The first step to becoming a winning blackjack player is to study the game and learn how to play. For example, a common novice mistake is to buy in at a table where the minimum bet is larger than their bankroll can afford. If you buy in for $100 at a $50 minimum table, you can only afford to lose twice in a row. Some people are so embarrassed by this mistake that they just go ahead and lose.
If you don’t understand the game well enough to keep up with the totals, you’re going to lose a lot more money than someone who knows the rules and gameplay inside out. This is one of the reasons I suggested playing some of the free games online.
The second step to becoming a winning blackjack player is to learn basic strategy. This step alone will reduce the house’s edge from 4% to less than 1%. (The house edge is the amount that the house expects to keep over the long run because of the rules of the game.) Basic strategy is the mathematically correct decision in every situation that comes up at the blackjack table.
Most people encourage players to memorize basic strategy using a chart or a table of some kind, but my preference is to learn the rules for how to play each hand individually. David Sklansky’s book, Sklansky on Blackjack, takes this approach, describing how to play every possible hand in every possible situation by looking at each possible total you could have.
Once you’ve reduced the house edge to less than 1% by using perfect basic strategy, you can start to take advantage of the many comps that casinos offer players. You can receive food, event tickets, and even travel perks just by making sure the casino tracks your play. These rewards have a monetary value, so even though you have a negative expectation against the casino, you get something back, making that negative expectation ever smaller.
The third step to becoming a winning blackjack player is to start learning some advantage gambling techniques like card counting. Once you’ve mastered a card counting system, you can actually get an advantage over the house. Counting cards isn’t as hard as you might think, either. Anyone who’s willing to put in the time and effort can learn a simple count like the Hi Lo Count or the Ace Five count.
Blackjack is a great game. It’s fun, it’s a mental challenge, and it offers some of the best math in the casino. If you like making decisions that affect your outcome, blackjack might be the perfect game for you.
play now
