Blackjack is one of the few casino games where skill can make a difference. While there is no guarantee that you will beat the dealer every time, learning basic strategy and employing a few other techniques can significantly increase your chances of winning.
The odds of a player winning a game of blackjack are around 40% to 42%, with the house having a slightly higher edge. The game has a tie or push roughly 8% of the time, and the player is paid out 1 to 1. A blackjack (Ace plus a picture card or a 10 value card) pays 3 to 2.
There are several side bets available in blackjack that change the payouts and blackjack odds. While these bets do not affect your overall win rate, it is important to understand how they work and the impact on the game. One of the most popular side bets is insurance, which offers players a chance to protect half of their stake in the event the dealer has blackjack. The expected value of this bet changes on a per hand basis and is based on many factors, including the number of cards dealt to the dealer and the probability that he will bust.
A good blackjack strategy will depend on the situation and the casino you play in. In general, you should hit when you have a soft hand of 16 or less and stand when you have a hard hand of 17 or more. It is also best to split aces and eights, which will result in a strong starting hand and allow you to reduce your losses or improve your chances of winning.
To increase your chances of winning, practice counting cards. While this may seem like a mind-boggling calculation, some systems like Hi-Lo require only a little bit of practice and will quickly become second nature to you. While casinos have tried to combat card counting, it is still a very effective technique that can help you make smarter bets.
To count cards, start with a single deck of blackjack cards and run through them while keeping track of the numbers. This is called the running count. Next, divide the running count by the number of decks in the shoe to calculate the true count. The higher the true count, the better your chances of beating the dealer. Practice your running count before you go to a real blackjack table.