Blackjack is one of the most popular card games in casinos, including at the Bicycle Hotel and Casino. It is easy to understand, but very exciting and fast-paced. Blackjack is often depicted in movies with men and women dressed up to the nines, smoking cigars and drinking whiskey. None of this, however, makes them win at the game. What makes them win is their mindset, their understanding of blackjack as a whole, and a fair bit of luck.
Blackjack is fairly simple: get as close to 21 points as possible, but never over. You do this by accumulating and reducing points. It is a mathematical game, therefore, and all games of math have certain strategies associated with them. But those strategies are very complex and they vary depending on what your first two cards are. You must gain an understanding of the different combinations that are possible and their likelihood, in order to get really good.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Expert blackjack players have practiced the game forever and even written books about it. Their key tips can be summed up as follows:
- Location – try to play blackjack in different casinos regularly. This means you can learn about different game variations, but also about the strategies of other people. Of course, this really is only for the serious players with a lot of cash. If you don’t have the money to do this yet, then play in online casino demo games, or practice with friends. In so doing, you can still gain exposure to different rules and styles.
- Research and learn – a lot of books have been written about blackjack, and you should read those. They will teach you about the theory behind the game and all you will then have to do is apply those theories into practice. Try to read two books a month, as this will enable you to learn about different styles, while at the same time measuring your own skills. Online blackjack articles with charts and strategies also exist and can be very beneficial.
- Share and teach – once you become good at something, you can’t learn anything anymore from books or practice rounds. But you can still learn by teaching others. Firstly, it is morally right to do this. You had to learn at some point, so why not repay the favor that people did for you, by instructing others? Secondly, when you teach others to play, they will ask questions and come up with ways that you may not have considered yourself. By teaching, you learn.
These are the three key tactics to become a better blackjack player. The final thing is, however, that you must understand that blackjack is a game of chance. You may have read every book and article, visited every casino, and taught thousands of people to play, it is still down to the proverbial “luck of the draw”. Blackjack is supposed to be fun, but remember that the odds are stacked against you, or casinos wouldn’t offer the game.
