An Easy Way to Become a Good Blackjack Player

Learning to play the game of casino Blackjack reasonably well is not rocket science, regardless of what the dozens of books on the subject would have you believe.

Playing professionally at the expert level, as is true of any game, is indeed complex and takes years to perfect. But anyone can become a good recreational player and have a fighting chance against the casino simply by learning some very easy rules.

So, if you're tired of throwing all your money away on brain-numbing slot machines, read on!

Blackjack can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it. Using card counting and advanced techniques, you can actually have a slight advantage over the house in certain conditions. That is, if you are willing to spend hundreds of hours learning and practicing, plus hundreds of hours each year playing!

Only a few of us have this kind of dedication.

The "beginner strategy" described below is designed for those of you who have never played Blackjack before or have played only a few times (and are tired of losing!). It requires that you learn only four simple rules. You can memorize these rules in 30 minutes or less.

Well, actually, much less!

You may have heard of the term "Blackjack basic strategy". The Blackjack basic strategy is a set of betting and hit/stand rules to statistically maximize your chances of winning. While not complex, it will still take some time and quite a bit of practice to learn and apply consistently.

For beginners, or very occasional players who don't want to spend hours practicing the Blackjack basic strategy, here is a Beginner Strategy that won't give you a headache trying to learn.

While this will not give you the same low odds against you as the true Blackjack Basic Strategy (about .5%), it produces a low 1.5% or so edge for the casino, still one of the best odds you'll find in any casino game.

You won't lose your shirt and you'll have a fighting chance of winning if you encounter a favorable run of cards.

It should only take a few minutes to learn these four simple Blackjack rules, though you should practice for a couple of hours to get comfortable with them before actually playing in a casino game.

FIRST, A SHORT AND EASY LESSON ON THE GAME RULES

If you already know how to play Blackjack, you can skip this section. Otherwise, it will only take a few minutes to learn the simple playing rules.

CARD VALUES

Tens and face cards count as 10, Aces count as either 1 or 11 (your choice), and all other cards have a count equal to their face value.

THE PLAY

All players play against the dealer, not against one another. Each player makes their bet and the dealer starts out by dealing two cards to each player and two cards to himself. The dealer's second card is dealt face-up for all players to see. If the dealer has a "Blackjack" (and Ace and a ten or face card), he will turn it over and automatically wins all bets, unless a player also has a Blackjack, in which case it's a tie.

Then, starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player has the choice of standing (not drawing any more cards) or being dealt additional cards. Play continues with that player until the player stands or "busts" (gets a card count that totals more than 21). After all players have made their decisions (or busted), the dealer draws additional cards to either reach a total of 17 or higher (when they must automatically stop), or bust. If the dealer doesn't bust, all remaining player's hands with a higher card total win, and those with a lower card total lose.

One very critical point to remember is this: you goal is not to get a card count as close to 21 as possible, but to get closer to 21 than the dealer, without going over. The goal is to beat the dealer! Thus, your decisions on whether or not draw additional cards are based on the value of the dealer's up card.

DOUBLING DOWN, SPLITTING PAIRS AND INSURANCE

There are three special bets you can make after the first two cards are dealt. Doubling down means you can double your original bet after you receive your first two cards. You then receive one ? and only one ? additional card.

Splitting pairs means that when you receive any pair on your first two cards, you can split them into two separate hands and play each one independently (of course, you must place an additional bet equal to your first bet on the second hand).

Taking insurance means that if the dealer's up card is an Ace, you can wager an additional amount equal to half your original bet as "insurance" in case the dealer has a blackjack. If the dealer has a blackjack, you lose your original bet but your insurance bet is paid at 2 to 1, so you break even.

"HARD HANDS" VERSUS "SOFT HANDS"

In order to understand and apply any Blackjack strategy, you need to learn the difference between "hard" and "soft" hands. This is because the strategies for various plays are different depending on whether you have a soft hand or a hard hand.

A "soft" hand is one that has an Ace which is counted as 11 (remember: Aces can be counted as either one or 11). For example, a hand composed of an Ace and a 4 is called a soft 15.

A hand that either contains no Aces or the Ace is counted as a 1 is called a "hard" hand. For example, a hand composed of a 6 and a 9 is a hard 15. A hand with an Ace and 4 is called a soft 15 (11 plus 4), but if you then draw an 8 you have to count the Ace as 1 instead of 11, giving you a hard 13 (because counting it as 11 would give you a "bust" hand of 23).

FOUR SIMPLE RULES

Here are four Blackjack basic strategy rules that anyone can easily remember. Always adhere to them exactly and you will be playing better then the majority of people who sit down at a blackjack table.

While these four rules do not represent "perfect" Blackjack basic strategy, they give you a great deal of the advantage of a perfect basic strategy and are very simple to memorize.

1. If the dealer's up card is 7 or higher, continue to draw cards until you have a hard count of at least 17 or higher, or a soft count of 18 or higher.

2. If the dealer's up card is 6 or lower, draw cards until you have at least 12. Stop when you have 12 or higher.

3. Double down when your first two cards total 10 or 11, IF the dealer has a 9 or lower.

4. Always split aces and eights. Do not split any other pairs.

And that's it! These four simple rules will take you out of the "sucker" category, keep you out of serious trouble and ensure that the house edge is around 1.5% or so ? some of the best odds you'll get in a casino.

Once you've mastered this easy system, learn the full Blackjack Basic Strategy and you'll whittle that house edge down to almost zero. Good luck!

Tom is the webmaster for http://www.blackjack-for-everyone.com, which is a website dedicated to the beginner through serious recreational Blackjack player.

---

Google News Updated : Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:08:57 GMT New Zealand compromises on India nuclear deal - Xinhua BBC News New Zealand compromises on India nuclear deal Xinhua - 32 minutes ago WELLINGTON, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government said on Monday that it got the best deal it could on nuclear trade with India. Indian shares rise more than 4 pct early Reuters Indian rupee rises as stocks rally seen Reuters India Inter Press Service - Monsters and Critics.com - Financial Times - Washington Post all 2,384 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:36:42 GMT Persistence pays off for Serena at US Open - FOXSports.com ESPN Persistence pays off for Serena at US Open FOXSports.com - 30 minutes ago by Matt Cronin, Special to FOXSports.com NEW YORK - About nine days after Serena Williams lost in the Wimbledon final to her elder sister, Venus, she was still killing herself, unable to shake her mind of the errors that came late in a contest that she ... Williams beats Jankovic for title, No. 1 ranking San Francisco Chronicle Winning US Open never gets old for Serena Williams Los Angeles Times Boston Globe - Sports Network - New York Times - ESPN all 2,499 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:38:21 GMT Hurricane Ike Crosses Northeast Cuba After Landfall (Update1) - Bloomberg RTE.ie Hurricane Ike Crosses Northeast Cuba After Landfall (Update1) Bloomberg - 1 hour ago By Aaron Sheldrick and Demian McLean Sept. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Hurricane Ike is crossing Cuba after smashing into the northeast of the country with winds of 205 kilometers (125 miles) per hour, according to the US National Hurricane Center. Video: Raw Video: Ike's Harsh Impact on Turks and Caico AssociatedPress Hurricane Ike set to batter Cuba BBC News Los Angeles Times - Reuters - Reuters UK - CNN International all 4,240 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:56:09 GMT "Stand Up to Cancer" tops Friday ratings - Reuters ABC News "Stand Up to Cancer" tops Friday ratings Reuters - 31 minutes ago By Paul J. Gough NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The industrywide "Stand Up to Cancer" telethon averaged a modest 10.3 million viewers during its hour-long simulcast on ABC, NBC and CBS Friday. In a star-heavy telethon, Hollywood takes a stand on cancer Boston Globe 'Stand Up to Cancer' Raises $100M Plus ABC News The Associated Press - Orlando Sentinel - Showbiz Spy all 164 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:37:28 GMT McCain Leads Obama 50% to 46%, New Poll Finds, USA Today Reports - Bloomberg McCain Leads Obama 50% to 46%, New Poll Finds, USA Today Reports Bloomberg - 30 minutes ago By James Kraus Sept. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain leads Democratic contender Barack Obama by 50 percent to 46 percent among registered voters, according to a weekend USA Today/Gallup Poll, USA Today reported. Convention rejuvenates GOP USA Today US campaign sharpens as McCain takes poll lead AFP Reuters - The Associated Press - KVOA.com - Boston Herald all 767 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:38:07 GMT Fla. Keys residents weigh evacuation ahead of Ike - The Associated Press China Daily Fla. Keys residents weigh evacuation ahead of Ike The Associated Press - 48 minutes ago KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) - As a ferocious Hurricane Ike ripped across Cuba, residents from Key West to the Gulf Coast watched the storm's unpredictable path, worrying it could hit anywhere in the US from Texas to Florida. 'Hurricane fatigue' shows DetNews.com Louisiana still possibility for Ike Opelousas Daily World Biloxi Sun Herald - The News-Press - Reiten Television KXMB Bismarck - Carlsbad Current Argus all 1,660 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:20:42 GMT Store eases baby bottleneck - Chicago Tribune dBTechno Store eases baby bottleneck Chicago Tribune - 19 hours ago When Georgette Finnie e-mailed What's Your Problem? on Aug. 25, she was 9 months' pregnant with her first child. The expectant mom had done some research about the baby bottles she had received as gifts through her baby registry at Babies "R" Us. Hot Docs: Defending Georgia, Girls Married by 15, the Chemical BPA ... U.S. News & World Report That Plastic Baby Bottle New York Times Food Consumer - Washington Post - Times of India - eFluxMedia all 362 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:18:53 GMT Blogging Software Add RSS Feeds To My Web Pages

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Help Become a Consistent Winner at Online Low-Limit Texas Hold ?Em by Playing at the ?Easy? Tables

Select Advantageous TablesTable selection is one of the most overlooked... Read More

2005 NFC East Football Preview

OVERVIEW: NFC EASTThe Eagles once again appear to be the... Read More

Keno Game 101- What You Absolutely Need to Know

'Keno' is a well known game nowadays. It is frequently... Read More

Why Do People Gamble?

Gambling is the act of wagering money on the outcome... Read More

3 Great Tips To Make More Money Playing Online Poker

There are three very important things that you should have... Read More

Pai Gow Poker Basics

Using the standard poker hand ranking methods (see below), the... Read More

Maximizing Your Blackjack Earnings Without Counting Cards

Blackjack has some of the best odds in the casino.... Read More

4 Tips to Improve Your Online Poker Game

Online Poker has increased in popularity exponentially over the past... Read More

FAST Roulette System: New, Unconventional , Latest Breakthrough in Roulette System

This article is going to show you a new, unconventional... Read More

Play Poker for Free Online

To play poker for free online is one of the... Read More

5 Pro Gambling Tips the Online Casinos Wont Tell You

Playing in Online Casinos can be either a very good... Read More

Las Vegas Gambling Basics

The gambling scene, not only of North America but also... Read More

Online Casino Free Cash Bonus Means Sometimes No Money At All

Giving away online casino bonuses by casino operators seems to... Read More

My Casino Blackjack Variation Game

I have played millions of hands of blackjack. I started... Read More

Bingo Basics

Bingo is one of the most simple and general game... Read More

How to Play Online Roulette

Maybe you haven't played online roulette before, or you are... Read More

2005 World Series of Poker -- Final Tournament Report

Now that the 2005 World Series of Poker has finished,... Read More

Lotto System: Interview With The Creator Of Lotto System That ROCK The Market!!!

Lotto System: How you can win lotto easily and automaticallyIn... Read More

2 Great Methods To Free Online Poker

What's one of the most common dreams for a an... Read More

Party Poker Sign up Bonus Code Tutorial

I have had a lot of emails from people who... Read More

Think Big and Give Your Poker Profits a Boost

Is your lack of confidence hurting your poker profits in... Read More

How to Win Free Online Poker Games

Online poker is very popular, but not everybody plays for... Read More

How To Play Craps

Craps is generally seen as a fun and exhilarating game... Read More

Avoid These 4 Roulette Myths and Play Like a Pro!

Roulette is a fun exciting and simple game to play,... Read More

Fancy Winning A Million Pound Jackpot?

Slot machines have become over the last hundred years, one... Read More