Blackjack can be lots of fun to play. If you are careful and follow some basic rules, you won’t have to worry about losing next week’s grocery money.

Choose a Good Table

When you walk into a casino, you will see that different tables have a different minimum amount that you can bet. You want to look for the table that has the lowest minimum. You also want to only bet the minimum. You won’t make as much money, but your bankroll will also last longer. You will also find that the low minimum table usually has the biggest crowd, which always makes going to the casino more enjoyable.

When you are looking for a table, you also want to look for a table that doesn’t stock their boot with lots of decks. The fewer decks that are used, the better your chances of making money while you are at the table. The more decks that are being played, the higher the houses advantage.

Before sitting yourself down at the table, take a few seconds and read through the rules. The first reason for knowing the rules of the table is because you don’t want to inadvertently do something that will violate them. You also want to look for a table with rules that seem very player friendly. If the table has a bunch of rules about ace re-splits, doubling down when you split pairs, surrender rule, and multiple pair splittings, you should move on to a less strict table.

Don’t Split the Tens

It is really tempting to split your tens, but you should resist the urge. Just think of it this way, unless the deal gets twenty-one, your pair of tens will probably win the hand, and one winning hand is always better than two losing hands. However, if you get aces, you should always split them.

Shoot for Seventeen

If you get dealt cards that add up to seventeen you should hold fast, don’t even think about asking for another card. You have a better chance of your seventeen holding up, than you do of drawing another card that is going to be a four or less, so always stick on seventeen.

One of the mistakes novice players often make, when they are playing Blackjack, is that they spend a great deal of time obsessing about the other players cards. This isn’t poker; you don’t need to worry about what the other people are doing. The only cards you need to worry about are the ones you are holding and the ones the dealer is showing.