An Easy Way to Become a Good Blackjack Player

 By Tom McBroom

Learning to play the game of casino Blackjack reasonably well is not rocket science, regardless of what the dozens of books on the subject would have you believe.

Playing professionally at the expert level, as is true of any game, is indeed complex and takes years to perfect. But anyone can become a good recreational player and have a fighting chance against the casino simply by learning some very easy rules.

So, if you're tired of throwing all your money away on brain-numbing slot machines, read on!

Blackjack can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it. Using card counting and advanced techniques, you can actually have a slight advantage over the house in certain conditions. That is, if you are willing to spend hundreds of hours learning and practicing, plus hundreds of hours each year playing!

Only a few of us have this kind of dedication.

The "beginner strategy" described below is designed for those of you who have never played Blackjack before or have played only a few times (and are tired of losing!). It requires that you learn only four simple rules. You can memorize these rules in 30 minutes or less.

Well, actually, much less!

You may have heard of the term "Blackjack basic strategy". The Blackjack basic strategy is a set of betting and hit/stand rules to statistically maximize your chances of winning. While not complex, it will still take some time and quite a bit of practice to learn and apply consistently.

For beginners, or very occasional players who don't want to spend hours practicing the Blackjack basic strategy, here is a Beginner Strategy that won't give you a headache trying to learn.

While this will not give you the same low odds against you as the true Blackjack Basic Strategy (about .5%), it produces a low 1.5% or so edge for the casino, still one of the best odds you'll find in any casino game.

You won't lose your shirt and you'll have a fighting chance of winning if you encounter a favorable run of cards.

It should only take a few minutes to learn these four simple Blackjack rules, though you should practice for a couple of hours to get comfortable with them before actually playing in a casino game.

FIRST, A SHORT AND EASY LESSON ON THE GAME RULES

If you already know how to play Blackjack, you can skip this section. Otherwise, it will only take a few minutes to learn the simple playing rules.

CARD VALUES Tens and face cards count as 10, Aces count as either 1 or 11 (your choice), and all other cards have a count equal to their face value.

THE PLAY All players play against the dealer, not against one another. Each player makes their bet and the dealer starts out by dealing two cards to each player and two cards to himself. The dealer's second card is dealt face-up for all players to see. If the dealer has a "Blackjack" (and Ace and a ten or face card), he will turn it over and automatically wins all bets, unless a player also has a Blackjack, in which case it's a tie.

Then, starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player has the choice of standing (not drawing any more cards) or being dealt additional cards. Play continues with that player until the player stands or "busts" (gets a card count that totals more than 21). After all players have made their decisions (or busted), the dealer draws additional cards to either reach a total of 17 or higher (when they must automatically stop), or bust. If the dealer doesn't bust, all remaining player's hands with a higher card total win, and those with a lower card total lose.

One very critical point to remember is this: you goal is not to get a card count as close to 21 as possible, but to get closer to 21 than the dealer, without going over. The goal is to beat the dealer! Thus, your decisions on whether or not draw additional cards are based on the value of the dealer's up card.

DOUBLING DOWN, SPLITTING PAIRS AND INSURANCE There are three special bets you can make after the first two cards are dealt. Doubling down means you can double your original bet after you receive your first two cards. You then receive one - and only one - additional card.

Splitting pairs means that when you receive any pair on your first two cards, you can split them into two separate hands and play each one independently (of course, you must place an additional bet equal to your first bet on the second hand).

Taking insurance means that if the dealer's up card is an Ace, you can wager an additional amount equal to half your original bet as "insurance" in case the dealer has a blackjack. If the dealer has a blackjack, you lose your original bet but your insurance bet is paid at 2 to 1, so you break even.

"HARD HANDS" VERSUS "SOFT HANDS" In order to understand and apply any Blackjack strategy, you need to learn the difference between "hard" and "soft" hands. This is because the strategies for various plays are different depending on whether you have a soft hand or a hard hand.

A "soft" hand is one that has an Ace which is counted as 11 (remember: Aces can be counted as either one or 11). For example, a hand composed of an Ace and a 4 is called a soft 15.

A hand that either contains no Aces or the Ace is counted as a 1 is called a "hard" hand. For example, a hand composed of a 6 and a 9 is a hard 15. A hand with an Ace and 4 is called a soft 15 (11 plus 4), but if you then draw an 8 you have to count the Ace as 1 instead of 11, giving you a hard 13 (because counting it as 11 would give you a "bust" hand of 23).

FOUR SIMPLE RULES

Here are four Blackjack basic strategy rules that anyone can easily remember. Always adhere to them exactly and you will be playing better then the majority of people who sit down at a blackjack table.

While these four rules do not represent "perfect" Blackjack basic strategy, they give you a great deal of the advantage of a perfect basic strategy and are very simple to memorize.

1. If the dealer's up card is 7 or higher, continue to draw cards until you have a hard count of at least 17 or higher, or a soft count of 18 or higher.

2. If the dealer's up card is 6 or lower, draw cards until you have at least 12. Stop when you have 12 or higher.

3. Double down when your first two cards total 10 or 11, IF the dealer has a 9 or lower.

4. Always split aces and eights. Do not split any other pairs.

And that's it! These four simple rules will take you out of the "sucker" category, keep you out of serious trouble and ensure that the house edge is around 1.5% or so - some of the best odds you'll get in a casino.

Once you've mastered this easy system, learn the full Blackjack Basic Strategy and you'll whittle that house edge down to almost zero. Good luck!

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Tom McBroom is the webmaster for http://www.blackjack-for-everyone.com , which is dedicated to the beginning through serious recreational Blackjack player. Visit his site for complete Blackjack instructions, advice, strategies and the best online and Las Vegas casinos for Blackjack.  tom@blackjack-for-everyone.com

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Gambling Tips

 By Adel Awwad

In order for a player to enjoy a more pleasant and memorable time at a casino, while taking precautions to minimize one’s losses, it is very important to follow a basic set of gambling tips or guidelines.

Understand the game: This may seem like a very obvious rule, but you would be surprised at how many people place bets on games they don’t fully understand. This rule may apply more to certain games (i.e. Roulette) than other games (i.e. Slots), but generally speaking, it is more advantageous for a player to fully understand the rules of a game before betting on it.

Budget your money: Place a limit on the money that you can afford to gamble with and lose. Never exceed that amount or gamble with money that you can’t afford to lose. Leaving your ATM cards and credit cards at home may be a good way to ensure that you won’t be tempted to exceed your budget limit.

Never borrow money to gamble: To fall into the habit of gambling with borrowed money is one of the most serious mistakes any person can make. Not only can one run the risk of falling heavily into debt and perhaps having to sell one’s possessions to payback the borrowed money, but the risk of alienating friends and family members, or infuriating the “money lenders” should be enough reason to avoid this practice at all costs.

Pace yourself: Avoid betting all your money in one go. Remember, the objective is to have fun and enjoy yourself. If your gambling budget is $50, then place bets of $1 or $2 instead of betting the entire $50 on one single bet, losing it and walking away empty handed. As long as the entire sum of money is not lost in one single bet, the player has a chance to win.

Know when to quit: Always quit while you’re ahead. The best time to quit is when you are ahead of the casino. Many players make the mistake of thinking that their streak of luck will last forever and continue to gamble until they eventually lose it all. This is mainly the result of overconfidence and greed.

Chasing losses: "Chasing a loss" is a term used to describe the act of trying to win back money that was lost during a previous bet. The problem with this is that the player stands to lose even more money. In this case, it is better to just accept the loss and quit or continue playing for the sole purpose of just having fun.

Maintain a low profile: Whether you are playing for fun or money, winning or losing, always maintain a low profile at a casino. The main reason for this is that one never knows what types of unsavory characters may be present at a casino. It is in the best interest of every player not to draw attention to his/her own money or winnings.

Emotional states: Never gamble when you are angry or depressed. Emotional states such as anger and depression usually cloud a person’s judgment and impair his/her ability to play the games properly. A person who is experiencing an intense emotional state usually lacks the ability to think as clearly as someone who is not.

Don’t gamble alone: In some way, it is better to visit a casino with friends or family members if you are planning on gambling. Friends and family members will usually tell you if you are spending too much, drinking too much or not playing properly. In the very least, it is in everyone’s best interest to have a sober person in the group who can safely drive everyone home.

Take frequent breaks: As in any other activity be it reading, writing or playing computer games, one should always take frequent breaks to feel refreshed and alert. Although this may not apply to a person who places a few bets before leaving the casino floor, it does apply to gambler who intends on spending a considerable amount of time betting in a casino.

Have fun: Gambling should be viewed as a fun and exciting recreational activity as opposed to a means of making money. Even though most of us have heard of, or read about the occasional gambler who won the big jackpot that changed his/her life, this is usually not the case for the majority of players. Let’s face it. The glitz and glamour of casinos were not built on the good fortune of winners. Therefore always play for fun and never for the sole purpose of making money.

Avoid alcohol: Never drink and gamble. Not only can alcohol impair one’s judgment, but it can also inflate one’s sense of self confidence to the point where the person gambles away money which he/she would never have gambled if he/she was sober. This is one of the main reasons as to why some casinos offer free alcohol to their players.

Avoid distractions: Distractions can come in many forms from the occasional cellular phone ringing to the sexy girl walking past the table, and one should always be mentally prepared to ignore them in order to better focus on the game. Additionally, the loud sounds and flashing lights of a casino may look and sound very exciting, but they are not there to help you concentrate on the game. Try not to become distracted.

By following these basic set of guidelines, one can enjoy his/her visit to a casino and have plenty of fun while minimizing the risk of falling into any financial difficulties.

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Adel Awwad is the webmaster of http://www.casinoguide.ws  
Copyright © 2005 - Free Casino Cash Guide, All Rights Reserved. This document may be freely redistributed in its unedited form and on the condition that all copyright references are kept intact along with the hyperlinked URLs.

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