How Can You Increase Your Odds Of Winning At Blackjack?
Blackjack, or 21, is a very popular casino game in land-based and online casinos in New Zealand and around the world. And for good reason. It’s a classic game that anyone can try out whenever they want! Blackjack is a game that can be played with other players, but each player is competing directly against the dealer. And best online blackjack games in New Zealand allow you to play anywhere and at any time, even on your smartphone while waiting to pay for your Pineapple Lumps or Jaffas at the dairy.
However, playing blackjack and winning at it are two different concepts. To beginners it may seem to just be a game of chance, seeing which cards are dealt and who ends up with 21 points or the closest to it. However, the game is much more complex than that. Blackjack is a strategy game and there are many strategies out there, each with different levels of risk and different chances of winning. Want to increase your odds of winning next time you play? Study these tips of ours.
Never play 6-5 blackjack
Traditionally, blackjack games always paid out 3 to 2, meaning if you made a $10 bet, you would receive $15. A 6 to 5 table would only pay you $12 for your winning hand. The house edge nearly triples!
Play on a table where the dealer stands on soft 17
Generally a dealer must continue drawing cards until he or she has at least a hard 17 (Ace is 1 point). There are tables where instead the dealer stands on a soft 17. The house edge is significantly lowered, and you have a better chance of winning at one of these tables.
Always split your aces and your eights
If you receive a pair of aces, one is worth 11 points and the other 1 point, totalling 12 points. But if you split them, you will then have two chances to hit 21. And if you have a pair of eights, split immediately. This is the worst hand to have because you have 16 points. As a dealer must always draw until 17, 16 almost never wins. By splitting your eights, you have two chances of getting at least 18 points.
Soft doubles
Doubling down is when you double your initial wager after being dealt your first two cards. If you have anywhere from a soft 13 to a soft 18 and the dealer’s upcard is a 4, 5, or 6, then you generally should double.
NEVER take insurance
Insurance may look like a bet to keep you from losing too much money. This side bet is offered independently of the main wager and basically says the player thinks the dealer may have a blackjack on his or her initial hand due to having an ace as the upcard. Sure, an insurance wager pays out 2 to 1, but the odds of you winning are worse than that, so don’t waste your money.
Don´t make side bets
Actually, don’t make any side bets at all, ever. They are popular but the house edge can be as high as 20 percent on these! Other side bets include:
- “Lucky Lucky”: your entire hand + dealer’s up-card = 19, 20, or 21
- “Perfect Pairs”: your initial hand is a pair
- “Match the Dealer”: one or both of your cards is the same as the dealer’s card
- “Bust It”: the first card the dealer draws will bust his hand
Ignore other players
Blackjack is an independent game. Remember, it is each player against the dealer, not against one another. This also means it also isn’t a team effort. Do not worry about how other people at the table are playing their hands and their strategies, just focus on your own.
Avoid progressive betting like the plague
A progressive betting system is one in which you adjust your wager based on the outcome of your previous hand. It’s a simple strategy and a damn stupid one. Always doubling your bet every time you lose? You’re just going to lose all your money faster.
Surrendering doesn’t mean giving up
Sometimes it is better to late surrender a hand and only lose half of your initial water than play through and lose it all. If you’ve a hard 16 and you can, then surrender it to a dealer’s 10 upcard. This will reduce the house edge.
A continuous shuffler machine? No thanks!
A continuous shuffler machine automatically shuffles the cards after each round played. More hands will be dealt each hour meaning more of your bankroll gets exposed to the house edge. Not good. Rather, choose a table with either a mechanical shuffler that only shuffles cards after at least half or three-quarters have been played or where the dealer manually shuffles.
Stick to your limits!
Before you begin playing, set a cap on the amount of money you can lose and stick to it. You should only wager money that you can lose without problems. Playing responsibly leads to more fun!