Blackjack is a game known to offer the smallest mathematical advantages to casinos in the long run. In other words, a gambler can play Blackjack (also known as Twenty-one) and rest assured that the odds are not stacked against him.
Based on this premise, many players try to find online casinos that offer bonuses for new accounts and that accept initial Blackjack wagers.
Once you’ve chosen a reliable casino or casinos, you’ll be able to play Blackjack and try to win some money.
But be aware of some important details because in Blackjack the house (bankroll) has some advantages and some disadvantages:
Casino advantages:
- As it is the player who makes the first decisions (ask for more cards, stop, double the bet, split the game in two separate games, etc.), the house can sometimes win the hand without taking risks, in case the player “busts” and makes more than 21 points.
- The player will only have good chances of beating the casino if he uses the perfect technique and this requires understanding and memorizing the table that will be shown right below.
Casino disadvantages:
- The banker has to stop with 17 points or more (regardless of whether he is winning or losing to the bettor) and has to ask for cards with 16 points or less. The player, on the other hand, can choose to ask for cards at any time.
In 1952, Private Roger Baldwin, who had a Masters Degree in Mathematics, developed the first list of “tricks” for trying to win at Blackjack. He and three colleagues published a paper called “The OptimumStrategy in Blackjack” in 1956.
In 1962 Edward Thorp published the book Beat the Dealer, disseminating the optimal technique for maximizing a gambler’s chances of success. Thorp became famous for developing the card counting technique, which has been used by many people to this day and shunned by casinos.
To read this exciting discovery and adventure of Thorp’s, I recommend the book “The Fortune Formula” by Willian Poundstone.
The main point of the ideal strategy is to act according to the banker’s card that is shown to everyone.
If the banker had a low card, 2 to 6, the banker would have to buy several cards and could bust (exceed 21 points). If the banker has a 6 showing, the chance of going bust is 40%. If the banker has a 10-point card, for example, the chance of going over is only 20%.
From this point on, the initial strategy against low cards in the banker is not to risk and let the banker take this risk. In other words, if the banker has a low card and the banker totals 12 points with his 2 cards, the ideal technique is for the bettor not to ask for any card, eliminating the risk of him busting, leaving the “nugget” to the banker.
In the image above the numbers on the top horizontal are the points of the banker’s card shown (in light yellow).
