9 TIPS TO HELP YOU PLAY LIKE A PRO

Odds, Objectivity, And Some Obvious Advice

This month’s column focuses on some of my most popular tips to help players of all skill levels raise their Blackjack game to the professional level.

1. Master basic strategy. That way you will be able to play any hand like a pro. Nothing is worse than to sit at a table and try to figure out what to do with a hand while the other players wait. You should know basic strategy so well that the decisions are automatic. An additional bonus is that you will be able to take advantage of profitable situations such as doubling down and splitting pairs.

2. Stick to a flat bet unless you are counting cards. There has never been a betting system that can overcome the house edge. Many beginners try different betting systems only to find they don’t work and it’s usually an expensive lesson.

3. Don’t take the insurance bet. Some players say it’s the only sure bet in Blackjack to insure your Blackjack when you finally have one. Some straightforward math shows that it is better to push three times and collect one and a half your bet size the other seven than to collect even money ten times.

4. Only play at Blackjack tables that have a 3 to 2 payout for Blackjack. Do not play at tables that pay 6 to 5. The reason the casinos offer 6 to 5 is because it raises the house edge by 1.4% against the basic strategy player. You will find very few basic strategy players that win at 6 to 5. If you bet $10 a hand and are dealt a Blackjack at a 3 to 2 table you are paid $15 as opposed to $12 at a 6 to 5 table.

5. Know when to surrender. If you find a casino that offers surrender it can be of great benefit for the player. For example, the hand of 16 versus a dealer up card of a 10. You will lose 54% of all money bet in that situation. If you surrender the hand, the casino takes 50% of your bet. You should surrender a 16 against a 9, 10, or an Ace. Surrender a 15 against a 10. The only casino that offers surrender, that I know of, is Desert Diamond West Valley Resort in Glendale.

6. Know when to double down. You should master basic strategy so that you know the correct times to double down to boost your profits when the dealer is vulnerable. While the player hands of 10 and 11 are obvious against dealer bust cards, the soft totals may not be. In those situations, you double because the probability of the dealer busting is really great.

You split pairs when it will win more money, such as Aces, when you will lose less money on average, such as splitting 8s against an 8 and turn

8. Counter the house edge with advantage play. While counting cards with a full blown card counting system may be difficult to learn, there are some simple counting systems that can get you a small advantage over the house edge such as the Ace5 count where you only keep track of 5s and Aces.

9. Leave your emotions out of the game. If your emotions get involved you will find yourself betting more than you should and end up broke! If you have a losing session, just accept that it is part of the game. Don’t ever put yourself in a situation where you try to win the house payment money back with the car payment money. $

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.