There was a time when blackjack players could use their skills of basic strategy and card counting to move the advantage from the casino to themselves at casinos all around the country. That’s not quite the case anymore.
Being able to use skill to beat a casino while playing blackjack made the game appealing to gamblers looking to make a few bucks – or a lot of bucks.
This wasn’t something that everyone could do. It still isn’t something just any blackjack player can do.
Blackjack players who perfected their skills and had a sufficient bankroll could somewhat easily find a place to play. Those opportunities may have only been available a few times but they were easier to find. There are far fewer good blackjack games available to the public today – especially in Las Vegas.
In addition to players having fewer options, there are more eyes on the players. Casino employees have years of experience looking for advantage players and card counters. Additionally, surveillance has come a long way in the past 30-50 years.
Between the eyes in the sky, sharper casino employees, and fewer beatable games it’s more difficult to be a blackjack advantage player.
So, is blackjack still beatable? The brief answer is yes.
A longer answer would be yes but it’s more difficult than ever. Taking down the casino while playing blackjack will continue to become more difficult as rules change, surveillance improves and casino employees learn about new tactics employed by advantage gamblers.
That won’t stop sharper players from trying to legally beat a casino in blackjack. Nor should it.
If a blackjack player can find a legal advantage against the casino they should be using it. Having said that, the casino corporations and the Native American tribes don’t take losing lightly.
Blackjack players who are caught using their skills to beat a casino can still be thrown out. The violence may not be what it was in the past but being removed from a casino will make it more difficult to play a game that is still beatable.
Find A Good Game
The most important thing for a recreational gambler winning at blackjack is finding a beatable game. The game rules are important but so are learning the skills to win, the location of the game, and casino employees.
Finding a beatable game matters most for a simple reason. Not all blackjack games are beatable.
We’ll use Las Vegas as an example again. Playing a 6:5 blackjack game on the Vegas Strip won’t prove to be a winning tactic for becoming a profitable gambler since the game cannot be beaten.
Players can look away from the Vegas Strip to find 3:2 blackjack games with fair rules. These aren’t only more beatable for card counters. The lower house edge will give sharper blackjack players a better chance of winning sessions.
Las Vegas is just an example here but the information is useful anywhere. Once a player finds beatable games (you’re going to want more than one) it’s time to perfect those blackjack skills.
Hone Your Skills
Blackjack is gambling and even though the data may support that a game is beatable there can be losses before there are wins. This is the case for everyone, including the best blackjack players in the world.
Beating the casino on a regular basis will only happen with consistently perfect strategy and bankroll management. A player isn’t “taking down the house” unless they almost always play perfectly.
When a player loses they should also know exactly why they aren’t winning. This helps makes blackjack players better at their craft.
Before a player can assume they’ll beat a casino they have to learn to play with 100% perfect basic strategy. Additionally, the player has to know how to count cards and appropriately spread their bets.
All of this has to be done while not getting noticed by the casino staff. Yes, a blackjack player can still be removed from a casino for using their skills to beat the property.
Importance Of Playing Better Blackjack
Understanding how to be the casino is an on-ramp to having more fun playing blackjack. Simply by playing better blackjack a player will have more time to play in their favorite casinos.
While some of us have dreams about beating the casino repeatedly, most players just want to have a good time gambling with our friends. Winning is always nice but the life experience matters more to the majority of blackjack players.
Understanding how to play 100% perfectly will allow a recreational player to have a better aptitude for the game. Even if their play isn’t perfect, it will be better than it would have been otherwise.
This should allow bankrolls to last longer. More time in the game increases the chances of hitting a hot streak and walking away with money.
If a player, in any game or competition, shoots high they’ll perform better than someone just looking to get by even if they’re not perfect.
Understanding how to beat blackjack is useful for players who want to make money playing the game or as recreational players just looking for a fun time out with friends.
