Blackjack For Beginners

  

How to Play Blackjack for Beginners Scoring Methodology. In blackjack scoring, card values in are similar to most table games with the exception of the Ace. Winning and Losing. Not surprisingly, the best possible hand to have in blackjack is called 'blackjack' which is. Hard and Soft Hands.

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  • Blackjack for Beginners Last updated on June 4, 2014 at 4:39 AM Blackjack is one of the most popular card games, second only to poker. Commonly referred to as 21, blackjack is a comparing game, meaning that each player competed against the dealer instead of against one another.
  • Blackjack Tips for Beginners. Experienced players and owners of casinos acknowledge that it is blackjack that is the most profitable casino game today. In roulette, for example, everything depends on your luck, and blackjack is a game where a lot depends on your decisions. By the way, casino owners regularly organize very exciting blackjack tournaments with serious prizes.

This is everything you ever wanted to know about how to play Blackjack like a pro but were too ashamed to ask.

Bryce Carlson, Edward O. Thorp, Arnold Snyder, Russ Hamilton, Don Johnson.

If these names don't ring any bells, then you're probably here to pick a trick or two before your next beer-and-Blackjack session with the guys.

Though gambling is not necessarily your passion in life, you certainly deserve to see their baffled faces as you show them how to play Blackjack.

And who knows?

Maybe in time, you'll get to sit at the big shots' table and make some serious dough.

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Blackjack 101

Since this is a guide on demand – made especially for rookies without any real experience or proper Blackjack skills – I'll start by introducing the game.

Blackjack might not the easiest way to spend your free time, but it is a good choice when you play Casino games.

Personally, I think it's the best game on the Casino floor.

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Of course, you can always host a Blackjack party at your home - if your friends share your passion. Some Casinos chips and a few decks of French playing cards are all you need to get the game going.

Whatever your choice is, you'll need a solid knowledge the basics of Blackjack, of the rules, and of the best strategy to play and to increase your winning odds.

Which One Is the Spade Again?

Like you can not learn a language before you studied its alphabet, you need to start from the basics if you really want to learn how to play Blackjack.

That's why this Blackjack guide starts from the A-B-C of the game.

I'm going to call this 'first lesson' How to Play Blackjack and What the Cards Mean.

This may be the last chance for you to clear any confusion surrounding card symbols and to finally learn to read them right.

Don't miss it.

Let's start from a classic deck of French cards because that's what you need to play Blackjack.

Yes, these are the same cards your grandfather use to play Slapjack, Crazy Eights, and Three-Card Poker.

In total, the deck features 52 cards divided into four different suits:

  • Clubs (♧)
  • Diamonds (♢)
  • Hearts (♥)
  • Spades (♤)

Spades and clubs are coloured in black while diamonds and hearts are coloured in red.

But since we are on PokerNews, I'm assuming you knew that already.

A traditional deck has 13 ranks and each suite has one card per each rank.

The first card is the ace (A), but it's not exactly the equivalent of a 1. In fact, this card can be the highest-ranking card of the deck.

The following ten cards form a string from two (2) to ten (10/T), while the last three are the Jack (J), Queen (Q), and King (K).

These last three cards are called the face cards.

Blackjack For Beginners

Oh Wait, How Much Did I Just Score?

But 'I just want to learn how to play Blackjack', you say?

'I don't need you to remind me of my grandpa and his dusty old cards!'

I hear you, but be patient.

I'll get to that in less than a minute.

The reason I needed to dust off your grandfather's old deck of cards is that Blackjack has some restrictions when it comes to using suits.

In fact, suits are of value only in some variants of this game.

Since this is a Blackjack for dummies guide, you are free to ignore them now.

For

What's Really Important Here Is Getting to Know Your Ranks.

Since there are four suits, and each suit has one card of each rank, the math says that there are only four cards of each rank in the deck, right?

Scoring in Blackjack depends on the ranks a player holds in his or her hand, and his or her ability to count them according to the rules:

  • Each ace is worth either 1 or 11 points.
  • For all cards that belong to the two-to-ten string, the rule is the same – their rank equals their point value. If you hold a 5, for example, you hold exactly 5 points.
  • Every face card, be it a Jack, a Queen, or a King, is worth 10 points.

So - let's see now how much did you just score.

Translate the ranks of cards you hold to their point value and add it all up.

Playing Blackjack For Beginners

That's really as easy as that. Your score in Blackjack is the sum of the value of your cards - not one point less than that.

And Now for the Easy Blackjack Rules (Finally).

When you play a game of Blackjack, you always play against the dealer.

Don't think about the other players at the table. Regardless of how many of you sit to play at the same time, there are always only two hands in play – the player's hand versus the dealer's hand.

And the winning hand in Blackjack is, you guessed it, the higher hand. Which, if you are lucky enough to get it, is also the one that gives its name to the game: a Blackjack.

A Blackjack is a hand 2-card hand that totals 21 points.

This is not an easy one to get, be sure of that. But it is also the one you'll be always hoping to receive. Every. Single. Time. You play.

But What about the Losing Hand?

The losing hand, the dead hand, or the bust, is every hand with a total sum of 22 or higher.

That's because as soon as you geo over the 21-point limit, you are out of the game. Regardless of the dealer's score.

Unfortunately, that's not the only losing hand in Blackjack. Because each hand that is one point short compared to the dealer's score…it's a losing one.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how to play Blackjack for dummies.

Blackjack 102

Your typical casino Blackjack table has enough space for seven players plus a dealer and includes the following phrases and/or signs:

  • Blackjack plays x to y
  • Dealer must draw to 16 and stand on all 17s
  • Pays 2 to 1
  • The table limits (min / max bet allowed)

What's That Nonsense on the Table?

Remember how a Blackjack – which is a hand with 2 cards that total 21, and is higher than the dealer's – automatically wins the game?

Well, that's almost true.

If the dealer also holds a 21, then the result is a so-called Push, meaning that your initial bet is returned to you and you neither win nor lose.

Blackjack pays 3 to 2, or in some Casinos, Blackjack pays 6 to 5, refers to payoffs and odds.

If you win against the dealer's hand, your initial bet is paid off 3 to 2, or in some casinos, 6 to 5.

With Insurances pays 2 to 1, you're offered to put an additional bet on whether or not your dealer will get a Blackjack.

Your hand can lose against the dealer's hand, but then you might cover your lost bet with a win on an insurance bet. Word to the wise, you can drop them both.

$5 minimum, $500 maximum is simply a reminder of the smallest and the largest amount of money you can put on the table.

A good guide on how to play Blackjack online should always direct you to play your first games on websites where the minimum bet is small enough to be beginner-friendly.

That's why I want to give you two choices:

  • You can use these demo games to practice Blackjack online
  • Or you can play cheap Blackjack games here
Blackjack tips for beginners

Should I Hit or Should I Stand?

Blackjack begins after all players have exchanged their money for chips and placed them on the designated spot on the table as their bets.

The dealer then deals the cards – two of them for each player, including himself.

The cards can be dealt either face down or face up, apart from the dealer's own two cards, of which one is always dealt face up and another face down.

The dealer then peaks to check if he's been dealt a Blackjack.

If not, the players are invited to hit or stand, though there are three more options to choose from – splitting, doubling down, or surrendering.

How you play your hand depends on the cards both you and the dealer have.

When you go for hitting, you're dealt one additional card.

If you choose to stand instead, you're keeping the cards you have.

To qualify for splitting, you need to have two cards of the same rank.

You'll receive two cards more, one for each of the cards you've originally been dealt, pay a side bet, and then start playing with two independent hands.

Both their bets and their payoffs are independent too.

When you double down, you need to place an additional bet, after which you'll receive one card more to add to your original hand.

The rules for surrendering vary from one casino to another, in a sense that some offer an early surrender option – to drop out of the hand before the dealer checks his cards for a Blackjack – and others a later surrender option, in which you must wait until after he's done that.

Either way, you agree to give up a half of the bet and are free to walk away with the rest.

How Do I Choose to Play a Hand?

The basic Blackjack strategy for beginners relies on knowing how to discern a hard hand from a soft one. The simplest way? Look for the aces!

If there's no an ace in it, or if that ace counts not as 11, but as 1, then you've got yourself a hard one, and you don't have much wiggle room.

Hard hands cannot count on aces to lower the total down and can be dangerously close to surpassing the limit of 22, which automatically makes them bust. Hitting is here quite a risk.

In a soft hand, however, you can count an ace either as a 1 or 11. It means that if another card is, say, a 9, you have either a total of 10, which makes you eligible for hitting or a total of 20, which could make your hand a bust if you choose to hit and receive anything but another ace.

But wait, there's more.

All this would be of little value if you were to leave without these Blackjack tips for beginners:

  • Always check the dealer's face up card before you take action.

    If it's anything between 2 and 6, there's a good chance the dealer's hand will go bust, so don't take unnecessary risks. If it's 7 through ace, take your chances and play the hand aggressively.

  • Skip placing the side bet for insurance pays 2 to 1.

    Experts calculate that this bet gives the house the advantage of almost 6% over the player. It's dumb because even if you score a Blackjack, your hand will pay off only the original bet.

  • Be smart enough to take your time and don't get burned.

    The dealer might be rushing, so avoid the first base chair. Also, start small and give yourself a moment to assess the situation. Blackjack is only fun if you know how and when to move on.

  • Oh, and take a primer from a Blackjack expert.

    When asked how to play Blackjack for beginners, gambling expert John Marchell spilt the following pearls of wisdom:

    'When your hand is 12-16 and the dealer shows 2-6, stand. In the same situation, hit only if the dealer has 7-ace. Always split aces and 8s and double 11 versus the dealer's 2-10, and hit or double aces-6.

    Also, blow off the guy who claims to be a Blackjack expert.'

That's how Bryce Carlson, Edward O. Thorp, Arnold Snyder, Russ Hamilton, and Don Johnson began counting their cards, after all.

Memorize this, try it on your friends, and stop if you're losing.

And though it won't save you if you're bad at math, we wish you good luck.

Blackjack Lessons For Beginners

Where Can I Practice Blackjack Online?

Now, to the million dollar question:

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A lot of blackjack tips pages don’t account for the skill level of the reader. You’ll find people suggesting that you learn to count cards or that you practice shuffle tracking.

Such advice is fine, for the most part, but it’s not suitable for most blackjack beginners.

This post consists of my seven best blackjack tips for beginners. To become a better blackjack player, keep reading below and start applying the following strategies and tips.

1. Master Basic Strategy

Honestly, if you ignored all the other tips on this list and just mastered basic strategy, you’d be way ahead of most other blackjack players.

What’s basic strategy? Well, it’s the mathematically optimal play in every blackjack situation.

You have the following information during each blackjack hand:

  1. You know what total you have.
  2. You know one of the dealer’s two cards.

A basic strategy table compares your total with the dealer’s face-up card to give you the mathematically best play.

In some situations, the mathematically correct decision is the one that loses the least amount of money over time. In others, the mathematically correct decision is the one that wins the most money over time.

Basic strategy doesn’t change based on your gut feelings, either. If you use basic strategy when you play blackjack, you face a house edge of between 0.5% and 1%—assuming you’re not playing in a game with a terrible set of rules (like a 6/5 game, for example).

If you ignore basic strategy, you’re probably dealing with a house edge of 3% to 4%. That’s a lot of money to lose just because you didn’t want to memorize basic strategy.

You can find basic strategy tables on hundreds of sites on the internet, but you can also find text explanations for how to play each hand correctly. You can even buy a plastic laminated basic strategy card in the gift shop at the casino.

2. Never Take Insurance

The only time that taking insurance is mathematically correct is if you’re counting cards. Since this is a list of blackjack tips for the beginner, that doesn’t apply to you.

Insurance is a side bet that the dealer has a 10 in the hole. It pays off at 2:1. The casino calls it “even money,” but the truth is, the house has a high edge on the insurance bet.

Let’s assume you’re playing in a single-deck game, and the dealer has an ace showing. You have two cards, too, and neither of them is a 10. This means you have 49 cards that aren’t accounted for in the deck. Of those, 16 of them are worth 10—all the jacks, queens, kings, and 10s.

So, you have 33 ways to lose the insurance bet compared to 16 ways to win. The bet pays off at 2:1, which is the same as 32:16. That’s one extra way that the casino has to win means that the casino has an edge, but how much of an edge?

Let’s say you bet $100 on insurance 49 times. You’d win $200 on 16 of those bets, for total winnings of $3,200. But you’d also lose $100 on 33 of those bets, for total losses of $,3300.

That’s a net loss of $100 on 49 bets, or an average loss of $2.04 per hand. This means the house edge for the insurance bet is at least 2.04%. And that edge goes up if you have a card worth 10 in your hand, because you have more ways to lose.

It’s crazy to make a bet with a house edge of 2% in a game where the house edge is only 0.5%. Insurance is a sucker bet. Just don’t take it.

3. Play in the Good Blackjack Games

The rules from one blackjack game to another vary. You should play in the game with the best rules you can find.

What kinds of rules variations should you look for?

  • Probably the best variation is a game played from a single deck. Always find the game being dealt from the fewest number of decks.
  • If you can find a single deck game or even a game dealt from two decks, go for that game (everything else being equal).
  • Next, look for games where the dealer must stand on ANY total of 17. If the dealer hits a soft 17, the house edge goes up.

It’s beyond the scope of this post to cover all the possible rules variations, but those are two of the biggest to look for: the number of decks and whether the dealer hits a soft 17 or not.

Blackjack For Beginners Free

4. Don’t Mess With Counting Cards

It isn’t as hard as you think to learn how to count cards, but if you’re a beginner, you should focus on mastering basic strategy. If you can’t play with perfect basic strategy on every hand, counting cards won’t help you much anyway.

The concept behind counting cards is probably easy to understand. The idea is that the ratio of high cards to low cards changes because of the random nature of the game. Sometimes, the remaining cards in the deck are mostly high cards, and sometimes they’re mostly low cards.

High cards are 10s and aces, and they’re important because they increase your probability of getting a natural.

What should you do if you have a better chance of getting a blackjack? Obviously, you should bet more.

Counting cards doesn’t mean memorizing which cards have been played so that you know which cards are still in the deck. You just assign a score to each card, usually +1 or -1, and keep a running count.

But if you’re a beginner, focus on mastering basic strategy first. You can learn to count cards when you become an intermediate player.

5. Skip 6/5 Blackjack Games

A recent trend in Vegas blackjack is to offer games where the payoff for a natural is 6:5 instead of 3:2. Some casinos even brag about it as if it’s a boon to the player.

The idea is that six is a bigger number than three, so unsophisticated gamblers (beginners) will think 6/5 blackjack is a better deal. But it’s not.

It’s a terrible deal and adds 1.5% or so to the house edge. A 3:2 payout on a $100 bet is a $150 payout. A 6:5 payout on that same $100 bet is a $120 payout.

Sure, you’ll only get a blackjack once out of every 20 hands or so, but why would you want to give up $30 per hand? That $30, averaged over 20 hands, is an additional loss of $1.50 per hand.

Let supply and demand send 6/5 blackjack to the graveyard where it belongs.

6. Skip Video Blackjack

Blackjack Instructions For Beginners

Video blackjack games vary widely. Some of them only offer even-money payouts on a natural. Obviously, you should avoid those games.

Blackjack For Beginners App

Video blackjack games generally deal from eight decks that are shuffled after every hand. The rules are usually worse than the rules at any of the table versions of blackjack.

On top of all that, video blackjack is twice as fast as playing at a table with a dealer, which means you’ll put twice as much money into action per hour.

Blackjack has the lowest edge in the casino, but it’s still an edge for the casino, NOT the player. The more money you put into action per hour, on average, the more money you lose, on average.

Suppose you see 100 hands of blackjack per hour at a standard table, and you play for $5 per hand. That’s $500 in action. With a house edge of 0.5%, the house expects to win $2.50 per hour from you.

Double the number of hands per hour on a video blackjack game, and even if you’re facing the same rules, you’ll lose $5 per hand.

Why lose more money per hour playing blackjack than you have to? Just say no to video blackjack.

7. Practice Online

One of the greatest things about the internet is the availability of free games at real money online casinos. Beginners can get a feel for how the actions work in a blackjack game without having to leave their homes or taking as much risk.

You can plop down in front of your laptop and play some of the free games at any of the casinos or gambling sites recommended on this site. You don’t have to wager a single dollar at these sites ever. If you do decide you want to play online blackjack for real money, you can do so after having practiced and getting the hang of all the actions.

Of course, knowing how to double down and split will come in handy when you play for the first time in a live casino, too.

Conclusion

This page on blackjack tips for beginners was meant to offer advice specifically to those who are just getting started. That’s why I didn’t go into detail about how to count cards or about the specifics of basic strategy.

I hope you found it helpful. If you’d like to learn more about blackjack strategies and tips on how to become a better gambler, this site offers plenty of information for you to utilize. Good luck at the tables!