These are the Most Common Blackjack Mistakes Players Make
When you sit down at a blackjack table, it really takes a lot of training and discipline to pull off the perfect game, walking away with more cash than you came in with. Sure, you might get a lucky game or two, but if you’re going to make a career out of playing blackjack, you need to become disciplined at the game.
So, we’ve gone through thousands and thousands of hands to bring the most common mistakes blackjack players make out into the open. Hopefully you can learn from these mistakes and improve your blackjack game, becoming the perfect blackjack player!
Too Passive on Mid-Range Hands (14-16)
One of the biggest mistakes your average blackjack player makes is being way too passive with mid-range hands. These are hands ranging from 13-18, and while these are typically some of the worst hands you can get, don’t throw in the towel just yet. Many players will just give in and stand with these hands, but there are two options that can be real value for money.
First up, we’re going to suggest you surrender, if the table offers it. This means you get back 50% of your stake, which is a great deal, but not all blackjack games offer it. If you can’t surrender, then we suggest you use it. You might go bust now and then, but at least you’re giving yourself a fighting chance of beating the dealer. That being said, if the dealer is showing a card worth 6 or less, you might want to stand simply because Basic Strategy suggests this is the better way to go.
Being Too Aggressive on Soft Hands
When you get dealt an ace, many people tend to think they’ve got an amazing hand. While this is true if you draw another high card such as a nine or ten, but for anything else, you’ve simply got a soft hand. Many people play these soft hands too aggressively and double down. While this can occasionally pay off, you could get left thigh and dry with a rubbish hand. For example, if you double down with an ace and a three, you’ve got a soft 14. This means there are three cards that will give you a good hand – five, six and seven. On the other hand, anything else will give you a very weak hand that the dealer will likely beat, especially if the dealer is showing more than a 7.
The best bet is to hit rather than double down in these situations. This gives you more control over the round and allows you to slowly creep towards 21 and the perfect hand. Doubling down might give you more money when you win, but if you do it too often on soft hands, you’re going to walk away a loser – take it from the pros!
Splitting 10s
Now, there are many schools of thoughts on splitting 10s, but we recommend you don’t do it too often. This is simply because you go from a pretty good hand where you have a solid chance of beating the dealer to potentially two mid-range hands that are pretty weak. There is a slim chance of landing another 10 or an ace, so rather than throwing away 2x your stake, just stick to your 20 and be happy winning. Remember, if you split your 10s, you’ve got to win both hands to make profit on top of your original stake. So, unless you’re counting cards and the count is high, we really recommend sticking with your 20 and laughing all the way to the bank.
Splitting Too Often
Finally, you’ve got players that split far too often. A lot of people for some unknown reason love to split any hand they can. While this can pay off every now and then, it’s not a good idea to be too aggressive and split every hand you can. Simply put, when you split, you risk 2x your stake on two hands. Now, let’s say you split 7s and then you draw an 8 – that leaves you with 17. This is a terrible hand as you’ve got a high chance of busting and your only way to win is for the dealer to bust. Don’t put yourself in risky situations and only split when it favors you – not on every single hand.
A lot of people make these mistakes, and if you can avoid these specific mistakes then you will significantly increase your chances of walking away from the blackjack table a winner. However, if you want to really boost your game, you should spend some time learning basic strategy and how to count cards – it’s not illegal!