In the late 1950's a book was published that demonstrated how blackjack was, mathematically, a 'beatable' game in which a player could achieve an edge over the house in the long run. This was a revolutionary idea and blackjack's popularity soared. The casinos tried to combat this edge by changing the rules but players would have not of that and demand lessened.
In the end, the casinos decided to change the rules slightly in their favor but blackjack today is still a beatable casino game. To 'beat blackjack' a player must have what is known as a basic strategy. In blackjack, the basic strategy involves a player knowing when to hit and when to stand, taking their own hand and the dealer's hand into consideration.
Likewise, the strategy determined when a player should split his hand, in the case of a double, or when to double down. This blackjack strategy is based on statistics. There are different variations of blackjack that change the odds from game to game. In a standard game online, players will most likely be playing with a five or six deck shoe. The more decks used, the lower the advantage a player has. Even with a six deck game, though, a player can still attain an edge over the house.
In some Las Vegas casinos, players can find one deck blackjack although it is very rare to see this today. Wherever you play, there are certain rules that benefit you, as a player, and certain rules that benefit the house. Knowing these is one more step in establishing a good, basic strategy in blackjack.
Blackjack strategy rules
Like poker, blackjack is a game where skill plays
a huge factor. Over time, a player will be able to implement the strategy without thought
but in the beginning, it is important to learn the ropes. There is no simple way around it,
a player must learn the situations when he or she should stand, hit, or split or double.
There are two main variations, beyond the card deck amount, that affect the strategy outcome. In some casinos, a dealer must stand on 16 and others must hit. This affects the strategy. Another factor is whether a player can use an ace as a 1 or 11. Some casinos will only allow the ace to count as a 1. It is important to know basic house rules like this before applying a basic strategy to your game.
