The principle behind card counting, as I stated above, is to take advantage of the deck when it has more high value cards. However, we don’t want to base this off of a single hands count. A typical Blackjack deck will contain 4-8 decks. Knowing only 8 or so will not give us a very accurate read on the deck. Blackjack side bets are based on chance, offer a chance of a very big payout, and the house edge is greater than it is for the main game of blackjack. First and foremost, blackjack side bets are fun and they can break up long boring blackjack sessions as well as offer a chance of a big payout.
- The goal of Blackjack is to get closer to 21 points than the dealer without going over 21 points. A “Blackjack” is a hand that totals 21 points with the first two cards. Blackjack automatically wins, unless both you and the dealer receive Blackjack, then you push.
- How to Play Blackjack - Learn basic blackjack rules in this simple step-by-step guide to playing. Discover how to bet and improve your odds of winning! Even a 1, 2 or a 3 are all good cards to.
Knowing where to sit at a blackjack table may be the difference between waiting for a seat at a packed table and getting stuck into a table with only a few players.
While sitting at a certain seat doesn’t have any mathematical advantage, for new players and card counters, certain seats are crucial for game play.
Blackjack table seating positions
Before we get stuck into where we should sit, we need to know what these positions are called in blackjack lingo. Each are termed according to their position and what advantages players have said they have sitting there. However, statistics prove all seats are equal for the basic strategy player, but they do have certain advantages and disadvantages associated even though they don’t have anything to do with the odds of the game.
While blackjack tables at brick and mortar casinos can feature up to six or seven players, only three positions are prominently named with two of them discussed more so than the other. Additionally, blackjack tables aren’t always full so these seats may not always be taken.
Blackjack first base – The first seat on the far right facing the dealer is known as the first base position. This is because cards are dealt by the dealer to this position first from the dealer’s left player to right player and this first base positioned player will get the cards first, as well as being in the position that enables them to be the first to hit, stand, split, double down, or surrender on their hand.
Blackjack third base – While many blackjack players mistakenly think third base is the third or middle seat, they’ll find they are incorrect. The third-base position is actually the last seat from the right or the first seat on the left. This position is sometimes referred to as the anchor and sees the player receiving the first two cards dealt by the dealer last, as well as being the last player to decide and act on what they want to do with their hand.
Shortstop position – This one isn’t as commonly mentioned as the two above as it doesn’t come with as much responsibility, which we will discuss below. This seat is located in the middle of the table and can actually prevent other players to the left of them from joining the table.
Which is the best seat at a blackjack table?
Statistically, it doesn’t really matter where you sit, unless you plan to count cards. Many state third base is the best seat, while we recommend it as the worst seat for the new blackjack kids on the block. It has been suggested that the third base seat has the advantage of whether or not the table as a whole wins or loses, however this is not mathematically correct.
This theory has come about because the third base player performs their action just before the dealer. If this player who sits at third base hits instead of stays when basic strategy recommends them to do so, this can see players blaming the third base player if the table loses. This is exactly why players who are new and do not know how to play basic strategy should not sit at third base, as it could result them having a negative experience and being mistakenly blamed for the tables loss, despite the theory not being mathematically correct.
Similarly regarded is the first base position which not only offers the entire view of the table, but the discarded pile as well meaning you can keep an eye on what cards have been drawn and what cards haven’t. However, this position is second in line to receiving glares from other players if they lose – so be prepared for the responsibility.
The shortstop position, on the other hand, gives a good view of the table. But it’s not as good as first or third, but is said to stop players from sitting at third base if the seat is open, meaning less players and more chances to put on an extra bet.
Depending on the amount of players, other seat positions aren’t usually mentioned. However if you want to view other players and their moves, fourth position (to the left of the shortstop position) offers a view of the entire table. Although statistically speaking other player’s moves do not affect your gameplay as they can ultimately both hurt and help your hand, it is always a good idea to keep an eye on players who are on a winning streak. You may be able to pick up some handy strategy hints this way.
Additionally, if you do not like the responsibility of being dealt the first and last cards of a hand we recommend to sit in the second or fourth seats depending on how many players there are at the table. If there is only the third or first base position available when you join the table remember that statistically it doesn’t affect the table’s odds at all so try to enjoy the experience.
How to pick a good blackjack table
At land-based casinos you will find there are multiple blackjack tables available to join, some fuller than others. With so many available it can be hard to know what to look for in order to pick a good table. We have made it a lot easier for both new and experienced players when it comes to picking a good blackjack table.
Betting limits – Keep an eye out for the minimum and maximum table limits which are displayed on the signs next to the table. For experienced gamblers, keeping an eye out for land-based casinos which colour code their signs can make it easier and quicker to pick and choose where you sit. For example, red equals a $5 minimum bet, while black equals a $100 minimum bet – corresponding to the colour of chips, making this easier to remember. The best way to figure out your betting limit is to set a bankroll and divide by 20. For example, if you have set yourself a $100 bank roll, then you should play at a table with a minimum betting limit of $5.
Blackjack dealers – Blackjack dealers can effect your overall experience whether you are a new blackjack player or a professional. We recommend standing back and watching the dealers to see how fast they deal, see if they provide help (important if you are a new player) or see if they let you know how much you have in a hand as they are dealt. These features will ultimately come down to what you want in a blackjack dealer as an experience player doesn’t want to be told basic tips, while a new player does.
Seating positions – Although we did say all seats at a blackjack table are considered mathematically equal, in terms of players it can be different. As we recommended standing back from the table with blackjack dealers, we recommend doing this if there are a few players seated so you can monitor their behaviour. If you notice a few players eyeing off the third base player after a loss it might be better to find a new table. If you are an experienced blackjack player however and you plan to count cards, the seating position is said to be incredibly important.
Best seat for blackjack card counters
Card counters actually have an advantage when it comes to the seating position. These players are recommended to sit in the third base position to give them more time to keep an eye on the table, as well as count, and of course bet last.
Card counters also have the same perception for first base. Additionally, these seats are recommended to avoid being detected as you have the vantage point of viewing the whole table without having to movie your head.
Unfortunately for card counters, they can’t do so online and really the entire concept of seating positions in blackjack goes out the window when we play blackjack on the Internet, but there is one exception.
Online blackjack seating positions
This is where new players are best suited. If you are new to the game and seem to always end up sitting at the third base position only to receive horrible stares that make you want to opt out it might be best to go online until you are confident to play at a land-based casino.
However, there is an exception when playing online and this involves the live dealer blackjack variants. When you sign up for an online casino, we recommend doing so at our suggested online casinos due to their reputation, and make a deposit you can access the live dealer lobby where you will see blackjack as an available variant.
Here, you are able to pick the seat which you would like to sit at, provided the table isn’t full. This can give you the experience of picking a seat, and if the chat function is available you will be able to read players reactions as to where you are sitting. Any vulgar or inappropriate content is not tolerated at our recommended online casinos so it is the perfect place to practice sitting at third base.
There are different ways to become an expert blackjack player. If you watch tons of video tutorials or start reading various guidebooks on blackjack or spend hours reading online blackjack articles. But before you join a casino and invest some money, you must read a good casino review so that you do not lose any money.
All of these happen to be extremely helpful for a beginner and you should certainly try them. But here in this article, we will give you a few tips that will help you quickly to improve blackjack results in five minutes.
Learn Blackjack Rules to Influence the High Return to Player Numbers
Every blackjack rule can influence the return to player numbers. The return to player percentage gives an idea of how much of the money the player bets will be returned to him, and from this, he knows how much the casino is going to win.
Basically, the aim is to play at blackjack tables ensuring a high return to player numbers. At these tables, the player loses less money overall and has the best chance to win real money.
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There is no need to remember the return to player numbers for each probable rules combination. But you must know which rules offer better results than others. When you learn to choose the best rules you can get a good idea which blackjack will be a good game for you.
All you need to do is some simple research and understand every rule. To begin with, follow the below-mentioned rules.
- When players double down after splitting it helps to make the return to a player go up.
- The general rule is for a dealer to stand on a soft 17 as this is better than when they hit.
- Surrender is a better option compared to the games that don’t offer surrender.
- Splitting pairs 4 times or more will be better than if splitting 1, 2, or 3 times.
- It is better to double down on any 2 cards than more restrictive rules.
- Use Blackjack Strategy Card
The Blackjack basic strategy Card is one of the most important things for any blackjack player. The strategy recommendation is derived from a mathematical point of view, and the blackjack strategy card is the table that includes all the solutions recommended by the blackjack strategy. This is the most convenient way to check with the strategy every time you play.
If you don’t use strategy cards there are high chances to lose more money than other players who do use strategy cards.
There are multiple blackjack hands and different hands are played in different ways. But the best way to play each hand will be to consider the card the dealer will show along with your 2 cards, and then decide which one will help to earn more profit in the long run.
For many years players couldn’t figure out the easy way to decide the best play. They needed to learn many mathematical factors to figure everything out. But things became easier when players started using computer programs to run all of the possibilities.
These computer programs helped to discover mathematically proven ways to find the best play. And these results were printed on a card in tabular form so that anyone can use as this will give the best chance to win.
Use Free Blackjack Software Program to Practice
Proficient blackjack gamblers practice a lot to improve their skills. Though you can practice while playing for real money, but if you want to practice without taking any risk of losing money there are various tools available that don’t charge money play to practice.
Even if you prefer to play for real money in a live casino, you can still practice Blackjack on your computer or mobile phone using software that will highly help you to improve your skills to a great extent.
You will find many software programs to help to learn how to count cards. If you make a small investment to purchase a good counting software program, it’s worth it as you can learn how to beat blackjack effectively.
Avoid Playing on 6 to 5 Blackjack Tables By All Means
The utter mistake a blackjack player can make is joining a table that pays 6 to 5 for blackjack. But solving the problem takes only a few seconds. Just make sure not to play a single hand blackjack at a 6 to 5 table.
You must be thinking why 6 to 5 is so bad. In fact, most blackjack players do not have any idea just how bad it is.
Usually, the majority of blackjack tables pay 3 to 2 for blackjack. Many tables still offer the traditional amount, but plenty of 6 to 5 tables are now available than ever before. The real reason is casinos make more profit when they pay 6 to 5 compared to when they pay 3 to 2. As long as blackjack players are interested to play on bad tables the casinos will keep offering them.
You can get an idea of how much you can win from this example. When you get a blackjack betting $100 at a 6 to 5 table, you win $120, which sounds good. But when the same amount you wager at 3 to 2, your chance of winning can be $150. If you play blackjack for an hour, the difference will be $30 an hour. That means you will give the casino an extra $30 per hour just to play blackjack.
Learn How to Count
Learning how to count cards is one of the most crucial steps to becoming a successful Blackjack player. It can take probably a few hours to learn how it is done. With a decent level of practice, you can even start counting cards. But to get really excellent at counting you will need to invest a lot of time.
How To Get Really Good At Blackjack
So you have to be persistent in learning how to count cards and it’s going to transform your gambling life altogether if you do it well.
How To Be Really Good At Blackjack Games
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