Winning at Blackjack

Winning at blackjack is not only about luck, it is about understanding the game and using some knowledge of odds to your advantage.  Blackjack is a game where the house has a considerable edge, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t play to win.  Winning at blackjack is exciting and doable!

To start winning at blackjack you must be sure that you fully understand the object of the game.  If you are new to blackjack you should know that your goal is to beat the dealers hand by getting the closest to 21 without going over.  If you get closer to 21 without busting you win!

Having a blackjack strategy will help you start winning by simply being more consistent.  There are some simple strategies that will help you experience a win more often.  For instance, if your hand has a value 15 or 16 you should stand if the dealer’s face card is a two, three, four, five, or six.  If your hand is valued at less than 15 or 16 you should hit until you’re at 17 or higher.  The same is true if the dealer’s first card is a seven or higher, you will want to hit until your hand is valued at 17 or greater.

One rule of thumb is to remember that the most common card in a deck is the 10.  What does this mean to you?  It means that if the dealer has an up card that is a 7 you should assume, just to be safe, that their hand is valued at least 17.  This is a great way of gauging whether or not you are closer to the all mighty 21 than the dealer. When you have an idea of what the dealers hand is, you’ll be better able to decide when you should hit and when you should stand.  This is the most basic blackjack strategy but it is one that works well time and time again.

You should also know that there are specific odds associated with the dealer busting.  For instance, if the dealer has an ace as an up card they have an 11% chance of busting.  If they have a ten they have a 21% chance of busting, an eight and they have a 24% chance, six a 42% chance, five a 43% chance, four a 40% chance, and a two they have a 35% chance of busting.  Knowing this will allow you to play with confidence based on just that one up card of the dealers.  When you pair this with the strategy noted above you will have a good idea of whether you can beat the dealer with each and every hand.

As you can see, winning at blackjack doesn’t have to be hard.  While you can never guarantee that you are going to win a hand, this basic knowledge and understanding will help you improve your chances of winning at blackjack.  Like any other casino game, the house has the edge and there is an element of risk, but with this information you will minimize the risk with each and every hand.