Any serious Blackjack player will tell you that if you don't learn basic strategy first, winning at Blackjack is not an option. The casinos advantage in Blackjack averages 2.5% on each hand you play. That is if you play an average game and keep your mistakes and bad plays to a minimum. Some players can have as much as a 25% disadvantage. Why? Simply by making terrible decisions. Decisions they don't even know are terrible.
Split 10's, stand on 16 when the dealer has a 7, 8, 9, 10 value or Ace, hit a 13, 14, 15, or 16 when the dealer is showing a 4, 5, or 6 and your disadvantage will rise accordingly. These and many more bad plays are basic strategy errors and are designed to make you a loser.
What is basic strategy? Simply put it's a set of rules that govern every situation that can arise in the game of Blackjack. Learn these rules and you will cut your disadvantage to only 0.5%. A great start to winning.
Look at it from this perspective. If you take $200 to the Blackjack table and play for 5 hours, you will average 100 hands per hour. Make only bets of $10 without playing basic strategy and you will walk out of the casino, on average, with $75. How, you ask, did I arrive at that figure?
Let's do the math. 5 hrs.x100 hands x $10 =5000. Now divide 2.5%, or .025 into 5000 and you get $125. Subtract $125 from your original bankroll of $200 and you have $75 left. You have lost $25 per hour.
Now let's do the math using basic strategy where your disadvantage is only 0.5%. We'll use the same scenario, $200 starting bankroll, 5 hours, 100 hands per hour and bet $10 per hand. Do the math. Your disadvantage has shrunk to a loss of only $25. You still have $175. You have cut your loss to $5 an hour. Even though you have still lost you have saved $100. Treat your spouse or date to a nice dinner and bottle of wine to cap off the day with the money you saved. Which is the better way to spend your money? You don't need to answer that question.
There are many other things you can do to improve your disadvantage and, actually, turn it into an advantage that can be, on average, 1.5 to 2.5%. Your advantage will depend on your skill. But that is for another lesson. For now find a basic strategy card and learn it cold. Memorize it. Study it until you know it in your sleep.
This is your God given right, it is not illegal and you will never get barred from any casino for using basic strategy. It isn't card counting, which, by the way, isn't illegal either.
Split 10's, stand on 16 when the dealer has a 7, 8, 9, 10 value or Ace, hit a 13, 14, 15, or 16 when the dealer is showing a 4, 5, or 6 and your disadvantage will rise accordingly. These and many more bad plays are basic strategy errors and are designed to make you a loser.
What is basic strategy? Simply put it's a set of rules that govern every situation that can arise in the game of Blackjack. Learn these rules and you will cut your disadvantage to only 0.5%. A great start to winning.
Look at it from this perspective. If you take $200 to the Blackjack table and play for 5 hours, you will average 100 hands per hour. Make only bets of $10 without playing basic strategy and you will walk out of the casino, on average, with $75. How, you ask, did I arrive at that figure?
Let's do the math. 5 hrs.x100 hands x $10 =5000. Now divide 2.5%, or .025 into 5000 and you get $125. Subtract $125 from your original bankroll of $200 and you have $75 left. You have lost $25 per hour.
Now let's do the math using basic strategy where your disadvantage is only 0.5%. We'll use the same scenario, $200 starting bankroll, 5 hours, 100 hands per hour and bet $10 per hand. Do the math. Your disadvantage has shrunk to a loss of only $25. You still have $175. You have cut your loss to $5 an hour. Even though you have still lost you have saved $100. Treat your spouse or date to a nice dinner and bottle of wine to cap off the day with the money you saved. Which is the better way to spend your money? You don't need to answer that question.
There are many other things you can do to improve your disadvantage and, actually, turn it into an advantage that can be, on average, 1.5 to 2.5%. Your advantage will depend on your skill. But that is for another lesson. For now find a basic strategy card and learn it cold. Memorize it. Study it until you know it in your sleep.
This is your God given right, it is not illegal and you will never get barred from any casino for using basic strategy. It isn't card counting, which, by the way, isn't illegal either.
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