9 Common Blackjack Mistakes You Might Be Making
Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games in the world, and is played by people all around the globe. It is so universally loved that the chances are good that you’re familiar with the game even if you’ve never set foot in a casino. What you might not be as familiar with is the importance of strategy to maximise winnings. Blackjack is one of the few table games where skill matters, and great players can whittle down the house edge and turn the odds to their favour.
In this article, we’ll teach you what not to do in blackjack. We’ll explore the nine most common blackjack mistakes to avoid.
Failing to understand blackjack strategies
Why is strategy important in blackjack? It’s not a concern in most other casino games, after all, so why here? Blackjack is a game where skill matters. It’s simple to play, but more difficult to master. In exchange for the extra time that expert players put into learning the game, blackjack offers a lower house edge than any other casino table game, at least those using standard rules and decks.
One of the biggest blackjack mistakes to avoid is failing to utilise even basic blackjack strategies. Basic strategy has been mathematically proven to reduce the house edge. A lower house edge leads to bigger chances of success, so the lower the house edge, the better. Understanding when to hit, when to stand, or when to place a side bet, among others, improves your chances of winning. Consider searching for some basic blackjack strategy charts to help you get the hang of expert playing.
Poor bankroll management
The importance of good bankroll management cannot be overstated. Money matters, especially when you want to sit down and play the game for a while. The best thing you can do when playing blackjack is to create a budget and bet smartly.
Before you even consider playing casino games, you should have a firm budget in place. There are a few things to keep in mind when creating your bankroll. First, how much money can you actually afford to lose? If the answer is ‘none’, then you aren’t in a good place to play blackjack for money. Only play with money that you can afford you lose.
Next, over what time frame can you spend that money? Or, to put it more simply, how often can you add money to your bankroll? Players with budgets that must cover multiple weeks need to be a bit more cautious than those who refill their funds weekly or daily. Once you have your budget set and understand how long your funds need to last, you’re ready to play. Let’s move on to betting smartly.
When and how much you bet can significantly impact your likelihood of success as well as the size of your wins. Don’t go all in on every mediocre hand that crosses your path. This is a surefire way to blow through your funds in one sitting. Instead, use basic strategy to help you understand when to increase your stake and when to sit back and take a small loss.
Note that betting too much or chasing losses can both make you burn through your bankroll very quickly. The latter, in particular, is a great way to lose all of your money in a short period of time. Pick a strategy that focuses on your present hand instead of worrying about all of the other hands you’ve lost in the past.
You are never ‘due’ a win, regardless of how many losses you’ve sustained in a row.
Taking the insurance bet
Another of the most common blackjack mistakes to avoid is taking the insurance bet. An insurance bet is a side bet that’s allowed when the dealer has an ace as their upcard. It allows players to make a separate wager on the likelihood of the dealer having a natural 21. If you place the bet and the dealer does have a natural 21, you get your stake back at 2:1 odds. If they don’t, however, you lose your side bet entirely.
While it does have its advantages in certain situations, in general, insurance bets end up giving the casino a larger house edge. You’re less likely to win an insurance bet than you are a regular round, and the odds of the dealer having a natural 21 are incredibly low. Unless you’re in a land casino counting cards (assuming that it’s allowed), skip this particular side bet.
Misplaying pair hands
What not to do in blackjack is to misplay a pair hand. Some players see a pair as a sign to split, but that’s not always the best way to play. The likelihood of success here depends on two things: the dealer’s upcard, and the pair in question. Aces and eights, for example, are typically ideal pairs to split, while 10s and fives are often problematic pairs to split. Even with a pair of aces and eights, however, you might not want to split the hand. The deciding factor comes down to the dealer’s hand.
You’ll usually have more success splitting when the dealer’s upcard is a five or six. This doesn’t mean that you can’t split and win at other times in the game, of course. However, if we’re managing odds, then the dealer’s upcard matters.
Doubling down at the wrong times
Just like with pairs and splitting your hand, doubling down can be advantageous in certain situations and a terrible idea in others. Players can only double down after they’ve received their first two cards (no more and no less). Doubling down, as the name implies, doubles your initial wager. Note that you don’t get that wager back if you lose! Doubling down is great when you win, in other words, but less ideal when you lose as you’re doubling the funds you have to hand over.
When deciding if you should double down, you’ll need to remember a few different hand totals. First, we’ll look at hard hand totals. You should consider doubling down when you have a hand total of nine and the dealer’s upcard is a three, four, five or six. If you have a 10, you can also consider doubling down if the dealer’s upcard is between two and nine. Finally, if you have a total of 11 in your hand, double down regardless of the dealer’s upcard. Soft hands are a bit different. If you have a soft 16 through 18 and a dealer upcard between four and six, consider doubling down.
If the dealer’s upcard is an ace or a 10-value card, avoid doubling down.
Keeping these strategies in mind is an important way to maximise your chances of winning.
Ignoring dealer upcards
One of the biggest blackjack errors we see at LeoVegas is players focusing on their own cards instead of the dealer’s. While it is easy to focus on your own cards and block out everything else, doing so actually decreases your chances of winning. That’s because the dealer’s upcard is incredibly important to almost all of the moves you can make during a game, and many strategies depend specifically on the dealer having a certain card (or a card within a certain range).
As an example, let’s discuss doubling down again briefly. Regardless of what your own hand totals, if the dealer has an ace or a 10-value card, avoid doubling down in most instances. With those upcards, the chances of the dealer having a good hand are high, and doubling down will only increase the amount of money you lose.
Playing while distracted, intoxicated or fatigued
When playing blackjack, avoid at all costs becoming intoxicated, distracted or fatigued. You need your full attention on the game in order to maximise your chances of winning. Playing under the above conditions can hurt your overall performance, just like it would in a professional sport of some kind.
To keep your energy up and boost your attention, consider taking regular breaks, staying hydrated, and pausing for snacks or a change of pace now and then.
Chasing your losses
We mentioned this earlier, but it’s important enough to bear repeating. Do not chase losses! You might feel like you’re due a win after multiple lost games in a row, but this is not the case. You are never ‘due’ a win. Sticking to a losing strategy because you think losing a certain number of times guarantees you victory will only ever drain your bankroll.
Be cautious of strategies that require you to steadily increase your bets after losing, such as the martingale strategy. In theory, the premise is sound, and you might even get lucky. In reality, you will probably burn your budget chasing that loss. Don’t let the adrenaline get the better of you! Stick to predetermined strategies.
Luck < strategy
Too many people focus on blackjack and assume that luck will carry them through. The truth is that luck has little to do with your success or failure at blackjack. Ignore the idea that hot and cold streaks actually impact gameplay or that ‘gut feelings’ are always accurate and instead focus on statistical probabilities.
Full list of blackjack mistakes
- Failing to understand blackjack strategies
- Poor bankroll management
- Taking the insurance bet
- Misplaying pair hands
- Doubling down at the wrong times
- Ignoring dealer upcards
- Playing while distracted, intoxicated or fatigued
- Chasing your losses
- Luck < strategy
Conclusion
From splitting hands to doubling down, we’ve covered the top nine blackjack mistakes to avoid. Remember that in blackjack, skill matters more than luck! This means that you need to brush up on your strategy before every game. And, above all, play responsibly.