Classic Blackjack strategy is ubiquitous. In the old days, you could visit a library. Nowadays, a chart of a winning Blackjack Strategy is a Google search away. All the strategies are more or less the same. Certain cards you stand and hope the dealer busts; for others, you hit and hope to get as close to 21 as possible without going over. The bottom line is that in Blackjack, if you stick to the book, your odds are fairly good. I’d say, with maybe the exception of Craps, the player at a casino usually has his best shot in Blackjack. Your chances are about 50%-50% if you play it by the book. People will tell you otherwise. They’ll seem convinced and say it passionately, and in some cases will convince themselves that Blackjack is not a game of chance, and that the way they play it they’ll come out winning. Others say they’ll count cards to give them the edge. Some say it’s how much you bet, and when; it’s all in the betting system. In reality it’s none of that; it’s a game of chance. Even if you play “wrong,” you may win. If you play “right,” you may lose. Overall, if you play it “by the book,” that is to say you follow the most common strategies, all easily available, no secret, then your chances are about 50%-50%, in that you’ll lose as much as you’ll win, more or less.
No need to get overly ambitious, or too optimistic especially when you’re winning. The best strategy is to go with a set amount, $100, a $1,000, whatever it is, you quit when you lost it all or double it. Pace yourself, maybe bet $10 each time for a $100 bankroll. Thus, if you have $100, bet $10; if you’re bringing $1,000 for the night, bet $100, then follow the book. If you win, save the money for another day; if you lose, you’ll fight again. Some say bet less, have at least 100 betting units. Either way, the odds are the same. A bigger amount just makes things quicker; betting smaller amounts makes the gambling experience last longer.
Discipline is key. Take this scenario, you bet $10 and lose, then $20 and lose, then $40, and so on. You keep on doubling, $80, $160, $320. Every time you lose you double down, and eventually you win. In other words, if you have unlimited funds, and unlimited amount of times you can double down, you’ll never lose, but will you ever win? Basically, the casino is disciplined. They’ll always bet whatever the player bets. The casino quits on its own predetermined time. The structural discipline gives the house an advantage, and with that alone the house will win. Usually, the player quits when he just lost a lot, or won a lot. Even in the latter, he thinks he won a lot, and then comes back for more, and/or tells others of his winning, hence free advertising for the casino.
BlackJack
