Tag Archives: blackjack strategy

Keep Your Emotions in Check When Playing Blackjack

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Is blackjack a game of luck or skill? The answer is: it’s both. That’s why it’s one of the most popular card games in land-based and online casinos. You need to be lucky, but you also need to apply the appropriate strategy to maximize your success. However, even if you have the best possible approach, there’s one thing that many players overlook when playing blackjack — their emotions.

So, how can emotions affect your gameplay? Imagine being on a losing streak and getting frustrated by all of this. Your bankroll still has funds for several more rounds, but being so angry, you decide to bet all your funds and try to recoup your losses. Then, you lose once again, and you’re suddenly out of money which could have been put to better use.

This is a typical emotional reaction that’s common not only in blackjack but also in many other casino games. Professional poker players use inexperienced ones who cannot control their emotions and profit from them.

Therefore, whenever we review blackjack games, we make sure to mention that one needs to be very careful, and that means not letting emotions meddle with their actions.

Don’t get it wrong — feeling emotions when playing is a completely natural thing. Even the best blackjack players will feel exhilarated when they win or depressed when they lose. What makes them stand out from the crowd is that they can remain cool-headed even when they’re burning inside.

There are several ways that they manage to do that. However, it all starts by recognizing and addressing your emotional reaction. Many players who make impulsive moves find out too little too late that they didn’t make the best choice. Therefore, it’s important to recognize an emotion right away and not let it affect your gameplay. Think of it this way: you’ll win if you play by blackjack rules and not tilt at any moment.

Sure, this is easier said than done, but you can start with that — thinking about your emotional responses when playing games. Once you start exploring emotional intelligence, you’ll be able to improve your blackjack games.

Some players will go as far as to tell you to meditate on a daily basis if you want to be calm when playing the game and keep your emotions in check. This is a great approach if you’re a professional player and want to make a living out of this game. However, if you’re a casual player, understanding your emotions and how they affect your gameplay is enough for starters.

Is Blackjack a Game of Luck or Skill?

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Blackjack is probably the most popular card game in land-based and online casinos. One of the reasons why it’s so popular is that you can learn how to play it and apply a certain strategy to increase your chances of winning. Does this make blackjack a game of skill or a game of luck?

When we review blackjack strategies, we always rely on the fact that you need the skill to beat blackjack. However, that’s not entirely true. Although you can increase your chances by learning the right approach, luck still plays an essential role. If blackjack were only a game of skill, it wouldn’t be available in casinos.

In other words, casinos would just lose money, as people would master the game and win every time. Therefore, it’s safe to say that the element of luck is still pretty big.

It’s safe to conclude that blackjack requires both skill and luck. Moreover, it’s a perfect combination of the two. How come?

If you play online video slots, the only thing you can do is to click on the Spin button and hope for the best possible result. That’s a game that’s only luck-based.

On the other hand, we have poker. It requires some social skills and a lot of learning. If you become a poker master, you’ll be able to play this game against the majority of players and win in most cases. That’s why the element of skill is more dominant in poker.

But we cannot say that either skill or luck is dominant in blackjack, as we can say that for slots or poker. It’s a perfect combo, and that’s one of the main reasons why people love it. In other words, you get to learn the game and increase your chances of winning, yet you still have that thrill of uncertainty that adds a special flavor to blackjack.

Therefore, when starting your blackjack session, don’t rely on the element of luck alone. Instead, try learning more about popular strategies that can help you improve.

We made a blackjack strategy chart, so feel free to check it out and start learning about the game by examining it. The chart tells you the best possible thing to do for every card combination that you can get in a round of blackjack. It’s up to you to apply that knowledge while playing the popular card game and see how it works in reality. It will definitely help you increase your chances of winning, but you should never take the element of chance out of the equation.

5 Tips for Playing Live Dealer Blackjack

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Blackjack is widely regarded as the most popular casino game, and there’s a good reason for that. Namely, by applying the right strategy, players can decrease the house edge to less than 1%.

Online casinos feature plenty of blackjack games, and one of the most interesting ways to play it is with a live dealer. It features a human croupier who deals real cards, but players use special software to make bets and make decisions.

In this article, we’re going to review blackjack tips you should take into account when playing the popular card game with a live dealer. Read on.

Pick a Table with a Low Minimum Bet

The rule of thumb is to pick a roulette table where the minimum bet is no more than 5% of your bankroll. That way, you can play many hands and apply the right strategy to improve your chances of winning.

Generally speaking, limits should be the first thing to pay attention to in order to make sure that they suit your budget.

Find a Dealer You Like the Most

Live dealers are real people. Even though they are all professionals, you are definitely going to like some of them better than others. Therefore, don’t be afraid to explore the entire offer of live dealer blackjack games in an online casino of your choice to find the one that you like the most.

Use the Optimal Strategy to Increase Your Chances

Using strategy is a must when playing blackjack. Unlike slots or roulette, where the element of luck is the only thing deciding the outcome, blackjack actually allows you to have some control over the element of chance.

There are great blackjack strategies that show you what actions are the best for certain card combinations. That way, you’ll always make the optimal decision and increase your chances of winning.

Don’t Take Insurance Bets

Insurance bets, or any other kind of side bet, are there to increase the house edge in blackjack. They might be exciting to bet on, and the payout might be great, but you’ll have to rely on the element of chance to win.

Therefore, if you want to stay true to the optimal strategy and maximize your winnings when playing live dealer roulette, you should stay away from side bets.

Don’t Let Your Emotions Take Over

Emotions can sometimes take over and make you do things that aren’t part of the optimal strategy. If it comes to this, you’re bound to start losing big time. Therefore, keep your emotions and don’t let them take over your reasonable side.

Feel free to read more about live dealer blackjack on our dedicated page for this game.

Blackjack Side Bets — Listed & Explained

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Blackjack is the most popular online casino card game, and many providers took the liberty of experimenting with its rules to make it more entertaining and immersive.

Although standard blackjack rules are pretty much the same in every game, developers added many different side bets.

Therefore, in this article, we’ll review blackjack side bets, which should help you understand them better and get the most out of them.

21 + 3 Side Bet

This is basically a poker bet. When you see your first two cards and the dealer’s face-up card, and the three make up one of the popular poker combinations, you’ll get paid.

For example, if all three are the same suit, you’ll get a flush, which has the payout of 5/1. If all three form a straight, you’ll get paid 10/1.

Three-of-a-kind will give you the payout of 30/1, and a blackjack straight flush comes with 40/1. The highest-paying is suited three-of-a-kind, which pays 100/1.

Perfect Pairs

This side bet lets you bet if you’ll get a pair when the dealer gives you the cards. However, if the pair is two cards of different colors, the payout is 5/1. If the payout is two cards of the same color, you’ll get paid 10/1.

A perfect pair is if you get two identical cards (since blackjack uses several decks). In that case, you’ll receive the payout of 30/1.

Insurance Bet

Perhaps one of the most popular side bets in blackjack is the so-called insurance bet. The idea is that you’ll insure yourself against the dealer by placing the bet, which is only available if the dealer’s face-up card is an ace.

An insurance bet seems like a good idea, but you should be careful, as the odds work against you in the long run.

Should you take any side bets? According to many blackjack specialists, these bets are there only to increase the house edge.

Therefore, players should avoid them and focus on learning blackjack rules instead. Then, they ought to learn some of the best blackjack strategies, which will help them lower the house edge below 1%.

Still, if you’re new and you don’t want to play blackjack in the long run, making side bets could turn out to be quite lucrative if Lady Luck is by your side. But don’t overdo it, as side bets can also result in big losses that you didn’t want in the first place.

When to Switch to High Stake Blackjack?

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Description: How to know that you’re ready for a high-stake blackjack session? How long should you play before you increase your wagers? Let’s find out.

Blackjack, like many other gambling games, allows players to set their bet size. Depending on the type of table you’re playing on, the minimum and maximum limits may differ. However, if you’re new to blackjack, you shouldn’t pay attention to the high-roller tables for a long time, even if you have a huge budget.

We’ll always advise against playing high stake games until you’ve mastered the most popular casino card game in the world.

When to Switch

Whenever we review blackjack strategies, we use small numbers as examples. That’s because you should start playing with a couple of dollars too, before switching to more money.

The thing is — many blackjack players don’t know when to switch, and that’s why we decided to resolve the dilemma in this article.

However, our answer to that question is rather harsh. Are you ready for it? Here it is.

The first time you should increase your bet in blackjack is when you master the game. It means you should switch when you played hundreds — if not thousands — of hands and learned all the strategies there are

You should start with the simplest ones, such as the one depicted in our blackjack strategy chart. Make sure to check it out and study it carefully before you start playing your first online blackjack session. This chart will tell you what to do in each given hand when playing standard online blackjack.

Mastering Blackjack

However, you need to know it by heart if you want to master the game. After learning the chart, you should focus on many other techniques and strategies that are part of blackjack. Only then will you be able to gradually increase your stakes when playing the game.

You should know that the stakes aren’t as black-and-white, and how much you’ll bet depends on many things, the first being your bankroll. If you master blackjack, but you cannot afford to switch to higher stakes, then you should continue playing with small bets.

The point is — you have to be objective when playing blackjack and thread forward each step at a time.

Also, please understand that the game allows a considerable gradient of bets, meaning it’s now just between choosing $1 and $10,000 per bet. You need to increase your bets carefully.

Therefore, if you’re new, please start with the lowest possible bet and study available blackjack material. Also, check out some of the online casinos available on this site to find great blackjack games.

 

How to Strategically Use Online Bonuses With Blackjack Strategies

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There is one advantage that makes playing blackjack online attractive to some individuals compared to land-based casinos: online bonuses. However, many people don’t realize that by pairing your bonuses with blackjack strategies, you open yourself up to many more opportunities. 

By playing with extra money that isn’t yours while having the chance to keep winnings, you are coming into the game with an advantage. When the game is specifically blackjack, it gets even better. There is a good chance at beating the casino when combining the low house edge of the game with a solid strategy and bonus. 

It is important to look for the best bonuses, which online blackjack casinos are constantly offering. For example, BetOnline is currently offering a $3,000 Casino Bonus, where you can receive a 100% bonus on your first three deposits. 

Picking a Strategy

When adopting a strategy, it’s best to keep in mind that many bonuses require you to fulfill requirements before being able to withdraw earnings. In many cases, this is 20 to 40 times the bonus plus the deposit amount. You also want to look for a high wagering contribution to the game. 

Knowing that you are playing with free money can sometimes lead to reckless play, but it is best to play as if it was your own. While this might take a little longer to earn winnings, it will prevent you from picking up bad playing habits. At the same time, it gives you a longer period to practice your gameplay if you are a beginner. 

The strategy will depend on the game variation, so make sure to choose a game plan that fits with a particular type of blackjack. This will ensure that you get the best results. 

For beginners, it’s best to find a strategy and stick with it in order to keep practicing and learning. When you combine this strategy with a good bonus, you can expect to see a moderate return in the long run. 

As for those who are more experienced, you can use the bonus to test the waters on a new strategy you have wanted to implement. The bonus gives you some breathing room to be a little riskier with your gameplay.

Whether you are a beginner or someone who considers themselves a veteran at blackjack, online casino bonuses offer something for everyone. 

What Is A Blackjack Strategy Chart, and Does It Work?

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Did you know that blackjack is one of the most popular casino games because it has the lowest house edge? If you master this game, you can lower the house edge to below 1%, and that’s why many professional casino goers pay special attention when they play this card game.

Blackjack is a game of skill as much as it is a game of chance. Unlike slots, where you cannot really do anything to affect the outcome, blackjack actually allows you to increase your chances of winning.

There are several things that you can do. A popular method is using card counting, which is not allowed in online casinos, and you risk being banned if you’re busted while counting cards. The other way is to use blackjack strategy charts.

In this article, we’re going to review blackjack charts and tell you what they really are. Many professional blackjack players explored how this game works and decided to use math to create a strategy chart.

Use The Chart

Basically, to improve your chances when playing this game, all you have to do is use the chart, find your hand and make a decision that’s marked in the chart. That way, you’ll lower the house edge significantly, meaning you’ll improve your chances of winning huge prizes.

The chart will show you every possible card combination in your hand in comparison to some of the face-up cards of the dealer. Once you find your hand in the chart, you’ll see a letter or a couple of letters written in the box.

These are basic actions that you should do at that moment, which are statistically the best possible decisions for a given hand.

S is usually used for stand, H is for hit, SP for split, and SU for surrender. Moreover, there are actions such as Dh and Ds, which suggest you double. However, Dh suggests you hit if double is not an option, whereas Ds suggests you to stand.

It’s allowed to use the blackjack strategy chart when you’re playing blackjack on the web, so make sure to check out ours and select one of the casinos that we offered on our site. Once you open an account and start your online blackjack journey, you’ll understand how helpful these charts actually are.

You’ll need to use it for some time, and once you learn it by heart, you’ll not need it at all. Instead, you’ll be able to play blackjack and make the best possible decision all by yourself.

Does Reverse Martingale Strategy Work With Blackjack?

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In one of our previous articles, we discussed the popular martingale strategy. It’s not a strategy that’s really related to blackjack, but to any other game where your winning chances are close to 50:50.

Martingale is actually a betting strategy that should help you get better control of your bankroll and have an idea of how much you’ve spent and earned while playing the game.

In other words, it cannot help you win the game or decrease the house edge, such as card counting or blackjack strategy. However, it can help you to know when to quit and how to properly manage your bankroll.

Therefore, we will not review blackjack strategies in this article but focus only on reverse martingale. However, to explain it, we need to have a quick overview of how martingale works.

The only rule in martingale is that you should double your bet whenever you lose. Whenever you win, you should reset back to your starting bet.

So if you decide to bet $5 in a blackjack hand and you lose, you should increase to $10 the next time. If you lose again, you should increase to $20, and then to $40.

You get the idea — double up your betting amount as long as you lose. If you win, just reset your betting amount to $5 and start again.

The Reverse Martingale Approach

In reverse martingale, you need to double up whenever you win and reset to the original betting amount whenever you lose.

Simply put, if you bet $5 and you lose, you should just remain at $5 (in ordinary martingale, you would rise to $10). On the other hand, if you bet $5 and win, you should double up your next bet to $10.

Next time, double it up to $20 if you win, and so on. However, whenever you lose, you need to reset back to $5.

Just like the ordinary martingale strategy, the reverse one should give you a better overview of your bankroll and help you improve your overall blackjack experience.

If you’re looking for a way to play blackjack online and apply this strategy, make sure to check out our offer of casinos that have this card game in their respective offers.

Moreover, if you’re new to the world of blackjack, you should read more about blackjack rules to be able to get the most of this casino game, which many agree has the lowest house edge of all casino games.