Learning new blackjack skills
If you’re keen to improve your blackjack game then it makes sense that you need to learn new blackjack skills. The truth is that the basic game is extremely easy to learn. It takes just a matter of moments to get your head around how it works and to start playing for real money. However, knowing the basics isn’t enough if you want to take your game to the next level and to start winning on a more regular, and frequent, basis. Let´s read more about learning new blackjack skills.
There is a saying that blackjack takes a matter of minutes to learn but then a whole lifetime to master. There is certainly a degree of truth to this. When you start to drill down into the detail of the game and the various strategies that exist, there are always ways of improving how you play.
It’s important to approach blackjack skills one at a time. Master just one so that you’ve fully cracked it before you get tempted to move on to the next. Here’s a look at the blackjack skills that we think you need to be learning.
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Learning new blackjack skills #1 – Blackjack bets
If you want to play blackjack, after you know the basics of how the game works, you need to know how to place a bet. This applies whether you’re playing for real money or playing for free. The only difference is that when playing for free, your chips won’t lead to you being able to withdraw money. Instead, they’ll credit you so that you can play further free games. Of course, playing for free is more about online casinos than land-based ones.
When it comes to getting in on a hand, you need to place a minimum qualifying bet. It will be clearly displayed what this amount is. When a bet has been placed, the dealer will start dealing one card to every player before dealing themselves one which is faced down. Each player is then dealt a second card and the dealer gives themselves a final card that is face up. At this point, you have the option to increase your wager.
Learning new blackjack skills #2 – Basic strategy
Basic strategy, we’d suggest, is the skill that you should learn before you begin playing for real money. This strategy shows players exactly what move they should make deepening upon the hand that they’re holding. These moves are all based on maths and probability and are well worth learning.
It’s easy to come across a basic blackjack strategy chart that tells you all that you need to know. In the early days, there’s no reason why you can’t have this chart with you while you play. Many casinos will be quite happy for you to have the chart with you and to refer to it throughout a game. However, the best thing is to commit this strategy to memory. This makes you appear much more professional and it also allows the game to flow.
The reason that blackjack basic strategy is a must is that it helps to reduce the house edge. This is a game that is favoured by many because the house edge is so low, but you only ever really benefit from this by employing basic strategy. Ignore this and you’ll never be able to get the most from the game.
Learning new blackjack skills #3 – Hitting in blackjack
Hopefully, you already know that hitting means that you ask the dealer for another card after you’ve been dealt your original two. You should always hit if your hand is eight or less. If you have nine, you should double if you can see that the dealer has a three, four, five or six. If the dealer’s card is higher than this then you should hit.
If you find yourself with a hand worth 10, you should double if the dealer’s card is anywhere from a two to a nine. If the dealer has a card that’s higher than a nine then you should hit on your 10. If you find yourself holding 12 then you should be standing if the dealer has four, five or six. Otherwise, you should hit.
In cases when you’re holding 13, 14, 15 or 16 you should look to stand if the dealer has six or fewer. If the dealer is showing a higher card than you should hit. Lastly, if you have 17, 18, 19, 20 or 21 you should always stand.
Soft hands in blackjack #4
The first thing here is to know what a soft hand is. This is when you hold an ace and any other card. The reason that this is referred to as a soft hand is that the ace can be worth either one or 11. As an example, you may hold an ace and a five. In this case, your hand could be worth either six or 16. This means that you have more options here.
If the dealer is showing a five or a six, you should double if you’re holding ace two or ace three. If the dealer is showing any other card then you should always hit. You should double when you’re holding ace four or ace five if the dealer is showing anything between two and nine. If the card is anything else, you should always hit.
If the dealer is showing anything from three to six, you should double if you have ace six. If the dealer is showing anything higher than a six then the right thing to do is hit.
If you find yourself holding ace seven then you should stand when the dealer is showing two, seven or eight. If the dealer has three to six then you should double. If the dealer’s card is eight or more then you should hit. Lastly, if you have either ace eight or ace nine you should always stand.
Final thoughts
These blackjack skills are worth mastering to start with. Once you have these under your belt, it’s then worth moving on to consider the likes of splitting and card counting. All of these skills will add to your game and make you a better blackjack player.
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