10 Facts About Blackjack That Will Surprise Your Friends

Blackjack is definitely one of the well-known games in casinos worldwide. How much do you know about this game? Here are 10 facts that will be sure to help you surprise your friends the next time you have a gambling session with them.

1. You can make a living off of Blackjack

Most games played in casinos have a house edge that is definitely in favour of the house. You definitely can’t play these games with an edge. There is a type of gambler that absolutely refuses to play in any games where the odds are not in their favour. These types of gamblers are known as “advantage gamblers”.

However, blackjack is a rare exception when it comes to edges. One of the most popular techniques when it comes to gambling in blackjack is called counting cards. And guess what? There are still other ways to gain an edge. Fret not if you don’t know how to count cards, it is still possible to play a near breakeven game when the rules options are liberal towards the player.

If you are a very good advantage player, it is possible for you to have a 1% edge over the casino. In order to make a living off blackjack, you just need to make enough wagers to earn enough. Also, you will need a big enough bankroll to handle the short-term standard deviations.

2. The House has an edge of less than 1% in Blackjack.

For a game with the typical 3 to 2 payoff, reasonable rules, and with a few decks, the house edge will definitely be less than 1%. The common range for house range in blackjack is usually from 0.5% to 1%. House edge means the average amount you will statistically lose each bet on average. This trend cannot be observed in the short term. In blackjack, you bet a unit and depending on the outcome, you will either win or lose 1 unit. When you get a blackjack, you will win 1.5 units.

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   You can affect the outcome with your decisions in Blackjack.

Blackjack, as well as poker, are good examples of games in which the decisions you make will affect the outcome of the game. There are definitely a lot of players out there who would love to experience the mental stimulation that player blackjack or poker gives.

4. Card counting is not a myth.

Card counting has existed for some time and became established as a systematic and proven system in 1962 when “Beat the Dealer” was published by Ed Thorp. Before that, card counters each had their own systems and was usually based on intuition. Thorp was able to prove that card counting works mathematically and since then, casinos have taken measures to deal with this.

5. Card counting is not rocket science.

The reason card counting seems hard is because a lot of people don’t understand the concept of it. You don’t actually have to memorize the whole deck and what cards have already been dealt with. The idea is that a deck that has more low cards will favour the house and a deck that has more high cards will favour the player. It is basically a system where you estimate the ratio of high to low cards in a deck. Bets should then be made according to the ratio.

6. Card counting is impossible in online casinos.

Random number generators are used by online casinos to determine the outcome of games. A newly shuffled deck is used for every hand. Counting cards is a useful technique, but it cannot be used in online casino games.

7. Blackjack has been around longer than most games.

Blackjack can be traced back all the way to the late 16th/early 17th century as it is mentioned in a novel called “Don Quixote” written by Cervantes. Most games like slot machines or video poker have only been around less than a century.

8. It is not illegal to count cards.

Contrary to what casinos would want you to believe, counting cards is not against the law. It is impossible to prove that a player is counting cards. That said, casinos do have the right to refuse service to anyone.

9. Actions of other players at the table do not affect your strategy.

Remember that at the end of the day, your goal is to beat the dealer. Whether the player before you makes a mistake or not does affect your strategy or winning chances.

10. Not every blackjack game has a 3 to 2 payout.

Casinos have in recent years introduced a new 6 to 5 payout for a blackjack. It doesn’t seem to be of much difference compared to the standard 3 to 2 payout, but it will really affect your chances of winning negatively.

Read more about Blackjack below:

• The History of Blackjack and Card Counting
• BlackJack Advance Strategy
• The Official Rules of Blackjack