The biggest blackjack myths to be aware of

As a casino game, blackjack is a little unique. While some games seem almost set in stone, blackjack can be enjoyed in a whole host of different ways. With different variants, differing rules, and a house edge that can change. When players take the time to educate themselves, they get to know the rules and variations that work best for them. Read more about Blackjack myths below. 

These skilled players have taken the time to master all things blackjack. This sees them being able to turn things to their advantage and increase their winning ways. There are plenty of other blackjack players who just don’t want to get bogged down in the detail. That’s perfectly okay as long as they’re enjoying their game. However, the problem arises as they are fed misinformation.

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Blackjack myths

Blackjack myths and misinformation is everywhere 

The expert players that we’ve spoken of are relatively safe from the myths and misinformation that circulates. The more casual player, however, is much more susceptible. They may hear ‘facts’ passed around a blackjack table. They’ll never explore these so-called ‘facts’: they will just take them as truth. That’s where the snowball effect begins.

The thing is, casual players will spend most of their time playing with other casual players. This means that the misinformation gets passed on to a whole group of other people. Other people who won’t check it but will share it again. So, why does that matter? Well, these myths and misinformation are costing these players money and that’s why they need to be put to bed.

The five biggest blackjack myths

While there are plenty of blackjack myths that do the rounds, there are some that are shared more than others. There are plenty of things that are said about both live and electronic forms of the game which simply aren’t true.

The reality is that many myths can be dispelled quite simply. All it takes is some basic maths to prove that it’s not true. Then there are other myths that can be done away with by just glancing at a basic blackjack strategy card.

Let’s take a look at the five most common myths that you’ve no doubt already heard. Share what you read and make sure that other players are able to enjoy the game as it should be:

Make the assumption that the dealer hole card will be a 10

It’s quite surprising that this misinformation has spread as far and wide as it has. Why? Well, it takes some very simple logic to do away with it. What you need to think about is the fact that, within a deck of cards, there are 16 that have the value of 10. These are the 10s, Jack, Queen, and King. That means that less than one-third of the deck is actually worth 10.

So, with two-thirds of the deck not being worth 10, what makes sense? It makes sense that the dealer’s hole card is probably not a 10.

You should never hit a 12 against a 2

While the first myth may have taken some simple maths to bust, this one is even easier. All that you need to do here is to take a look at basic strategy. Of course, learning this strategy will make a huge difference to your blackjack game, but if you can’t do that, for whatever reason, just take a quick look.

Basic strategy clearly states that you always hit your 2 if you’re facing a dealer with the same card showing. The truth is that players should also be hitting 2 against a dealer’s 13 as well. If looking at basic strategy can bust a myth so easily, just think how much more it can assist your game. 

Card counting could see you being arrested

This is probably a myth circulated by casinos that the uniformed pick up on and spread amongst other players. So, let’s clear this one up – card counting is definitely not illegal. In fact, it is a great strategy that’s used by professional blackjack players and one that you should try and learn too.

The reality here is that casinos know just how effective card counting is. That’s why they’re really not fans of it. However, that doesn’t mean that you’re going to be thrown into jail for doing it. The worst that can happen is that a casino may ask you to leave or, at the extreme, ban you.

Blackjack always has the lowest house edge in a casino

To be honest, it’s highly unlikely that there has ever been any truth to this for casual players. The thing is, decisions and strategies are used to lower the house edge. Casual players haven’t taken the time time to learn these. If you want to enjoy the lowest house edge, then you need to master basic strategy.

Away from blackjack, casino games such as baccarat, video poker, and Pai Gow have a lower house edge. 

Machines are rigged

Whether you’re playing blackjack online or at a land-based casino, the game is not rigged. The reality here is that casinos make their profits based on the house edge. This is all factored in and there is no need to rig anything.

Being logical here again, all casinos are regulated by gaming commissions. Rigging any game, not just blackjack, would see a license being taken away and a casino closing. There’s no way that these big companies would ever risk this.

Final thoughts on Blackjack myths

We have only touched on the most common blackjack myths. However, there are many more that we don’t have the space to cover. The hope here is that you will now realize that the myths that we’ve covered just can not be true. Beyond this though, we hope that whenever you hear ‘facts’ circulating you’ll take the time to investigate this.

Yes, the main aim of blackjack is to enjoy the game, but that doesn’t mean that you want to be giving your money away when you really don’t need to. 

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