Luckylinks

• How To Win Blackjack Tournaments
• Blackjack Strategy To Win
• Best Blackjack Strategy
• How To Win Big At Blackjack
• How To Win Blackjack Rules

Rules

I overhear a lot of bad gambling advice in the casinos. Perhaps the most frequent is this one, 'The object of blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possible, without going over.' No! The object of blackjack is to beat the dealer. To beat the dealer the player must first not bust (go over 21) and second either outscore the dealer or have the dealer bust. Here are the full rules of the game.

Learning how to win blackjack tournaments may not be as tough as you think. You probably already know how to play blackjack and if you've already played in a blackjack tournament or poker tournament, you have some valuable background information.All you need now is to use some advanced strategy to propel you to the final table, where you have an excellent chance of taking down that nice first.

1. Blackjack may be played with one to eight decks of 52-card decks.
2. Aces may be counted as 1 or 11 points, 2 to 9 according to pip value, and tens and face cards count as ten points.
3. The value of a hand is the sum of the point values of the individual cards. Except, a 'blackjack' is the highest hand, consisting of an ace and any 10-point card, and it outranks all other 21-point hands.
4. After the players have bet, the dealer will give two cards to each player and two cards to himself. One of the dealer cards is dealt face up. The facedown card is called the 'hole card.'
5. If the dealer has an ace showing, he will offer a side bet called 'insurance.' This side wager pays 2 to 1 if the dealer's hole card is any 10-point card. Insurance wagers are optional and may not exceed half the original wager.
6. If the dealer has a ten or an ace showing (after offering insurance with an ace showing), then he will peek at his facedown card to see if he has a blackjack. If he does, then he will turn it over immediately.
7. If the dealer does have a blackjack, then all wagers (except insurance) will lose, unless the player also has a blackjack, which will result in a push. The dealer will resolve insurance wagers at this time.
8. Play begins with the player to the dealer's left. The following are the choices available to the player:
   • Stand: Player stands pat with his cards.
   • Hit: Player draws another card (and more if he wishes). If this card causes the player's total points to exceed 21 (known as 'breaking' or 'busting') then he loses.
   • Double: Player doubles his bet and gets one, and only one, more card.
   • Split: If the player has a pair, or any two 10-point cards, then he may double his bet and separate his cards into two individual hands. The dealer will automatically give each card a second card. Then, the player may hit, stand, or double normally. However, when splitting aces, each ace gets only one card. Sometimes doubling after splitting is not allowed. If the player gets a ten and ace after splitting, then it counts as 21 points, not a blackjack. Usually the player may keep re-splitting up to a total of four hands. Sometimes re-splitting aces is not allowed.
   • Surrender: The player forfeits half his wager, keeping the other half, and does not play out his hand. This option is only available on the initial two cards, and depending on casino rules, sometimes it is not allowed at all.
9. After each player has had his turn, the dealer will turn over his hole card. If the dealer has 16 or less, then he will draw another card. A special situation is when the dealer has an ace and any number of cards totaling six points (known as a 'soft 17'). At some tables, the dealer will also hit a soft 17.
10. If the dealer goes over 21 points, then any player who didn't already bust will win.
11. If the dealer does not bust, then the higher point total between the player and dealer will win.
12. Winning wagers pay even money, except a winning player blackjack usually pays 3 to 2. Some casinos have been short-paying blackjacks, which is a rule strongly in the casino's favor.

Wizard's Simple Strategy

I've been preaching for years that to play blackjack properly requires memorizing the basic strategy. However, after pitching the basic strategy for 20 years, I've learned that few people have the will to memorize it. In my book, Gambling 102, I presented a 'Simple Strategy,' which is seven simple rules to playing blackjack. The cost due to incorrect plays with the Simple Strategy is 0.53%, under liberal Vegas Strip rules.

Ever since my book was published it has bothered me that the cost in errors to my Simple Strategy was too high. So in September 2009 I developed the following 'Wizard's Strategy.' The cost due to imperfect plays is 0.14% only, relative to liberal Vegas Strip rules. That is the cost of one hand for about every 12 hours of play. Compared to the 250 cells in the Basic Strategy, the Wizard's Strategy has only 21, as follows.

Let me be perfectly clear that this strategy is not right 100% of the time. I continue to get Emails saying that when this strategy was used with my practice game, the player was corrected for following it. For example, my simple strategy says to stand on 12 against a 2, when it is mathematically better to hit. If you want to learn a strategy that is correct all the time you should use the appropriate basic strategy for the set of rules you are playing.

Here are some comments of clarification.

• A 'hard' hand is one that either has no aces, or has aces that are forced to count as point, lest the hand bust. A 'soft' hand is one with at least one ace, which may still count as one or eleven points.
• With a hard 10 or 11, double if you have more points than the dealer, treating a dealer ace as 11 points. Specifically, double with 10 against a 2 to 9, and with 11 against 2 to 10.
• If the strategy says to double, but you have three or more cards, or table rules don't allow soft doubling, then hit, except stand with a soft 18.
• If the strategy says to surrender (16 vs. 10), but you can't for whatever reason, then hit.
• If the strategy says to 'not split,' then treat the hand has a hard total of 8, 10, or 20, according to the pair in question.

A reader named Jeff provided another table of my simple strategy, with exceptions in small print. Details about the Wizard's Simple Strategy can be found in my Blackjack appendix 21.

Basic Strategy

For the appropriate basic strategy for just about any set of rules, please visit my basic strategy calculator. I still have my traditional charts too:

House Edge

See my Blackjack House Edge Calculator to determine the house edge under 6,912 possible rule combinations.

Rule Surveys

Las Vegas: I'm proud to feature up date blackjack rules for every casino in Las Vegas. The list is updated monthly, based on Stanford Wong's Current Blackjack Newsletter. Effective November 2009 the survey has been moved to my companion site, WizardOfVegas.com.

Rule Variations

How To Win Blackjack Tournaments

Following is a list of some common rule variations and the effect on the player's expected return compared to standard U.S. rules (8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, double after split allowed).

Rule Variations

Rule	Effect
Single deck	0.48%
Early surrender against ten	0.24%
Player may double on any number of cards	0.23%
Double deck	0.19%
Player may draw to split aces	0.19%
Six-card Charlie	0.16%
Player may resplit aces	0.08%
Late surrender	0.08%
Four decks	0.06%
Five decks	0.03%
Six decks	0.02%
Split to only 3 hands	-0.01%
Player may double on 9-11 only	-0.09%
Split to only 2 hands	-0.10%
European no hole card	-0.11%
Player may not double after splitting	-0.14%
Player may double on 10,11 only	-0.18%
Dealer hits on soft 17	-0.22%
Blackjack pays 7-5	-0.45%
Blackjack pays 6-5	-1.39%
Blackjacks pay 1 to 1	-2.27%

I also have a longer list of rule variations.

Beware Short Pays on a Blackjack

More and more tables are showing up that pay less than the full 3 to 2 on a blackjack. Most of these tables pay 6 to 5, but some even money and 7 to 5 tables are known to exist. I would estimate that 10% of '21' tables in Las Vegas now pay less than 3 to 2. In my opinion, only games that pay 3 to 2 deserve to be called 'blackjack,' the rest fall under '21' games, including Super Fun 21 and Spanish 21. Regardless of the other rules, you should demand nothing less than 3 to 2 blackjack. You should always check the felt to be sure, and if the felt doesn't say, look for a sign. If nothing says the win on a blackjack, then ask.

Articles about 6-5 Blackjack:

• Taking a hit: New blackjack odds further tilt advantage toward the house, Las Vegas Sun, Nov. 13, 2003.
• Tighter blackjack rules would hurt players' bankroll, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Feb. 4, 2011.

Bad Strategies

Three popular bad strategies encountered at the blackjack table are: never bust, mimic the dealer, and always assume the dealer has a ten in the hole. All three are very bad strategies. Following are my specific comments on each of them, including the house edge under Atlantic City rules (dealer stands on soft 17, split up to 4 hands, double after split, double any two cards) of 0.43%.

Never bust: For my analysis of this strategy I assumed the player would never hit a hard 12 or more. All other decisions were according to correct basic strategy. This 'never bust' strategy results in a house edge of 3.91%.

Mimic the dealer: For my analysis of this strategy I assumed the player would always hit 16 or less and stand on17 or more, including a soft 17. The player never doubled or split, since the dealer is not allowed to do so. This 'mimic the dealer' strategy results in a house edge of 5.48%.

Assume a ten in the hole: For this strategy I first figured out the optimal basic strategy under this assumption. If the dealer had an ace up, then I reverted to proper basic strategy, because the dealer would have peeked for blackjack, making a 10 impossible. This 'assume a ten' strategy results in a house edge of 10.03%.

Play Blackjack

Practice your blackjack game using my two training tools.

Practice Basis Strategy

Practice Card Counting

Written by: Michael Shackleford

Blackjack offers casino gamblers some of the best odds in the casino, especially if you’re a blackjack player who understands the game’s strategy. Blackjack players who win more than they lose combine an understanding of statistics with betting strategy and card counting to turn this classic casino table game into a profitable evening of entertainment.

Besides rigorous practice and experience playing blackjack, there are some things you can do to increase your profitability at the blackjack table. Follow these eight tips and you will be well on your way to winning at the blackjack table.

1. Memorize Basic Blackjack Strategy

Casinos sell strategy cards in the gift shop, but if you don’t want to shell out a couple of bucks, there are endless blackjack strategy charts you can find for free online. Do a little research and look for a chart that you like, one that is put together by a reputable source and that you find easy to read.

Now memorize that strategy chart. These charts offer the mathematically best possible play for any blackjack game situation. You can look at any combination of your point total and the dealer’s upcard, and these strategy charts will tell you the play that offers the best percentage chance to win.

2. Don’t Fall for Betting Strategies

It is smart to form your own betting style. This means figuring out how much you can afford to gamble and when you increase and decrease your wagers. This kind of betting strategy is smart.

The betting strategies that you should ignore use your past performance to determine how you should bet. These strategies circulate in email spam and on gambling forums online, and indicate that increasing and decreasing your bets based on a win or a loss will mean you never lose at the blackjack table. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and money if you ignore betting strategies that break the basic laws of gambling math. The cards don’t know if you’ve just lost or just won, so determining your wager based on past wins and losses is downright foolish.

On the other hand, if you can count cards, you’ll be raising and lowering your bets based on whether or not you have an advantage. In that case, you are affecting your potential win rate or loss rate by raising or lowering your bet sizes.

3. Learn the Rules of the Game

We’re not just talking about the basic game play rules for blackjack—every time you approach a blackjack table you should make sure you know the rules of the table. Some blackjack games offer small rule changes and tweaks to alter the way the game works, so familiarize yourself with the most popular rule variations before you hit the blackjack tables in Vegas.

An example of rule variations: outside of Atlantic City, some blackjack games offer a 6-5 payoff on a blackjack, instead of the more common 3-2 payoff. The 6-5 payoff is a much better deal for the casino. If you see a 6:5 payoff table, avoid it at all costs.

4. Have Confidence

Confidence is important in most life situations: going on a date, handling a job interview, and placing bets at a casino. The dealer in a game of blackjack is limited by the dealer’s rules. You aren’t limited, which gives you a definite advantage over the casino. This advantage should give you confidence, which should, in turn, mean better decision-making.

5. Study Card Counting

Card counting is the best legal way to gain a big advantage over the House. Card counting is completely legal, and though it requires a lot of study and practice, it turns the game of blackjack into a positive expectation game, meaning card counters actually have the edge over the casino.

Counting cards is nothing more than a way to figure out how much or how little to wager. Card counters keep track of how many different valued cards are in the shoe and how many have already been played, and place bets based on the quality of the shoe. Card counters say that anyone can learn the most basic card counting method and put it in practice at the blackjack table with about 40 hours of training and practice. Those 40 hours could mean hundreds of dollars for your blackjack bankroll.

6. Study, Study, Study

Blackjack Strategy To Win

Make sure the books on blackjack that you choose to read are written by people who know what they’re talking about. You can buy eBooks about blackjack online for 99 cents, but most of the time you’re going to get bad information or details on blackjack you could find for free elsewhere.

There are two books that every student of blackjack should read and learn from: Blackjack Secrets by Stanford Wong and Blackjack: The Real Deal by J. Phillip Vogel. Stanford Wong is famous because one of his techniques is specifically banned in most casinos (the mid-shoe entry), while J. Phillip Vogel is pretty much a regular Joe who found success playing blackjack. Both are excellent for people new to the game or those who have the basic rules and strategy down but want a little extra help.

7. Don’t Get Drunk

Casinos are known to ply gamblers with free drinks, and most people associate casino gambling with getting drunk. But numbing your mind with spirits or drugs will make you a worse blackjack player.

Online gamblers, with easy access to their personal stash and liquor cabinet, have proven this to be true. And if you’ve ever been on a little hot streak at the blackjack table, you know how quickly a free whiskey sour shows up at your elbow. Casinos do this for a reason–they want you a few drinks in to a bender, so your gambling instincts are slowed and you give some of that money back.

You can always hit the bar after a successful gambling session, so if you feel like it’s time to tie one on, cash in and stay away from the blackjack table.

Best Blackjack Strategy

8. Watch Your Bankroll

Part of knowing when to quit is preparing some bankroll strategy before you hit the casino. Set aside a certain amount for gambling, and when you’ve hit your maximum losses or maximum winnings, step away from the table. All gambling sessions have peaks and valley, so make sure and build in a certain amount of flexibility to your bankroll, but don’t let it be so flexible that you lose your shirt.

How To Win Big At Blackjack

How To Win Blackjack Rules

A blackjack player who follows all eight of these hints should find themselves winning more often at the blackjack table than a gambler who doesn’t. There is a huge advantage in learning basic blackjack strategy, keeping a running card count in your head, so follow the eight guidelines above and turn your blackjack gaming into a more profitable enterprise.