackjack offers some good odds when compared to other casino games. But really, what are your chances of winning?
Excluding pushes (the times that you and the dealer have the same total), you have a 48% shot of winning while the dealer has a 52% shot of beating you.
Realistically those are high odds for players. And they are much better than what you odds would be of winning roulette or slots. But, yes, the house still has the edge. Even when you are using basic strategy.
Depending on what house rules are in play, the house will start out with a 2% to 5% edge over you. But playing all of your hands
I have heard of this. Players playing two or three hands per round and calling it blackjack strategy. The way I have heard it explained to me is that playing more hands per round is good blackjack strategy that increases one
This morning I discussed Atlantic City Blackjack and why just its payouts alone make it a bad blackjack variation. The payouts that it carries hurt a player
And I thought that insurance was being sneaky. It has nothing on Bad Beat Blackjack Progressive by DEQ Systems Corp. DEQ has spent the last five years creating and designing a new electronic side bet that can be built into blackjack tables.
Shall we compare the two and see just how sneaky Bad Beat Blackjack Progressive is.
First we will look at insurance. Insurance is offered when the dealer has an Ace showing, and essentially is a side bet on whether the dealer
I will admit it. I am a fan of Vegas Strip Blackjack. For those of you that are just now getting into blackjack, this is not some drinking version of blackjack in which you get to take your clothes off. Clothes stay on. Vegas Strip Blackjack is actually one of the most common types of blackjack out there, and it can be found in a great many brick and mortar casinos and in the majority of online casinos.
While the majority of the rules are the same, Vegas strip does have some variations to its rules.
For starters it uses only four decks. While this is not as good as a single deck game, it is a better than the more common six and eight deck blackjack games. Playing with only four decks adds 0.06% to your blackjack odds.
Another good rule is that the dealer must stand on all 17s
How do you play your 11 if the dealer has an Ace showing? We are going to say that you are playing Vegas Strip Blackjack and the dealer has checked for a natural blackjack and does not have it. Which 11 is stronger, yours or his? And how do you play an 11 versus an Ace?
If you look at your basic strategy chart because I know you have one, you will see that you do not double down on a hard 11 against Ace despite doubling down on against all other dealer up cards. And there is a very good reason for this.
As a player you would think that your 11 is stronger than the dealer