How to Play
- The game of blackjack is played with a normal deck of 52 playing cards. The dealer will have one faced down card and one faced up card for players to see. They are referred to as door cards. The dealer will then deal twenty two card hands to the players. The players will then have to decide whether to stay or play their hand. Each player will have four options. One is to stay. Another is to surrender. The third option is to double down. And the fourth option is to split.
- When a player stays or surrender, it means the player is forfeiting his hand and has to sit out the rest of the game. If the player has a high hand, he has to double the stakes. Players can also double down on any two cards. Players can also double down on anything besides a hard 8. The player can split any pair. The player can also take insurance and protect the stake if an ace is dealt in the first two cards. Players should note that an ace can be counted as either a 1 or an 11.
Hard 8 rule
In blackjack, the dealer must have a hard 8 or a soft 17 to beat a player’s hand. With the dealer’s card showing, the hand with the higher number still wins. However, the casino has an option to deal a soft 17 instead of a hard 8. This option is only given if the first two cards given to the player beats the dealer’s hand.
The best way to beat the dealer is to have a strong hand. Never ever double down on a hard 9 to 10 as it is likely to lose to a dealer’s hand.
The worst hand in blackjack
Statistically speaking, the worst possible hand in blackjack is the hard 10. As defined by the odds, a hard 10 hand is one in which the player has higher cards than the dealer, but the dealer also has higher cards. However, consider this sentence, if you have a hard 10, and the dealer has a 6 showing, you are more likely to lose a round than win. Therefore, it is wise to stick to a hard 9, and hope for a soft 17 against the dealer’s showing card.
Playing the right strategy
- Blackjack strategies can be confusing, as they pertain to more than just playing one hand. A player’s intent and attitude towards the game can affect how the player plays. For instance, if a player is playing honestly, he will adhere to his strategy. However, a player can also manipulate his strategy, especially if he feels he is being cheated. He can also come up with a strategy against the odds by turning his cards up, illegally.
- When you feel you are being cheated, especially by people placing too much emphasis on card counting, you can use technological means to detect cheating. Video recording is one way to do this. Oftentimes, though, the cheating will go on until such a time that the card counter is finally able to expose the cheating and the house is then called out and made to pay for the improper betting.
- Another form of cheating is so widespread in today’s gaming that it should be named then cheating is not really cheating. When you buy chips or put money in the game, sometimes the dealer will be caught certificates sometimes known as smart cards that increase the player’s advantage over the house. It isn’t cheating unless the dealer uses these cards to help the player. Of course, not all casinos are crooked, but some definitely are and will try to prevent the use of counters. Some casinos offer a club card and for every time a player goes to the club and plays, they receive a card that they can give to the dealer to keep track of their play. The important thing to remember here is that a card counting team is very much officially frowned upon. Also, never attempt to record what is going on in a game of blackjack by remembering the dealer’s cards. The exception to this rule is if the deck is getting shuffled, at which time it’s perfectly acceptable to take note of what the dealer’s up cards are, then you must protect your hand and not reveal anything to the opponent.
When you learn how to count cards, you must be aware at all time of the number of decks on the table and the number of cards still in the deck. You also must be aware of the number of cards still in the deck and what that might mean to the remaining deck. In short, you must be aware of the deck you are working with.