Can You Beat Casino Blackjack
- Can You Beat Casino Blackjack Real Money
- Can You Beat Casino Blackjack Slot Machines
- Can You Beat Casino Blackjack No Deposit
Since blackjack is the one casino game where skill truly matters, it’s important for players to test different strategies and start incorporating them into their gameplay. But before you test any of the blackjack systems out there, there’s a simple truth you must realise – every valid blackjack strategy is based on logic and maths. Therefore, the best strategy you can adopt right away would be to leave your superstitions behind, forget about your ‘winning rituals’ and trust only the numbers. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s take a look at the best tactics you can adopt to help you win at online blackjack every time you play.
Tip #1: Pick the Right Casino
Players often ignore this all-important step, so I decided to start precisely with it. I cannot emphasise enough how big of a factor picking a good casino site is for your future success at beating the game. And that process is not even that hard – the trick is to pick a reputable, well-known casino that features a lot of blackjack games and generous bonuses that you can use on them. Here are three stellar examples:
Blackjack Site | Rating | Highlights | Welcome Bonus | Trusted Site | Terms and Conditions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
888 Casino | 7 RNG Games , 36 Live Tables | Up to £100 + £88 | Get Bonus! | Full T&Cs apply. 1st deposit only • £20 min deposit with code • Valid for selected games only • Bonus wins capped at £500 • 30x wagering – req. vary by game - in 90 days • UK - deposit balance available for withdrawal at any time • Withdrawal terms & T&Cs apply. | |
Ladbrokes Casino | 15 RNG Games, 10 Live Tables | £50 Welcome Bonus | Get Bonus! | Full T&Cs apply. 18+. New Casino players only. Deposit required. Min stake £10 on qualifying games. 40x wager reqs (bonus only) on selected games. 24hrs to accept. Bonus valid for 48hrs. Certain deposit types excluded. Bets covering >70% of Roulette table excluded. | |
Betway | 17 RNG Games, 30 Live Tables | 100% up to £250 | Get Bonus! | Full T&Cs apply. * New customers only. Opt-in required. 100% Match Bonus up to £250 on 1st deposit of £20+. 50x bonus wagering applies as do weighting requirements. Debit Card & PayPal deposits only. Irregular gameplay may invalidate your bonus. This offer is valid for 7 days from your new account being registered. |
But how in fact does your choice of casino impact your winning chances? Truth is that not all online casinos are safe and trustworthy. Moreover, even if you have won fair and square, some of them might refuse to pay out your winnings. By choosing a licensed and regulated casino, such as the ones we recommend, you secure yourself a fair chance at winning and, most importantly, guaranteed payouts.
Tip #2: Pick the Right Blackjack Variant
Picking the right game variant is yet another important part of an all-encompassing blackjack strategy. The most important detail about each game is undoubtedly the house edge – the lower it is, the better. Here is a comparison between the house edges of some of the most popular online blackjack games in the UK:
This technique can be used in poker or blackjack. But this discussion will revolve around blackjack, given that I’m covering how to beat the house — not other poker players. At first, you might wonder exactly how this could help you beat the casino. Hiding chips seems more like an immature game rather than something that can give you an edge. And, to help you with this, here are a few things to help you beat online blackjack. Beating a Virtual Blackjack Dealer. Usually, online blackjack involves playing in a virtual environment. You can expect to see a visual representation of a blackjack table that is similar to the layout you will see in a live and land-based casino. Think for a moment about playing virtual blackjack. In most online casinos you are the only player at the virtual table. You can play from one to three hands. If you play at an online casino that offers live dealer blackjack, you will have other real players at the table. These are people just like you.
As you can see, the house edge of these games is already quite low (just for reference, most slot games have a house edge of 4%-6%). Still, this is the first thing you should check before trying a new blackjack game. There are, in fact, some online blackjack games that have a house edge over 1% and even over 2%. If your goal is to win and not just to have fun, then you should definitely stay clear of those.
Tip #3: Know Your Game Inside Out
Not all blackjack games are made from the same mold. In fact, there are hardly any two blackjack variations that have exactly the same rules. Therefore, applying the same basic strategy for different games simply won’t work. Every little detail about the game matters as it affects the house edge. You can learn about the specific rules of each variant from the help section of the game. Here is what information you should be looking for if you want to find the best blackjack strategy for the game you’ve chosen.
- How much does a blackjack pay?
- How many decks are in the shoe?
- Can you double on any two cards or only with specific total?
- When can you split your hand and up to how many times?
- Are you allowed to double after splitting a hand?
- Are you allowed to hit split aces?
- Do you have the option to surrender and in which cases?
- Does the dealer hit a soft seventeen?
- Is there a 5-, 6- or a 7-card Charlie?
Another particularity you should be aware of when searching for a suitable online blackjack strategy is that there are some blackjack games that bear the same name but have different rules and, consequently, different house edge. This is due to the fact that the games are provided by different software developers. For example, Classic Blackjack by Microgaming has a house edge of merely 0.13% while the game of the same name developed by NetEnt has a house edge of 0.35%. A big difference, indeed.
Tip #4: Use a Basic Blackjack Strategy Card
Hopefully, you’ve followed our tips for playing blackjack and have already chosen a specific game to play, where to play it and you’ve familiarised yourself with all its rules. Now it’s time to find a basic blackjack strategy card specific to your game of choice which will help you make the right decision in any situation.
Below, you can see an example of a strategy card that’s especially created for Playtech’s Blackjack Pro. The image clearly shows how you should play against any given dealer upcard according to the hand you’re holding. The complete strategy chart for each different blackjack variation should consist of three parts – one for hard hands, one for soft hands and one for pairs.
The easiest way to find an optimal blackjack strategy chart for the game you want to try is to generate it yourself using one of the many blackjack basic strategy calculators you can find online. Using these strategy cards is very suitable for beginners since they are extremely easy to read and at the same time they are math-based. Still, there are some things that these cards don’t cover. They don’t tell you what to do with the side bets, how much to bet and whether card counting could help you. Those are exactly the topics that we’re going to cover next.
The Perfect Blackjack Strategy for Side Bets
As we have already established in the previous paragraphs, strategy cards can be very useful when playing most blackjack games, especially for the beginners. Yet, as you may have noticed, they don’t cover any side bets whatsoever. After all, the perfect blackjack strategy is the one that takes into account all aspects of the game and this includes whether or not to place bonus bets and if yes – how much to bet.
The truth is that blackjack is a casino game with an extremely low house edge. On top of that, skilled players are able to reduce this minimal advantage even further by adopting various blackjack strategies. This is why, in the hopes to increase the house edge and, consequently, the revenues, the casinos started adding extra decks to the different blackjack variations and came up with different side bets. And while these side bets definitely add fun and variety to te game, they make players lose money, slowly but surely.
So, it’s easy to see that the best strategy for blackjack side bets is actually not to place any! Just stick to the strategy cards until you’ve gained enough experience to start testing more advanced tactics.
What About Card Counting?
When most new players hear the words ‘blackjack strategies’, they immediately think of card counting. While this strategy may still be possible in some brick-and-mortar casinos (although, in general, it’s against the house rules or at least it’s frowned upon), it is virtually unfeasible in online casinos where the deck is shuffled after each hand. The only exception to this rule is live dealer blackjack. So, if you want to try some card counting techniques while playing online, your only option is to play live blackjack games.
But what actually is card counting and can it really help you beat the casino? Card counting is a blackjack technique that helps you follow the number of high and low cards in the shoe thus giving you some insight as to what type of card might come next – a bit of knowledge that can, indeed, tip the scales in your direction. The easiest card counting system in blackjack is called Hi-Lo and works like this: for each low card (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) you see you add one point and for each high card (10, J, Q, K, A) you deduct one. The higher the count, the bigger the chances to get 10-valued cards, which are generally considered ‘good’ for the player (and bad for the dealer).
Which Is the Best Blackjack Betting System?
As we have already established, using a blackjack strategy card can help you make the right decision in any given situation, but it doesn’t answer the important question players always ask themselves ‘How much should I bet?’ As you probably already know, there are many betting systems out there, many of which claim to be a sure way to beat any online blackjack game. A huge part of those systems are progressive betting systems which are based on the idea that if you’ve lost a number of times, you’re bound to win soon. This, of course, is not true and is often referred to as gambler’s fallacy – a mistaken notion that has claimed many victims through the ages.
The plain and simple truth is that no betting system on its own can help you beat the house, but some can help you improve your odds even more when combined with other blackjack strategies. For example, when using card counting and basic strategy, you can allow yourself to increase the bet amount when the count is high, as then the strategy cards are considered to be ‘more correct’ and your chances at winning are higher. But, as we already said, this can only work if you’re playing live dealer games. The best betting strategy for RNG games, on the other hand, is to simply bet the same amount over and over again while wagering some convenient casino bonus – a topic that we’re going to discuss a little bit further down the page.
Tip #5: Test in Demo Mode
Now that you have a complete overview of an all-encompassing online blackjack strategy, you probably feel ready to finally start playing. But before you go and bet real money, it’s highly recommended that you first test your skills with play money. Going back to our example with Blackjack Pro by Playtech, we’ve prepared a demo version of the game below that you can try for free. Don’t forget to use the strategy card that we presented to you to secure yourself the best odds.
Something else that you can do while playing in demo mode is to practice your card-counting skills, even though in all RNG games the shoe is virtually shuffled after each hand. After all, there are no demo versions of live blackjack, so your only option is to practice on their computerised versions.
Tip #6: Sync Your Bonus and Blackjack Strategies
Some of the biggest advantages of playing on the Internet vs playing at land-based casinos are undoubtedly the generous bonus opportunities that online casinos offer. Even if the casino has a slight advantage in any given game, playing with extra money that isn’t actually yours and being allowed to keep the winnings surely gives the players some edge. When it comes to blackjack, combining the already low house edge of the game with a solid math-based strategy and a suitable bonus is the most certain way to beat the casino. Of course, every bonus comes with its terms and conditions that are sometimes favourable but other times – not so much.
First of all, there’s always a wagering requirement that you have to fulfil before you can withdraw the winnings generated from the bonus. This requirement in most cases is set at 20 to 40 times the bonus plus the deposit amount. Furthermore, it’s important to take into account the fact that blackjack games don’t contribute at 100% toward the wagering requirement due to the fact that they have a pretty low house edge and give the players great winning odds. Usually, the wagering contribution for the game is set anywhere between 5% and 10%, the higher it is, of course, the better. Other important details you should take into account are the validity period of the bonus and the minimum deposit required to claim it.
All that said, let us present to you an easy-to-claim bonus that is perfect for beginners and offered by a casino that has a great array of blackjack games with both classic and innovative variants – Ladbrokes. At the moment, they offer a 100% bonus up to £500 to all new players that make minimum deposit of £20 at the casino – a pretty sweet deal, if you ask me. If you agree with me and are ready to start playing for real money, then click the link below and you’ll be safely redirected to the official website of the operator:
Sure enough, this is not the only available bonus offer that is suitable for playing blackjack online, in fact, most UK casino sites give you the opportunity to wager bonus money on all their blackjack games. So, if you want to find more great opportunities to play blackjack with bonus money, then make sure you also check out our dedicated bonus page.
Final Thoughts and Advice for Long-Term Success
In conclusion, the best blackjack strategy you can adopt is the one that fully corresponds to the game variation you’ve chosen to play. Be careful to only use a game plan that has been created for the particular type of blackjack you’re playing. Otherwise, you won’t be able to achieve the results you expect.
Beginners, find yourselves a strategy card for the variation you play and stick with it. Combine it with a good bonus and you can expect a moderate return in the long run. Your number one priority should be to practice and learn. The more experienced players can, on the other hand, test their card counting skills against some unsuspecting dealer at a live casino of their choice – remember, you can see them, but they cannot see you! Furthermore, to make sure that you get the whole picture as to how to beat this game, you can also take a look at some game strategies analysed.
Last but not least, don’t forget to have fun! After all, it’s a game and its main purpose is to entertain you. Not getting too stressed about winning is a good tactic as it will help you keep a cool head and make better decisions while playing.
One of the most-exciting things in blackjack is getting a “natural” hand, where your first two dealt cards equal 21. Provided the dealer doesn’t also have 21, you’ll receive either a 3 to 2 or 6 to 5 bonus payout.
Here’s how much you’d get for each of these payouts based on a $10 bet:
- 3 to 2 payout = $15
- 6 to 5 payout = $12
Many recreational blackjack players are happy to get a natural under any circumstances. And $3 doesn’t seem like a big difference in the scenario above.
This is especially true when considering that you’ll only receive a blackjack 4.75% of the time in a 6-deck game. But changing a natural blackjack payout from 3:2 to 6:5 does have a noticeable impact on your odds of winning.
The house edge increases by 1.39% when the natural payout is lowered to 6:5. This difference is profound enough to the point where players wonder if it’s even possible to beat 6:5 games.
I’m going to cover how you can improve your chances of winning in 6:5 blackjack with basic strategy. And you may be surprised to learn that it’s theoretically possible to beat 6:5 games when counting cards under the right conditions.
But first, here’s a look at when land-based casinos began switching to the 6:5 format and why they did it.
Shifting Casino Focus Caused Rise in 6 to 5 Blackjack
Mostland-based blackjack games used to feature 3 to 2 payouts. This meant that you could pick just about any blackjack table and have a solid chance of winning.
But many blackjack tables around the world now have 6 to 5 payouts. This is obviously worse for players, because it’s harder to find beatable blackjack games.
This isn’t to say that casinos don’t still care about gamblers. But many don’t consider gambling part of an all-around entertainment experience, which includes nightclubs, restaurants, shows, and spas.
Las Vegas strip casinos are a perfect example of the gambling industry’schanged focus. It’s hard to find 3:2 payouts on the Vegas Strip, because these casinos are hyper focused on their amenities.
You must now go to downtown Vegas and Boulder Highway to find the majority of 6 to 5 tables. These casinos cater to gamblers first, and they often have player-friendly blackjack rules.
Meanwhile, casinos on the Vegas Strip and other parts of the world realize that many blackjack players are savvy enough to avoid 6:5 games. It’s not difficult for the average player to google blackjack rules on their smartphone and learn that natural payouts are highly important.
But casinos can still fool blackjack novices by offering single deck blackjack with 6 to 5 payouts. Casinos hang signs above these tables, so that players are attracted to the single deck aspect.
Some inexperienced blackjack players know that single deck games are better than 6 or 8-deck tables. But single deck blackjack has a higher house edge than 8-deck games with 3:2 natural payouts.
All other rules being equal, the 8-deck game would have a house advantage that’s 0.8% lower than the single deck game.
8 decks raise the house advantage by 0.59% when compared to a single deck. But an 8-deck game also sees the house edge lowered by 1.39% when accounting for 3 to 2 payouts (1.39 – 0.59 = 0.8%)
Lower the House Edge with Other Good Rules
The good news is that you can find plenty of online blackjack games with 3:2 payouts. Unfortunately, this is becoming harder in land-based casinos.
Your area may only offer 6 to 5 blackjack tables in land-based casinos. This leaves you either forced to play online or looking for 6:5 blackjack with good supporting rules.
NoteI suggest that you avoid playing any blackjack game with 6:5 payouts
But if you can’t stay away from the land-based tables, then you should at least find other good rules.
Here are key rules that you want to watch for when choosing a blackjack table:
- 3:2 natural blackjack payouts – Lowers house edge by 1.40% in comparison to 6:5 payouts.
- Double down on any total – Lowers house edge by 0.25% in comparison to only doubling down on 9-11.
- Dealer must stand on a soft 17 – Lowers house edge by 0.2% in comparison to the dealer hitting a soft 17.
- Double down after splitting – Lowers house advantage by 0.17% when allowed.
- Re-splitting aces – Lowers house edge by 0.08% when allowed.
- Late surrender – Lowers the house edge by 0.07% when allowed.
- Number of decks – A single deck swings the house edge in a player’s favor by 0.02%. An 8-deck game gives the house a 0.57% advantage.
Odds are that you won’t find every favorable rule in a single 6 to 5 blackjack game. But most casinos will offer multiple favorable rules to help make up for the 6:5 payouts.
Assuming you play at a 6:5 blackjack table with all the other rules being optimal, you’re still facing a 1.02% house edge with perfect strategy. This figure increases as you begin taking away player-friendly rules.
Most players won’t come close to beating a blackjack game with 6 to 5 payouts when using basic strategy. But again, you can at least work the house advantage down closer to 1% with other good rules.
Ideally, your local casino(s) will offer 3:2 payouts, which is much better than any 6:5 game.
How to Beat 6 to 5 Blackjack with Card Counting
Even the public knows that card counters can beat blackjack.
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The answer is that card counters have a much-tougher time beating blackjack.
Card counters gain their edge by betting more when the count is in their favor, or rather the shoe is rich in aces and 10s. More aces and 10s means a higher chance of getting a natural blackjack and more quality double-down opportunities.
A card counter using the Hi-Lo system spreads their bets when the true count is at least 2+ or higher. Allow me to quickly explain the Hi-Lo system before getting into the true count:
- Hi-Lo system assigns values to three groups of cards.
- 2-6 = +1
- 7-9 = 0
- 10-A = -1
- You gain +1 each time a 2-6 is dealt, because this card range favors the dealer by lowering their odds of busting out.
- You get -1 each time 10 through ace are dealt, because your chances of getting a natural blackjack diminish.
The goal is to bet more with a high positive count, because this means the shoe is rich in aces and 10-value cards.
The regular count that you get is called the running count. But you want to convert this to a true count, which is more accurate for shoe (multi-deck) games.
You divide the running count by the number of remaining decks in the shoe get a true count. You must estimate the number of decks based on the number of the cards in the shoe.
As an example of calculating the true count:
- You estimate that the shoe has four decks left.
- Your running count is +8.
- 8 / 4 = +2 true count.
The last step of using the Hi-Lo system is to decide your bet spread. This refers to the gap between minimum table bet and your highest wager.
If you’re sitting on a blackjack table with a $5 minimum bet and your highest wager is $100, then you have a 1-20 spread. The 20 comes from how the highest bet is worth 20 minimum wagers.
Many players take things a step further by creating a unit size, so that they know when to increase their bet spread based on the true count. Here’s a common example used by the MIT Blackjack Team:
- Unit size = $25
- +1 or lower true count = minimum bet ($5 in this example)
- +2 true count = 1 unit (+25)
- +3 true count = 2 units (+50)
- +4 true count = 3 units (+75)
- +5 or higher true count = 4 units (+100)
Your true count won’t normally be above +4 in a single shoe. Therefore, the highest spread will normally be between 1-15.
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Of course, you can always tweak your unit size as needed to achieve a large bet spread. But the downside is that you’re likely to draw more attention from the pit boss and security.
Now that I’ve explained how to use a card counting system and spread your bets, the next step is to figure out if you can beat a game with 6 to 5 payouts.
This becomes harder when dealing with Hi-Lo or natural blackjack payouts. But it’s still theoretically possible to beat a 6 to 5 game under the right conditions.
The only problem is that you need near-perfect conditions to win consistent profits from a 6 to 5 game. Look at the rules on a standard 6 to 5 table below:
- Single deck
- 6:5 natural payout
- Dealer stands on a soft 17
- Double down after splitting
- House edge = 1.04% with perfect strategy.
Even with the other favorable rules, this table still has a higher house advantage than the average 3 to 2 table. That means you must look for tables with ideal card counting conditions to overcome this.
You’ll need a game that allows large bet spreads without drawing heat and around 50% deck penetration, which is how far the dealer goes into a shoe before reshuffling.
I mention 50% deck penetration, because few single deck games even make it to this point before being shuffled – let alone the 70-75% deck penetration you’d want with a 6 or 8-deck game.
You need a minimum spread of 1-10 before even gaining a slight advantage under these conditions. A 1-15 or 1-20 spread would be ideal in terms of making a 6:5 game worth your while.
Some casinos are liberal with the lower end of this range. But your chances of being asked to leave the table (a.k.a. being backed off)increase when spreading 1-20 or beyond.
Card counters who have the right personality and ability to blend in with casual players have a better chance of getting away with high spreads. It also helps if you know what the pit boss and security look for regarding card counters.
But the average counter will have a tough time spreading their bet high enough to beat 6:5 tableswith card counting.
Other Ways to Beat 6 to 5 Blackjack
I’ve established that it’s hard to beat 6:5 blackjack as a solo card counter using conventional methods. But you can also use a technique called “wonging in” to improve your odds.
Invented by gambling author Standard Wong, this strategy sees you stand off to the side of a blackjack table and count cards. You wait until the deck has a positive true count of +2 or more before taking a seat.
Most casinos don’t allow “mid shoe entry,” though, which minimizes the effectiveness of wonging. Some pit bosses are also suspicious when a new player sits down at a $10 minimum bet table and immediately wagers $150 or more.
Another way to beat 6 to 5 blackjack is with the “Big Player” technique, where two or more players work together. This strategy was made famous by the MIT Blackjack Team and is a good way to avoid casino detection.
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This technique begins with “spotters,” who scout games while making minimum table bets. When the count is positive, they send a secret signal to the Big Player, who merely observes games until receiving this signal.
The Big Player sits down and immediately begins betting large amounts to take advantage of the positive count.
This works better than solo counting, because the Big Player doesn’t have to raise and lower their bets. Instead, they simply look like a high roller when making large wagers right away.
Sure, you have a better chance of beating 6 to 5 games with a team. But it doesn’t make sense to play these games when you can still find 3 to 2 tables in many Vegas casinos.
Conclusion
The original question at the beginning of this post was whether it’s possible to beat 6 to 5 blackjack game. And the answer is yes.
But there are some notable asterisks, including that you must spread bets larger and find favorable 6:5 tables. Using a larger bet spread means that you take a bigger risk of being backed off or even banned from a casino.
Other options include wonging in and forming a blackjack team. Wonging in comes with the same problems as bet spreading, because you either won’t be allowed mid-shoe entry or will draw extra attention for entering late into a shoe.
A blackjack team has a more-realistic chance of beating 6 to 5 blackjack than a solo counter. But it doesn’t make much sense to choose these games when a team can instead opt for 3:2tables.
In SummaryIt’s best to choose 3 to 2 blackjack whenever you have the opportunity. This benefits both card counters and basic strategy players in the long run.
But 6 to 5 blackjack isn’t the worst casino game in the grand scheme of things. Most of these tables offer less than a 2% house edge, which is lower than what you’ll see with many casino games.
6:5 blackjack is harmless in moderation when you use correct strategy. But look for 3:2 tables whenever possible so that you can improve your chances of winning even more