Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games because it has favorable odds for the gambler, compared to other classic games. You can influence a live dealer Blackjack game if you have the required skillset and knowledge. If you take time to develop a solid strategy before wagering, you can significantly increase your chances of winning.
There are very few table games that let you earn gains consistently while letting you enjoy the experience. While you can come up with a strategy to reduce the house advantage, it is not the easiest feat to achieve. For achieving consistency, you need to be prepared and know the ins and outs of this game.
Basic Rules
We can trace the roots of Blackjack to 18th century France, however, it became popular at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, you can find this game at every Canadian casino where the house functions as the dealer. A casino representative is responsible for dealing and shuffling cards and keeping track of all the wagers.
For this game, most casinos shuffle multiple decks containing 52 cards each. Normally, you will find six decks along with a blank card that remains at the very bottom. This card tells the dealer when it’s time to reshuffle the cards. The dealer usually keeps all the cards in a container popularly known as the shoe. This allows them to distribute the cards one by one.
In Blackjack, every gambler attempts to get the better of the house by taking their card count near to twenty-one, without exceeding the limit. Kings, Queens, and Jacks all have values of ten each, while the value of an ace can be one or eleven. Prior to the commencement of the game, every participant places their wagers, establishing the lowest and highest limits.
The house representative shuffles the decks to combine them and then selects a participant to make the cut. Casino operators are aware of the fact that there are expert card counters who can exploit the rules, so to make things harder for them, they don’t use the bottom 60-75 cards. After this, the representative distributes the cards face up in a clockwise direction among the players as well as themselves. This process is repeated for the second round, except for the fact that the dealer’s card remains face down.
In Blackjack, a natural hand is known as one where one card is 10 or a picture card, and the other one is an ace. Since you can consider the ace as 11, the total adds up to 21. If you get this kind of a hand and the dealer doesn’t you get a payout equal to 1.5 times your wagering amount. Conversely, when the natural hand is the dealer’s they get to keep all the wagers of the participants.
While playing this game, you have the option to make two different moves. You can either refuse to get another card by asking for a stand or attempt to get closer to the objective by hitting. Remember, if your hand exceeds 21, you lose the dealer gets to keep the money.
Blackjack odds
To become a successful Blackjack player, you need to know about the odds offered by each variation. These odds tell you, in terms of percentage, how likely you are to win or go bust in a certain scenario. They differ with the deck count, the house advantage, as well as the regulations of the game. For every situation, there is a different probability of going bust or exceeding 21 and knowing about them allows you to make more prudent decisions.
When you know there is a high probability of exceeding 21, you will stand instead of hitting. To effectively enhance your winning chances, it is important to come up with a strategy and know about the odds. Even with the low house edge and the favorable odds, you can incur losses in the long run if you don’t have a plan you can rely on.
If you are a novice gambler, you might wonder how the house manages to earn a steady stream of money from Blackjack, even when the odds are generally favorable for the player. Over multiple hands, the casino earns its share thanks to the house advantage. So it doesn’t matter if you’re on a winning streak if you cannot reduce the house advantage.
House edge
There is one thing all casino games have in common, and that is the house advantage. It is irrelevant whether you are an expert Blackjack player with several years of experience. Unless you are a card counter and play without making a single mistake, the house always has a small edge.
The house advantage exists in this game because the player has to take the first action. There is a 28% chance of busting when you opt for a hit, and even if the house also busts, you will be the one losing money. Although it is not possible to eliminate the house advantage, you can apply certain techniques to reduce it. At the beginning of the game, the house edge stands at 8%, and by applying expert strategies you can bring it down to 0.2-0.5%.
The number of decks is directly proportional to the house advantage. Thus, it increases automatically when you add more card packs. Some casinos require the dealer to hit on a soft 17 while others require them to stand. The second option is always more favorable for the player. Some of them might now allow doubling down after a split, which enhances the house advantage by 0.14%.
Player advantage
It is a known fact that the house representative makes the final move and this gives them a clear advantage. However, there are certain options available to the player that can be used to improve the winning chances. Each time a player reaches 21, they get paid 2.5 times the wagering amount. If the dealer also gets a 21, the player receives the wagering amount only.
The options are pretty limited for the dealer in a game of Blackjack, and they have to hit until they reach 17, regardless of their hand. In contrast, the player always has the choice to hit or stand and they can also double their bets when things are going in their favor. This allows them to squeeze the maximum possible profit from every opportunity.
In case the initial two cards have the same value, you can consider them as two distinct hands once it is your turn to play. In this event, one card holds the initial wager while an equal wager is made for the other one. The game then progresses to the left with the player making a hit or a stand once or more.
When you have two aces in your hand, you can get a card for each and are not allowed to draw anymore. If one of these cards is ten, the casino pays you back your wagered amount. Although the total equals 21, the normal rules of a Blackjack hand are not applicable in this scenario. Thus, by splitting, you can drastically improve a weak hand while also exploiting a weak hand belonging to the dealer.
Some tables also let you use the surrender option, where you relinquish your hand in return for 50% of your stake. There are two types of surrenders, late and early, with the latter being the more common one. Late surrender prevents you from surrendering when the dealer gets a blackjack. Thus, if there is an ace or 10 for the first card, you have to wait for the dealer to reveal their second hand before you can surrender. Early surrender lets you give up your hand regardless of the first card’s value.
You can lower the house advantage by 0.07% with late surrender. Mathematics tells us that you should surrender your hand at 16, in case the dealer’s hand has an ace or a 10. Early surrender lets you lower the house advantage by 0.63%. As per mathematical logic, you can surrender more hands here compared to late surrender. If during a round, your hand’s value equals 5, it is logical to surrender if the dealer has an ace, regardless of the number of decks. Assuming it is against the rules to double after split and the dealer has to hit after a soft 17, you should surrender if you have two eights in your hand.
Reducing the house advantage
House edge has a significant impact on your winning chances. There are certain Blackjack variations with higher house edges, but if you are playing for long-term profits, you should avoid them. Generally, the house advantage for most versions is less than 1%, which means you can use a strategy to improve your odds.
You can influence the house edge by preparing beforehand for all the likely scenarios. Learning the basics of the game will not suffice if you wish to be successful in this endeavor. It requires strict discipline on the part of the player to execute the plan at the opportune moment. Many gamblers find it hard to reduce the house edge because they can’t recall the moves or lack the self-restraint shown by those who beat the house consistently.
You should not give up on the plan after losing a few rounds. If you’ve suffered heavy losses in an earlier round it can be tempting to place high-risk wagers trying to win them back. However, this can lead to disastrous consequences. Seasoned Blackjack players know how to count all the cards during the game, but even then, a basic plan needs to be followed. Once you master the plan, you can begin learning how to count cards.
When you know how to count cards, you can find the percentage of low-value cards compared to high-value ones. This helps you calculate the mean winning rate for each hour. You need to remember that the strategies focus on long-term results, so it is important to look at the big picture even when you’re losing.
Final Words
After going through this article, you should have a clear idea regarding the odds offered by Blackjack, the house edge, and how you can enhance your winning chances. When it comes to table games, Blackjack has one of the best player odds, provided you know what you are doing and have a solid plan in place. To know more, visit https://greatcasinoonline.com/.
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