The outcome of a few hours of blackjack play is quite so unpredictable. It is possible to win a lot, conversely you can also lose a lot. Most of the time, however, the outcome will be zero. In the short term, luck alone determines whether you win or lose. But no matter what, the fact is that the more “correctly” you play, the less you lose.
A typical blackjack player loses approx. Statistically speaking, 2% of all games for the casino. It doesn’t sound like much at first, but the loss is actually 4 times greater than it needs to be. If you play with a basic blackjack strategy, in a blackjack game with 6 sets of cards you will lose approx. 0.5% With 2 sets of cards, it is reduced to approx. 0.2%. The biggest advantage is found with 1 set of cards where the odds fall approx. right next to player and casino.
If you e.g. plays with betsize of $10 in a typical blackjack game; 6 sets of cards at a Las Vegas Casino, there will be approx. played for $600 in one hour. An average player will lose approx. 2% – corresponding to approx. $12 in an hour. With the correct strategy, you can minimize this loss by approx. 0.5% which equals $3.
How to avoid these mistakes that result in degraded odds? How can you optimize your blackjack game? Follow the advice that follows here and you’ll be well on your way.
The 10th blackjack bid
Your cards: 12 | Dealer’s cards: 3 | You should choose: HIT
Most players typically prefer to stand on this combination since many believe that you take the dealer’s “bust-card”. This misunderstanding is grist to the casinos’ mill. On average, you will lose $2.55 by standing, while the loss is slightly less by hitting this hand, namely $2.31 on average. So here a gain of an average of 24 cents.
- Stand: Loses $2.55
- Hit : Loser$2.31
- Difference $0.24 (Hit)
The 9th blackjack bid
Your cards: ES and 7 | Dealer’s card: 10 | You should choose: HIT
Most players play this hand wrong. They think: Why should I find an 18? But the fact is that 18 is actually a bad blackjack hand. It’s a losing hand no matter what. It is true that you often make the hand worse by hitting it, and you may have to hit more times. But as you can see here, the numbers speak for themselves:
- Stand: Loss $1.80
- Hit: Lose $1.43
- Difference: $0.37 (Hit)
The 8th blackjack bid
Play straight on Blackjack (insurance) You should choose: No
The dealer will most likely speak warmly to choose yes, as the only safe bet in the casino. But everything has a price: “Even money” in blackjack is just insurance, and unless you count cards, it’s a losing pick.
- Insurance: Profit: $10.00 (each time)
- Opt out insurance on blackjack: Profit: $10.39 (on average)
- Difference: $0.39 (Choose: no)
The 7th blackjack bid
Your cards: 12 | Dealer’s card: 12 | You should choose: Hit
This combination is kind of the same as the 12 vs 3 combination – and with the same stupid excuses. But if you look at the numbers compared to the statistics, you will see that the smallest loss occurs with hit.
- Stand: Loss $2.96
- Hit: Lose $2.52
- Difference: $0.44 (Hit)
The 6th blackjack bid
Your cards: 8.8 | Dealer’s card: 10 | You should choose: Split
One of the more popular card combinations in Blackjack. Many players hate to pour more money into this terrible combination. And there is a good reason for that. But by betting e.g. $10 more gets rid of the horrible 16 hand. Good enough, you get 2 8s and it’s not much better, but the statistics show that you lose less by splitting in this situation.
- Stand: Loses $5.37
- Hit: Lose $5.35
- Difference: $0.52 (Split)
However, there is an exception that applies to the game “European No-Hole-Card”. Here you should not split in the mentioned situation, as there is a chance that the dealer will get blackjack. So the above only applies to (USA-style) blackjack where the dealer has already checked whether the dealer has blackjack
The 5th blackjack bid
Your cards: 11 | Dealer’s card: 10 | You should choose: Double
It can seem very strange to have to bet more money on something that at first glance looks like a sure loser, and most people also choose not to Double this hand. But if you want to play with optimal odds here, you should choose Double
- Hit: Wins $1.18
- Doubles: Win $1.78
- Difference: $0.60
(Again, this only applies to blackjack games where the dealer checks for Blackjack before you bet.)
The 4th blackjack bid
Your cards: Ace, 7 | Dealer’s card: 9 | You should choose: Hit
Here another “known” mistake most blackjack players make. And it ends up being quite expensive: $0.85 per error. Don’t hold back: Hit it!
- Stand: Loses $1.83
- Hit: Lose 0.98
- Difference: $0.85 (Hit)
The 3rd blackjack bid
Your cards: 8.8 | Dealer’s card: Ace | You should choose: Split
A bit like the 6th blackjack bid, this is a combination you don’t exactly dream of. But there is no other way than to buy yourself out of the misery. That way you minimize your loss.
- Stand: Loses $6.63
- Hit: Lose $5.14
- Split: Lose $3.86
- Difference: $1.28 (Split)
(Again, this only applies to blackjack games where the dealer checks for Blackjack before you bet.)
The 2nd blackjack bid
Your cards: Ace,6 | Dealer’s cards: 7 | You should choose: Hit
At first glance, most people will intuitively choose to “push” this hand. But don’t let a rare winning opportunity go to waste. It is simply too expensive if you do not “hit” on this combination of cards. It is the second most expensive hand to lose.
- Stand: Loses $1.04
- Hit: Wins $0.55
- Difference: $1.59 (Hit)
The 1st blackjack bid
Your cards: Ace, Ace | Dealer’s card: 10 | You should choose: Split
It sometimes happens that players do not play this hand optimally. When you split Aces you may only get one more card on each Ace, some players think this is a bad situation. But the fact is that this combination gives the best return by splitting, and that, every time.
- Hit: Lose $0.66
- Split: Win $1.82
- Difference: $2.48 (split)
(Even in games where the dealer doesn’t check for blackjack, this hand is strong enough that you should still split no matter what.
How to beat the casino in blackjack
With these 10 bets, avoid the 10 most frequently played mistakes in blackjack. As the examples here show, there is considerable difference in how much you can avoid losing. Already at a rate of $10, the significant amount of difference is if you optimize your blackjack game.
If all players played with optimal strategy, the casinos would undoubtedly change the rules, or change the selection of games. Many blackjack tables would quickly be cleared in favor of more space for slot machines. But there are indications that there are enough players to fill the blackjack tables so abundantly and unfortunately also the casino’s bank with money. Don’t let it be your money, then include these 10 commandments in your evening prayer and the money will more likely flow into your bank account instead of the casino’s.