Blackjack Tips For Having Fun Without Going Broke

I’m off to fabulous Las Vegas later this week to celebrate a friend’s birthday, which means an opportunity to try my luck at my favorite casino game of all time - blackjack.

I’m the kind of player who actually enjoys playing the game. In other words, I’m not in it to make a quick buck. The suspense and strategy of the game is a thrill for me, so my goal is to maximize the amount of time I can spend playing without losing everything.

Here are a few tips I use on a regular basis when playing blackjack that help me spend several hours playing with the same hundred dollars. Hopefully they’ll be helpful to someone else too!

Use basic strategy

Basic strategy tells you how to play every single combination of hand. You can find the little basic strategy cards in most casino gift shops, and the casino has no problem with you using the card while you play (although it’s a little embarrassing). For that reason, it’s worth memorizing the card if you can. Here’s a link to an online version that you can print out if the thought of visiting the gift shop makes you cringe.

The magic of basic strategy comes from the fact that it’s mathematically sound. The probabilities are all worked out for you, meaning that most of the time, the advice on the card will work out in your benefit. Obviously, there’s no guarantee, and if you have a hunch (or you’ve counted) that certain cards are left in the deck, you may on occasion choose to deviate from basic strategy.

Bring a pre-established bankroll to the table

This is common sense gambling tip #1, no matter what game you’re playing. I’m a fan of $5 blackjack tables, so I generally will sit down with between $100 and $200. If I reach a point where it’s time to get more money, it’s time to go visit the buffet or have a drink instead.

This is the most common sense piece of gambling advice you’ll ever hear, but many people don’t pay attention to it. If you’re spending a few days in Vegas, you don’t want to go broke on the first night. Believe me, I’ve done it. It’s not fun.

Find a fun table with an easygoing dealer

You’ll have a lot more fun at a table with a conversational, friendly dealer than you will at a table with six Japanese businessmen who are all losing money. Look for the table where people are clearly smiling and having fun. Chances are that people are winning, and that the social dynamic at the table will make for a more fun time.

The easiest way, in my opinion, to avoid being stressed about gambling is to remember that it’s supposed to be fun. If you surround yourself with others who are actually having a good time, chances are that you’ll find yourself having more fun too. If it stops being fun and starts being stressful, it’s time to switch tables.

Don’t play when they screw with the rules

If the rules of the game are different that normal at your casino, chances are likely that they’re cheating you. Even though it’s fun to have Cher or Michael Jackson impersonators deal for you at the Imperial Palace, they’ll only pay you 6:5 for a blackjack.

You should also watch out for casinos where the dealer hits on a soft 17, or where they offer extra bets to offer you the ability to win some kind of fancy prize. All of these techniques are meant to shift the odds further in favor of the casino.

Use a betting system

If you sit at the table playing the minimum bet over and over again that might last you for awhile, but chances are that you’ll go broke faster than you’d like. Using a betting system will help you play for the longest amount of time on the house’s money instead of your own.

Here’s my favorite — the 1-2-3 system. Basically, you always start with one betting unit (the minimum bet of the table) and each time you win a hand, you invest some of the proceeds back into the next hand. This is a really great way to build up a bank rapidly, and to get extended play out of your initial investment. If you lose a hand, you simply go back to betting 1 unit and start over again.

You start by betting the minimum at the table for the first hand you play (let’s say it’s $5 for this example). If you win the hand, you’ll get $5 from the dealer, plus you’ll get to keep your original $5. If you win the hand, on the next hand you’ll bet two chips ($10), or if you lose, you’ll stay at the minimum $5 bet. The magic here is that on that second hand, you’re still only betting your original $5, but you’ve now added the house’s $5 as well.

Can you guess what happens next? If you lost the second hand, you’ll just go back to betting the minimum. If you won the second hand, the dealer gave you $10, and you got to keep your original $10. Now it gets fun. Up your bet to 3 chips ($15). At this point, you’re only playing with the house’s money! The $15 you have down on the table for this hand is only the money you’ve won, and the original $5 you bet is back in your hot little hand. Regardless of whether you win or lose the $15 hand, you’ll go back to the “1″ in our 1-2-3 system.

The good news is that if you win all three hands in a row, you’ve pocketed 6 times your original bet, playing with only the casino’s money! While a betting system won’t guarantee that you’ll come out ahead, it will still let you play for a lot longer.

This entry was posted Monday, August 6th, 2007 at 9:11 pm and is filed under money, how-to. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.