The hand signals in blackjack will be different if you are playing a game where the cards are dealt facing up or facing down.

When you are playing a face up blackjack game here are some tips you can follow to signal the dealer what you want to do:

• Point at your cards if you like another card or a hit
• If you feel like standing then wave you hands over your cards, parallel to the game table
• If you want to split your card or maybe double down, place your 2^nd bet just near your original bet and never atop your original bet

Let’s say you are playing a face down Blackjack, here are some common signals you need to learn:

• Lightly scrape your cards on the table if you want a hit
• Place your cards under your bet and the dealer will understand that you want to stand
• Doubling down or splitting? Turn the hand face up and then put your 2^nd bet near your original bet

Click on the video below to learn how it is properly done.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Blackjack is an all-time favorite poker game that involves using 52 cards, betting, and so forth. In order to win at blackjack or 21, players often take time to choose the best tables fit for their level of expertise.

By choosing the right table, the player can join in the games without getting in too deep. In other words, an expert player will join the expert tables rather than the beginner tables so that he fits into the structure of his or her knowledge and expertise well.

Most professional players buy chips ahead of game play so that the player does not have to stop and buy chips throughout the game.

Once the player chooses the most fitting table to sit in on blackjack, and purchases his or her chips, the player then considers betting. The bets are usually considered based on what the other players around the tables are holding. For instance, if one player has a king face up, and another card down, the other player considers the king. The player could very well be holding an Ace in his hand facing down. Bet wisely by considering the face cards on the table.

Cash in is considered as well as the premises of the game. Card value, how the cards are dealt, how the dealer plays, hits, stands, double down, split pairs, and other notions are considered during blackjack rounds.

The overall objective of blackjack is to create a 21 hand. Anyone with 21 (E.g. Ace and King = 21) wins the game. However, if the dealer has 21, and another player has 21, then the player must replay the dealer to see who wins the game.

I used to play each day and quit as soon as I got $1000 ahead. I made about $4000 a week losses included on a 6-deck game.

A quick rundown;

1. Forget about doubles. Stick to basic strategy, but when you lose a double, don’t up your next bet.

2. Lose the $100? Bet $150 next. You’ll win $50 over the course of two bets if you win.

3. Lose your $150 bet? Bet $250 in the next run. You’ll break even over the 3 bets if you win and will be down $500 if you lose.

4. Once you lose a $250, go back down to $100. I know this means you’ll encounter some downswings, but believe me — all you need is a $2500 bankroll to be almost safe to not go broke.

Won $1200 yesterday in about two hours. Never was down a single second.

The MIT team is now banned in a lot of casinos, which is sad…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Good to see mike stressing the basic strategy… It’s SO important, even when card counting!

There are some hard and fast rules about when to Double Down. They are as follows.

If you have 11 you can double. There is a 30% chance of making 21 and no way to bust out. If you do make 21 the dealer can only beat you with a Blackjack and even then you’ll have your money returned.

If you have a hand of 10 you can double. The odds of winning are similar to that of if you have 11 and you have no chance of going bust.

If you have 7/8/9 don’t double. As tempting as it is that you might make 17, 18, 19 or even 20 it is unlikely. Any card other than a 10 will leave you with a vulnerable hand. The only exception to this is if you have a nine and the dealer had a low (2-6) up card and thus has a good chance of going bust.

If you have 12 or more DON’T DOUBLE. As tempting as it may be when you see the dealer has a card that means he is likely to go bust. You also have a high chance of busting and losing out.

What you must remember with Doubling Down is that you can only have one further card.

I would stress that doubling up can also affect the effectiveness of your betting strategy. Especially if you are using the Paroli or Martingale system. You should make the decisions about when you are going to Double Down and stick to them so you don’t click the double button on a whim.

Lets start with the most well known; the Double-Up. It is actually known as the Martingale system. You start with a one unit bet ($1 if you are me or $1000000 if you are the Sultan of Brunei – you base your unit amount on your bankroll). If you win you make the same bet. If you lose you double the previous bet continuing to double until you win. When you win you start again with one unit. This betting system is madness and you have to have a huge bankroll to make it work. It is not uncommon to lose 8 hands in a row, by which time you will be betting with 128 units! In the long run you will not make money this way. Your bankroll will be broken in no time at all –unless of course you are the Sultan of Brunei.

The Paroli betting system is the opposite of the Martingale system. This time you double up when you win. To use this system you need to decide how many you times you double up before you start again. This system can be effective as it is simple to use and easy to remember. You also don’t need a large bankroll to play in this way and it can make a lot without risking too much.

The Parlay betting system is comparable to the Paroli system. It is simple and easy to remember. You base your bets on your profit, so you make a bet where your original bet plus your original winnings are used for your next bets. To use this system, you simply start by making a bet of any size. If you win with this initial bet, you use the original bet and part of the profit to place your next bet with. For example you bet £10 and win, for your next bet you use the original bet, $10 and part of the profit say $5 to make the next bet (Total $15). This way you are not always risking your profit. As with Paroli you need to decide how many times you will do this before you start again. Although you won’t make as much profit as with Paroli you will be risking less of your profit.

The Parlay betting system takes a little thought before you hit the tables but in the long run it can be a good option for beginners and seasoned players alike.

Still, a pretty solid first tutorial for anyone who never played single deck blackjack before — so check it out if you’re new to the game!

Click here to view the embedded video.

By the way — excellent dealer skills!

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:

• Hit Taking another card
• Stand You have made your best hand
• Double Down Doubling your bet and taking one more card
• Split Splitting your pair into two separate hands
• Surrender Surrendering half of your bet and giving up your hand right then

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.

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.

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.