Blackjack Basics, a lesson at Learn to Play Blackjack
Program
is for new
players, but first let’s face some facts.
FACT:
Blackjack is your best bet in a casino.
FACT:
The majority of casino players play the slots.
Do you see something wrong here? I do, which is why I asked
several of my die-hard, slot- playing friends why they don't play
blackjack.
In
a nutshell, their response went something like this:
"I'm afraid of making a playing mistake that will screw
up the blackjack table and cause players to lose".
OK, being intimidating is a fair reason for not playing. But
how does a wannabe player overcome this fear?
According to a
psychologist
friend-of-mine to overcome someone's fear of doing something you've got
to
"build up their confidence in whatever they are afraid of doing".
Webster's dictionary defines confidence as "a faith or
belief that one will act in a right, proper, or effective way".
My task with this Blackjack Basics lesson is to build the confidence of
all you
slots-only players to play this game by explaining to you the right and
effective way to play.
I'm game if you are so let's give it a try.
Blackjack
Basics 1
First, you've got to understand the playing rules.
The game is
played with one or more decks of
cards.
Whether a casino uses one or 8 decks is for the
moment of no consequence
so don't worry about it.
In blackjack, every card in the
52-card deck counts its
face value and you can ignore the suits.
Picture cards have
a value of 10 and
the ace has a value of 11 or 1 (your choice). A blackjack, which is the
highest
hand, consists of an ace plus any ten value card (10, jack, queen, or
king).
Blackjacks are special because players win an extra payoff
(1.5 times their
initial bet).
Blackjack
Basics 2
Next up is to understand the objective of
the
game.
You
might think this is trivial but you'd be surprised at how many players
believe
the objective is to get to as close to 21 as possible. Wrong.
The objective is to add up the values of all the cards in
your hand and hope that your hand totals higher than the dealer or you
can win
if your hand totals 21 or less when the dealer busts.
The
latter is a term that
means a dealer or player's hand has exceeded 21.
Here are some examples of how you win or lose your hand.
If
your hand totals 19 and the dealer's hand is 17 you win, (you get paid
1 to
1). If you have a
16 (or any total under
21) and the dealer busts you win.
If you have 19 and the
dealer has 20, you
lose. By the way, if you and the dealer have the same total that's a
push or
tie and you don't win or lose. So if you have an 18 and the dealer has
an 18,
it's a push and you don't lose your initial bet.
Blackjack
Basics 3
Play begins after players make their bets in the betting
area in front of them. If you don't have any casino chips to bet with,
just
place your money on the layout after a round is over and ask the dealer
for
chips. The dealer will count your cash and exchange them for casino
chips.
After all bets are made, the dealer will deal two cards to
each player and one card face up and one face down to himself.
Sometimes
the
dealer will deal the player cards face up and other times face down or
one up
and one down.
Not to worry because it really doesn't make a difference
which way he does it. However, as a general rule, when multiple decks
of cards
are dealt from a device known as a dealing shoe, the player cards are
dealt
face up. In single deck games, player's cards are usually 'pitched' by
the
dealer face down.
Blackjack
Basics 4
Always remember that when you play, it's you against the
dealer. Don't worry about what cards your fellow players get because
that is
not what's important. Just focus on your hand and the value of the
dealer's
upcard.
Blackjack
Basics 5
Players have certain playing options available to them to
try to improve their hand. By using these options correctly, you can
significantly reduce the casino's edge.
Let's start with
hitting and standing
and we'll assume a typical 6-deck game dealt from a shoe.
Taking a hit means you want the dealer to give you another
card. You would normally take a hit when the value of your hand is low.
The
risk when you hit is that if you bust you automatically lose.
You
must signal
the dealer that you want another card by making a beckoning motion with
your
finger or scratching it on the felt (this is done for security reasons).
When you ask for
another card the dealer will
give it to you face up. You can ask for as many cards as you want but
remember
the automatic loss rule if you bust.
If you are satisfied with the
total
of
your hand, you should
stand. Signal this to the dealer by waving your hand over the cards.
Blackjack
Basics 6
You can double your initial wager by one of two ways. The
first is known as doubling down and the second is pair splitting. These
are
very important playing plays so pay attention.
When you want to double down, you match your original bet by
placing the equivalent amount of chips next to (not on top) of your
original
bet.
The dealer will give you one and only one more card.
Strategically, it's
wise to double down when your initial two-card hand totals 11 or 10.
You are
hoping of course to draw a 10 or picture card for a 20 or 21. Sometime
it works
and sometimes it doesn't but in the long run, you'll win more money by
doubling
down on these hands compared to hitting (we'll cover the strategy on
when to
double down in a moment).
If you have a pair (or two
like cards), players have the
option of splitting them and playing out two hands.
Suppose
you bet $5 and are
dealt a pair of 8's for a 16. You are much better off splitting the 8's
and
playing two hands starting with 8 then playing the initial hand as a
16.
To
initiate the pair splitting you would double your bet just like you do
when you
double down (place the secondary bet next to the initial bet).
Blackjack
Basics 7
Finally, there is this option known as insurance. It's a bad
bet for players so I won't even waste anytime explaining the bet.
Just
do
nothing when the dealer asks players if they want to make the insurance
bet.
It’s also a confidence builder if you attend the free
lessons offered by the casino. Don’t expect them to teach you the best
way to
play your hands. But you’ll get the chance to sit at a table and
observe the
mechanics of the game under the watchful eye of a dealer instructor.
Once you get the hang of how the game is played, you need to
learn the basic playing strategy. You can take a basic strategy card
with you
when you play (they are casino legal).
So what are you
waiting for? Blackjack
is fun and it’s the best gamble in the casino.
Blackjack
Basics is followed by Reasons to consider Blackjack
OR
Return
to Learn to Play Blackjack Program
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