5 Blackjack Betting Strategies You Should Use on Your Next Game Night
Blackjack is one of the staple games you can play in the casino. It’s undoubtedly one of the most popular, too, as you can see lines of people waiting for a vacant blackjack seat in one of the hundred blackjack tables in the casino. And, of course, blackjack is popular because it’s simple and easy to pick up, and it has the perfect mixture of skill and luck incorporated into the game.
That said, while the house is nearly impossible to beat in longer sessions, you can increase your chances of fattening up your bankroll with easy-to-use strategies at the blackjack table. These strategies are proven with time, and both newbies and veterans use them to ensure their bankroll stays alive throughout the night. But before we get into that, let’s first discuss the basic premise of playing blackjack.
How to Play Blackjack
If you’re looking for blackjack tips on how to play it, here it is. Your goal in blackjack is to have the closest possible number to 21 without going over. To start the game, you will be dealt with two face-down cards.
The aces are usually valued at 1, while face cards are 10. If you think your hand could be better, you could choose to “hit,” and the dealer would give you another card. You can only hit once per round. If you’re satisfied with your hand, you can “stand.” The dealer would also be dealt with two cards, but only one would be faced up. Once everyone is satisfied with their hand, you will present your cards to the dealer.
If your hand is closer to 21, then you win your bet. Otherwise, you lose. Remember that the other players’ hand doesn’t matter, as you would only be up against the dealer. That said, now that you know how to play blackjack, we should discuss some of the most common betting strategies that people use in blackjack.
Steady Betting Strategy
This is perhaps the most boring betting strategy there is. All you have to do in this strategy is to start your session with the set unit until you decide to stop playing blackjack. For example, if you bet on a single unit of $5 at the start, you should ensure that your bet would only be $5 until the end of the night. It’s a good way to ensure you’re not jeopardizing your bankroll by excessive betting.
Positive Progression Strategy
This strategy is usually used during winning streaks to maximize your profits. The basic gist of
this strategy is that whenever you win a hand, you’ll be doubling your betting size for the next round.
You’ll continue doing this until you lose a hand, in which you’ll return to your original betting size. And once you win again, you double it again, and so forth. However, note that the more you win, the bigger your potential losses will be, so it’s best to use this strategy if you have a lot of money.
Negative Progression Strategy
This one is the exact opposite. If you lose a hand in this strategy, you’ll double down your next bet to cover the losses and win some. Once you win a hand, you will return to your original betting size.
Even though it has the potential to cover your losses, it’s still a huge risk since you’re essentially making your next loss bigger. With that in mind, this strategy is usually reserved for high rollers in the casino. If you don’t have that much bankroll, avoid using this strategy.
Oscar’s Betting Method
The goal of this strategy is to win a single unit after a series of bets, in which, after that, you’ll start a new series of bets. If you win firsthand, you have already completed Oscar’s betting method and will start a new series. However, what if you lose your first hand?
You will then retain your original betting size on the next session. If you win, that means you have covered your losses. However, this doesn’t mean that you should start a new series. You should still add one more unit to your bet until you have accomplished the goal of winning a single unit.
1326 Betting Strategy
This one is simple. The 1326 strategy requires you to follow a certain sequence whenever you win. Every time you lose, you’ll restart the sequence. For example, the 1 represents your first original betting size. If you win that hand, you’ll triple it.
If you win your hand again, you’ll double your betting size. If you still win your hand, you’ll make your original bet sixfold. Once you have completed the sequence, you begin again from the start.
Final Words
Blackjack is extremely fun. It’s simple, easy to pick up, and, most of all, can be profitable with the right betting strategy. That said, if you’re looking for an effective betting strategy that you can use in blackjack, then you should consider using the one above. And with all that said, good luck.