Reasons to Hate Playing Blackjack

Blackjack is 1 of the best games you can play, and it’s 1 of my favorite gambling games. I like many things about blackjack, but there are a few things that I simply hate. None of the things I hate about blackjack have made me stop playing, but some of them have changed how I play.

This article includes 6 things that you might hate about blackjack. It also includes how I’ve learned to handle each of these 6 things. It’s still the first game that you should consider when you gamble, even with these 6 things.

The 6 to 5 Invasion

When I started playing real money blackjack every table that I saw paid 3 to 2 for blackjack. I’m sure you already know, but a blackjack is when your first 2 cards are worth 10 points and an ace.

Getting paid $30 on a $20 bet or $150 on a $100 wager is the main reason why blackjack is such a good game. The ability to win more than you risk when you get blackjack helps cover some of the losses you have on other hands.

You can see that getting paid 6 to 5 is not as good as getting 3 to 2. On a $20 bet you only win $24. This costs you $6 on every blackjack. On a $100 bet you only get back $120, and this costs you $30 on every blackjack.

Casinos take advantage of gamblers who don’t understand how fractions work. If you don’t know how big the difference is between 3/2 and 6/5 you might be tempted to play at a 6/5 table. Now you know how much this costs you so you know to refuse to play at 6/5 blackjack tables.

The big problem is that there are more 6/5 tables and fewer 3/2 blackjack tables available. And this is going to continue until blackjack players stop playing at the 6/5 tables.

Good Rules Are Rarely Available

Beyond the amount you get paid when you get a blackjack there are many other rules in blackjack games. Each of the possible blackjack rules changes how much you make or lose when you play.

Most blackjack tables have a mix of good and bad rules. But the casinos want you to play blackjack games that don’t have good rules, so they keep offering these games. Just like you learned in the last section, the casinos have 6/5 tables because some people use them. As long as blackjack gamblers keep playing with bad rules, the casinos are going to keep offering these tables.

Insurance Isn’t What It Seems

The casino industry is sneaky. They spend a lot of time figuring out how to squeeze more money out of gamblers. They use every trick in the book.

Possibly the sneakiest trick is the insurance offer at the blackjack table when the dealer has an ace. The dealer offers you a bet that pays 2 to 1 when he or she has a blackjack.

This looks like a normal part of the game and it looks like a decent bet. This is how the casino is sneaky. Insurance is a side bet that has nothing to do with the regular game.

Consider what exactly insurance is. It doesn’t have anything to do with your hand. It’s a side bet on whether the dealer has a down card that’s worth 10 points or not. If the dealer has a blackjack you still lose your original hand.

But this isn’t what makes insurance bad. What makes it bad is that it only pays 2 to 1 and the odds of the dealer having a blackjack are 2.25 to 1. This means that insurance increases the profits for the casino. Just like all side bets, don’t take insurance.

Dying 1 Deck Tables

This might be a little picky, but it’s hard to find single deck blackjack games. And when you do find 1 it almost always only pays 6 to 5 for a blackjack. And you learned why this rule makes the game too bad to play.

The reason why I say it’s a little picky is because the return is extremely close no matter how many decks the blackjack game uses. But the return on a single deck game is slightly better than any other games.

The math is complicated and it might not make a lot of sense, but the fact is that blackjack games with all of the other rules the same are better with the smallest number of decks that you can find.

This isn’t something you need to spend much time worrying about or looking for. But if you find a single deck game that has decent rules, it’s the best game to play. The second best game is 1 that uses 2 decks. The worst option is an 8 deck shoe game, and the second worst option is a 6 deck show game.

Blackjack Strategy Isn’t Easy

It doesn’t matter what blackjack game you’re playing; you need to learn how to be a great blackjack strategy player. Blackjack strategy gives you the highest possible return for whatever blackjack game you’re playing.

This means that blackjack strategy isn’t easy. But it’s not so hard that you can’t learn how to use it. All you need is a cheat sheet and some practice.

A cheat sheet is easy to get. Find a strategy card in a casino shop or on the internet, or find a strategy chart online. Then all you have to do is use it to practice when you play blackjack.

And this doesn’t even have t cost you any money. You can play blackjack for free at most online and mobile casinos. Play for free and use your cheat sheet until you know all of the best plays. This will take some time, but you should be able to remember all of the best plays within 5 or 10 hours of play. And you can keep your cheat sheet with you in case you need to check on a play.

Counting Is Legal but Casinos Throw You Out Anyway

If you’re smart and do the work you can learn how blackjack card counting works. And if you do this you can win money when you play.

Learning how to count takes a little more work than memorizing the best strategy, but it’s not that much harder. In fact, if you’re smart enough to learn all of the strategy plays you’re smart enough to learn how to count.

The problem is that even if you’re a great counter, when the casino figures out what you’re doing they’re going to throw you out of the casino. You’re not breaking any laws by counting cards, but the casino has the legal right to throw you out for any reason.

The laws vary from location to location, but even if the casino can’t throw you out for counting they can find another reason to ban you.

Here’s what all of this means. You should learn how to count cards, but when you do you need to learn how to do it and not get caught. This is challenging, but it’s an important thing to remember when you’re a card counter.

Conclusion

If you can find the perfect situation including the table rules and you use good strategy, blackjack offers a great return percentage. But casinos want you to play games that don’t have good rules and they don’t want you to use strategy.

Most blackjack rules don’t change the return much, but the 6 to 5 rule changes it so much that you can’t afford to play at tables that use it.

Blackjack strategy isn’t exactly easy to use, but it’s something you have to use if you want to win. You should also learn how card counting works, but be warned; if you’re good at counting cards and the casino find out, they’re going to make you stop playing.