How effective is the blackjack basic strategy?
Blackjack is one of the most popular games that dominate the casino industry. Throughout the years, people have been looking for a way to get an edge over the house and increase their winning chances. These efforts are translated into multiple strategies that were proven somewhat effective in certain scenarios.
Due to the nature of the game, over the years there have been many blackjack strategies, and some are complex enough that involve card counting and complex math. However, the basic strategy in blackjack is what most people prefer since it is the simplest model that promises to increase your winning chances.
However, even though the basic strategy in blackjack is popular, especially for beginners, does this mean that it is effective in increasing your winning chances?
Well, in today’s article we will cover some of the essential things about blackjack’s basic strategy and find out whether it will be effective for those playing blackjack online.
Is the Basic Blackjack Strategy Effective?
In short, no blackjack strategy is good enough to secure you a profit in the long run. If we take a look at how effective is the basic blackjack strategy in the long run, we can see that it is not that good.
However, it is important to mention that all casino games, including blackjack, offer the casino a mathematical advantage in the long run. This mathematical edge is referred to as the house edge. The bigger the house edge is, the bigger the casino’s advantage over the player.
With that said, blackjack is one of the casino games with the lowest house edge, which is why it is so popular among players.
Even though casinos have a mathematical advantage in the long run, using the basic strategy can increase your winning chances and you’ll be able to make more profits rather than playing randomly. Having a strategy is always better when playing casino games compared to making action from the top of your head.
What is the Basic Blackjack Strategy?
The basic blackjack strategy is a chart that includes all the possible combinations of your hand against the dealer’s hole card. Even though it is proven that this strategy isn’t as successful as people think it is, it is the first step that you should pick in order to become a winning blackjack player.
This strategy will help you lower the casino’s edge over you and in other words, you’ll lose less money.
You’ve probably heard the expression “The House Always Wins”, but making the process fun and increasing your winning chances is the least you can do on your next blackjack session.
Basic Strategy Rules
The popular Basic Strategy of Blackjack is tailored to specific rules of the game. This is why there are several variations of the basic blackjack strategy and the rules of engagement heavily depend on 6 different things. Here are some things you should know before implementing the basic strategy.
Number of Card Decks Used in Blackjack
Most casinos use 6 decks of the card in order to prevent card counting and increase their house edge. There is no definite number of decks for blackjack. Some casinos use as low as 2 decks and others go as high as 8. More decks in the shoe resulting in a bigger house edge.
Surrender
The action of quitting a hand before we hit or stand and losing half of the wager at the start of the hand is called surrender. Some tables don’t allow you to surrender and others are willing to give you half of your money back.
Style of Blackjack
In all US blackjack tables, the dealer deals with two cards one facing up and one facing down. In the European version of the game, the dealer deals with one card facing up.
Benefits of Using the Blackjack Basic Strategy
By applying the basic blackjack strategy to your play effectively, you can decrease the casino’s edge to 0.55% which is amazing. However, you should always stick to the rules of this strategy just because any deviation will only increase the casino’s house edge.
For example, if you are standing on 16 against the dealer’s ten, not splitting the threes or doubling the nines, you’ll increase the house edge by a whopping 1%.
So, the first thing you need to do in order to use the basic blackjack strategy effectively is to learn the chart from top to bottom. This is necessary if you want to decrease the casino edge as low as possible, and the basic strategy is the first step if you want to become a pro card counter.
There are many occasions where this chart will help you choose your actions more easily, and once you think you’ve learned all the actions you should try to implement it in your next gambling session. Remember, this strategy can help you lower the house edge of the casino, but in the long run, the casino still has a mathematical edge over you and you’ll lose your money.