UNITED STATES—What makes a blackjack player successful? They stick with the basic strategies of the game and learn to stay focused even when there’s a lot of distractions. When players try to think outside of the box and alter the strategies that have been proven to work, they decrease their chances of winning.
There are some basic things that you should do to win while there are also some things you shouldn’t do to avoid losing. Now, there is an element of luck to blackjack, but you should refrain from getting into that mindset.
Experts on blackjack and theory will tell you that the following mistakes may not cost you that much initially but over time, they’ll eat up your bankroll.
So, below there are some of the common plays that are counter-productive for blackjack players. Take a look.
Double Ten Vs Ten or Ace
If you double a 10 when the dealer shows a 10 or Ace, players in general will stand to lost 0.05% more. The choice will often end in a loss because a 9 and 10 for the dealer can give them a winning hand while you have a chance of getting a lower card when they hit.
Wrong Pair Splits
You should know when a pair splits because if you incorrectly split pairs, you’ll experience 0.2% more losses.
Insuring Every Hand
We don’t recommend that you take every insurance you’re offered for every hand. This is just throwing money away and giving it to the house. This mistake eats up your budget and it doesn’t really benefit you if things go your way.
Not Hitting a Soft 17 Hand
If you don’t hit a soft 17 hand with the hopes of beating the house, you will quite often lose. Instead, hit the soft 17 to give you a better chance of getting a higher hand than the dealer has. You also have the chance of getting 21. Use the Ace as your key card with soft hands and hot when you need to get a high hand.
Splitting your 4,4 and 5,5
Splitting pairs of 4s and 5s is usually something an inexperienced or overly excited player will do. This increases losses by 0.4% so we don’t suggest it.
Doubling Down Do’s and Don’ts
When we look to the basic strategy of blackjack, there’s a definitive time to double down and a time that you don’t. If you double down at the wrong time or you never do it at all, this eats up 1.6% of your money. Begin to understand when it makes sense to double down and when you shouldn’t through practice and understanding of the game.
Not Hitting the Ace and Small Cards
If you have an Ace and a small card, you should not stand. In fact, we would recommend that you always hit a hand with an Ace and small card because you can use the Ace later on as a value of 1 to help you with the value of your hand while avoid busting.
Not Hitting a Stiff Hand Against High Cards
Say the dealer has a 2 and 6, this is considered a Stiff hand. You shouldn’t stand if you have high cards as you’re missing out on an opportunity to win the hand. This puts you in a situation where you stand to lose 3%. At the same time, if you do hit on stiff hands against small cards, this can cause a loss of 3.2%.
Splitting and Resplitting 10s
Some might say this is the worst mistake that you can make, and experts will tell you it leads to up to 8% more in losses. We suggest you don’t split and resplit your 10s ever.
You want to be using the best practices for blackjack to maximize your wins over the long term. When you move away from the basic strategies, you’re guaranteed to suffer more losses over time. The mistakes above can increase the house edge by 15%, which is tragic as the game allows such a high winning percentage when played properly.
Don’t try anything too fancy and keep with your basic strategies. It’s much better to learn to count cards and stay mindful when you play. Don’t let external distractions get in the way of your game play. Stay clear from making these common plays that reduce your chances of winning.
Final Thoughts
Avoid the strategies mentioned at all costs. They are going to cost you and you will be dodging high losses. If you want to learn more click here for a complete blackjack strategy for beginners.
Remember it is all about grasping the opportunity when in sight and being able to acknowledge when it’s time to get up from the table is also very important.
Don’t keep waging if you know there is a high chance of losing it all or if you have already lost a considerate amount of money. Sometimes it’s better to call it a day than risk further consequences.
