Whether online or at a casino, most American adults have tried their luck at the gambling tables before. In fact, the gambling industry makes 137.5 billion dollars annually in the US.
One of the most fun and challenging games out there is blackjack. Rather than being a game only of skill or one only of luck, blackjack combines the best elements of both. If you want to have a good time, blackjack is definitely the game for you.
Still, no matter how good a time you’re having, you don’t want to lose a lot of money at the tables. Fortunately, there are ways you can maximize your chances of winning big and making bank while you play.
Here, we’re going to tell you some of the greatest blackjack tips and tricks so you can have not just an amazingly fun time, but an amazingly lucrative one, too.
1. Know the Rules
As with any game, it’s important to know the basic rules before you start to play blackjack. Different casinos will have different intricacies in the rules, but overall you’re going to be seeing the same basic gameplay.
First off, learn the value of each card. It’s pretty basic: numbered cards have a value based on the number, face cards or tens, and aces can be high (11) or low (1). In blackjack, the dealer will draw cards from his or her hand until they either get at least 17 points or goes over 21.
For you as a player, the object of the game is to get as close to 21 as you can without going over. At the beginning of the game, you’ll be given one card face-up and have to choose whether or not to put other cards, of unknown values, down. Going over 21 is an instant loss, but the way to win is to get as close as possible before the dealer goes over.
2. Wager the Appropriate Amount
Before you begin to play, keep in mind how much you want to wager. Gambling is a lot of fun and can make you quite a bit of dough, but you don’t want to end up like the horror stories you hear about where people lose everything at the tables.
Bet a reasonable amount of money on each play. Create a budget and stick to it so you only lose a set amount of money that you’ve put aside for your casino night. If you win, great! You can use that money to play additional games.
It’s also important to note that you shouldn’t base your wagers off how well you did previous games. Each deal is individual- treat them that way!
3. Find Somewhere to Play
Once you know the rules and have a budget, it’s time to find a venue where you can put your skills to good use. There are some online sites that you can use for blackjack, but it really is more of an in-person casino experience.
Look around your area and talk to other gamblers near you. Do your research to find out more about places you can play!
4. Learn How to Play Soft Hands…
So you’ve got the basics down. Great! Now it’s time to talk about the different types of hands that there are in blackjack. In the game, there are two basic types of hands: ‘soft hands’ and ‘hard hands.’ The key difference? An ace.
We touched before on the fact that an ace can be counted as either a 1 or an 11 when playing blackjack. These hands are really good because you can change the value of the ace at any time. So if you start out counting an ace as an 11 and then draw another face card, you can change your mind and say that it’s now a 1. This means you can’t go bust!
5. …And Hard Hands
On the other hand, hard hands don’t include an ace. These are disadvantageous because all of the numbers have fixed values. You aren’t given any leeway, so when you go bust, you really go bust.
For this reason, it’s better to fold earlier rather than later when you’re dealt a hard hand. Though it might be tempting to keep on putting cards down, you probably shouldn’t. With hard hands, there’s a pretty high risk of busting, especially when others at the table have soft hands.
6. Splitting Pairs
Now that you know about the two kinds of hands that you can be dealt, it’s time to talk strategy. When your turn comes around, you have a couple of options: you can fold and stop being dealt cards, or you can ask the dealer for another card and continue trying to near 21.
But is there any strategy in this?
Of course, there is! That’s where splitting pairs and doubling down come in. Splitting pairs is something that you would choose to do right after you were dealt your cards. It means that your cards will be split into two (regular) hands since you match the original bet with your second wager.
Doing this means that you’ll have the chance of willing- or losing- twice as much.
7. Doubling Down
Doubling down is something that the house must let you do, and it isn’t an option at every blackjack table. Basically, doubling down means that you can double the size of your wager after you’re dealt the initial cards.
This strategy is pretty great for the player when it’s allowed. At the point you’ll double down, you’ll have an idea of how successful your cards are likely to be and you’ll know whether or not you have a soft hand. This means that you can bet with more confidence and accuracy than you could have before the hand was dealt.
Research Blackjack Tips
Gambling can be a lot of fun, and blackjack is one of the best games out there to try your hand at. If you know the rules, hands, and strategies, you’re likely to win big, too!
Now that you know all the best blackjack tips for when you hit the tables, check out the gambling section on our page to find more articles about gambling and other special interests.
May the odds be in your favor!
