Could you imagine making a living by playing card games? There are plenty of people who make a living playing blackjack. There are even players who can make millions in a single day. 

It sounds too good to be true, but it’s the reality for those who are willing to learn how the game works. Many people think that blackjack is all about luck, while others claim that there is skill and strategy involved. 

What do you think? Do you think you can learn enough to skew the odds of winning in your favor, or is everyone on a level playing field?

Read on below to see what it takes to win blackjack more often than you lose.

How to Play Blackjack

If you’re new to the game, it will help to understand how the game works and what blackjack rules to be aware of.

 
Blackjack is commonly referred to as “21,” as your goal is to reach a count as close to 21 as possible without going over. The value of your cards adds up to your total. Each numbered used its pip value, while face cards are worth 10. Aces are worth either one or 11; it’s up to the player.

To make the game more challenging and more difficult, casinos use more than one deck of cards. It’s common for casinos to shuffle six decks together.

A player will use a plastic, unnumbered card to separate the bottom portion of the deck. These bottom cards aren’t used in the game.

Once everyone places their bets, the dealer will issue one card to each player face-up so that everyone can see. The dealer also gets a card face up. Then the dealer gives each player a second card, face up. 

The second card given to the dealer remains face down. No one can see it. While players can easily compare their cards with the other players, the value of the dealer’s card isn’t known until the end.

To play, each player has the chance to “stand,” meaning they don’t want any other cards. Or they can “hit” to receive another card. Once a player stands, they are done for the round. Play continues until each player is finished getting hit. 

Whoever gets the closest to 21, without going over, wins the pot.

Blackjack Rules

If you continue drawing cards and reach a number over 21, you automatically lose. In this case, the dealer takes the bet that is wagered. 

In some cases, a player may experience a “natural.” If a player or dealer is dealt an ace and a 10 right off the bat, then they already have 21. In this case, they would win right away. 

The dealer would issue the winner one and a half times the amount of their bet.

If a player and the dealer both have a natural, then it’s a tie. The bet remains neutral, and the player receives the full amount of their wager back. 

When a dealer receives either an ace or 10 as their face-up card, they will immediately check the upside-down card to check for a natural. If their face-up card is not a 10 or an ace, they wait until their turn to check the underlying card. 

Luck or Skill?

With six decks of card and a secret dealer card, it can seem like pure luck to ever win a game of blackjack. But is that true?

Maybe, or maybe not. The truth is you need both skill and luck in order to win more than you lose.

With a basic blackjack strategy, you can understand how the cards are likely to be dealt with so that you can make more informed decisions. Those informed decisions won’t always pan out. But you’ll at least skew the odds in your favor.

Blackjack Basic Strategy

There are two basic blackjack strategies to follow to increase your chances of winning. The simple way is referring to a blackjack chart.

This is a simple chart that shows you every possible hand you could be dealt. It has recommendations based on what move you should make for each hand you receive.

Following the chart doesn’t require any skills. It just requires the discipline to follow along. 

A more involved strategy is known as counting cards. This strategy was popularized by the movie “21” in which gambling newbies sought to beat the system and make it rich.

This strategy is all about mathematics and statistics. If all the cards on the table are low-value cards (such as two through six), then that means that there should be plenty of high-value cards likely to be dealt.

The opposite is true. If there are many high-value cards on the table (such as 10’s, aces, and face cards), then there are likely more low-value cards about to be dealt. 

Statistically, the dealer doesn’t benefit from high-value cards. If there are mostly high-value cards in the deck, then there’s a higher chance of performing well while the dealer goes bust.

Of course, there is a lot of nuance to this strategy. But it’s this strategy that helps plenty of people win lots of money. 

Getting Started With Blackjack

In the past, if you wanted to play blackjack, it meant driving down to the local, smoke-filled casino. If you were lucky, it meant driving to Vegas or a well-known casino in your area for a more lively experience. 

Either way, playing table games in a real casino for the first time is intimidating. Learning how to read faces, and maintain a straight face yourself, is a skill in and of itself.

And with the pressure of other people looking at you, it’s hard to keep your cool and make great decisions.
If you’re new to blackjack and want to give it a try before visiting a casino, you can now play online, gambling real money. You can play against other real players or just play against a dealer. 

You can check out a list of online casinos that offer blackjack at https://trustgeeky.com/casino-games/blackjack/ to get started. 

Play to Earn

Blackjack is a fun, challenging game to play. Even if you suck at it, it’s a thrill to play and can be addicting. But if you practice enough, you may be able to earn supplemental or even full-time income from it. The sky is the limit.
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