Now this is sick. Especially for us poker and gin players out there who play in deal-it-yourself games, it probably pains badly to see how some people can control, remember and abuse their knowledge of where certain cards are in a deck…
Ricky Jay shows this here in blackjack, but you’ll probably not worry about this in a casino. Still — if it’s possible, it’s dangerous! Very interested video — enjoy!
I mean the systems they’re showing don’t all work in today’s casinos around the globe — seeing as most blackjack tables have automatic systems shuffling or at least dealing the cards, but still — a great video on turning the odds in your favor, and winning at blackjack! Enjoy!
We have all played 21 as kids and so the rules of blackjack shouldn’t be too daunting. Before you play for money you should learn the lingo and the rules to look out for.
The object of blackjack make the highest total you can without going over 21 (going bust). Simple.
Each numbered card 10 and under, has a value equal to the number on the card. All the face cards count as 10. This leaves the magic Ace which can count either as 1 or 11, depending on what helps your hand the most. A hand that is 21 is called ‘blackjack’. If you are dealt blackjack you are paid immediately (and you get to do a little dance).
There are 2 ways to win. Either you have the highest total or the dealer goes bust. You can play with other players at the table but you are only trying to beat the dealer. If the dealer gets a blackjack, the players automatically lose unless they have a blackjack too.
Each player receives 2 cards (usually face up) on the table. The dealer receives 1 card face up and 1 card face down.
The player has the following options while playing blackjack:
You have the option of taking as many hits as you want as long as you don’t go over 21.
The dealer must play his hand according to the house rules. Usually the dealer must hit until he has a total of 17 or higher. If the dealer starts with a total of 17, he stands.
See simple. This seemingly easy game has driven grown man too tears with joy and despair. Try it and see how you fair.
Isn’t always the way? With blackjack your bankroll needs to be sufficient to bear up under the normal fluctuations that happen during blackjack. You need to understand that you will not always win, even if you stick to the Basic Strategy charts. I’ll say it again, you will not always win. Sticking to the Strategy only increases the likelihood of you winning.
Only Play with Money that you don’t need
Never gamble with money you can not afford to lose. Gambling with rent, bills or food money is bad. If you are doing that, you might want to consider taking a break from gambling for a while. If money in your bankroll has an emotional attachment you will make bad decisions. Bad decisions lead to losing play. You need to think of you gambling bankroll as units to play with, not as the amount of stuff it can buy you.
You need to have enough
You need a bankroll large enough to sustain the short swings of bad luck that you will encounter at the blackjack tables. You still need money to keep playing and ride out the short swings. You need to have at least 30 times the amount you bet at the table and the same again in your bankroll for reloading. So if you bet in $1 bets then you need at least $30 at the table, if you bet in $20 bets than you need $600 at the table.
Don’t Bet Too Much
Don’t double up or triple up to try an regain your losses. You will lose more money and then you will be grumpy. Stick to your betting system. Have a fixed amount that you will lose in a session and when you reach it WALK AWAY. Write yourself out some little guidelines and stick to them. Many players will accept 20 times the amount they bet at as a loss but no more. Set up reloading limits if you play online. Many sites will help you restrict the amount you can reload in 24 hours.
If you are winning, put aside some of your spoils to use another day. Have guidelines about what to do with your winnings and stick to them. Don’t use a winning streak as an excuse to increase your betting: you will regret it.
A pretty basic and not too useful blackjack instructional video I found on Youtube — posted by expervillage. I have to say I’m not happy with short “this is what you should do”-blackjack videos….
Anyway — take a look at the double down on the soft 18. Jeezes christ! Why give a 3? Show what can go wrong… 
I say the bank breaks 21 on this hand — but expertvillage didn’t feel like they had to show what the dealer ended up with anyway… 
When the dealer turns an Ace as their upcard your heat will sink, especially if you have a terrible hand. They seemingly offer a beacon of hope by offering insurance against the dealer having Blackjack. Phew! Well that’s all right then.
Well actually it is not. Do not take them up on this kind offer. Like your mother told you; never take sweets from strangers. Casinos only offer things that will in the long run make them money. They are not a charity. The house edge on insurance in single deck blackjack is more than 5% and only rises with multiple decks.
Insurance can be extremely hard to pass up when you have a blackjack. There are two scenarios, if the dealer has a blackjack, you will only win 2:1 on the insurance bet. However, if the dealer doesn’t get a blackjack you will win the main bet, but lose the insurance bet. Since the odds of the dealer getting blackjack are fairly low, over the long term you’re better off not taking the insurance. Once in a while the dealer may get a blackjack and you’ll push, but more often you’ll win and get a 3:2 payout.
The only player who would gain by placing a blackjack insurance bet is someone that is using a card counting strategy in a casino where the cards are not replaced and reshuffled. So for you online players: stay away.
Blackjack is all about the maths. You can’t bluff, cheat or hustle in blackjack you just have to know the most favourable play in each situation. Really clever bods have run computer simulations to establish the best possible strategy to use in blackjack, and this is commonly referred to as Basic Strategy. Sticking rigidly to the basic strategy will reduce the houses edge.
It is basic because it is basic. You just follow the chart. No really it is that simple.
The Basic Strategy chart for a single deck game is slightly different than the Basic Strategy chart for a multi-deck game. A good blackjack player knows the Basic Strategy charts inside and out. If you are playing on line have them handy to refer to at all times. Below is a basic guide suitable for a beginner. As you get more accomplished you should read more about card counting and what to do in more complicated situations; like pairs and playing with different numbers of decks.
Please remember that the Basic Strategy is a guide. It is the mathematical solution to what to do in each situation but it is not going to make you win all the time. (If you find something that does let me know!) A basic strategy just reduces the house edge to give you a fighting chance.
Hard Totals
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|
Dealer’s Up Card |
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|
|
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
T |
A |
|
Hard Totals |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
|
9 |
H |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
|
10 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
|
11 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
|
12 |
H |
H |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
|
13 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
|
14 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
|
15 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
|
16 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
|
17-20 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
Soft Totals (Ace is either 1 or 11)
|
|
Dealer’s Up Card |
|||||||||
|
|
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
T |
A |
|
Soft Totals |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A 2 |
H |
H |
H |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
|
A 3 |
H |
H |
H |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
|
A 4 |
H |
H |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
|
A 5 |
H |
H |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
|
A 6 |
H |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
|
A 7 |
S |
D |
D |
D |
D |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
|
A 8 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
|
A 9 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
Action: H = Hit S = Stand D = Double
I’m not even going to go into discussing this video — just a quick look at how the dealers learn to deal… haha! 
