Blackjack - Using Simple Math to Increase Value

One of the most popular table games in the casino is Blackjack. Perhaps this is because it’s an easy game to learn or maybe people feel in control. Blackjack is a game where the player’s input can aid in determining the final outcome. Very few people bet the same amount every single hand in a playing session. Most people alter their bets when they feel “lucky.” By paying attention to your hands and knowing a couple simple facts, you can increase your value—and the amount of money you win.

Let is be known that this article is not about card counting. It’s about knowing some simple facts and being aware of how you’re doing in your session to figure out good time areas to bet more and less.

Facts

The following facts (or stats) are based on a single deck. We will build our blackjack strategy from these facts.

Probability of being dealt:

20 is 9% or once per eleven hands

Blackjack is 2.4% or once per forty-two hands.

If you can remember these two simple facts, then we can begin with our simple strategy.

Strategy

To win long-term in blackjack, you must alter your bets. If you simply bet $5 each and every hand, you are limiting yourself to the luck of the draw. This strategy is very simple and is designed to get you thinking about other ways to play the game of blackjack.

Pay attention to every hand you are dealt and count how long it has been since you were dealt a 20 and a blackjack. Remember, we are talking about the first two cards you are dealt and not what your final hand ended up being. Looking at the facts above, we can see that a player should be dealt a 20 once per eleven hands and a blackjack once per forty-two hands.

These facts are mathematical probabilities and hold true in the long run. So, you are playing a game of blackjack, counting the number of hands since your last 20, and you notice it has been ten hands. Math tells us that the likelihood of receiving a 20 in one of the upcoming few hands is high. This would be an excellent time to increase your bet some.

Later you notice that you have not had a blackjack in 40 hands. Since the average is one in forty-two hands, the probability of receiving a blackjack soon is high. If your probability of receiving a 20 is high as well, perhaps betting a little more each hand is a good choice.

Continuing Forward

This simple strategy is not meant to be the only thing you think about at the blackjack table. It is merely a set of facts to keep in the back of your mind as you make game decisions. As your blackjack ability progresses, you will learn to keep other facts in your mind and learn when those rare moments come that are perfect for striking and increasing your bankroll. The mathematical numbers hold true over the long-term, but short-term they are subject to wild variances. For example, you could receive two blackjacks in a row and then receiving none over the next 100 hands. Keep playing and learning—have fun.