Let the Casino Subsidize Your Blackjack Education

Blackjack is a great thinking person’s game.  It requires far more decisions than slots, bingo, keno, and many other casino games.  In order to be able to consistently win a little at blackjack, you need to become an expert in recognizing situations.  There are many sites that give a long list of tips to blackjack players.  In this continuing series we will do the same.  Here, we will present what we feel is the number one tip for online blackjack players: become as expert as you can for free!

Land Based Casinos

At a land based casino, you could never just play for free.  There are a few blackjack tables at even the largest land based casino.  At an online casino, such as our very own Thunderbolt Casino, the number of tables is for all practical purposes unlimited because cyberspace, the home of all online casinos, is virtually limitless.

So, you have to “pay” to develop high level skill in blackjack if you’re playing at a land based casino whilst you never need to pay anything to get really good at blackjack online.

It Takes Time to Become Good at Blackjack

Blackjack seems like a pretty simple game.  You get cards and try to get as close to 21 without going over.  The dealer— or, more accurately, the casino, goes last so if you go over 21, you lose automatically.  At a land based casino, there may be seven people playing at one table.  Let’s say that three players bust and four stop taking cards at various sums from 12 to 21.

Then the house takes cards and follows a set number of rules in doing so.  The house has to hit on 16.  Let’s say the house gets a 10 on a hand of 16 points and goes over 21.  Even those players who drew a card on 12 and also got a 10 still lose.  That’s because if the player goes over 21, he or she automatically loses no matter what happens when the casino draws its cards.

When you play at an online casino, the dealer doesn’t even draw cards if you have already busted.  So, when you play blackjack at an online casino, you need to play many hands in order to develop the skill to read any given situation well.

Try to Avoid Gambling until You Are an Expert

A corollary of the tip we have just given is that many players feel that they are already experts even when they are still learning.  These players start playing at relatively high stakes which we can define as stakes higher than their level of expertise warrants.

We always say that online gambling should be fun above all else.  If you feel that your enjoyment would be enhanced by putting down some money on each hand even before you’re ready for larger bets, do so at a very low stakes table.

A Land Based Anomaly

There is one important aspect to learning blackjack online.  This applies even if you prefer to play blackjack at a land based casino.  There are many advantages to playing at an online casino.  Everyone agrees, however, that land based casinos have a more exhilarating atmosphere.

People who play blackjack at a land based casino will play with many other players around the table.  The only way to become as knowledgeable as possible in such a game is to play multi-hand blackjack at an online casino.  So, even if you prefer playing blackjack at a land based casino, you’ll benefit greatly from the free play you can get only at an online casino.

Many Blackjack Variations

Online casinos can offer a large range of blackjack variations.  Land based casinos can only offer tables with different betting minimums.  The range of blackjack excitement that you can get at an online casino cannot be matched at a land based casino.

Strategy Card

Even when you’ve played hundreds of games and read many articles on tips and blackjack strategy, such as the entries in this series of articles, there is one massive advantage to playing blackjack online: at an online casino, you can use a strategy card.  Obviously, no one can see you looking at the card to find the best statistical play in any situation.

Eventually, you won’t need the strategy card and if you travel to a casino to play, you won’t be able to play with a strategy card.  Not only will the casino not let you use a strategy card but the other players around the table will hate that you are slowing the game down.  A strategy card will keep you on track whilst you’re acquiring the expertise you’re looking for.  Every player comes up against decisions that seem logical but may not be the decision called for on the strategy card.  Learning why the statistically best move seemed counter-intuitive to you will over time make you a much better blackjack player.

A Lot More Than Hit or Stand

By now you know that blackjack requires close attention to detail in order to make the correct decision time after time.  The best decision won’t always win, of course.  Over the long term, making the best decisions repeatedly will bring you very close to even with the house in terms of winning or losing.

That’s why we say that the most important tip we can offer is to get to the point where you are almost on an even keel with the house by using the casino’s willingness to let you play in the free play mode.