RULES and BASICS:
Premise of the Game
Values of the Cards
In blackjack, the cards are valued as follows:
- An Ace can count as either 1 or 11, as explained below.
- The cards from 2 through 9 are valued at their face value.
- The 10, Jack, Queen, and King are all valued at 10.
A hand that contains an Ace is called a "soft" total if the Ace can be counted as either 1 or 11 without the total going over 21. For example (Ace, 6) is a soft 17. The description stems from the fact that the player can always draw another card to a soft total with no danger of "busting" by going over 21. The hand (Ace,6,10) on the other hand is a "hard" 17, since now the Ace must be counted as only 1, again because counting it as 11 would make the hand go over 21.
The Deal of the Cards
Once the cards are dealt play proceeds around the table, starting at the first seat to the dealer's left, also called first base. Each player in turn indicates to the dealer how he wishes to play the hand. The various player decisions are covered in their own section below. After each player has finished his hand, the dealer will complete his hand, and then pay or collect the player bets.
How the Dealer Plays His Hand
The dealer must play his hand in a specific way, with no choices allowed. There are two popular rule variations that determine what total the dealer must draw to. In any given casino, you can tell which rule is in effect by looking at the blackjack tabletop. It should be clearly labeled with one of these rules:
- "Dealer stands on all 17s": In this case, the dealer must continue to take cards ("hit") until his total is 17 or greater. An Ace in the dealer's hand is always counted as 11 if possible without the dealer going over 21. For example, (Ace,8) would be 19 and the dealer would stop drawing cards ("stand"). Also, (Ace,6) is 17 and again the dealer will stand. (Ace,5) is only 16, so the dealer would hit. He will continue to draw cards until the hand's value is 17 or more. For example, (Ace,5,7) is only 13 so he hits again. (Ace,5,7,5) makes 18 so he would stop ("stand") at that point.
- "Dealer hits soft 17": Some casinos use this rule variation instead. This rule is identical except for what happens when the dealer has a soft total of 17. Hands such as (Ace,6), (Ace,5,Ace), and (Ace, 2, 4) are all examples of soft 17. The dealer hits these hands, and stands on soft 18 or higher, or hard 17 or higher. When this rule is used, the house advantage against the players is slightly increased.
What is a Blackjack, or a Natural?
A blackjack, or natural, is a total of 21 in your first two cards. A blackjack is therefore an Ace and any ten-valued card, with the additional requirement that these be your first two cards. If you split a pair of Aces for example, and then draw a ten-valued card on one of the Aces, this is not a blackjack, but rather a total of 21. The distinction is important, because a winning blackjack pays the player odds of 3 to 2. A bet of $10 wins $15 if the player makes a blackjack. A player blackjack beats any dealer total other than blackjack, including a dealer's three or more card 21. If both a player and the dealer have blackjack, the hand is a tie or push.
The dealer will usually pay your winning blackjack bet immediately when it is your turn to play. In the face down games, this means that you should show the blackjack to the dealer at that time. Some casinos may postpone paying the blackjack until after the hand is over if the dealer has a 10 card up and has not checked for a dealer blackjack. Other casinos check under both 10 and Ace dealer upcards, and would therefore pay the blackjack immediately. Regardless, when you are dealt a blackjack, turn the cards face up, and smile. It only happens about once every 21 hands, but it accounts for a lot of the fun of the game.
Surrender
We start with one of the least common decisions, but it is appropriate to begin with surrender, because this decision must be made before any other choice about playing your hand. Not every game offers surrender, and those that do fall into two categories which bear expanation: Early vs Late.
Surrender offers you as a player the choice to fold your hand, at the cost of half of the original bet. You must make that decision prior to taking any other action on the hand. For example, once you draw a third card, or split, or double down, surrender is no longer an option.
It is rare to see this at casinos, but if you have the urge to play online blackjack most of the software provides the surrender option.
Hitting/Standing
The most common decision a player must make during the game is whether to draw another card to the hand ("hit"), or stop at the current total ("stand"). The method you use to indicate your decisions to the dealer depend on which kind of game you are playing.
In the face-up shoe game, you indicate that you want another card by tapping the table behind your cards with a finger. You'll be required to make the hand signals, rather than just announcing "hit" or "stand" to the dealer. This is to eliminate any confusion or ambiguity in what you choose, and also for the benefit of the ever-present surveillance cameras. If you go over 21, or "bust", the dealer will collect your bet, and remove your cards from the table immediately. When you decide to stand, just wave your hand in a horizontal motion over your cards.
Doubling Down
Among the more profitable player options available is the choice to "double down". This can only be done with a two card hand, before another card has been drawn. Doubling down allows you to double your bet and receive one, and only one, additional card to the hand. A good example of a doubling opportunity is when you hold a total of 11, say a (6,5) against a dealer's upcard of 5. In this case, you have a good chance of winning the hand by drawing one additional card, so you might as well increase your bet in this advantageous situation.
Splitting Pairs
When you are dealt a matching pair of cards (remember, ignore the suits), you have the ability to split the hand into two separate hands, and play them independently. Let's say you are dealt a pair of eights for a total of sixteen. Sixteen is the worst possible player hand, since it is unlikely to win as is, but is very likely to bust if you draw to it. Here's a great chance to improve a bad situation.
Place a matching bet beside the original bet in the circle. Note that you must bet the same amount on a split, unlike a double-down, where you are allowed to double for less. The dealer will separate the two cards, and treat them as two independent hands. Let's say you draw a 3 on the first 8, for a total of 11. Many casinos will allow you to double down on that hand total of 11 at this point. When this is allowed, the rule is called "Double after Split", predictably enough. Regardless, you can play the first hand to completion, at which point the dealer will deal a second card to the second hand, and you can begin making play decisions on it.
If you get additional pairs (in the first two cards of a hand), most casinos will allow you to resplit, making yet another hand. The most common rule allows a player to split up to 3 times, making 4 separate hands, with 4 separate bets. If double after split is allowed, you could have up to 8 times your initial bet on the table if you chose! Some casinos restrict resplitting, and some allow unlimited splitting. Another fine point is that you are allowed to split any 10-valued cards, so you could split a (Jack, Queen) hand. However, this is usually a bad play: Keep the 20.
The other complication for pair splits concerns splitting Aces. Splitting Aces is a very strong player move, so the casino restricts you to drawing only one additional card on each Ace. Also, if you draw a ten-valued card on one of your split Aces, the hand is not considered a Blackjack, but is instead treated as a normal 21, and therefore does not collect 3:2 odds. Some casinos allow resplitting Aces if you draw another, while many do not allow resplitting Aces although they often do allow resplitting of any other pairs. With all these restrictions, you may wonder whether it makes sense to split Aces. The answer is a resounding YES. Always split pairs of Aces.
(Above Information provided by http://www.blackjackinfo.com/blackjack-rules.php)
BASIC STRATEGY:
This is where it gets interesting. First things first. Find a good strategy chart to follow.
http://www.blackjack-strategycard.com/images/Blackjack%20Strategy%20Chart%20Multi-Deck.gif
^^That is the one I use.
When I am playing for a good time I do use a strict betting system. Now if anyone plays or knows anything about blackjack they will tell you that betting systems DON'T WORK and EVEN if you are winning you will at some point lose that money. If you hear this I will tell you that they are 100% telling you the TRUTH. If anyone tells you they have a winning system for blackjack they are lying.
Now that we have that covered if you are still interested in a betting strategy I have one that I use and honestly have profited from more times then not.
The system is called the 1-2-3-5 Betting System.
The system starts by betting one Unit. (For example you walk to the table with 50 dollars. You would do 5 dollar bets. 1 Unit = $5.00.)
Bet 1: 5.00 Win: Double next bet to 10.00 Lose: Bet 5.00 again.
Bet 2: 10.00 Win: Increase next bet to 15.00 Lose: Bet 5.00 on next bet.
Bet 3: 15.00 Win: Increase next bet to 25.00 Lose: Bet 5.00 on next bet.
Bet 4: 25.00 Win: Walk away from the table. Lose: Bet 5.00 on next hand.
The point of this system is to maximize your wins and minimize your loses. Another way to put it is....
Maximize your time at the table. The reason I like to do that because at most casinos they will give you free drinks while playing. Now what is better then that.
I am in NO WAY informing anyone that this is a guaranteed way to beat the blackjack. Everyone should be aware that with basic strategy implied the house will still have at least roughly a .06% advantage over the player.
For real casinos this is the only form of a system I use.
For online casinos I do throw some random acts into my play. I will have a video posted for that.
MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT THE GAME:
1. Is there a system that beats the dealer?... No there is not.
2. Is counting cards easy?... the rules to it are. To be successfull at it however takes great memory, patience, practice, practice, more practice, and a bit of role playing skill.
3. Can you count cards against an automatic card shuffler (CSM)? Good question. The answer is NO you can't. It is impossible because of the fact that the true count goes right back to 0 after every hand because the casino does not have a burn pile.
4. Is the Martingale System Profitable? No No No No No... No. I could not say it enough. The system goes under the ideal that you will not lose (So) many hands in a row. So if you double your bet after every loss you will sooner or later win and make a profit. Listen closely everyone. I have once went to the table and lost 11 hands of blackjack in a row. If I were using this system this is how it would of looked.
Losses: 5 10 20 40 80 160 320 640 1280 2560 5120.... Now add that up together... lol. That is why you don't use this system. Even if you had unlimited funds you would max out the table bet so it would be impossible to win your money back.
5. Do card counters always make a profit? This is a good question. The answer is no. Statistically they have an advantage to make more of a profit, but that does not mean you will win. Also counters must establish a pocket before betting big. If a pocket is not established then the counter is most likely losing money off waiting for that pocket to occur.
CARD COUNTING:
Short version of the story - Back in the day casinos had very little blackjack tables. It wasn't even a popular game. Then a math wiz comes along and basically tells everyone that if you imply math to blackajck you could create an advantage. He then proved this statement to be true. Card counting was officially born and EVERYONE thought they could take down the casino. The casino loved it because VERY few people were able to count cards and mostly everyone else wrote checks to the casino thinking just by playing the game they would win. The casino now has ways of beating counters. CSM being the counter's killer. It is an automated shuffler that shuffles all previous hands back in to cirrculation. Which means counters can not pick up a true count. The casino also increases profit because hands are played faster. Which is always great for the casino because they already have the advantage, so the more hands that are played equals an increase of profit.
The Idea of counting cards is pretty simple. It is actually being successful at it which is a whole different story.
Every card has a value.
7,8,9 = 0 10,J,Q,K,A = -1 2,3,4,5,6 = +1
We know that there are exactly 52 cards to 1 deck. Which means...
7,8,9 = 12 cards 10,J,Q,K,A = 20 cards 2,3,4,5,6 = 20 cards
12+20+20 = 52 total cards.
Now that you know that it is time to practice counting.
Take any 1 deck of cards and turn it face down so you can not see the value.
Flip the cards face up and starting from 0 begin counting.
For example: They are dealt
10,K,7,3,2,8,9 - In your head you would be counting.
-1,-2,-2,-1,0,0,0.... At that point your count would be 0.
On a grander scale that means there is still the same amount of +1 value cards as -1 valued.
WHEN TO BET: The overall purpose is to wait until there is a "pocket". A pocket being a point in the game where the dealer has dealt more -1 cards then he has +1 cards. It is said for every deck the casino is using you should wait until a +4 count per deck. Which means if the casino is using 5 decks. You should be betting small until you come upon a count of around +20. Which means there is 20 more face cards then low cards. This is an overall advantage to the player. Not much, but it is an advantage.
Counting cards is a difficult process. Like I said above it takes a lot of time and patience. That is why a lot of people do it in groups. This is done by havng people sit at a variety of tables counting the cards and betting small. Once the deck gets hot and a solid count is established they signal over a "high-roller" who comes in betting heavy. Some form of signal has to be raised to the high-roller of what the count is when he arrives at the table. The reason for this is the HR must be able to count for himself to know when the deck gets cold. It is NOT illegal to count cards, but you will get removed from casinos in most cases because of it. In other cases the casino will ask that you can only make a one limit bet for your remaining time at the table.
There are also many different counting systems that are far more complex. If you would like to know more simply comment and I will break it down for you.
I have successfully counted cards before. I don't find it to be very entertaining, but wanted to give it a try. Because I go to the casino for strictly entertainment I really don't bother trying it.
To hear about my 3 card counting stories go ahead and comment and I'll be more then happy to share.
If you have any questions just comment and I'll get back to you.
Have fun gambling guys and do it responsibly.
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