Blackjack by DC

It’s one of the most successful betting strategies I’ve used in my time has been paying off in the past few weeks again. It takes long sessions to make a living, but it cuts the risks to an absolute minimum if you stick to basic strategy.

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.

Using free online blackjack games to learn the finesses of the game can be a good thing — but sometimes it’s even better to use trainer software to really finetune your game and lean basic strategy by heart. I’m working on an extensive list of online and desktop free blackjack games to allow all of our readers a good free way of upping their skills — but I might need some help…

If you know of specific blackjack trainer games (free!), and want to make sure I include them in my list — holler at me using the comment system. I’ll make sure to add any relevant link!

Many casinos offer the option to double up on a single hit card. Some of us look to divine inspiration on when to double up, others use a lucky charm, I myself like to use mathematics.

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.

There are several betting systems floating around to help you maximise your profits from playing Blackjack. Here we look at the good the bad and the ugly.

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.