It used to be that saying the word “gambling?” conjured up images of Las Vegas or Atlantic City. Today, when one hears “gambling,” their thoughts probably need not wander that far from home. Casinos are popping up everywhere as America’s fascination with gambling continues to increase. Televised poker games seem to comprise half of cable television’s offerings. Every gas station peddles lottery tickets. Even your grandma has an online account with an offshore sports book.
Blackjack has long been among the most popular casino table games. It’s a simple card game with equally simple rules that moves quickly. The explosion of online gambling has made blackjack gamblers out of thousands of computer users. As the overall popularity of gambling grows, the number of people trying to generate a profit with blackjack also escalates.
The game’s popularity has created a cottage industry for those offering books, tips, systems and instruction for blackjack players. Everyone is looking for a way to tip the odds as they search for a way to beat the house, and there are people offering strategies to make that dream a reality.
However, these blackjack systems generally serve to accomplish only one thing – taking a few extra bucks from a gambler. In worst case scenarios, they can actually inspire some truly horrible gambling decisions, compounding the expense of the system.
If you play blackjack and are looking for a way to improve your game (and your earnings), you may be very tempted to make a seemingly small investment in a good system or strategy. The temptation is understandable. However, you must be aware of a few myths commonly recited by those peddling lousy products. If you see someone making any of these claims, turn the other way and resist the urge to spend a single penny. These are common myths about blackjack that no quality player will believe.
Make Money with an Awesome Betting Strategy
Betting strategies are often touted as the way to beat the house. Some may seem reasonable at first glance (a Martingale strategy, for instance, has some prima facie appeal despite its doomed nature). Others will seem like random plans based on some sort of incomprehensible magic. All of them are useless unless accompanied by card counting strategies.
There is absolutely no difference in results with straight betting (wagering the same amount every hand) and systems that require an adjustment in bet levels based on some formula unrelated to the cards themselves. Your odds of winning any given hand are the same, regardless of the level of wager you have made. Betting systems simply do not work. They can be dressed up and explained a thousand different ways, but a cold, objective look at statistical reality demonstrates their utter futility.
The only exception would be a betting strategy based upon the nature of the cards left in any “shoe.” It is possible to count cards in a way that can lead one to have a better idea of when the odds are favorable. Under those circumstances, an elevated wager makes sense and can improve one’s odds. Most of those peddling betting system guides, however, are not premising their solution on card tracking strategies. They are selling good old-fashioned blackjack mythology.
Make Money with a Card Playing System
There is a strategy for blackjack. It’s often referred to as “basic strategy.” Based upon the cards a player holds and the card that a dealer is showing, certain actions should be undertaken. Experience, statisticians, millions of computer-generated hands and every other imaginable form of research has led to the understanding that there is a basic strategy that, if followed, will reduce the house edge considerably compared to playing based upon “hunches.” Basic strategy is easy to learn and is based on a few simple principles.
Those claiming they have found a better way to play or a means by which the edge can be turned to the players’ favor using a particular card playing system are lying. There is no strategy that can, in and of itself, produce better results than basic strategy. It’s tempting to believe there is a way, but that temptation is based on greed, not reason.
The only way one can tweak basic strategy to their greater advantage would be if alterations were based on an understanding of which cards were left in a “shoe.” Under those circumstances, a card counter could make adjustments in play to compensate for the composition of the remaining cards. Their odds would be improved accordingly. However, unless one is counting cards there is no good reason to even consider altering one’s play in any way inconsistent with proven basic strategy.
These two myths may lead some to believe that their best hope is to become a card counter. In some ways, that may make sense. Card counting is not quite as difficult as some would believe and it does offer the only real hope of changing the odds to a player’s advantage. However, there are some problems with that solution.
First, incorrect card counting can cause more problems than it can solve. Thus, it is really an actionable strategy only among those well-trained in the discipline. Amateur blackjack players can do more harm that good by acting upon incorrect counts.
Additionally, most casinos deal blackjack from a multi-deck shoe. Additionally, the cut card is usually placed with poor penetration, leaving many cards behind the shoe’s end. These factors result in a reduced reliability on counts, as up to 40% of the available alternatives may be behind the cut card.
Also, although one can argue that counting is a skill that should not result in sanction, many casinos do not look favorably upon counters. You can end up in some very real trouble if you are visibly behaving as a card counter. Even if you don’t end up in trouble, the floor could call for an immediate “shuffle up” or take any number of countermeasures to prevent your efforts from succeeding.
So, if the system sellers are only offering hype and card counting is problematic, how does a blackjack player gain that much-coveted edge over the house? They don’t.
Approach blackjack honestly. It’s a gamble in which the house holds an edge. If you get hot or lucky while playing with solid basic strategy you can make some money if you quit in time. There is no long-term way, however, to beat the house at blackjack.
