What makes a good blackjack player?
Blackjack is one of those games that has an army of fans. As well as those who are purely dedicated to this game alone, there are plenty of others who flock over from other casino games such as poker and roulette. Why? Well, everyone knows that this is the casino game that promises the west house edge possible and that’s something that’s difficult to ignore. What does it take to be a good blackjack player? Let´s find out.
There are some players who tap into this low-house edge and take full advantage of it. They enjoy winning ways and see their bankroll receiving regular boosts. However, there are others who simply can’t get to grips with this. We’re going to explore what it is that makes such a difference between these two types of players so that you can adjust and find winning ways of your own.
| 21+ | Terms & Conditions Apply | NJ Residents Only | ||
 | 100% New Player Bonus up to $1000! Best Casino and Sportsbetting in NJ Slots and Live Casino Casino at bet365 – 100% New Player Bonus of up to $1,000! New Casino customers only. Deposit min. $10. Max. bonus $1,000. Value of deposit plus bonus must be wagered 20 times. Time limits and T&Cs apply. | Visit Casino |
Learning basic strategy to become a good blackjack player
All players who know how to make the most of blackjack have mastered basic blackjack strategy. While lesser players rely on luck and gut feeling, those who play at a higher level won’t leave the game to such things. While all casino games have a reliance on luck, with blackjack you can still have a degree of control over the outcome.
With basic strategy, you’ll always know what move to make next. You’ll never be left wondering whether hitting, standing, splitting or doubling down is the right thing to do: basic strategy tells you exactly what to do.
Be versatile if you want to be a good blackjack player
While you need to understand basic strategy so that you know exactly what to do, there is also a need to show a degree of versatility. The thing is, casinos will have many variants of blackjack to choose from and you must be able to adapt your strategy to suit. This means that the number of decks being used and the rules applied will see you tweaking the way that you play.
There are also differences when playing at an online casino. Here, the game is played much faster so there’s a need to be able to be proactive and to increase the speed of your decision-making.
Managing your bankroll
If you want to be successful with blackjack then it’s vital to be able to manage your finances. The way that you use your bankroll is tactical and you need to have a thorough understanding of this and how to use it to your favour. On a basic level, it’s a case of never betting more than you can afford to lose but beyond that, it’s about adjusting your bet size as and when needed.
Whatever blackjack bankroll you start with, you need to grow this. As your bankroll takes off you can start to place larger wagers. By being disciplined you can easily, and quickly, build your bankroll from $100 to $1,000 or much more.
Count cards
The biggest winners in the history of blackjack have all mastered the skill of counting cards. While the game is famed for its low house edge if you want to take that and make it even lower then card counting is the way to go. What card counters do is keep track of the cards that have been dealt so that they know how many high and low-value cards are left in a deck.
Now, card counting isn’t something that you’re going to master overnight. This is something that takes time and commitment, but it is certainly worth the effort.
Self-control is important for a good blackjack player
The best blackjack players, and those that win the most, show the ability to exercise self-control. The thing is, blackjack is about real money. Whatever you win or lose is real and will have a real-life impact on you. It’s too easy to forget that while you’re sat at a blackjack table waiting for the next hand to be dealt.
It could be that you’re on a winning run and so you keep pushing your luck hoping for more. Maybe it’s a losing streak where you keep going in the hope that you’ll win it back. Either way, this is all about emotion. This emotion will not lead to you making the right judgement calls so you need the self-control to stop when the time is ruth.
Steer clear of side bets
Blackjack comes with several side bets to choose from. There are many players who are huge fans of these as they add something a little different to the game. However, if you’re looking to improve your game, and increase your wins, these are something that you need to be avoiding.
With blackjack being all about the low house edge, these side bets quickly track this. You can quickly see this being pushed up to the 6% mark and suddenly you’ve lost the thing that makes the game so attractive in the first place.
Choose your seat wisely
If you’re sat in the first base chair and you have a dealer who’s rushing then you’re going to be rushed too. You’re going to be given no time at all to review your cards and the dealer’s upcard. This leads to players feeling stressed and making poor decisions.
If you sit further away from the dealer then you can buy yourself some time. This means that you can review the cards properly and you can ensure that you’re using basic strategy rather than just reacting to a pressurised environment.
Statistics not hunches
The best blackjack players know that this is a casino game based on maths and statistics. Poorer players may well have fun when they take their chances but you can be sure that they aren’t winning consistently.
While some may argue that treating the game as being data-driven removes an element of enjoyment, we believe that many more would argue that profits equal pleasure. If you’re happy to simply hand over your money to the house, with no desire of getting it back, then yes hunches are fun. Those who win find their fun in other ways.
| 21+ | Terms & Conditions Apply | NJ Residents Only | ||
| 100% New Player Bonus up to $1000! Best Casino and Sportsbetting in NJ Slots and Live Casino Casino at bet365 – 100% New Player Bonus of up to $1,000! New Casino customers only. Deposit min. $10. Max. bonus $1,000. Value of deposit plus bonus must be wagered 20 times. Time limits and T&Cs apply. | Visit Casino |
