Improving your Blackjack Games

Blackjack lends itself easily to certain rules and principles which can help increase the odds in your favor if you follow them. Use these tips and best practices to improve the way you play Blackjack, whether at a casino or online.

Every gambling game comes with a house advantage, which is how much the odds are stacked in their favor. If you pay attention to certain factors however you can systematically reduce that edge, allowing you more opportunity to win.

Anything less than a nine in Blackjack and you automatically hit, because you can't bust. With a 10 or 11 you should double down, because if you get a ten or an Ace on top of that you have 21 and you win. However you may not want to double down when the dealer also shows a 10 or 11.

When holding between 12 and 16 you should only hit when the dealer is showing a seven or higher. This is because you need to try to beat his high card and likely high outcome. However, if you have 17 or more you should stand since the likelihood is high that you will bust.

Of course there are a few additional rules to consider if you are holding an Ace and therefore have a soft hand. This means that your Ace can count towards 11 or one in value, giving you increased flexibility in your choices.

If you have an Ace and your high value is between 13 and 18, double down if the dealer has a five or a six. If you have seventeen or less you should always hit with an Ace, and eighteen can be hit if the dealer has six or more.

When the dealer is showing a seven or higher you should stand, as you should when you have seventeen or more. There are also additional rules concerning pairs.

Some pairs you always want to split, such as Aces and eights, while some pairs you never want to split, such as tens, fours and fives.

These are some basic guidelines that can help increase your odds of winning every hand. You should also keep in mind that to improve your experience you should be looking for a game where you can play without interruption and the game is moving quickly and easily.

Never play when there is an obvious drunk person at the table, since it can throw you off your game and you may also want to avoid slow players who hinder the action.

Insurance is really a suckers bet unless you have been counting cards and know the likelihood of a situation. Always be sure to keep stock of your chips and don't bet recklessly.

You should only play at a table that has a minimum bet equal to or less than 1/20th of your bankroll. This is a tolerable level of risk and will allow you to go on losing streaks without losing all of your money. As in any situation, treat the fellow players as well as the dealer with respect.

Learning Blackjack

I found this nifty site that's a great resource for blackjack beginners. The web site I'm talking about is called, Hit or Stand. It is a free online blackjack game and trainer that teaches you blackjack strategy while you play. The goal of the game is to make a high percentage of correct moves and not to earn money, as most online gambling websites are.

The Game Play and Strategy

The Hit or Stand game works just like any other online blackjack game, however your score is determined by your ability to execute the correct moves on each hand. After the cards are dealt, you have the option to Hit, Stand, Double, or Split. Because this game is a trainer, it is up to you to add the cards and know whether you are allowed to split or double. An illegal move will be counted incorrect. If your move is legal, it will be determined to be correct and will be an increase in your points.

This online game has two modes of play: easy and difficult. In both modes you will be dealt 20 hands, and your final score will be the percentage of correct moves you made out of the incorrect ones. In difficult mode, the hands will by more challenging, and there is now a time element since you'd only be given 4 seconds to make a decision.

Basic Online Blackjack Rules

While blackjack does change from casino to casino, it generally has to form of rules - Las Vegas rules or Atlantic City rules. However the fundamental correct moves do not differ that much and in many large scale casinos the rules are similar. Below are some very basic blackjack rules.

• The goal of blackjack is to beat the dealer's hand without going over 21.
• Face cards are worth 10. Aces are worth 1 or 11, whichever makes a better hand.
• Each player starts with two cards, one of the dealer's cards is hidden until the end.
• To 'Hit' is to ask for another card. To 'Stand' is to hold your total and end your turn.
• If you go over 21 you bust, and the dealer wins regardless of the dealer's hand.
• If you are dealt 21 from the start (Ace & 10), you got a blackjack.
• Blackjack usually means you win 1.5 the amount of your bet. Depends on the casino.
• Dealer will hit until his/her cards total 17 or higher.
• Doubling is like a hit, only the bet is doubled and you only get one more card.
• Split can be done when you have two of the same card - the pair is split into two hands.
• Splitting also doubles the bet, because each new hand is worth the original bet.
• You can only double/split on the first move, or first move of a hand created by a split.
• You cannot play on two aces after they are split.
• You can double on a hand resulting from a split, tripling or quadrupling you bet.

If you plan on seriously learning blackjack and maybe later on learn the art of card counting, visit hit or stand to learn the basics.

Website: www.hitorstand.net