FALSE GAMBLING MYTHS Common Topics I Overhear While Playing In The Casinos

I am routinely amazed by the claims some players make at the casinos and how firmly they believe them to be fact! This article describes some of the claims I have heard and I’ll present the real facts.

Myth #1: Bad Players Can Affect Your Game

Suppose you are playing at a blackjack table and another guest is playing foolishly. A lot of players think that you should leave the table because, by playing foolishly, they are disrupting the natural flow of the cards, causing the dealer to win. The truth is a bad player will help you just as much as they will hurt you. While you remember the hands they caused you to lose, you forget the hands they caused you to win. So, in the long run, it really doesn’t matter.

Myth #2: You Should Take The Insurance Bet Sometimes

Many blackjack players still believe that you should take the insurance bet when the dealer shows an Ace and you have blackjack. If you are not counting cards, insurance is a bad bet. Some simple 3rd grade math will show you that the dealer will only have blackjack 3 out of 10 times so it’s better to get paid 3 to 2 every 7 times instead of even money 10 times. Never take the insurance, it’s a bad bet.

Myth #3: You Have To Adjust Your Playing Style

If you are dealt an eleven and double your hand against a ten and lose and, worse yet, this happens several times in a row, many players won’t double down because they assume the beating will continue! Well, the dealer may be “hot” in the moment, but in reality the cards don’t know that. You always have to rely on the math behind basic strategy! So the next time a double down hand comes up, you have to make the winning play. Doubling down is the winning play and you must use basic strategy.

Myth #4: You Have To Adjust Your Bets

After losing a bet and having the goal to maximize the return on future bets, a lot of blackjack players think you should increase your bet size. It really doesn't matter, because there is no betting system that can add or subtract from the casino’s edge. And, if you start to chase after your losses, that’s a recipe for disaster!

Myth #5: Sometimes You Should Go With Your Gut Instinct

Let’s examine a situation where the dealer is breaking almost every single hand and you are dealt a fifteen against the dealer’s up card of a ten. A lot of players will go with the trend of the dealer breaking and stand. However, basic strategy says to hit. So, if you’re going to give yourself the best chance to win, you must always follow basic strategy. If you start playing hunches, you will give the casino about a 10% advantage over you.

Myth #6: Adjust Your Play Based On Previous Outcomes

Let’s say you're playing at a roulette table where the last 10 numbers have been red. A lot of players would bet red on the next spin and go with the trend. Others might bet on black to go against the trend. The fact is it really doesn't matter what color you bet as the previous results have no effect on future outcomes. I know that most players find that hard to believe. If you were flipping a coin and received 10 heads in a row, the next flip would still have an equal chance of being heads or tails. The previous results have no influence on future outcomes.

Using the slots as another example, let’s say you have the choice of two identical slot machines to play one has recently hit a jackpot and the other one has not hit the jackpot in a long time. Which one should you play? Most players, without hesitation, would pick the one that hasn’t hit when really it doesn’t matter. Each spin on a slot machine is completely random and isn’t influenced by prior outcomes. $

Writer TJ Jorgensen has been a professional Blackjack player for over 25 years. He is well known for his tournament play and has beaten some of the top tournament players in the world. He has also won the World Series Of Blackjack. His newest book “How To Become A Blackjack Jedi” is available online at Amazon.com.