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Playing online blackjack might seem like an innocent way to kill some time, but that’s only if you know what you’re doing. And, given the number of ways that casinos can make money off of gamblers, it’s not hard for new players to quickly realize they aren’t as good at the blackjack game as they thought.
That is unless they take these quick and easy steps to beat the casino at their own game. The best online blackjack tips usually come down to one simple suggestion – play behind and play smart. That strategy will keep you from walking away from an empty-handed fool.
Backing off the table
The hardest lesson a new player learns is that they’re not as good at blackjack as they thought they were. They have to learn to be humble, walk away from the table and let someone else have a turn at the winnings. This is also one of the easiest online blackjack tips to follow. If you don’t have a relationship with your casino, or you’re playing on an obscure site that doesn’t payout, walking away is the only way you’ll ever do well.
When playing under the table, make it clear to your dealer your intention to fold. The casino has two options – let you keep playing or give you a Rakeback bonus for knowing when it’s best to walk away.
Playing with your heart
You may have heard that a player should never split 7s. But, in blackjack, splitting is extremely common – and yet, it can be one of the most dangerous moves on the table.
Remember
The house always wins when you split 7s. That’s why it’s important to understand the right way to split 7s in blackjack. It may be tempting to decide to keep any two cards that have 7 on them and move on. But chances are you’ll only be able to keep one card at the moment, and it’s smart to split them down when you can.
All about the Aces
Have you ever noticed how the dealer always wants to hit once they have an Ace in their hand? While there are some exceptions, it’s a good rule of thumb that if you have an Ace in your hand, don’t let the dealer go without doubling down. This is the same as when you have a face card in your hand.
The dealer will always want to hit with an Ace unless they’re hoping to draw a 10 or an 11. Hitting it doesn’t help them, but they want to keep the online blackjack game going as long as possible – just like you should.
And about those face cards…
Your hand will probably contain a couple of face cards, and, like with splitting 7s, the house always wins. When you’re dealt two face cards, it’s smart to keep them. But keep in mind that they can be tricky to play. The dealer will probably want to hit them – and they don’t help you out enough to keep if you decide not to hit (more on this later).
That’s why the recommended strategy is to keep one of them but keep the other at even money. This is a common strategy in blackjack, especially when doubling down with an Ace in your hand.
Playing with a beginner’s mind
When playing online blackjack, dealers are constantly monitoring their tables and chatting amongst themselves. You’ll see how it works if you watch any new player making their first shuffle. They’ll shuffle the cards, announce what cards they have, and then lay them out with a lot of gesticulating.
This is usually done within seconds of the shuffle. Then, they’ll either bet or raise. Most players will not be able to keep up with their actions in real-time. It’s difficult to play blackjack by looking at the rules and hand history when trying to figure out what the dealer will do. Be unpredictable. Play as if you’re a beginner.
Botting
It’s common knowledge that casinos want to keep the games moving and keep their tables full, so they’re going to try and catch any player who tries to cheat. But, there are some small ways they can see you.
Check the last three cards a dealer has dealt
If a dealer deals an exposed Ace or an exposed 2, 3 or 4, it’s unlikely they’re bragging about it with their colleagues. Chances are they’ve just played it and are about to hit you.
Look for more information
If the dealer has a full (or almost full) hand, look to see if the dealer is showing any of their cards – especially if you’ve seen a deck being shuffled. Chances are the only reliable way to determine whether they have an exposed Ace is to watch what happens after they lay down their cards. If you see a dealer show an Ace, it’s best to hit. If you’re lucky enough to see a dealer show two Aces, and they hit it, there’s no reason not to hit it back.
Check the middle cards
If you watch any player post their hand for other players to see, chances are they’re going to post one of these middle card pairs (2s or 3s) in hopes of getting a free card. If they have a 3, post it and hope for a 2. If they have a 2, post it and hope for a 3. Even if the dealer ends up showing an Ace or some other high card, you’ll still get their money.
Make sure to check out any doubling-down strategy
Sometimes keeping track of the doubling down strategy gets trickier than it has to be. If the dealer shows down an Ace, they want you to double down. They will be tempted to give you a second Ace when you double down. If you see the dealer double down on an Ace, use it to your advantage – and double over again. You can always keep one card and pull the other in when the dealer gives you a 10 or a King.
Be aware of what your opponents are doing at all times
The idea behind this tip is to be aware of which hands other players are showing. You can learn a lot about how they’re playing by watching what they post to the table. If they’ve posted a high card with a low card, chances are they have an Ace in their hand. The only thing more intriguing than lucky cards is unlucky ones. If you see that an opponent has posted multiple pair 3s or 4s, odds are they’re going to be betting on those hands.
Play unpredictable
As mentioned above, play as if you’re a beginner and don’t do anything that comes too easily to you. If you win big on the one hand, you might as well bet big. If you lose big, the best thing to do is keep betting it out of your system.
Angel playing
If you know what cards have come out before, and you can predict what might be next, take advantage of it by making some calculated decisions. One way to take advantage of knowing what cards have come out before is to push when you think the dealer is cheating.
If you watch other players’ hands, you may notice that they’re winning but not walking away with the pot most of the time. If this happens, it could be because the dealer is keeping some of that player’s money – or letting a computer bot cheat for them.
Conclusion
Casinos have built huge teams of people to track their players. Many players have quit because they thought they were going to get busted by the casino. While the casinos can detect their players, there are ways around it. Most online blackjack players don’t know how to play, so the casinos have more time to watch them.
If a player is watching movies or other distractions on their computer screens, they can catch them – so be sure you’re not doing anything that could get you in trouble. With computers and advanced software, casinos can track every card that comes out of the deck. This allows them to make educated decisions that are crucial to have when playing blackjack online.