• Odds Of Winning At Blackjack
• Winning At Blackjack In Vegas

Basic Strategy to Win at Blackjack Blackjack is a game based on mathematical probability. Like it happens for all the games that are based on mathematics and probability, there are some systems you can use to increase your chances to win at the Blackjack table. Mar 28, 2017 5 Best Tips for Winning at Blackjack. Learn Basic Strategy and stick to it. The player should always assume that the card they can’t see is a 10 and statistically, the odds are high that it is. Blackjack Strategy & Tips. What is the best way to play Blackjack and optimise your chances of winning? The answer is called basic strategy. Read on to discover more about how to win at Blackjack.

In this article you'll find:

• A basic Blackjack cheat sheet for beginners
• An overview of the best Blackjack strategies to play online
• Useful online Blackjack tips to increase your chances of winning

Let's face it - we've all looked for the best and the most effective strategy to win at blackjack.

More than once.

As a huge fan of Blackjack, I tried countless betting strategies.

I won big, I lost big. Luckily, all of this experience helped me to understand one thing: moderation is the key.

After all I've been through, I want to share my knowledge with you.

My goal is to maximize your winnings and to minimize your losses.

At the end of the day, we are all on the same boat:

We just want to beat the dealer and bring home as much money as possible.

Even though a fool proof blackjack strategy doesn't exist, the info below can help you play smart and win more.

Losing all your savings won't get you anywhere and will only make you hate casinos.

So, let's make the best out of your blackjack casino experience and help each other to you win more.

After all, the most important thing is to have fun. And the more you know, the more fun blackjack gets.

Check Out This Blackjack Cheat Sheet

First things first. Even though the most important thing that keeps you from losing big is money management - and as a poker player I assume you are A PRO at this - you also have to know the basic tactics to deal with cards effectively.

As you know, there are a few decisions you can take depending on your cards and the dealer's open card.

These decisions are:

• Stand
• Hit
• Double
• Split
• Surrender

Sometimes, all it takes is basic logic.

Like you don't want to hit (ask for an additional card) if you have a 20, and you don't want to stand if you have only a 3.

However, things are not always that simple.

That's why our experienced team prepared a detailed blackjack chart to show you how to play every hand at blackjack.

Use it to know when it is recommended to hit, to stand, or to do something else.

Yes, you can use this basic blackjack strategy table when you play online blackjack for real money.

Whether you play virtual or live dealer games, you can (or better, you should) base your blackjack play on what's indicated on this blackjack cheat-sheet.

Alternatively, you can use this downloadable Blackjack basic strategy chart.

Key:
S = Stand
H = Hit
Dh = Double (if not allowed, then hit)
Ds = Double (if not allowed, then stand)
SP = Split
SU = Surrender (if not allowed, then hit)

Now that you have a basic understanding the different blackjack actions (which you can practice HERE for free), let's move to the best blackjack betting strategies.

A Conservative Blackjack Strategy: Win Little by Little

If you're a beginner, I completely understand your fear of high stakes.

I also wouldn't want to lose a fortune on my very first game.

Or on my second. And third one.

That would discourage me from playing blackjack ever again - or even visiting Las Vegas.

That's why I suggest you to use a conservative approach when it comes to betting in blackjack.

The main idea is this:

Raise your bet every time you win.

This strategy is based on the idea that wins and losses come in streaks.

You might lose five times in a row, but then, miraculously, win three consecutive bets.

I know, I know, blackjack is a game of chance, and the outcome is random.

BUT

My long-term experience says that there is a pattern. I just can't explain it logically.

Just look at some random sequences made with the probability theory in mind.

Usually, you can see some sort of streaks, and this can be applied to blackjack too.

So, all you need to do is raise your stakes little by little - but only when you win.

You can use our list of the best casinos to play blackjack online and test this strategy for free. Don't forget to use our strategy charts when learning how to win.

An Aggressive Approach to Blackjack: the Martingale Strategy

Now we're talking.

The Martingale blackjack strategy is my favourite.

This is a blackjack system that helps me win often - but only when I have a lot of money to invest on my games.

If you don't have at least $500 to gamble online - don't use it.

If you do - keep reading and get ready to have fun.

The Martingale strategy is completely different from the conservative blackjack approach.

You have to be brave to use this one.

It basically goes like this:

You double your bet… every time you lose.

Now that sounds like a downer.

How can you ever win if you keep losing - and losing more and more as you keep playing?

Listen.

Even if you lose lots of money on several consecutive losses, everything changes when you win.

As you've been doubling your bets, the one that brings you victory makes your bankroll grow to the point of covering the amount you lost before that happened.

However, there's one thing to keep in mind. One very important thing.

Once you go over your initial bankroll, STOP.

The Martingale blackjack strategy doesn't work when it comes to long gaming sessions.

There have been cases when I lost all my money, and that happened because I was greedy.

The best approach is to play blackjack often and stop immediately when you get some extra cash.

This way, you will benefit greatly in the long run and won't be left penniless at the end of the day.

You are very likely to win at least one hand per round of blackjack - and that's all you need when applying the Martingale blackjack strategy.

Just keep in mind that you need a big initial bankroll for this one.

You need to have enough money to keep doubling the bet until you finally beat the odds.

If you feel like it, you can practice this strategy on different blackjack variants to see, which one works best for you.

In case your betting limits are low - don't worry. The next blackjack strategy guide is for you.

1-3-2-6 Blackjack Betting System

The 1-3-2-6 blackjack betting strategy doesn't sound like the most exciting thing ever - especially after you've read about the Martingale strategy - but it can still help you a lot.

Most importantly, it doesn't require to have an enormous bankroll, so that's a plus.

So, what do the numbers in the title of the strategy stand for?

Your bets after you win a hand of blackjack.

In other words, you trigger this system after you win - and cut it once you lose.

This way, you won't lose all your money at once.

Once again, this blackjack strategy is based on the idea that winnings come in streaks.

Also, it gives you a systematic approach to your bets. You don't make your bets randomly and that gives you control over the game. Everything goes as planned - step by step.

Let's take a look at an example of the 1-3-2-6 blackjack strategy.

Say, your initial bet is $10. If you won blackjack game four times in a row, your betting pattern would look like this:

$10-$30-$20-$60

Of course, let's not forget that you would immediately cut this sequence if you lost.

You would then return to your original $10 and wait for another win.

You might ask, does 1-3-2-6 blackjack strategy really work?

Well, it helps.

It helps you manage your bets, not to overspend, and gives you an advantage when you hit a hot streak.

Even if your winnings might look like rookie numbers at the beginning, you'll have an advantage in the long run.

You can play blackjack for free at this Casino to see if this strategy works for you in reducing the house edge.

How to Win More at Blackjack: A Few Important Tips

Even though we all want to win at blackjack every time we play, it's impossible.

Luckily, you can maximize your winnings and make blackjack odds more favorable with a few simple tips that are as important as an effective blackjack betting strategy.

So, here's what you need to do to be a successful blackjack player:

• Say NO to insurance. Blackjack insurance is probably the worst thing that could happen to this casino game. It's useless, money-draining, and should be thrown out the window immediately. Don't use it!
• Keep the house edge in mind. You can't expect to win at blackjack every time you play. That's because it has a house edge which ensures that the casino has an advantage in the long run. The best method to avoid the house edge is to stop playing as soon as you win extra money.
• Check the rules of blackjack every time you play. It comes as no surprise that such a popular game like blackjack has tons of different variations. Each of them has slightly different rules. Check them out before you make your first bet.
• Choose 3:2 over 6:5 payout. Some casinos decide to cheat a little and make the payout 6:5 instead of the usual 3:2. Playing at such a casino means that you won't win as much as you should. Avoid casino sites, mobile casinos, and live casinos with bad payouts for blackjack players.

And now it's time to test all these best blackjack strategies in real life.

Also, use these tips and study the blackjack action strategy table. After a short while, you'll find yourself winning more and more.

However, the most important method to win at blackjack game is, once again, moderation.

No blackjack strategy will help you if you waste your winnings playing blackjack all day long.

You must quit as soon as you make even the smallest profit, or otherwise everything will go to waste.

If you play small, your winnings will accumulate, and you'll win big in the long run.

And that's the most important thing of all.

Finding a trustworthy room to play online poker can be a monumental burden. That's all the more true if you're just looking for a place to play poker for free. We've listed five of the best play-money poker sites to enjoy and help hone your skills.

The Best Blackjack Betting System for Finishing a Trip with a Win? Oscar's System

Blackjack Betting Systems: The Long Run Vs. The Short Run

Players ask me more questions about betting systems for blackjack than just about any other topic. Not betting systems for card counters—just betting systems.

I always start by going into my spiel that pure betting systems don’t win in the long run. They can make you more likely to win in the short run (in the case of Oscar's System, a lot more likely). But not in the long run. And the usual response I get is, “I don’t care about the long run. I’m going to Vegas this weekend. I just want to win on this one short run.” (Continued below)

As a matter of fact, there are betting systems that provide a player a much bigger chance of finishing a trip with a win than a loss. If you use this type of betting system, and you look over your records after years of play, you’ll see a whole lot of small wins—and one (or a few) big losses, big enough to wipe out the profits from all of your small wins, and then some. (Mustn’t forget that house edge!)

But, you don’t care about the long run. You just want a win this weekend. So, let’s look at what betting system works best in the short run. We can’t guarantee a win, but there is a logic to betting systems that can greatly increase your chances of success.

(Note: To learn how to win at blackjack over the long run, with or without card counting, start with our Intro to Winning Blackjack.)

Types of Blackjack Betting Systems

There are two main types of betting systems for blackjack or any casino game—positive progressions and negative progressions. With a positive progression, the general theory is that you raise your bets after wins, which means that your bigger bets are primarily funded by money won. This is a conservative betting system insofar as a long string of losses will not wipe out your bankroll as quickly as with a negative progression.

With a negative progression, you raise your bets after your losses. This is more dangerous, since a bad run of losses can wipe you out quickly. In its favor, however, it allows you to win on a session in which you’ve lost many more hands than you’ve won. Since your bets after losses are bigger bets, you don’t have to win so many of them to come back, assuming you can avoid a truly disastrous series of losses that empties your pockets.

There are dozens of variations on betting systems that incorporate features of both the positive and negative progressions, in an attempt to create the “perfect” betting system that wins the most often with the least chance of busting out.

But the best system of this type I’ve seen for accomplishing this end was first published 40 years ago by mathematician Allan N. Wilson, in his Casino Gambler’s Guide (Harper & Row, 1965). Dr. Wilson called it “Oscar’s system,” named after the dice player who’d invented it.

How to Use Oscar's Blackjack Betting System

Odds Of Winning At Blackjack

Here’s how Oscar's System works:

The goal for any series of bets is to win just one unit, then start a new series. Each series starts with a one-unit bet. After any win, the next bet is one unit more than the previous bet. After any loss, the next bet is identical to the previous bet. That is, if you lose a two-unit bet, your next bet is a two-unit bet until you have a win, at which point you raise your bet one unit to a three-unit bet.

That is the whole system, except for one stipulation—Never place any bet that would result in a win for the series of more than one unit. In other words, if you win a 4-unit bet, and you are now down only 2 units for the series, you would not raise your next bet to 5 units because of the 4-unit win; you’d only to 3 units, which would be all you’d need—if successful—to achieve a one-unit win for the series.

Oscar’s betting system combines the best features of both the positive and negative progressions. You can suffer much longer runs of losses without busting out than you can with a negative progression, since you don’t raise your bets after losses. Yet, a much shorter run of wins can get back your previous losses on a series, since you raise your bets following wins. It’s kind of brilliant, actually. Strings of losses hurt less, yet strings of wins pay more.

When Oscar told Dr. Wilson that he had been using this system for many years and had never had a losing weekend in Las Vegas, Dr. Wilson did some mathematical and computer simulation analysis on it. Was this possible? His findings were amazing. Using a $1 betting unit on an even money payout game, the betting progression is so slow that the player would bump up against the house’s $500 maximum bet (at that time) on only one series of every 5,000 played. On 4,999 of those series, the player would expect to achieve his $1 win target.

Since Oscar was shooting for a weekend win of only $100 (back in 1965, this was a very healthy win!), Dr. Wilson concluded that it was quite likely that Oscar had played on many weekends over a period of years with never a loss.

So, should we all start using Oscar’s system? One word of caution: Watch out for that one losing series. How much does Oscar lose when his system fails on that one unlucky series out of 5,000?

About $13,000.

You see, even though he’s just bumped into the house’s table maximum of $500, he’s gotten to this point by losing lots of bets in the $100+, $200+, $300+, and $400+ range during this horrendously long series. So, if you try Oscar’s system, you still have to be prepared to lose in the long run.

Conclusion

No betting system will ever overcome the house edge in the long run. But they’re not worthless. Professional gamblers do find opportunities for profiting from various types of betting systems in gambling tournaments, as “camouflage” to disguise an advantage play that is not based on the betting system itself, and especially in online casinos where betting systems can be used to milk the casino “bonuses.”

To actually win at normal casino blackjack in the long run, however, you have to start by counting cards--not because card counting is the best or most profitable way to win at blackjack, but because the principles behind card counting are the same principles that are behind every type of professional gambling at blackjack, even methods that don't require counting.

To get started playing blackjack like a professional gambler, see our Intro to Winning at Blackjack. We've got some very easy ways for you to begin. ♠

Recommended Books on Winning Blackjack Systems

Winning At Blackjack In Vegas

For more information on the wide variety of ways besides card counting that professional gamblers win at blackjack, see Blackbelt in Blackjack by Arnold Snyder.

For information on how professional gamblers use betting systems like Oscar's system to win in online casinos, see Arnold Snyder's How to Beat Internet Casinos and Poker Rooms.