When you’re playing online blackjack, you’re on your own, and you have to figure out for yourself how to play. The game isn’t necessarily hard to understand, but it can be tricky to master. There are some basic guidelines you need to follow, however, if you want to maximize your chances of winning and minimize the amount of times you lose, here’s some expert advice.
Follow The Basic Strategy
The first thing you need to do is follow the basic strategy. This means that you should stick to what the pros recommend and don’t deviate from the normal rules of play. It can be tricky to figure out how to play without risking breaking any of the rules, but this is what separates a pro from an amateur. A pro knows how to play safely and skillfully, and an amateur will often gamble recklessly and lose their money. The basic strategy for blackjack is to try to stay under 21 points, since receiving points above this amount decreases your chances of winning. If you reach 21 or more points, you need to draw attention to yourself by saying “blackjack” so the dealer knows to break. You also need to avoid playing when the gaming site is pushing you to place bets because of how much money they’re hoping to make from your actions. This will cause you to lose money, and it’s not worth the risk when you can follow the basic strategy and play safely.
There are two kinds of basic strategy: counting and studying. Counting means tracking the number of cards that are dealt and comparing it to the number of cards you’ve been dealt, this way you know how many cards are left to be drawn. Studying means analyzing the odds of winning or losing based on the cards that have already been dealt, this way you don’t have to keep track of the cards as they’re dealt but you can determine your chances of winning or losing based on what’s already been played. Both methods are equally effective, but it takes some time to get used to counting cards as they’re dealt which is why it’s often considered to be the superior strategy.
Never Be the First To Ask For A Hit
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when playing online blackjack is asking for a hit when you’ve been dealt an Ace or a King. This is because when you ask, the dealer has to give you the card, and it’s the responsibility of the dealer to determine whether or not they want to make a wager based on what they’ve dealt. If they think there’s a chance they might win, they’ll usually want to give you the option of making a wager. However, players who ask for hits on these types of cards often lose, because the house edge is so high when you’re playing with real money. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is asking for a hit on an Ace or a King because the dealer has to give it to you, even if they don’t want to make a wager. You need to understand that this is a risk you’re taking and that it might cost you money in the long run. The key is to know when to ask and when not to ask for a hit on certain cards.
Some cards are considered to be lucky, and when you ask for a hit on one of these cards it usually means you’ll end up winning more money than you’d otherwise have won. The only problem is that the house edge is so high when you’re playing with real money that it becomes very unprofitable to ask for hits on these cards. The key is to know which cards are lucky and which ones aren’t so that you can take advantage of your lucky cards while minimizing the risk of losing money when you have a bad card.
Play Strictly According to How You Feel
Another key principle of successful blackjack play is knowing how you feel. You need to play in line with how you feel in order to be able to win. If you feel lucky, you need to play accordingly and try to keep your lucky streak going as long as possible. The best way to determine how you feel is to look at the numbers that are displayed above the dealing cards, these are called the “feel numbers”. The further away the feel numbers are from 21, the better your chance of winning. When the numbers are very close to 21, this usually indicates that you’re very close to being lucky and it might be a good idea to play more cautiously until the numbers move away from 21.
Some players prefer to play aggressively and try to make as many wins as possible, while others play more safely and try to minimize their losses. The key is to figure out what feels right to you and play accordingly. Sometimes it’s good to play aggressively, but other times it might be better to take it easy until things start going your way.
Monitor Your Stakes
The final important principle of successful blackjack play is knowing how much you should be watching your stakes. Before you start playing, you should figure out how much you’re willing to risk, and then make a conscious decision to either increase or decrease your stakes as needed. The general rule of thumb is to always try to keep your bets as low as possible so that the house edge is as small as possible and you can have the most profitable games, however, if you’re feeling very lucky you might consider increasing your stakes because it’s more fun to play with higher stakes.
In closing, playing online blackjack is very easy if you follow the basic strategy, never be the first to ask for a hit on an Ace or a King, and know how you feel. Just make sure you’re always aware of how much you’re risking and increase your stakes if needed to maximize your chances of winning.