Advanced Casino Strategy to Win at Blackjack

That’s right, even in a this game of probability, a great strategy can go a long way. Not only can it push you closer to victory but also making the game more entertaining to participate in.

There are, of course, a ton of resources that teach you how to play Blackjack at a casino but since you are looking for a blackjack casino guide that features the best strategies, you have probably already familiarized yourself with the basics. So, lets start by going through some of the advanced strategies.

6 Popular Advanced Blackjack Strategies

Ready to get started with a great Casino Blackjack strategy? Most people who are looking for advanced strategies are trying to find out how to make money playing Blackjack at a casino and, thankfully, we can offer some tips to help with that.

To begin with, it is very important to understand basic blackjack strategy first. These are based on computer simulations of blackjack hands and show the best possible basic moves. As a beginner, this is a great place to start.

Now, once you have grasped the basics, we can get down to playing like a Blackjack pro. These strategies are pretty easy to understand and serve to better your odds. However, winning is still not guaranteed, this is luck-based game after all.

Let’s begin.

1. Playing Multiple Hands
2. Keep an Eye Out for Dealer Tells
3. Progressive Betting
4. Card Counting
5. Shuffle Tracking
6. Take Insurance, Or Not

Playing Multiple Hands

This neat trick is great especially if you are good at multitasking. Playing more than one hand is great since it appears as though you are multiplying your chances of success. For instance, playing two hands means that you may double your chances of winning.

While it is a great way of bettering your odds, it should not be done recklessly.

Do this sparingly in a manner that makes managing the hands easier as you employ other strategies as well. It is also worth noting that playing with multiple hands will also mean you have to pay a higher stake. As such, you will have to be very calculated about the moves you make at the blackjack gaming tables.

Keep an Eye Out for Dealer Tells

Tells are a pretty common phenomenon in the world of gambling but they are often very easy to overlook. If you are not sure what “tells” are, simply put they are non-verbal cues. These can give you an idea of what card the dealer is holding based on the prevailing conditions.

In blackjack, most of the tells will be easier to spot as the dealer looks at the hole card. Their behavior at such moments can be a defining thing for one’s gameplay experience especially because it allows you to adjust your strategy.

Be very careful with this as sometimes the dealers or your opponents can pull a fast one. Bluffs are quite common in poker but some dealers can also bluff in a game of blackjack thus throwing you off. It is very advantageous if you are keen and vigilant enough to point out a bluff.

Progressive Betting

This is a system whereby you either raise or lower your bets based on your performance in the course of a Blackjack game.

Players can opt for either positive progressive betting or negative progressive betting. Both of these do not guarantee absolute wins but they are recommended moves for when you want to cut down your losses.

The goal of this is to bring you as close to breaking even as possible but depending on when or how it is used, players can also use them to land some wins. Their effectiveness is mostly determined over multiple games so it is important to have a well-padded bankroll.

Card Counting

We just had to start with this especially because of how controversial this is. It is so much of a grey area as there is a no law that categorically criminalizes card counting in a game of blackjack. When done well and by the rules of the casino and the game, it can help a player gain an edge of about 2 percent over the house.

This is based on the fact that keeping track of the number of high-value cards left in the deck can give an insight on whether to raise or lower the stake. High cards raise the chances of the dealer busting and thus memorizing the cards that have been used raises the possibility of beating the dealer.

Do not get too carried away though. Cards counting is not very easy to pull off and that’s why it is an advanced strategy. Moreover, casinos have found ways of mitigating against it by using multiple decks and continuous shuffling.

Still, it is a great opportunity to test just how good your memory is.

Shuffle Tracking

This is almost unheard of especially because of the complexities that are involved. However, just like card counting, it relies on one’s ability to memorize cards. The difference here is that instead of trying to figure out the cards that are left in the deck, the player tries to remember the arrangement of cards that are to be reshuffled during a game.

This one is based on the fact that, at times, cards may clump together in particular sequences or stacks even when reshuffled. Tracking cards this way can give you an edge. It is, of course, not guaranteed to work always. However, it is safe to say that shuffling of cards in a retail casino is a flawed mechanical process that can leave some card arrangements unchanged.

These card arrangements can be described as sticky zones. Think of them as mini-decks within the main deck of cards.

If you are lucky enough to identify a zone that was not “ruined” by the shuffling process you may have just hit the jackpot. You will be able to adjust your gameplay to yield the best possible outcome.

Take Insurance, Or Not.

Assuming you have already gone through the basic blackjack strategy, you will be aware of one of the most recommended guidelines is to never take insurance. There is some truth to this if you want to play Blackjack in the most optimal way possible especially if the dealer’s card is an Ace.

Even so, while this is a golden rule that you should always abide by, there can be circumstances where opting for insurance can yield the desired outcome.

A typical example is a scenario where you are using the card counting technique and you are pretty sure that there are just a few 10s left in the deck of cards.

Just like the other advanced strategies on this guide that are meant to show you how to win Blackjack at casinos, going against the “rule” of not taking insurance has to be done very strategically.

You have to be patient and extremely keen. This shouldn’t be a problem if you are slowly leaning towards being a pro. So, sure. Take insurance when you can – only then.

Blackjack Table Diagram

To truly master the game, you will certainly have to have the layout of the casino blackjack table at your fingertips. This might be an obvious thing but you would be surprised about how much this can affect your gameplay.

The table may differ from one casino to the next but the overall arrangement is the same, meaning you never have to worry about any sort of confusion.

As you will see, the elements of the table are quite similar across the board. All will have to include a currency slot, a chips tray, a shoe with cards, and the game’s rules. Everything will be neatly arranged and boldly highlighted so that every player as well as the dealer can see where all components are.

Here is a diagram of a standard blackjack table:

These beautifully-crafted marvels are what can be defined as the arena for Blackjack games. They are made to be comfortable to play on while also being easy to access for both the dealer and the players.

It is safe to say that the thoughtful design of the table may be one of the things that makes Blackjack so popular. Many people are just drawn to it.

Tips For Optimal Blackjack Gameplay

The basic and advanced strategies aside, there are several other tips that you can use to optimize your blackjack gameplay. Some of this might not be related to the overall gameplay or rules of Blackjack but they are certainly worth giving a shot.

Here are the tips at a quick glance:

1. Choosing the Right Table
2. Play to Your Bankroll
3. The Use of Surrendering
4. Adept Your Strategies

Tip 1 | The Right Table

A great place to start would be by picking the right kind of Blackjack table in a given casino. Ideally, finding one that offers the double down options would make the game exciting as you will be able to double down on any two cars you like. The best table is also one that suits your bankroll needs.

Tip 2 | Play to Your Bankroll

Just like in any other game that is based on luck, you should be very mindful of how you spend your money while enjoying the action. The safest way to go about this is to set some limits and to make sure that you stick to them. This way even if you face a losing streak you will not end up losing much more than you are willing to part with.

Tip 3 | The Use of Surrendering

Some casinos offer Blackjack games where players have the option of surrendering.

This is a pretty good move in case you have received a very weak hand and your chances of winning are super slim. Surrendering is a better play since you will receive 50 percent of your initial stake back.

Tip 4 | Adept Your Strategies

Another important tip involves the use of strategies and this applies to both the basic and advanced ones.

As mentioned multiple times, no single strategy is guaranteed to yield absolute wins despite being effective in given extents. That said, you will need to adjust the strategies and switch through them as the game progresses. This is perhaps the most useful tip you will need as a pro.

It is your best bet if you are going to survive through the very challenging game of Blackjack.

Rules

This game is pretty straightforward and easy to understand which makes learning and grasping blackjack casino rules a breeze.

It all begins with the goal of the game which is to beat the dealer’s hand without going over 21. Every player has to start with two cards and so does the dealer – one of the dealer’s cards remains hidden though. If a player goes over 21, they bust and the dealer wins regardless of the house’s hand.

If you are lucky enough to be dealt 21 from the start, that is, an Ace and a 10, you get a blackjack which means you win a specified multiple of your stake.

It is also important to pay attention to the card rules or card values. Face cards, for instance, are worth 10 while Aces are worth 1 or 11.

The Blackjack Odds

Blackjack casino odds are tied to the house edge which is inevitable in any casino game. In Blackjack the players have to act first and not the casino – this is where the casino’s advantage is.

Now, since we cannot get away from the house edge, it is best to get acquainted with the odds that you will be facing at the blackjack table.

The probability to bust during a Blackjack game is proportional to the hand value that you get. This can easily be illustrated by the table below:

Player’s Hand Value	Probability of Busting
11 or lower	0%
12	31%
13	39%
14	56%
15	58%
16	62%
17	69%
18	77%
19	85%
20	92%
21	100%

In addition to knowing the odds of the player’s hand, knowing if the dealer’s hand will bust is also quite advantageous. The odds of the dealer’s hand are illustrated in the table below:

Dealer’s Card	Probability (Standing on 17s)	Probability (Hitting on 17s)
Ace	17%	20%
2	35%	36%
3	37%	38%
4	40%	40%
5	42%	42%
6	42%	44%
7	26%	26%
8	24%	24%
9	23%	23%
10	23%	23%

Frequently Asked Questions