Blackjack Secret Tips
Not too surprisingly, there are secrets that casino bosses would rather that you not know.
- Some games are way more of a ripoff than others — even by casino standards.
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Here are them.
“The House Edge on Spanish 21 is the Same as It Is for Blackjack.”
The odds are usually stacked against you when you play blackjack, but they don’t have to be. Learn a few secrets to start winning.
This is another piece of advice I overheard a casino supervisor tell a player, who was contemplating playing Spanish 21. What the supervisor was saying was almost right. Here’s the secret that he forgot to mention. The Spanish 21 playing rules are much different from the traditional blackjack playing rules; therefore, the basic playing strategy is different. If you sit down and play Spanish 21 using the traditional basic blackjack strategy for standard blackjack, you will get hammered. If you want to play Spanish 21, you should learn the basic playing strategy for this particular game. Online casino pioneer 888casino has the most complete guide to blackjack strategy that explains in depth strategies and house edges for different blackjack variations.
“$50,000 First Place Blackjack Tournament Prize.”
That’s what it stated on a postcard I received from a local land-based casino that was hosting a blackjack tournament. However, when you read the fine print, it stated that the $50,000 top prize “will be distributed in $25,000 cash and $25,000 in promotional chips.”
What’s the secret? The promotional chips (also known as “promo chips”) that the casinos give to the winners can’t be cashed out. They must be wagered, usually on any bet that pays even money (e.g., blackjack, pass line in craps, bank or player bet in baccarat, etc.). The vast majority of promo chips can be used only once, meaning that, when you bet it, win or lose, the casino keeps the promotional chip. Therefore, the promo chips have an expected value of roughly half their face value, or, in this case, $12,500. Why do casinos split tournament prizes into half cash and half promo chips? The reason should be obvious … they get to promote their tournaments with large prizes when, in fact, they give away less than the advertised amount in cash.
“I’m Sorry Sir, But You Can’t Play Blackjack.”
The card counter makes a big score in a casino, without any heat. He comes back to the same casino a few months later, and after playing only a few hands, he’s told he can’t play blackjack anymore. What’s going on here?
The secret is that if a casino suspects a player is a card counter, it will replay the tape of his playing session after he leaves to determine his skill level. If the analysis of his play confirms he was card counting, the next time he shows up to play, they nail him. That’s why card counters nowadays have to be very cognizant not only of the floor supervisors who are watching the game, but also of the personnel in the casino’s surveillance department that are taping the game. (There is an interesting book about how to beat casino surveillance by a former casino surveillance supervisor and card counter, Vinny DeCarlo.)
“These Shufflers Don’t Change the Odds.”
That’s what I overheard a pit boss telling a high roller when he inquired about a new automatic shuffler that the casino was using (the dealer was placing the discards after each round into the shuffler, rather than into a discard tray). The shuffler was a continuous shuffling machine (known as a CSM). What the pit boss was saying was almost correct. It’s true that CSMs don’t increase the house edge. (Actually, the house edge decreases slightly with a CSM due to the absence of the “cut card effect” … but that’s a story for another time.) However, what the pit boss didn’t tell the high roller is that the casino can deal about 20% more hands per hour using a CSM compared to a conventional auto shuffler). Unless you are card counting, the casino will have the edge on every hand, and when they deal more hands per hour, your theoretical hourly loss will also increase by 20%. Therefore, CSMs negatively impact all players and should be avoided.
“We Offer Single-Deck Blackjack Games”
You’ll see billboards, marquees, and newsprint advertisements screaming about a casino’s newly implemented single-deck blackjack games. The reason that casinos like to promote single-deck games is that, historically, they offer players better odds than multiple-deck games, and therefore, management hopes that the single-deck games will attract more players. So, what’s the secret? On most single-deck games nowadays, a winning blackjack hand is paid at 6-5 or 7-5 payoff odds rather than the traditional 3-2. A 6-5 payoff increases the house edge in a single-deck game by 1.39%, and a 7-5 payoff increases it by 0.46%. Some casinos are also brazenly paying 6-5 on double- and six-deck games, and even money in so-called “party pits.” (Yikes!) Before you sit down and buy in at any single-deck blackjack game, ask the dealer what a blackjack hand pays, and if she says “6-5,” say thank you and walk away from the table.
“You Can’t Lose When You Take the Even Money.”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard blackjack dealers and floor supervisors tell that to players. Even though what they say is correct, here’s the secret they don’t reveal.
When you get a blackjack and the dealer shows an ace, the casino will gladly pay you even money on your wager before the dealer checks her hole card to see if she has a blackjack. But here’s the catch. Over time, you will win roughly 4% more money if you decline the even-money proposition when it’s offered to you. The reason? More often than not, the dealer will not have a blackjack and you will get paid 3-2 for your natural rather than even money. Sure, sometimes she’ll have the ten and you’ll wish you had taken even money. But in the long run, this is a sucker bet that will cost you money and make the casino more money (which is why they go out of their way to offer players even money).
“Double-Deck Game”
You glance at the blackjack table and see a dealer with two decks of cards in her hand, pitching them to players. So, you take a seat at what appears to be a double-deck game. Right? Not always.
In their paranoia over card counters, some casinos implement a fake double-deck game. Here’s how this secret works. The game is actually a six- or eight-deck game. After the cards are shuffled, the dealer picks off two decks and deals the cards with them. What appears to be a double-deck game is actually not a double-deck game. If you see this scam, voice your complaint to the floor supervisor (loudly so other players will here you), and then walk away.
“Single-Player Video Blackjack Game.”
You’ll often find a video blackjack game as one of the options on video poker or slot machines. The betting limits are often much lower than the regular table game, which makes video blackjack games attractive to low-rollers. How can the casino afford to offer the game? If you check the playing rules, you’ll see that that a blackjack often pays 2 for 1. So what’s the big deal, you ask? A 2 for 1 payoff means that, when you win, you get back a total of $2 for every $1 you wager. In other words, a 2 for 1 payoff is the same as a 1 to 1 payoff. Paying only even money on a blackjack boosts the house edge by over 2.3%. Thanks, but no thanks.
Now that you know some of the casino secrets that you are not supposed to know, you’ll be a much smarter casino player!
Many people think playing card games like Blackjack are simply a matter of luck. As it only depends on the cards you happen to be dealt with. In this article, we provide blackjack tips and tricks for both beginners & advanced players. So, improve your blackjack game, place your chips & play with our 8 Top Blackjack Tips!
Blackjack is at least 400 years old and in that time people have tried many different ways to teach themselves blackjack secrets hoping that they would increase their chances of winning. If you go to the table hoping to rely on natural talent or luck, you might as well just hand your money over to the casino. You need to take the time to learn some strategy and commit basic facts about the game to memory.
Basic strategy teaches you how to make the best decisions based on your hand and the card that the dealer is showing. There are seven rules in the basic strategy that will help you win more.
- Stand on 13 if the dealer is showing a 2 or a 3
- If dealt 12 then stand if the dealer is showing a 4, 5, or 6
- Stand on 17 if the dealer is showing 7 or higher
- Always double down on 11 if the dealer is showing 10 or less
- Double down on 10 if the dealer is showing 9 or less
- Always split a pair of 8s
- Always split a pair of aces
Blackjack Tips
Blackjack is one of the oldest and most popular card games in the world. To keep punters interested casinos have created a variety of different blackjack variants that add new twists to the game. This can make things a lot more fun and exciting, however, it can also throw off your strategy. Be sure to familiarise yourself with any new rules and adjust your strategy accordingly. Below is a list of some of the most common variants and the most significant rule changes.
- Super fun 21 – This version adds in an extra round of betting before the cards are dealt. Players can double, hit, surrender, or stand on any two cards.
- Spanish Blackjack – Also known as Spanish 21. In this game, all 10 cards are removed. Extra payouts are available for example 7-card blackjack pays out at 3 to 1.
- Blackjack Switch – Each player receives two hands and can switch one card. If the dealer draws 22, it is considered a push.
- Double Attack – Players can increase their bet after seeing the dealer’s second card. You can place side bets on if the dealer will bust on their third card.
- Perfect Pairs – You can place a side bet which you win if your first two cards are a pair.
Blackjack rules do not specify how many decks are to be used in a game. Typically, a casino will use between six to eight decks. It is important to know how many decks are in use, as this will change the odds. The more decks used the lower the chance of attaining a natural blackjack. The other benefit to the house of using a larger number of decks is that it makes card counting almost impossible unless you are a mathematical genius. Playing with just one or two decks makes it easy to keep track of which cards have been played and which ones remain in the deck.
When playing in a real-life casino you will often have no choice in the number of decks being used. On the other hand, if you are playing online, many different varieties will usually be on offer so you may be able to select single deck blackjack.
When the dealer is showing an ace, they will go round the table and ask each player if they would like insurance. Insurance costs half of your original bet and in effect means that if the dealer lands a natural blackjack your bet will be a push rather than a loss.
Taking out insurance sounds like a sensible way to protect your bet. However, in actual fact what you are doing is placing a side bet on whether or not the dealer will get a natural blackjack.
The odds of a dealer getting a natural blackjack are 9:4. For every four times that your insurance helps you out, you will lose an even larger amount than you otherwise would have, nine times. When it comes to insurance, the odds are never in your favour, this is a bad bet and one you should avoid at all times.
When we looked at the basic strategy part of the 7 rules gave you some fundamental guidance on when to split. To further increase the likelihood of winning the hand we can start to employ perfect blackjack strategy, which builds on the rules we have already seen giving further details on when to split. As we have already seen if you have a pair of 8s or a pair of aces it is always in your best interest to split irrespective of what the dealer is showing. There are six other instances when it is in your best interests to split.
- If you have a pair of 9s, you should split if the dealer is showing cards worth 2-9, except 7
- A pair of 7s can be split when the dealer is showing anything between 2-7
- A pair of 6s can be split when the dealer shows 2-6
- 4s should be split when the dealer is showing a 5 or a 6
- Split 3s when the dealer shows 2-7
- Split 2s when the dealer shows 2-7
Perfect blackjack strategy also extends the rules for when you should double down from the basic strategy. There can be quite a lot to learn but if you take the time to memorise these rules, then it can greatly increase your chance to beat the dealer. In basic strategy, we saw that you should double down if you had an 11 and the dealer had anything between 2-10. We also saw that you should double down on a 10 if the dealer has a card showing 2-9. Below are four further rules for when to double down.
- If you have cards that total 9 and the dealer has 3-6 you should double down
- If you have a 6 and a 7 and the dealer is showing 3-6, double down
- Double down when you have a 4 and a 5 and the dealer is showing 4-6
- If your two cards are a 2 and a 3 and the dealer is showing 5-6 then double down
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Using the blackjack tips and strategies we have outlined here gives you the best possible chance of winning. However, it is important to remember that no matter how well you play your hand there is no guarantee of winning. This means it is important to manage your bankroll and know how much you can afford to lose, without getting yourself into trouble. Too often people head to a casino and just start placing bets without setting a limit to their bankroll. This can quickly get you into problems as a few loses in you start to tell yourself that your luck must surely turn around soon. Or after a few wins you feel you can’t lose so start placing even larger bets.
Tips For Playing Blackjack
If you want to play blackjack seriously, you should take the time to build up your bankroll first. A good rule of thumb is to set you bankroll at 50 times to minimum stake. For example, if the smallest bet you can place is £10 then the ideal bankroll would be £500.
If you are looking to maximise your wins, then you also need to think about when to quit. You might feel that you are on a good run and keep making bigger and bigger bets while playing for longer than you originally intended. However, you have to know when to walk away or you can lose your money as quickly as you won it. Also, you need to know when to quit when you are losing if you always play to ruin then you can never make any money.
Blackjack Secret Tips 1x2
There are no set rules as to when to walk away but it is prudent to have set targets. When on a winning streak a good system is to stop when you have increased your bankroll by 40%. If you have set your bankroll at £500, when you get to £700 you should walk away. If the cards are not falling your way it’s best to call it quits when you have lost 50% of your bankroll, so using the above example when you are down to £250 it is time to go.