"I
only visit a casino a couple of times a year and play
mostly slots. I’d like to play blackjack but
I’m afraid I’ll make mistakes that would
upset other players plus those strategy charts are
to confusing. Can you give me any help?"
I think
I can. Let’s start with the basic rules and
then I’ll show you a simplified playing strategy
that’s easy to use.
The objective
of blackjack is to beat the dealer’s hand by
either having your hand total higher than the dealer’s
hand or by not going over a total of 21 when the dealer
does.
The cards
in blackjack count their face value. All picture cards
count as 10 and the ace can count as either 1 or 11.
The highest hand is a blackjack, which occurs when
the first two cards dealt to you total 11 (i.e. an
ace and ten-value card). If you get a blackjack and
the dealer doesn’t, you get paid 1.5 times your
bet (bet $5 and win $7.50). Otherwise all winning
hands are paid at even odds and if your hand has the
same total as the dealer’s hand, that’s
a tie and you don’t lose your bet (known as
a push).
Most casinos
nowadays use 6-deck of cards and the player’s
cards are dealt face up. Do not touch the cards (that’s
a no-no). When you want to buy-in to a game, just
take a seat, wait till the dealer begins her shuffling
routine, place your money on the layout, and ask the
dealer for chips. It’s best you play at the
lowest minimum bet table that you can find ($5 or
less).
There
are several playing options and hand signals that
you must be aware of. If you are satisfied with the
total of your hand and you want to stand, just wave
you hand over the cards (remember not to touch them).
If you want another card to try to improve the total
of your hand, just make a beckoning motion with your
hand and the dealer will give you another card face
up. You can draw as many cards as you want but remember
if the total of your hand exceeds 21, you automatically
lose (that is known as busting or breaking).
Most casinos
will allow you to double down on any two cards. This
means you can double your bet and then receive one
and only one draw card. This is a good strategy when
your first two cards total 11 or 10 since if you draw
a ten you will have a strong 20 or 21. When you double
down place the same amount of chips next to your original
bet and the dealer will give you one draw card.
If you
are dealt a pair, you can split them into two hands.
To do this, you would place another bet on the layout
next to your original bet (same amount). Splitting
8’s is a good move because a 16 is a poor hand.
To understand
the simplified playing strategy that follows, you
must be able to recognize a soft hand and hard hand.
A hard hand is any hand that either doesn’t
have an ace, or if it does the ace counts as 1 (e.g.
10-7 and 10-6-ace are hard 17 hands). A soft hand
in blackjack contains ana ce counted as 11 (e.g..
Ace-6 is soft 17).
If you
found the basic strategy in charts too intimidating
then I suggest you learn the following 6 simplified
rules to get you started that was developed by Dan
Pronovost and published in issue #32 of the Blackjack
Insider newsletter (www.casino.com/newsletter/blackjack/archive).
Simplified
Basic Strategy Rules
1. Dealer
rules (H17): Draw on 16 or less, stand on 17 or greater.
Exception: hit soft 17. Never take insurance or even
money.
2. Easy
splits: Always split aces and 8s.
3. Easy
stands: Versus dealer 2 to 6, stand on hard 12 to
16.
4. Easy
doubles: Double on 10 or 11 when your total is higher
than the dealer's up card.
5. Soft
doubles: double all 18 and less soft hands against
dealer 4 to 6.
6. More
splits: split all pairs (except 4s, 5s, and 10s) against
dealer 2 to 7.
The first
playing rule in the simplified basic strategy rules
above is equivalent to the dealers rule in casinos
where the dealer must hit all 17’s except you
should always hit soft 17. Rules 2 through 6 are just
exceptions to the first rule. So for any hand, start
with the action recommended by rule #1 then modify
your strategy only if one of the other rules triggers.
For example, suppose you were dealt 5-5 and the dealer’s
upcard is a 4. Rule #4 would trigger and you should
double down on the hand. Likewise suppose you were
dealt a pair of 2’s and the dealer’s upcard
is a 5. Rule 6 comes into play and you should split.
Just remember that if rules 2 through 6 are NOT triggered,
then follow rule #1 (e.g., you are dealt ace-5 (soft
16) and dealer shows a 7, you would draw).
Once you’ve
mastered the above 6 rules you’ll be getting
returns that exceed 99%. Just remember that this is
a simplified playing strategy for the casual player
and it is not, but close to, 100% accurate (remember
we are after simplicity). Once you’ve mastered
the simplified playing strategy you should then learn
the complete basic playing strategy (see issue #32
of the Blackjack Insider Newsletter for a comparison
of the simplified and complete basic playing strategy).
As far
as betting, I would keep it simple and only bet the
minimum. But watch all the cards and if you see a
disproportionate number of small cards on the layout
(2’s through 6’s) with few tens, picture
cards or aces, now would be the time to bump up your
bet a little on the next hand (your odds are better
when there are more high cards in the unplayed decks
of cards). Also Fred Renzey published in issues 14
& 14 of the Blackjack Insider newsletter simple
betting system for the casual player called the Ace/Ten
Front Count which I recommend for casual players.
Now for
some don’ts. Don’t drink a lot when you
play, don’t offer playing advice to other players
unless they ask, don’t use any kind of double
up after a loss betting system, don’t make any
side bets, and don’t chase your losses. Set
a goal to win about 25% of your bankroll and be happy
if you achieve it. If you want to play longer, then
set a goal to win another 25% but if the tide turns
be ready to take your profits and run from the table.
There
are plenty of good blackjack books for beginners including
Knock-Out Blackjack, my own Blackjack: Take The Money
& Run, and Fred Renzey’s Blackjack Bluebook.
If books are not your thing, then you may want to
consider a video (my Blackjack-Deal Me In video is
for beginners).
By learning
the above simplified playing system for blackjack,
you can expect a return in excess of 99% which is
much better than you will get playing the slots. Good
luck.
