Blackjack

Ok, so I was playing blackjack last night and I can't believe how DUMB people are when playing this game, so I thought I would do everyone a service here and explain how simple this game is...

PREFACE: I am by no means a gambling expert... nor claim to be.

Background:
Here's a little of my blackjack past. When I turned 21 and first (legally) set foot inside a bar, I was lured to blackjack. As I've mentioned in the past, I've always liked playing cards, so it is no wonder I would be attracted to a gambling, card game. So I started playing blackjack...and did I play. I would play and play and play. Most of my trips to the bar weren't to drink, but to play blackjack. And sure, the more you play, the better you get...but there is no question, the more you play the more you lose. Oh, I loved playing blackjack. Then I decided to get a second job while going to college and what better 2nd job than becoming a blackjack dealer. So I did... I dealt blackjack for a little more than 2 years. And that is what opened my eyes to the game. My thirst to play blackjack was quenched shortly after I began dealing...because it is/was very easy to see 'patterns' as the game is played...that is the game is very cyclical. I now play blackjack on some occassions and will very rarely will play more than $20.

Here's just some tips out there for some novice players:

Insurance (when the dealer is showing an ace), you are able to put up 1/2 your original wager to 'insure' your bet against a blackjack. This is the dumbest bet any player can make EVER. Insurance is strictly a house bet. The BEST case scenario if you insure your hand is that you will not lose (well duh) and that is the BEST that can happen to you if you insure your hand, you will get all your money back and not lose...of course you've won nothing. The WORST case scenario is that not only will the dealer not have blackjack - and thus take your insurance bet - but also beat your hand outright and now you've just not only lost your insurance bet, but also your original wager. Anyone that ever tells you that betting insurance is a smart or good move is a MORON. Never, ever bet insurance.

Go against an ace. Going hand-in-hand with insurance is playing against a dealer with an ace showing. Toughest hand to beat, in my opinion, why? Well if the dealer doesn't have blackjack, they then could have a winning hand without taking any cards, and if they don't have a winning hand, the dealer would have to take at least two cards to bust. So the dealer is essentially showing a hand that, as a player, you know needs two cards to bust, if that is possible... so playing against an ace up, I do try to make my hand as strong as possible.

Which leads to my next point. I NEVER hit anything higher than a 14...EVER. At 14, there are 6 cards that will bust you and 7 cards that help you. At 15, reverse those numbers. So you can see that by simple math (which I never claim to be a math whiz), that the odds are slightly in your favor in not breaking your hand if you hit a 14. Many times I see players that will hit 14, 15 and even 16's when they are up against a 8, 9, 10 or an ace but then see the dealer bust. There is nothing more frustrating than busting your hand only then to see the dealer do the same...so I try to minimize my own busts, as much as possible.

Doubling down - after your first two cards, you are allowed to double your bet, but can only receive one card to make your hand. Obviously the best time(s) to double down is when you have a 10 or 11 showing...and I advise making that bet under the stipulation that the dealer is showing a 2 thru 6. Many times I see players doubling down anytime they have a 10 or 11 regardless of what the dealer has...often times up against a ten or even worse an ace. Well, these people just deserve to lose their money. Sure, they may luck out a few times, but in the long haul, doubling down against a good up card for the dealer is just plain dumb.

Splitting - when you have 2 like cards dealt to you, you then can match your original bet and play two hands - if matched again, you can repeat and most places will let you play up to 4 hands. The exception is aces, where splitting them will only get you one card per ace and no resplitting...so a maximum of 2 hands can be played if dealt 2 aces. Splitting cards is a risky play, regardless of the dealer's upcard...of course if the dealer is showing a loser, it might be tempting. But a player should only split 7's, 8's or 9's, in my opinion. Even 7's I would be leary of. 8's against a almost any upcard is actually not a bad play, imo, because 16 is crap and hopefully you can salvage one of the two hands to break even on the hand. If you ever split 10's, you could just write me a check for the money you want to gamble and I will gladly accept it and save you the time and trouble of actually having to play and lose at blackjack.

These are just some of my basic strategies, and although I never really win a lot of money, I typically can play for a while, which most of the time is the only reason I am playing, to kill some time...but with any gambling card game, if you don't get the cards, it doesn't matter how good of a player you are.