Blackjack Control
by
Henry Tamburin I know that most blackjack players sometimes feel the casino (a.k.a. the dealer) is controlling their destiny. I mean how many times can the same dealer draw that one and only card that beats your hand? But believe it or not, you have a great say in blackjack control at the tables. First, let’s take a look at what the casino’s blackjack controls are and then at the player’s blackjack control. The Rules This is no trivial point. Casinos in most gaming jurisdictions in the country (except Yes, the casino’s methods are based on how much of an edge they want to have by picking and choosing the different playing options they allow at their tables. They even control how many cards to put into play by their policy on the placement of the cut card (which has a great effect on a card counter’s edge). They can make their games much tougher to beat for average players and skilled card counters by the way they structure their rules. The Betting Spread Another not so trivial point. Casinos dictate what minimum and maximum bets they’ll allow at their tables. The maximum bet that is allowed in most casinos is far less than the casino’s total bankroll. Therefore, the casinos control the odds of having a lucky player “break the bank” by having a bankroll that far exceeds the maximum bets, they will allow at their tables. In fact the “risk of ruin” for a casino is virtually nil because of the rather large spread they maintain between the maximum bet a player is allowed to wager and the casino’s bankroll. Exciting Atmosphere The casinos engineer the environment in a casino to make it easy for a player to feel good about his losses. In this exciting, no holds barred, every thing is fast-and-fun casino atmosphere it’s easy for a player to bet more, to spend more, and to lose more. By now, you probably are thinking that the cards are stacked pretty much in the casino’s blackjack control when you play. But believe it or not, for the most part you have control over your destiny when you play blackjack and not the casino. Here’s why: Minimize the Casino’s Edge Player’s blackjack control begins with how much or how little the casino’s edge is against you by your playing and betting skill level. Just by learning the basic playing strategy, which is a set of rules that tell you when to hit, stand, double down, pair split or surrender, you can reduce the casino’s edge to less than 1%. If you are selective and only play in casinos that offer the best playing options (including the number of decks of cards), you can virtually eliminate the casino’s blackjack edge. And if you learn to increase your betting level only when there is an excess of high value cards vs. low value cards in the remaining cards to be dealt (i.e. card counting), you can actually swing the edge in your favor. Your Emotions You can control your emotions in the casino and not do something stupid like increasing your betting levels to recoup your losses. Don’t let the exciting atmosphere lull you into playing above your means. Go easy on the ‘free drinks’ and learn to accept your losses. Even the best blackjack players in the world can’t win every session. You must stay focused on player’s blackjack control and avoid the casino temptations that can quickly separate you from your money. Gambler’s Ruin You control the odds of losing your bankroll (Gambler’s Ruin) by how much you bet in relation to your playing bankroll and your playing skill level. When a player overbets in relation to his or her bankroll, the results are predictable (i.e. Gambler’s Ruin occurs). Even skillful, professional card counters take great pains not to overbet because even though they have the edge, they know that they could go days, weeks, and even months losing more money than they win at the blackjack tables. Never overbet and you’ll be in control of “Gambler’s Ruin”. When you think about it, player’s blackjack control is significant. More so then most other casino games because we get to make playing and betting decisions that directly affect how much we win or lose. Players who discipline themselves to play in blackjack games with the more favorable playing options using the basic playing strategy and a sound betting strategy will win a lot more money in their lifetime then the player who opts to play blackjack in “any old casino” using a seat-of-the-pants playing and betting strategy. Like I said, you can either play with blackjack control or allow the casino to use their methods of blackjack control. The choice is yours. Blackjack
Control is followed by Blackjack Tips
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