By Jonathan Brook.

Blackjack is among the many games played in gambling dens, casinos and even at home.  It’s a very common game because of its simplicity. Even if the game is easy to learn and play, there are things you need to know about the game before you start playing it, and we are going to talk about these factors below. Before you become good in this game, it would be wise to review and learn all about blackjack deviations so that you can know if you can handle the game or not. When you do this, your gambling experience will be much easier than for someone not equipped with this knowledge.¹⁾If you are new to this game, you probably don’t even know what blackjack deviations are.  Card counters use blackjack deviations for those plays that will vary from basic strategy based on the count.  So, ignore blackjack deviations for now.  A new player’s first task at becoming a better player is the mastery of blackjack basic strategy.

Some of the things you need to know about blackjack include the following;

1. The house edge can vary from game to game

Blackjack has secondary and basic rules; for the basic rules, you don’t have to worry about them because they are the same in all games, but when it comes to secondary rules, they can vary from casino to casino.  Rule variations affect the house edge.  For example, if the dealer is allowed to hit a soft-17 hand, the casino improves their edge by 0.20%.   Another good example is if a player blackjack pays only 6 to 5.  In this case, the house edge improves by 1.36% compared with a normal 3 to 2 payoff.  Don’t play in games where blackjacks pay only 6 to 5.

2. Side bets are the worst

Today, most blackjack games offer their players various side bets, and most of them are designed with a higher house edge than the regular blackjack game. Even if these side bets look like a great deal to have, you never know which side bet is better than the other since most side bets are at a higher house edge than the normal game. To be on the safe side, you should avoid side bets because they will cause you to lose money instead of making it. 

3. Counting cards isn’t illegal

As a blackjack player, you can teach yourself to count cards to increase your chances of shifting the edge in the game to the player.  When you raise your bets, it generally means the count you have in your head is high.  The higher the count, the more ten-valued cards and Aces are still in the deck. 

One thing you need to know is that even if counting cards is not illegal, it doesn’t mean that the casino will allow you to play. The reason as to why this is so is because most casinos are private businesses and can ask you to leave.  Of course, the casino can make it difficult for card counters by restricting the number of cards dealt, changing the rules or forcing the player to “flat bet”.²⁾Flat betting means the player is restricted to only one size bet.  He can not adjust his bet in the game.  This would nullify any advantage a card counter might have in blackjack.

4. Don’t take insurance

Insurance is also a side bet in blackjack and should be avoided.  Only a card counter will know when it is profitable to take this bet.  Remember, taking insurance is a new bet with new money based on whether the dealer has a blackjack. The reason why you should avoid taking insurance is that the house has about a 6 to 7 per cent advantage over a player with the insurance bet.

Conclusion

Blackjack is an amazing game because it is easy and doesn’t have a lot of rules tied to it. Before you start playing any casino game, ensure you are well-equipped with the rules first, saving you a lot of trouble in the long run. Another thing to consider is that you should always choose a game with good rules.

BLOG MENU