Jean LP
Blackjack is said to be the most popular casino card game played today. There are, of course, plenty of fans who prefer other great casino games like poker and baccarat, but for most people, blackjack takes the crown as their favourite casino table card game.
Part of the reason for the popularity of blackjack is that it is probably the easiest of all casino card games to learn. In fact, most newer players are able to pick up the main rules within a few hours or even quicker. There isn’t a table full of different, sometimes unintuitive, betting types like roulette, and you don’t have to read your opponents like in poker.
Another huge attraction to playing blackjack is the fact that it features the lowest house edge (casino advantage) of any casino game. Depending on which version of blackjack you play, and if you use a good blackjack strategy, you can reduce the advantage the casino has in the game to less than 1%. To find out more on reducing blackjack odds, check out our article on Blackjack Charts, which will help supplement your blackjack strategies for maximum effect.
Understanding Basic Blackjack Strategy
Even with a strategy in hand, this game is still all about chance, which means that knowing the odds is crucial to gaining an advantage. Since the introduction of blackjack, people have been trying to apply mathematical theories to it, which has led to quite a few success stories thanks to these players knowing how to manipulate the odds.
The house edge of a blackjack game will differ according to the number of decks that are in the game. The more cards that you have in the shuffling machine, the more spontaneous and random it will be. The rules of a game can also affect the odds. For example, in a version of blackjack where the dealer must stand on a soft 17, the house advantage is decreased by 0.2%. Other factors like the number of hands you get when you split or the double-down rules, for example, can lead to lower odds.
When it comes to classic blackjack gameplay, the house edge isn’t as high as other casino games like roulette, for instance. With a house edge of 0.5%, it’s pretty low compared to European Roulette’s house edge of 2.7%, making blackjack a fairer game in comparison.
There are also calculations you can make to dictate when the best times are to Hit or Stand. For example, the odds of you going Bust at 17 are 69%. The worst hand possible is usually regarded as a 16 (a ten and a six) when the dealer’s upcard is a seven because there is a 70% chance of losing when you Stand. This is where blackjack charts come in handy, as they will tell you when it is optimal to Hit or Stand, meaning you won’t need to memorise a thing.
What are the different types of Blackjack strategies?
Knowing your options and the different odds available is the first step to formulating or picking the best strategy for you. After you’ve become familiar with this, it is important to know the most popular strategies people use today. Most strategies can be categorised as either a positive progression strategy or a negative progression strategy. Seeing which of these you may prefer will help you pick a suitable blackjack strategy that fits your playstyle, bankroll, and the level of risk you are willing to take.
Positive Progression Betting
Applying a positive progression betting system means focusing on capitalising on your wins rather than covering your losses. This style of play seeks to maximise the potential of win streaks by increasing the bet amount during every winning round. Some strategies may then call for you to reset your bet amount on a loss and keep betting that same amount until another win comes along. How much you increase your bet will depend on the strategy used. In the table below, we have provided an example of how a positive progression betting system could play out. In this example, the strategy is to add one betting unit every time you win a round, and you are then required to reset the bet amount on a losing round.
|
Bet Amount (units) |
Outcome |
Profit/Loss |
|
1 |
win |
+1 |
|
2 |
win |
+3 |
|
3 |
loss |
0 |
|
1 |
loss |
-1 |
|
1 |
win |
0 |
|
2 |
loss |
-2 |
|
1 |
win |
-1 |
|
2 |
win |
+1 |
As you can see in the table above, a positive progression method can prolong your gameplay by keeping your balance relatively intact over several game rounds. It can, however, hit you hard when a loss occurs after a winning streak, due to the increase in bet amounts making the potential losses greater. That is why many players will set a limit on the win streak before resetting their bet amount to prevent a potential loss, wiping the slate clean from their previous winning rounds.
Negative Progression Betting
As opposed to a focus on winning rounds, a negative progression betting strategy instead seeks to recoup losses that occur from losing rounds. These strategies ask the player to increase their bet amount after a losing round while decreasing the stake after a winning round. This shift in focus doesn’t benefit so much from winning streaks like a positive progression system but instead looks for small gains should a streak of wins occur. These small gains are supposed to win the day, as there is an emphasis on nullifying the losses accrued from an unlucky streak.
In the table below, we have laid out the same outcomes, as seen in the positive progression betting above. The increase and decrease in bet amounts are the same as in the table above but done in reverse. Notice the difference in the profits and losses gained from round to round.
|
Bet Amount (units) |
Outcome |
Profit/Loss |
|
1 |
win |
+1 |
|
1 |
win |
+2 |
|
1 |
loss |
+1 |
|
2 |
loss |
-1 |
|
3 |
win |
+2 |
|
1 |
loss |
-1 |
|
2 |
win |
+1 |
|
1 |
win |
+2 |
In these examples, you can see the potential for profit being slightly higher in a short amount of time for a positive progression system, but this can also easily be knocked down again after a losing round. A negative progression system has the benefit of being able to cancel out your losses at the expense of seeing comparatively small gains from your winning rounds.
Just keep in mind that just because the examples below show an end result being higher for a negative progression strategy, this won’t necessarily be the case in your gameplay. It should also be noted that increasing your wager through a losing streak can also be particularly punishing on your bankroll if a winning round doesn’t come soon enough to replenish your funds.
The Martingale System
Probably the most well-known and widely used strategy, the Martingale system is a negative progression method that asks players to double their wager after a losing round and reset their bet amount after a winning round. Before using this strategy, you will need to set a baseline for your stakes. This should be between 1% and 5% of your total bankroll. However, even 5% is usually considered too high. We recommend sticking to between 1% and 2%. Whatever you decide, we can call it one betting unit.
The philosophy behind this strategy is that doubling your stake after each loss means that your total losses will be recouped when you finally hit a win. This method is popular, as it can be applied to many table games besides blackjack. It is commonly used on even-money bets in roulette.
Pros
No matter how bad a losing streak is, the theory is that you will hit a winning round eventually. With the doubling of your stake after every losing round, you are ensuring that the next win that comes along will pay back potentially huge dividends. A losing streak of five rounds will mean that your stake amount will be 32 units. Winning after these five rounds will, therefore, mean recouping your losses from the previous rounds and essentially resetting your bankroll.
Cons
This can also be a big drain on your bankroll, as the doubling of your stake will increase the bet amount exponentially for each losing round. It is a particularly risky strategy to employ for players with a smaller bankroll, as it will take a heavier toll on your funds during especially brutal losing streaks. A losing streak of five rounds resulting in a stake of 32 units could easily be a greater part of your entire bankroll. This exponential growth of stake amounts will only be more punishing during longer streaks. It also may feel less exciting than other strategies as the upturn comes after a losing streak, and winning streaks will not be as rewarding.
The Paroli System
The Paroli system is a positive progression betting strategy that has the same principles as the Martingale system but in reverse. Players are asked to double their bets after winning rounds while resetting their stake amount to the baseline after a losing round. This baseline stake works the same way as the Martingale system, where it is recommended you apply a percentage of your total bankroll to a single betting unit.
The Paroli system also applies a streak limit to work as a safety net that minimises risk. Doubling your bet amount during a 5-round win means ending up with a bet amount of 32 units. This could result in a particularly painful loss should the next round be a loss, as it will essentially nullify all gains made from the previous rounds. That is why the Paroli system applies a 3-round limit on win streaks, where you are asked to reset your bet amount regardless of the outcome of the 3rd round.
Pros
Doubling up your stake during winning streaks is definitely more exciting than doing so during a losing streak. It also means that when those losing rounds do appear, they are not as painful as they have the potential to be in the Martingale system. The addition of a win streak limit also greatly improves the Paroli system. Ensuring that you don’t get too carried away during winning rounds is essential to help avoid the potential of big disappointment. Although the philosophy of the Paroli system is the reverse of the Martingale system, it still provides a lot of potential for adding greater value to your bankroll than using no strategy at all.
Cons
Streak limit or not, a round resulting in a loss can still be painful if followed by a succession of wins. A loss will inevitably pop up and nullify gains from the previous rounds. Even with blackjack’s low house edge, it is still more likely that you will come across more losing rounds than winning ones. The fact that losses will occur more frequently than wins over an extended period of play does add to the risk of using this method.
Flat Betting
Flat betting relies on consistency rather than depending on streaks to win the day. Also known as fixed-stake betting, this method is incredibly simple and offers a low-risk and low-reward betting strategy. Whatever you decide is going to be your one betting unit will be the stake of every round, no matter the outcome. There is no increase or decrease in this amount, and the results of a round will not have any kind of impact on your stake for the next round.
Pros
The flat betting strategy works well for new players who are still becoming familiar with all of the rules and variations possible in a game of blackjack. It also keeps the risk down much lower than the Martingale or Paroli strategies, as you will never increase your wager, so the risk will remain relatively minimal. This will help to keep your bankroll intact and ensure your funds don’t burn out during a particularly nasty losing streak, which could happen with the Martingale system.
Cons
Many players, especially those more experienced, may find this system to be boring. It offers no variation between game rounds. It also doesn’t capitalise on win streaks, nor does it help to recoup losses after a losing streak. The low-reward aspect that comes along with this strategy’s low risk will inevitably prove to be less engaging for many players.
Card Counting Basics
Card counting is a method used to determine what cards remain available for play after every draw. What is often misunderstood about counting cards is that it is not a method to memorise every single card but rather a system to calculate the probability of certain cards appearing in upcoming draws. Below are the rules used in a basic method of card counting for blackjack:
- A draw of 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 means adding 1 from your count
- A draw of 7, 8, or 9 – does not affect the count
- A draw of 10, Jack, Queen, King, or Ace means subtracting 1 from your count
The theory is that the higher your count becomes, the more likely the next draw will be one of the face cards. You can use this to help you predict if a face card is likely to appear when you choose to Hit. This allows you to better determine when you should Hit or Stand.
Using a machine or any kind of technology to count cards is considered illegal. However, anything outside that is completely legal and legitimate. Despite this, casinos still have the right to ban you from their site or property if they suspect you of counting cards.
Card counting has become much less prevalent these days, as games of blackjack tend to use multiple decks. The higher the number of decks being used, the less effective card counting will be. Many blackjack tables are played with six decks, which are shuffled regularly, making effective card counting almost impossible. The same applies to online casino blackjack and in video blackjack where a Random Number Generator is used. But that’s not all: in many online live dealer blackjack games a Continuos Shuffle Machine (also called CMS) is used, which ensures that cards are constantly shuffled after each hand. That way the deck composition is constantly changing. This, as well as the fact that live dealer casino blackjack uses eight decks of cards, has successfully destroyed any hopes of card counting.
Online Blackjack Tips
It doesn’t matter how experienced you are or how trusted a particular betting strategy is; it will usually amount to nothing if you don’t have a firm understanding of your bankroll. Managing your bankroll is the first step to playing any casino game effectively, as it will ensure that you don’t overspend while also knowing when you can take added risks. Effective bankroll management will also allow you to determine the effectiveness of certain strategies. How good a strategy is should be determined over an extended period of play, as one session won’t be enough for proper analysis. Knowing what you’ve lost or gained over a betting session and comparing it to other sessions is important to form a proper assessment of the effectiveness of any given strategy.
With this in mind, it is equally important to know when to walk away. This is particularly vital when using strategies like the Martingale system, which otherwise doesn’t include any limitations for how far you can go when it comes to doubling up on losing streaks. The same can also be said for positive progression strategies like the Paroli system. It won’t do you any good attempting to chase a winning streak that may not appear any time soon. Speaking of the Paroli system, it’s important not to get carried away when a winning streak does happen. Stick to the limits outlined by the strategy, as it can ultimately save you in the long run.
The concept of keeping your cool and learning from your losses is integral to any casino game. The more you play, the more adept you will become at weighing the risks and rewards that come with placing your bets. Playing blackjack is supposed to be fun after all, so knowing when to call it quits will ensure that you can always return to the table with a cool head and focused mind at a later time or date.
Conclusion
Whatever blackjack strategy you choose to employ will always have inherent risks attached. A good strategy offers a good balance of risk and reward that suits your tastes and playstyle. As with any casino game, we always recommend you go in with a plan, even if it doesn’t necessarily conform with any typically used betting system. This will help minimise the potential for disappointment, as well as help to ensure the integrity of your bankroll throughout your gameplay.
FAQ
Should I use a strategy to win at blackjack?
Yes, making use of a strategy while playing blackjack helps you manage your bankroll and plan ahead. Having a strategy won’t guarantee you a win, but it will lead to you making decisions that are more likely to lead to a prolonged and enjoyable gaming session. There are still chances to take, but the risk is more estimated if you use a strategy.
What is the best blackjack strategy?
The best blackjack strategy is simply the one that suits you best. There are a variety of different strategies out there, but none of them are perfect. It is, therefore, up to you to determine which strategy has levels of risk and reward that you are comfortable with.
Do other players affect my chances of winning?
Simply put, other players will not affect the odds and your chances of winning. It is best to stay focused on your hands and any strategy that you wish to use.
What is the best blackjack game for learning strategies?
We highly recommend that you play at any virtual blackjack table that offers a demo mode when trying out a new strategy. Demo or free-play mode allows you to play under the exact same conditions as regular play, the only difference is that you are playing with play money. This allows you to play in an environment that goes at your own pace and without risking any of your bankroll.
Can online casinos ban you for card counting?
In theory, yes. Just like land-based casinos, online betting platforms have the right to refuse entry for pretty much any non-discriminatory reason. The problem online casinos have is that there is no way of being able to tell if you are indeed card counting. It is, therefore, incredibly unlikely that you will ever be banned for counting cards.
Should I use side bets with my blackjack strategies?
Side bets for many players can be used to spice up gameplay. They massively ramp up the house edge and tend not to compensate enough in the reward department. We, therefore, do not recommend employing side bets in your blackjack strategies.
Is online blackjack rigged?
If you’re playing on a reputable site with its licensing in order, then it is highly unlikely that any games will be rigged. Check out the casinos we recommend here at Casino Grounds; these sites are all trustworthy.