Learning Blackjack - A Methodical Approach to mastering the game.
Some people have the mentality that the best approach to perfecting your blackjack game is to simply go play, observe, and learn from mistakes. As the old saying goes, the fool and his money soon part ways. This approach will only result in the player losing his shirt. Blackjack adheres to the laws of mathematics, it is a science. Approaching a trip to the casino should be approached with the same mentality one has in approaching a final exam in a math course. The more theory you learn and the more adept at applying this theory, the higher score (or money) you will achieve.
1. In the science of blackjack, your first course will be basic strategy 101. Your objective - to be able to look at the cards in front of you and the upcard in front of the dealre, and have the ability to make the mathematically best move for yourself within a fraction of a second. You will begin study toward this first objective by studying the playing chart on the "basic strategy" tab above.
2. When you think you've Basic Strategy down, try your skill at Real Deal Blackjack: Basic Edition v 1.0 available for purchase under the 'tools' tab above. The software is intuitive and features a help utility to help you get the most for your money. We would recomend that you start your training with "Real Time" feedback on the software, in which you will be told which move you should have made and why every time you make a mathematically bad move. When you feel as though you are starting to get the hang of basic strategy, try increasing the dealer speed to increase the speed a bit and see how you fair with a bit of pressure. After you consistantly play proper basic strategy, switch modes to a '100 Hand Training Session'. In this mode you will only get feedback after every 100 hands on trends and mistakes you are making. If you are not able to purchase the simulator, you can do drills with a few decks of cards. Deal yourself hands vs. an imaginary dealer and after every move refer back to the "Basic Strategy" chart to make sure you have made the right move. Remember, the cost of a good simulation software like that available on this site will be paid for if it stops you from making only a few wrong moves in a casino environment! It is worth the investment.
3. After you have mastered basic strategy in your home, it is time to bring your game to a real casino. To start, try and visit a casino with low table limits. You will usually have better luck if you try on a weeknight when the casino is not so busy and in effect all the tables have had limits raised. Play basic strategy to a "T". Do not pay attention to streaks or trends as straying from Basic Strategy will only lead to lost money. Good luck!!
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4. The next step after mastering basic strategy is learning a cart counting strategy. You will see people publishing books and websites with all sorts of crazy schemes for counting cards. OUr advice to those new to counting and even to those who have been around the block is to stick with a basic "HI-LOW". Look under the "Learn to Count" tab for details on this method and our rationale for choosing this. The Learn to Count software available on this site (on Tools Tab) teaches this method. For those not familiar with counting it is important to note that counting cards does not entail memorizing the number of each individual type of card that has come from the shoot. Most counting methods assign a point value to each card, so that as the deck is dealt you will be adding or subtracting from a number in your head and making betting moves accordingly. The details you will find under the Learn to Count tab, but in short this method works because it lets you know when there is a high ratio of high cards in the deck. This can be proven mathematically to be an advantage to you, the player. You will need to take advantage of this by systematically altering the amount of money you bet according to what the ratio is before each deal.
5. Once you have learned to Count Cards, you will need to first learn patience before you will start raking in the cash. Because counting is a science based on math, there will be a set move and bet in every situation that you must adhere to to make the system work. There will be times when you will be down, but if you stick with the system over time your winnings will overtake your losses and you will make money. If you become impatient and try to win back money too fast or become greedy and try to make money faster than the system allows in a hot streak, you will lose. I cannot stress enough that blackjack is a science. When you master this, it is like paint by numbers. You are simply following a set of rules which is guarenteed by the laws of probability to make you money over the long run.
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