Blackjack is one of the most popular games here at Jackpot Capital online casino. Everyone wants to play blackjack well. There are several key elements to playing blackjack “like a pro”. First, you have to recognize that the player always plays first. That gives the house a distinct advantage. Still, by playing correctly on every hand, a player can reduce the house’s edge to a mere half percent.
How Can a Player Compensate for This Huge Disadvantage?
A player compensates because there are disadvantages for the house that are embedded in the rules.
One such rule is that the dealer has to hit with 16 or fewer points. This serves to turn the tide in many hands in the player’s favor.
Most losses in individual hands occur because the player has to go first. So, being aware of all of the ramifications of your next play is vital to turning a hand in your favor.
Look at Your Hand and the Dealer’s Card and “See” Them
So, the first element in playing blackjack correctly is to truly “see” both your point count and the dealer’s up card.
If the dealer has a 4, 5, or 6 showing, he has a poor hand. He might win the hand, but starting with a 4, 5, or 6 puts the dealer at a huge disadvantage. There is a very important element of blackjack strategy that forces a good blackjack player to hit with 12 or more points, but it doesn’t apply when the dealer shows a 4, 5, or 6.
Don’t Most Blackjack Players Stand with 12 Points or More?
We don’t know about most players, but certainly, a lot of players will automatically stand with 12 or more points because they don’t want to bust. However, it should be obvious that if the dealer can win the hand without taking any cards, that is, if he already has 17 or more points, then you, the player, should have taken a card even with 12 points.
At land-based casinos, where a few people might be playing blackjack at the same table, someone will blame the player who plays correctly for their losses.
This is one distinct drawback to playing blackjack at a land-based casino.
What About When the Dealer Shows a Three?
Now we have arrived at the point where we can learn the best strategy for blackjack from strategy charts, but we have to trust that the advice we are given is true. Research has been done on millions of blackjack hands, and statistically speaking, if you have 12 points and the dealer shows a 3, you should hit. But you should stand if the dealer shows a 4!
So, a major element in the best blackjack strategy is to trust the statistics.
For Players, 17 and 18 Points are Overrated Hands
You won’t hit with 17 or 18 points, no matter what the dealer is showing. Still, you should not feel that 17 or 18 points for the player are good, solid point counts. These point counts lose very often, and the house pushes these counts often as well.
For example, if you have 8 points and the dealer has 6 points, a lot of players will be tempted to double down, expecting the dealer to bust. However, the dealer often does not bust, and the player might end up with “only” 18 points, which is often either a push hand or a losing hand.
The fact that this play is also often a winning play does not contradict the statistics that say that hitting with 8 points is the much better option.
Pay Attention to All of Your Options
The player has several choices to make on every hand. They are:
- Hit
- Stand
- Double down
- Split
- Surrender
- Take insurance
Insurance Befuddles a lot of Players
Statistics tell us that taking insurance is a bad move over the long run. Insurance is offered when the dealer has an ace showing. She might have a blackjack. Insurance allows you to protect your bet from the dealer’s blackjack. But statistics tell the opposite reality, that insurance works a lot less often than it fails and therefore costs players money.
Surrender is a very good option when you have a very weak hand, such as a hard 16 points, and the dealer is showing a potentially strong hand. Surrender is the statistical opposite of insurance. For that reason, most blackjack tables do not offer the surrender option.
Free Play is Very Useful for Blackjack Players
A blackjack player who is determined to learn the best strategy for every hand will benefit tremendously by playing in free play mode here at Jackpot Capital. It is somewhat odd that some online casinos that offer unlimited free play don’t like to let gamers know about it.
Here at Jackpot Capital, we are proud of the fact that we offer unlimited free play. Not only is it good for blackjack players, but it is also good for any gamer who is playing a game he or she has never played before.
Finally, it is good optics to be able to say that we offer unlimited free play and for gamers to spread the word to friends.
Practice and Learned Expertise Take Emotions out of the Equation
There are times when emotions are desirable. Romance is one such occasion. Football is another. But everyday games you might play with a kid are no reason for you to be emotional. Kids often get emotional when they lose, but an adult should never get emotional when they lose.
Knowing the correct play on every hand and in every situation at blackjack takes the emotional, or should we say the over-emotional, out of the situation. Of course, when you end a session in the black, you can get as emotional about your win as you like!
One Final Word about Blackjack Strategy
Never play at a table where the house pays only 6-5 for a blackjack. This is not exactly a strategy, but it is very important. In this case, never really does mean never. It is better not to play than to play at the great disadvantage that 6-5 for a blackjack presents.
Here at Jackpot Capital, we pay 3-2 for a blackjack. That means that when you know the best strategy for every hand, and you follow the strategy even when you want to play the hand differently, your return to player rate will be about 99.5%. That means that for every $1000 you bet on blackjack, you can expect it to “cost” you $5.
Now that’s a good price for a few hours of fun and entertainment. It also means that just a little luck will put you in the back for the session.
Jackpot Capital Offers a Lot More Than Blackjack
We have about 400 games, great promotions with high deposit bonuses and free spins, safe gaming, and many variations of both blackjack and video poker. The return to player rate in video poker is also about 99.5% when you use the correct strategy on every hand.
Jackpot Capital has been around for many years already, and we have a very loyal base of gamers.