Blackjack emerged from an old game called 21 and has drastically evolved over the years to the state it is in today. It is a game where you hit, surrender, stand, split, double down, and take insurance depending on the situation you are in. It is one of the most preferred and played casino games, because of the small house edge. Also, it is played against the house and not against individual players, and therefore people stand a larger chance at winning. However, it does not mean that it is very easy to win, and requires certain skill and tactics, some of which are discussed below.
Basic Strategy
Basic strategy, as in the name, is the basic strategy to win in Blackjack. However, it takes some skill to learn and some practice to perfect. Therefore it is better to play among friends and family first before going into competitive events of Blackjack. To understand how important basic strategy is, here is an example: without basic strategy, you can expect to lose around $500 while playing $25 a hand for 6 hours; and with basic strategy, you can expect to lose about $100 while playing $25 a hand for 6 hours. Furthermore, it is advised and even encouraged to use basic strategy even in the Las Vegas strip.
Optimal Betting
A lot of betting is done based on luck, but not everything leans only towards it. It is always best to keep the bets small at first and then slowly increase the bets according to the situation you are in. By constantly adjusting the bets, you can stand to lose only so much money without going broke.
Card Counting
Card counting is one of the most effective ways to win at Blackjack. The idea is to use a counting system to keep track of the cards that are face-up, and that way, keep track of which cards to bet on. The most used system is called the Hi-Lo system. In this system, the cards 2 to 6 are given a count of plus one because it benefits the dealer, the cards 7 to 10 are given a count of zero and the face cards and Ace cards are given a count of -1 because it helps the player. The way this system works is, by betting on a larger count, there is a higher chance of getting the bet right.
Conclusion
Although card counting is not considered illegal, it is not appreciated by casinos as it takes away from the dealer rather than give it back. So it is better to stay low-key while counting cards to avoid being thrown out(even though it is not illegal, the casino can throw you out for something not related to it).
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