Blackjack—Aces High
Blackjack, when played properly, is one of the best games in a casino.
House Edge: 0.5% to 2%
Avoid Bad Payouts
Maximizing your chances of winning at blackjack begins with choosing where to play, as the rules and payouts aren’t universal. Never gamble at a casino that pays only 6:5 on a blackjack hand, instead of 3:2. If your bet was $20, that’s a difference between winning $24 or winning $30. Also, if you find a casino where the dealer has to stick on 17 play there versus a place that lets the dealer hit on “soft 17,” an ace and a six, as that gives a big advantage to the house.
Skip The Insurance
Casinos will gladly offer you insurance when the dealer is showing an ace, a side bet sold to cut your risk of a dealer blackjack, but the house holds a whopping 6 percent edge on that bet.
Change Your Bets
To limit losses and maximize gains, I’d recommend the following strategy for recreational players. Never bet the same amount of money every time, as you’ll have zero chance of winning against the house percentage. When you win a hand, increase your bet. When you lose a hand, go back to your original wager. Here’s how to do it: If you’re a $5 bettor, bet each winning hand as follows, for 10 (or more) straight winning hands: For the first hand bet $5. If you win, bet $10. Then bet $15, $15, $25, $30, $40, $50, $50, $75, until the streak ends. At that point, always revert back to your original bet.
If you’re betting $10 to start, the progression is slightly different: $10, $20, $20, $30, $40, $50, $50, $75, $75, $100. The $25 progression is: $25, $50, $50, $60, $75, $75, $100, $100, $125, $150. Betting this way allows you to win the maximum when you’re on a winning streak, and lose the minimum when you’re on a losing streak.
Know When To Hold
Hitting or staying depends not only on your cards, but what the dealer has. Hit on 12 to 16 when the dealer is showing seven or higher. Same hand, and the dealer is showing a two to six, don’t hit. (Except if you have a 12, and dealer has a two or three.) If the dealer has a 10-value card, hit until you get 17 or higher.
Other hands get a bit more complicated. If the dealer has seven, eight or nine, hit if you’re holding nine or less or 12 to 16, stand at 17 or more, and if you have 10 or 11 double down (double your bet and get only one more card). If the dealer has four, five or six, hit if you have eight or less, stand on 12 or higher and double down on nine, 10 or 11. If the dealer has three, hit on 12 and eight or lower, stand on 13 or higher, double down nine, 10 or 11. If the dealer shows two, you hit on nine or less, stand on 13 plus and double down 10 or 11.
Splitsville
If you’re dealt a pair, you can split your cards (making an additional bet) but only do it at the right time. Always split aces and eights. You should split nines if the dealer has two through six, eight or nine. Split twos, threes or sevens when the dealer is showing seven or less, sixes if he has a two through six.
Counting Cards
My card-counting friend (let’s call him A.V.) does very well at blackjack, and he says when there is a disproportionate number of face cards and aces left in the show (called a “rich” deck), the advantage shifts heavily to the player, as the dealer will bust more, and more blackjacks will occur. But with casinos using up to eight decks, counting cards isn’t for everyone. And if you’re good at it, you might find your photo hanging on a casino wall and barred from the game.
