Is it true that the house always wins?
When we play at casinos we play for the fun of the game, right? While that may be the case, none of us wants to be literally giving our money away. We still want to believe that we’re in with a shot of winning and taking money from the house. Is that belief a little misguided or can you really beat the house? Read more about the house edge on casino games.
The truth is that casinos are businesses. They have to win so that they can survive. That being said, blackjack is a game that gives you a legitimate chance of winning. Despite this, there are plenty of players who manage to burn through their bankroll and walk away with nothing. How can this happen in a game that has the lowest house edge going? Well, there are a few reasons that players keep on losing and once you understand these, you may be able to avoid them.
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The speed of the game
One of the attractions of blackjack is that it naturally has a low house edge. You don’t even need a specific blackjack strategy to be able to benefit from a house edge that is as low as 2%. This means a loss of around $2 for every $100 that is wagered. The problem is that players lose the advantage when the game progresses so quickly. It’s likely that you’ll see 200 hands being played in an hour and players find it hard to stay on top of their casino game.
If you can take a degree of control and slow the game down, you’ll find yourself getting better blackjack results. Of course, you don’t want to slow the game so much that it ruins the experience, but you do want to be able to catch your breath and be aware of what’s going on in the game.
You don’t know the best games to play – Consider the house edge
Yes, blackjack has an inherently low house edge, but that doesn’t mean that casinos always want to keep it this way. They ensure that casino floors are flooded with games that bring the advantage back in their direction. Players often seem completely unaware of some of the rule changes that have taken place and just play at any table that they come across.
One of the biggest examples here is the payout on a natural blackjack. While players have long benefited from a 3:2 payout, why are they playing at tables where this is now 6:5. Choose your game of blackjack wisely and keep the edge.
Ignoring the obvious when it comes to the house edge
There are players who will just play and not take any kind of strategy into account. Then there are others who look for the most complex of strategies going and only end up confusing themselves. The reality is that blackjack’s basic strategy is still one of the best that you can follow, but so many people choose to ignore it.
If you employ this basic strategy you will find that it brings huge benefits. It can bring the house edge down to 0.5% and vastly increase your chances of winning. This strategy has been around since the 1970s so it’s certainly nothing new. However, it still works so if you don’t want the house to win, why not start to use it.
Consider your bet sizes
If you’re playing blackjack in a casino, the best style of betting is a flat one. It can be tempting to increase your bet size after a few losses with the hope of winning some of it back. However, what generally happens is that you don’t recoup your losses, you simply make them even bigger.
Your time at a online casino should be fun and you want to keep that fun going for as long as possible. If you keep increasing your bet size you’re going to burn through your bankroll and need to make an early exit from the table.
The dealer advantage
There is one aspect of blackjack, benefiting the house, that you just can’t get away from: the fact that you act before the dealer. Perhaps you’re sitting at a table and you can see that the sealer is showing a Jack. You, and everyone else at the table, hit and ultimately go bust. With all of you out of the game, the dealer wins without ever having to do anything. You then find that the second card was a two and you may question your earlier decision making!
Just remember that this advantage exists. Don’t try and play like the dealer as you cant match this.
Card counting is being defeated
Pretty much every blackjack player understands that card counting can give them the edge. The problem is that casinos realize this too and they’re hardly big fans! This means that they go out of their way to make card counting as hard as possible.
You’ll no doubt have noticed the constant shuffling machines and eight-deck shoes at your casino. These are present for one reason only: to slow you down with your card counting. They’ll also be keeping a watchful eye on all of the players and anyone caught card counting may be asked to leave, and may even be banned from ever returning.
Swinging the house edge back in your favor
There may well be plenty of points that are helping the house to win, but you can still turn the tide and bring the advantage back. The best way to do this is to learn card counting. Practice it and perfect it. Yes, casinos are making it harder, and yes you may be asked to leave, but guess what? It really works.
As well as mastering card counting be sure to nail the basic blackjack strategy. Get a copy of the chart and practice at home. Then when you next visit a casino be sure to use the strategy on every hand.
The final thing to do is to only play the games that come with the best rules. Find out which have the rules that go against you and be sure to avoid them.
| 21+ | Terms & Conditions Apply | NJ Residents Only | ||
| $25 FREE on Signup 100% up to $1.000 on First Deposit Hotspot Leaderboard | Visit Casino |
