Playing Blackjack from Home: 7 Things to Know
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Blackjack is an interesting game. It’s based on luck, yet some people win far too often to believe they’re lucky all the time.
Take Don Johnson as an example. He’s a career gambler that once won over $10M playing blackjack in Atlantic City within six months.
In one night, Johnson wagered $100,000 per hand for several games before winning $800,000. Then he won $1.2 million. And by the time he was done, the professional gambler had won $6 million at Tropicana Casino—nearly the same amount the casino makes per month.
Can you make as much money playing blackjack as Johnson? If you can bet $100,000 per hand and possess his skills, maybe yes.
But if you just want to play the game for fun at home over the weekend, here’s all you need to know.
1—Blackjack Comes in Many Types
Classic Blackjack is the most popular variation of the game. It involves producing a hand whose total value equals twenty-one (21). Classic blackjack is one of the best variants of them: Its rules are simple and has a low, low house edge of 1%.
Another type of blackjack is Blackjack Switch. This game features two hands—two pairs of cards in the first round.
To spice things up, you can switch a card from one hand to the other. Let’s say you have an Ace and three in one hand. And you have a ten and four in the other. You can swap the ten in the second hand to get to twenty-one instantly (an ace plus ten).
Some more types of blackjack are Perfect Pairs, Spanish 21, European Blackjack and Vegas Strip blackjack.
With many variants, the objective doesn’t change. Instead, they change the rules so that you have poorer odds but a better win rate. Or they reduce the house edge but the rules favour the dealer.
2—Blackjack Sites aren’t Created Equal
Unless you’re hosting friends over and have blackjack cards, there’s a chance you’ll play the game online. If you want to win money, you’ll need to join real-money blackjack casinos. But there’s one problem.
Blackjack sites aren’t created equal. Sure they provide the same game. But some of them provide a better experience than others. To expound more, the best blackjack sites give out bonuses, processes withdrawals fast and offer reliable customer service.
What’s more, they have websites and apps that run smoothly most of the time. In case you’re wondering, bestonlineblackjack.com has a list of hand-picked blackjack sites worth checking out.
It also provides actionable tips on how to reduce the house edge and increase your winning chances in blackjack.
3—Avoid Side Bets and Insurance
Blackjack experts are unanimous about this one: Don’t engage in side bets…unless you want to lose. For clarity, side bets are second bets within blackjack.
- Over/Under 13 hand
- Bet the set
- Royal Match
- Royal 20’s
Although you could win more money by having a bet on the side, they’re not worth the risk. In many cases, you depend on guesses, meaning the chances of losing side bets are high.
Another form of side bet to avoid is insurance. It applies when the dealer’s first card is an ace. And so, they ask you whether you would like to bet the dealer will form a hand of 21 with her second card.
Insurance bets help you salvage some money when the dealer forms a hand of blackjack quickly. However, they are costly and like many side bets, lead to more losses.
4—Counting Cards is Hard
You know the story all too well. A team of MIT students perfected the art of card counting in the ‘80s and ‘90s and made millions of dollars. There’s even a movie about the team and countless stories of how they avoided security guards for too long.
You can also count cards to tilt the odds in your favour. But it’s a tad difficult when playing blackjack online. Think about it. Cards are mainly shuffled by a machine and they are shuffled constantly.
As a result, keeping up with cards online is just not worth it. Additionally, many casinos dislike card counters. And they could suspend you for doing it. A better way to win blackjack games, therefore, is to use other strategies.
5—Know At Least One Strategy
Card counting might not work while playing blackjack online. But who says you can’t use a different strategy?
The basic blackjack strategy works for thousands of players. And according to some gamblers, it’s the only system you need to break casinos.
So, how does it work? It consists of a series of rules that increase your chances of winning the most:
- Always hit with a hand of eleven or less
- Stand on 17 or greater, especially if the dealer’s open card is a seven or lower
- Hit on 12 to 16 when the dealer’s second card is 7-Ace
- Stand on 12 to 16 if the dealer is likely to bust
With that in mind, Basic blackjack isn’t the only strategy out there. There’s the progressive betting system, point count, hole card strategy, rank count and even cheating. That’s right. People do cheat at blackjack. But if you get caught, you lose all your money.
6—Choose Bonuses Wisely
When you sign at many casinos these days, you get a bonus to boost your bankroll. Casinos give out these freebies as a welcome gift. Still, to be clear, many bonuses have terms and conditions.
Due to these terms, you want to choose bonuses carefully. Preferably, choose bonuses with a low number of requirements. And then use them to maximise your profits. If you’re feeling adventurous, use the offers to experiment with new strategies.
Crucially, look out for loyalty bonuses too. You won’t always be a new customer. So, ensure you join a site that also treats you long after your first deposit. Bonuses can magnify your profits, so choose a site that gives them out as often as possible.
