Blackjack is one of the most iconic casino games. It’s classy and cool and deceptively simple. All you have to do is make your cards add up to 21, right? How much skill can be involved in that? The answer is a whole lot, as well as a whole lot of luck. After you’ve gotten the hang of the basics, it’s time to take the next step and take your skills to the next level. Here are some tips to help you achieve this:
Avoid the nonsense
Gamblers are a superstitious group and many of the superstitions they come up with tend to be accepted as real things that can impact your play. In all fairness, this is true for a tiny fraction of them. For example, sitting in the first seat at the table is a bad idea, but it’s not because it’s unlucky — it’s because if the dealer is rushing, you’ll have less time to consider your hand. For the most part though, it’s a good idea to avoid getting too invested in the various superstitions surrounding the game. Just like how wearing the same pair of lucky underwear every time the home team plays doesn’t have any impact on whether or not they’ll win, breaking any of the mystical blackjack taboos won’t have any impact on which cards you’re dealt. Focus on strategy and having fun, not all the nonsense surrounding it.
Increase your focus
Being able to maintain your focus despite everything going on around you is an important skill for a blackjack player. Blackjack hands move fairly quickly, and you’re likely going to want to play more than a few hands in a row. Casinos, even online ones, are full of distractions. Our phones, especially the new dual screen Samsung Galaxy, let us do a million things at once and stay constantly connected. Research has shown, however, that all this entertainment and engagement has had a negative impact on our ability to concentrate and focus on a single thing for an extended period of time. You don’t have to get into yoga or meditation, but taking the time to practice focusing on a single thing could help you at the blackjack table.
Study up
You can learn a lot about cards from playing or watching experts play, but you can’t learn everything that way. One other thing that you can do is read a blackjack guide to improve your game. But studying is so boring you might say! This is a hobby, not school! It’s likely you’ll find that once you’re studying up on something that you’re really interested in, it feels a lot less like work and a lot more like a fun project.
Learn how to manage your money
Part of the thrill of any gambling game is that you might win big. The flip side of that is that you also have the risk of losing big too. If you want to keep your blackjack experience fun, one skill you need to develop is the ability to manage your money. There are two main parts to managing your money. The first is learning to set a limit and stick with it. Remember, a limit doesn’t mean anything if you ignore it. The second is to manage your bets. If you blow all your cash on one or two hands, then you can’t play anymore and your night is over. Start small, throw in a few bigger bets if you’re feeling lucky, but don’t waste your money. The main thing to remember about managing your money is that it’s not really about having random restrictions, it’s about using restrictions to keep the game fun and allow you to play as often and for as long as you comfortably can.
Play a lot
This is the tip that you’re going to be happiest to hear. The best way to improve your blackjack skills is to play a lot. The more experienced you are, the better you will get at recognizing patterns, knowing when to hit and when it’s smarter to split or surrender rather than risking a big loss. Practice makes perfect doesn’t really apply when you’re talking about a game of chance, but practice will help you to hone your skills and improve your game.
Just like all card games, blackjack has an element of chance to it that can never be outmaneuvered. The dealer will always have an edge, and even if you’re counting cards — which you shouldn’t do! — you can’t win every hand. If you improve your blackjack skills following these tips, however, you have a much better chance of winning and will be able to have more fun while playing.