The first game I will cover is blackjack. This is one of the most popular casino games. The house edge varies between 5% and 15% depending on the skill of the player and assuming that no basic strategy or card counting is being used. Basic strategy can reduce the house edge to less than 1% which makes it a very good game for the player and it is possible to leave the casino a winner in the short run. The casino will get its money, but not necessarily from you. If you do an online search for blackjack basic strategy, you will get lots of websites which can give you basic strategy tables to use. These tables are large and hard to memorize. There are also several different tables as they change slightly depending on the number of decks being used and the specific rules at the casino where you are playing. It is much simpler to memorize my small set of rules and apply them to all blackjack games. The difference in house advantage is extremely small.
Simplified Basic Strategy for Blackjack.
Playing Soft Hands:
If you have 13 to 18; double down if the dealers card is 5 or 6.
If you have 17 or less; always hit.
If you have 18; hit if the dealer upcard is 6 or less, stand if the dealer upcard is 7 or higher.
If you have 19 or higher; stand.
Playing Hard Hands:
If you have 9 or less; always hit.
If you have 10 or 11; double down if the dealer has 9 or less. Hit if the dealer has 10 or an ace.
If you have 12 to 16; hit if the dealers upcard is 7 or higher. Stand if the dealers upcard is 6 or lower.
If you have 17 or higher; always stand.
Playing Pairs:
Always split aces and eights.
Never split tens, fours or fives. All other pairs should be split only when the dealers upcard is 6 of lower. Never make insurance bets.
Card Counting.
Card counting, when done properly can further reduce the house edge to 0% or sometimes even give the player a 1% to 2% edge. If you do an internet search for card counting, you will find many sites which will attempt to teach you how to count cards. Some are free, many want anywhere from $19.99 to $299.99 or more. Card counting is very difficult to learn and to do correctly and also hard to do without getting caught. Many people believe that card counting is against the law but it is not. It is frowned on by casinos and most casinos will ask you to leave if you are caught. I personally do not count cards. If I ever hear of a counting system which works and is as simple to learn and use as my basic strategy rules, I may begin using it. For the time being, however, I do not count cards and do not recommend anyone else to do it.
