CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE
Here at Everygame Casino, we have talked about blackjack many times. We will try to go over the basics of best blackjack strategy again, but we also want to look a little outside the box for a better understanding of blackjack strategy.
Looking outside the box, we can see that there are very good reasons to play blackjack at an online casino such as Everygame Casino instead of playing at a land-based casino.
What are the Main Reasons NOT to Play at a Land-based Casino?
In blackjack, you need full concentration. Land-based casinos are full of distractions. You will be offered free alcohol. It takes a lot of willpower to always say no, thank you when the waitress offers a free drink.
Land-based Casinos Are Noisy
The noise that emanates constantly from the roulette and craps tables is also a major distraction. A lot of players find it hard to fully concentrate when there is so much extra noise.
The bells and whistles from the hundreds of slot terminals also distract players at the blackjack table. When you find that you are too distracted to play well, you should stop playing, but then, you might ask yourself, “Why did I come to a land-based casino when I could have played at home with no distractions?”
The distractions have the effect of making it harder to concentrate, and when you are having trouble concentrating, you will make mistakes that you wouldn’t have made playing at home.
Most Blackjack Players Do Not Know Strategy
Especially in blackjack, you might find yourself at a table with a player who does not know blackjack strategy. He or she will always stand with 12 points. Since you do know blackjack strategy, you will hit with 12 points in many situations. Then, the other player will blame you for their losses!
Please, Leave Me Alone
Finally, those free drinks can come back to bother you even if you do say “No, thank you” every time. That’s because there are players who never say, “No, thank you,” and get somewhat inebriated.
A person like this has a lot fewer inhibitions than when he or she was sober, and land-based casinos, by their nature, reduce inhibitions. So, you might be hassled by this kind of player. He might be escorted out of the casino, but his unwanted attention to you will certainly detract from your concentration.
How Much is That Blackjack in the Window?
Here at Everygame Casino, we pay 3-2 for a blackjack. A lot of land-based casinos pay only 6-5. ‘Nuff said.
What is Surrender in Blackjack?
This is an option you have after your first two cards have been dealt. There are also variations of blackjack that allow late surrender. The key to surrender is that there are some hands that are so much in the dealer’s favor that you are actually helped by being able to surrender.
There is a trap here as well. Some gamers surrender in situations in which they should not surrender. So, if you are playing a variation of blackjack that allows surrender, be sure to study up on the best times to surrender.
A good example is when the dealer has a 7 to an ace showing and you have 16 points. This is the best time to surrender. But, if you have 15 points, you should surrender only if the dealer has an ace or a ten-point card showing.
Surrender remains an excellent strategy to play since it protects you against almost inevitable losses of your full bet. You surrender half the bet and retain half the bet.
Is Insurance Really a Poor Bet?
Statistically speaking, the return to player rate when a player takes insurance is less than 50%. That makes it a poor bet indeed.
Statistics are the key to achieving the return to player rate of about 99.5% that gamers can achieve with correct strategy on every hand. Most people dislike statistics. But you don’t have to learn statistics to use them in blackjack. Embrace their value and use them!
How Can a Gamer Learn the Entire Strategy Chart?
There are some ways to master the chart. First, you can play in free play mode. We allow gamers to play in free play mode for as long as they want. This is a great option for practicing the correct way to play blackjack.
Another way is to create a chart of your own with your point count, the dealer’s up card, and your decision. After the session, you can go over your decisions and learn from your mistakes.
What is a Genuinely Good Hand in Blackjack?
We would never tell you to hit with 17 points, even though 17 points is not a strong hand for the gamer in blackjack. This leads to the idea that you should split 9s when the dealer has a 9 or less showing. It is probably a poor choice to split 9s against a 10 or an ace.
The point here is that 18 points is also not a great hand in blackjack. That is why even with top strategy, you will likely lose about half of the hands.
Counting Cards is Still an Option Sometimes
If you are playing at a land-based casino that uses a six-deck shoe, you can count cards, but you have to be extremely expert to get any value out of the count. Counting cards works best with a single-deck game, which has become so rare as to be functionally extinct.
Also, keep in mind that the cost of getting to the casino and staying there will easily offset the wins you might get if you do count cards at a land-based casino.
Online, you can’t count cards since we shuffle the cards after every hand. This means that you have to put your full attention on playing correctly according to the statistics. Your return to player rate will be about 99.5% if you master the best strategy that does not employ card counting.
Master One Version of Blackjack before Trying to Master Another
When you play at Everygame Online Casino, you have tons of time to play all of our games and all of our blackjack variations. Try not to rush yourself; you have plenty of time.
This leads to our final piece of out-of-the-box advice: playing blackjack at a high level is tiring. We suggest that you play only when you feel totally alert. Your return to player rate will stay high, and your bankroll will say, “Yes, thank you.”