It is not a wonder that Black Jack is by far the most popular casino game in the word when one takes into account that it is the only game where the decisions you make when playing can boost your odds of winning. Unlike other games at the casino, how you play the game can be the difference between winning and losing. There are so many that have broken down strategies for winning at Black Jack or at least how to improve your odds when playing against the house, but these all come down to mathematical probability.
This being said it should be stated upfront that even though some players may bet decide what to do based on their gut feeling, this may hold reward based on pure luck but over time you will most likely lose. Also, many newer players may generally be scared of going bust, but once again decisions should be based on the mathematics and nothing more.
There are two categories of strategy which we will simply as basic strategy and advanced strategy.
Basic Strategy
The basic Black Jack strategy is simple to understand and follow. It consists of a table of all possible combinations for your and the dealer’s hands, which based on this provides you with one of five options- Hit, Stand, Double Down, Split and Surrender (otherwise Hit). Based on this basic strategy, a player can increase their odds to only give the house an edge of 0.5 percent, which is as high as you going to get anywhere. Untrained players or players unaware of this basic strategy will decrease their odds of winning by an additional 2 percent, which is quite a bit.
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Advanced Strategy
The more advanced system for winning at the Black Jack table is essentially learning to count the cards. Now, this sounds way more sinister than it actually is. The system is simple; the deck is divided into three sets based on card value- low medium and high. Accordingly, each value range of cards (e.g. 2-6) is assigned a value, either -1, 0 or +1. Based on the counted value of the cards which have been played, you will know whether to increase your bet or keep it as it is. This system is as simple as that, you basically only count in increments of 1 for each card in play.
Unfortunately, there are a few things to consider when card counting. You will need to know how many decks are being used at the table to the average for the number of decks. Although the system may be simple and when applied properly will give you an advantage over the house, it will certainly take some practice before you are able to use it effectively.
