Blackjack strategy is complex. It requires the gambler to know how to handle hundreds of decisions based on their totals and the dealer’s undercard. But learning blackjack strategy is not that daunting. Simply looking at the strategy chart makes it easy to understand how to make the best decisions in each situation. However, many players know nothing about it.
Why don’t some gamblers take the effort to improve their blackjack skills? I’ll discuss a few reasons why this is the case below.
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Don’t want to learn
Many blackjack players are lazy. They think that only serious players have time to learn strategy. Here are some simple ways they can improve.
- Review the strategy chart for five minutes before each blackjack session.
- Practice using online blackjack for 20 minutes while referring to the chart for each decision.
- Pull up the strategy chart on your smartphone and occasionally refer to it at the land-based table.
There is nothing that forces a gambler to learn strategy before playing blackjack. However, a person can easily improve their skills without much effort.
Total Faith in Luck
Due to the explosion of information, many gamblers realize that rabbits’ feet and lucky shirts won’t change their odds. Despite this, some blackjack players still rely on trinkets and amulets rather than sound strategy.
The same players may play by feel. Blackjack is a random game (excluding card counting) with verifiable odds. Luck and premonition will not beat this game.
Misconceptions about the Blackjack Strategy
The Blackjack strategy may seem complicated. Nonetheless, anyone can quickly learn how to play it the best way through charts and trainers.
However, some gamblers don’t realize how easy it is to learn the strategy. They may think that becoming a skilled player requires hours of reading articles and software. With all the different scenarios, the game’s strategy does seem daunting. These are the types of situations that confuse the average player. But gamblers can easily categorize them after spending time with a trainer or a chart.
Trend Betting
Gambler’s fallacy is very common in blackjack. The term refers to the idea that past results can determine future results. Players who operate under the gambler’s fallacy use previous results to guide their bets. When they think they should win, they usually place more bets.
The key thing to remember about trend betting is that each result is independent of the last result. Blackjack counting is the only way to change this.
Only play with friends
Some people are not gambling enthusiasts. However, they are willing to go to the casino and socialize with their friends. People who play blackjack only because of their friends are not motivated to learn strategy. They may even have little knowledge of the rules and believe that blackjack is based on luck.
These players must master the basic rules before worrying about strategy. However, once they have developed the rules. They will not have too much difficulty in developing a strategy.
Play Progressive Jackpots
Some blackjack tables have progressive jackpots. The progressive jackpot grows with each bet and can reach large percentages.
Progressive blackjack plays much like a standard game. The only difference is that if a player wants to qualify for the progressive jackpot, they must make an optional side bet. Side bets can result in multiple payouts, including jackpots. Many progressive tables award 10% of the progressive jackpot for a given hand and 100% for rarer hands.
Regardless, those looking for a jackpot may not be interested in strategy. Instead, they just want to enjoy the big prizes of blackjack. Those who enjoy the game can still benefit a lot by learning basic tricks or more.
Conclusion
Those who fail to learn the blackjack strategy reduce their chances of winning. Instead, they rely on luck to win. Unfortunately, many gamblers keep going down this way. They reject the idea of learning strategy for one or more reasons.
The biggest obstacle to learning strategy is simple laziness. Some people don’t think it’s worth the time to improve. These same gamblers may think that learning blackjack strategy takes too much time. They are intimidated by the seeming complexity of the matter. In reality, blackjack strategy is not difficult to figure out. Players just need to put in a little effort to hone the resources and start learning.