Top mistakes people make at the blackjack table
I can honestly say that nothing would amaze me at the tables. I am not going to be presumptuous enough to say to you that I have witnessed it all. Nobody has. But I can say to you that I witness people making mistakes continually and they can be summed up in the next few pages. Have a review of yourself and look through these points. I guarantee that at least one or more of these ring a bell with you. The good news is that it can be corrected. If I were your personal blackjack coach, I would have you practice this list. There are no guarantees in life but if you get to the point that none of these items applies to you, you will assuredly be a force to be contended with at the casino, such as https://Casino-sites.pro. These items are not in any kind of order because each one can have a detrimental effect in some individual way.
Not learning basic strategy
This is a top 10 list unto itself. As I said, these aren't in any order of importance, but not learning basic strategy is one of the greatest mistakes of all. Basic strategy doesn't require much to learn. You don't have to memorize every combination. Start off by learning the logic. After you understand the logic, you're well 90 percent of the way there. There are certain specific instances where homework needs to be learned, but consider it an investment in yourself. It'll pay dividends in the long term. Seven of the following are about doubling or splitting but the first three are gargantuan, overall errors.
Hitting a bust hand against a dealer's bust card
This is the quickest tell to the dealer and astute players at the table that you are a novice. If the dealer's 3, 4, 5 or 6, you have to automatically start thinking the dealer will bust. If you hold a 12-16, you have a very bad hand. Your best move is to stand and hope the dealer busts more than 21. If you have a 12 with a dealer's 6, and you draw a card and receive a 10, you lose. When you stand and that same 10 comes and hits the dealer with 16, you not only win but the whole table wins too. That is the quickest and easiest mistake to fix.
The soft 18
The most commonly misplayed hand is the soft 18 (A-7). Most players think 18 is a good hand. It isn't. The only times you can possibly win on an 18 are when the dealer gets a 17 or busts. Learn basic-strategy charts. The soft 18 is a double-down opportunity against a bust card by the dealer. Even if the dealer has a 9, 10 or A as an up card, you get a free chance to make it better without a bust. There are seven of those cards that leave your hand alone or make it better. Assuming an even-balanced deck (each card has an equal opportunity to show up), that will happen almost 54 percent of the time. There are occasions to come out on defense and there are occasions to come out on offense. Soft 18 is an occasion to come out on offense.
Playing 16 against the 7
I actually do understand why people do this but it is not the percentage shot. If you look at basic-strategy charts, it will even tell you to hit on the 16 when the dealer is showing a 7.
- The counterintuitive ones are hoping the dealer's down card is 5-9, putting the dealer in a bust, and the dealer busts on the next cards that are drawn.
- You need to know basic strategy. These plays were tested millions of times using computer simulations.
- The best part about blackjack is you can play everything right and still lose, or play everything wrong and win.
- People who stand on 16 versus a 7 by the dealer are experiencing a self-fulfilling prophecy. It works for them and they continue to do it. Issue is, it's the wrong play over the long term. The other points all relate to doubling up or splitting. Let's begin by examining splitting errors.
Splitting 10s
Are you serious? Why in the world would you split a winning hand? If I could get 20 on all of my hands, I'd resign from my job, play blackjack 24-7 and be independently wealthy in no time. People who do so think they can divide two 10s and get two hands of 20. Secondly, what are the odds of getting a 4 in one hand and a 6 in the other? You have just given a 90 percent loser for two worthless hands where you have doubled your wager. This is the quickest way to lose money. Please, don't split 10s. Having said all that, which is probably more than you wanted to hear, but there are times when splitting 10s is the proper thing to do. Card counters do this but only when the count is a specific amount and the dealer has specific up cards. This is a very specialized situation, and let's be real, you are not at this level—so don't split 10s.
Not understanding when to split in general
Just because you are able to do something doesn't mean you should. Just because you possess a pair, doesn't mean you have to divide it. Take some time out to spend on yourself. The strategy is simple. Always surrender 8s and Aces; never surrender 5s or 10s; only surrender 4s in response to a dealer up card of 5 or 6; surrender 9s in response to anything other than a dealer's 7, 10, or Ace; everything else (2s, 3s, 6s or 7s pairs) only surrender if the dealer up card is 7 or less. That's it. Splitting and doubling down are both extremely powerful player strategies. But similarly to splitting, you must pick your spots when doubling.
Doubling on 12
This is in the same category as splitting 10s. All of the dealers will be rolling their eyes or laughing their ass off at a player who does this. With an even-shoed deck, 30 percent of the cards are 10s. That is almost a third of the time you will lose twice as much money immediately after one card. When doubling down, you get one card. Let's say you don't bust with a 10 but get an Ace, 2, 3 or a 4. Again, that is 30 percent of the deck if it is an even shoe. If the dealer has a winning hand (17-21), you will lose twice that.