Sitting in one of those chairs around the semi-circle card table I hand over my money to the dealer and she passes me my chips. The other players at the table all glance over at me. A new player coming onto a table can often change the run of the cards and in turn change a winning streak for those players already there.
Unlike Roulette, we have some control over the outcome of each hand in BlackJack as we make decisions on whether to take a card or not which then alters what cards the dealer gets.
In Black Jack a hand with a total the same as the dealer does not lose. It is called a "stand off" and the player
keeps their chips on that hand.
If I can make my chips last for an hour, then I consider that I have done
well and have had a good "run for my money".If I can walk out of the casino with more money than I came in with, then
that is a very good day indeed!
Players are not playing against each other, unlike in poker. They only have
to beat the total that the dealer gets. Players will often consult each other at the BlackJack table
before taking a card, as everyone's chances of winning are affected by what each player does. Some players will offer
advice but others will keep themselves to themselves and not engage with the other players at all.
The dealer does not make any decisions whatsoever. They are governed by the
rules. They have to keep taking cards until they get a total of seventeen or more - this includes an
ace and a six (the ace will be counted as eleven giving a total of 17). Once they get seventeen or more they have
to stop, regardless of if players have a higher total.
For beginners, the format of the game is that each player is given a card followed by the dealer taking a card, all face up. The players then get a second card but the dealer doesn't give himself one. Players have to then make a decision on whether to take a further card or not. Often a player will bust when taking the first additional card, without the dealer having to take any further cards at all. The dealer takes your chips (money) away when you bust and you are out of that hand. You have to wait for the next hand to make a further bet.
The best hand in Black Jack is called “BlackJack”. It is an Ace with a Picture card or 10. It pays 3 to 2. All other hands pay even money to what you have on your box. If the dealer has an Ace when you have ‘Black Jack’ you can chose to take even money before the dealer takes a second card.
As the highest total you can get is 21 before busting, hands of 17, 18 and above are considered best to stand on. I have seen people take a card on 17 and getting a 2, making a total of 19. They look very
pleased with themselves as the dealer has a 10 and they think they are in with a good chance. The dealer then takes the next card and it is a 10. They have a total of 20 and all the players with a total under 20 lose. But if the player had not taken the 2, the dealer would have 12 and have had to take a third card on the total of 12 and then got that 10 bringing them up to 22 and bust.
Over the years, I have found that concentrating on what the dealer has and
letting them go bust is far more beneficial than trying to make a good hand for yourself. Not only that, often you will be playing more than one hand and there are other players on the table. If the dealer goes bust you will win all your hands as will other players. The person on the far left of all the players (furthest away from the card shoe) has the last box in BlackJack. They make the final decision and often what they decide to do will affect whether the majority of the players win or lose.
If you have a total of 13 and the dealer has a 6, the dealer will more than
likely have to take two more cards (unless the first card is an ace giving them a total of 17). The hope is that both
cards will then take them to a total over 21.It doesn't always work out that way of course. If the next card is a 4 followed by a 10 then you will lose and the dealer wins on a total of 20. If you take the first additional card and it is the 4 you will have a total of 17. The following card will then be left for the dealer - it would still be the 10 giving the dealer a total of 16. They then will have to take another card.
On 16 they are more likely to bust with the next card as only cards of 5 or
below will keep them on or below a total of 21. There are far more cards with a value of 10 then any other. The King, Queen and Jack all are valued at 10 along with the 10's themselves. Most casinos use at least 6 packs of cards in the card shoe. There are 4 10's therefore in each suit x 4 suits. 16 tens per pack x 6 packs is 96 tens.
The general guide for players is not to take a card if the dealer has what is considered a bad starting card - i.e. 4, 5 or 6. They will usually have to take at least 2 more cards. With there being so many 10's in the card shoe, it is a good chance that they will get at least one 10 and then another card taking them over 21.
In Black Jack players are allowed to split pairs (two cards of the same value). Casinos now allow you to split any pair. Previously players could split any pairs but not 4s, 5s or 10s. When a player has two 10s, they have a very good hand. Casinos want you to put this good hand at risk, so think carefully before splitting 10's.
When a player's first two cards total 9, 10 or 11 the casino allows you in BlackJack to double your initial stake. You will then increase your chances of winning say from 2 chips to 4 chips on that hand. This is considered a good risk. However, if the dealer has a ten or an ace then doubling may not be such a good idea. All decisions should be based on what card the dealer has as well as what cards the player has.
There are generally three types of players in Black Jack. Those that count the cards and wait until there is a high chance of tens coming out on the next hand and increase their stakes at that point. Casinos don't like these players and will bar them if they start to win too often. Those that play by a general guide of when and when not to take a card and will increase their stake as they get ahead and can afford to do so.
Then there are those that play purely by instinct and take a card when they feel they should based on a hunch of what the next cards will be.
Games like Black Jack are to be enjoyed win or lose. Whichever player you are, the thing that we all need and would like to bottle and sell it, is of course LUCK.
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