If you’ve ever wondered whether there is a method for playing blackjack that can improve your gameplay without counting cards, you’re in luck. Blackjack is a game you’ll find on all casino sites – like the best tether casinos. There are a few strategies for predicting what the dealer might be holding that doesn’t involve card counting.
Can I get good at playing blackjack without having to count cards?
Yes. There are several simple and effective strategies you can bring to your game that can improve your decision-making skills. Much of it has to do with what the dealer is showing and the current strength of your hand.
You learn two methods without counting cards – Hole Carding and Front-Loading. Hold carding is the simple act of looking at the dealer’s face-up card and then acting accordingly.
Front-loading is accurately detecting what the following card will be and then acting accordingly by changing your strategy. This is much easier said than done and can only be implemented at some land-based casinos (without the eye in the sky/pit boss catching you).
It’s almost impossible to do at online casinos, even when playing live dealer blackjack games from your desktop or mobile device.
Examples of when to use basic blackjack strategy
Let’s take a quick look at five simple examples of when you can use BASIC BLACKJACK strategy to make you a better blackjack player and hopefully improve your chances of winning the hand:
- Always hit or double Aces-6
- Always split Aces and 8s
- Always stand when the dealer is showing 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, and when you’re holding a hand worth 12-16
- Always hit when the dealer is showing 7,8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen King or Ace when you’re holding a hand worth 12-16
- Double 11 versus the dealer’s 2-10
You can use basic blackjack strategy when playing at online casinos, and the best thing to do before you memorise all the moves would be to have a basic blackjack strategy chart with you on a piece of paper or up in a separate tab/window, so you can quickly refer to it while playing.
Tips for playing online blackjack
When playing online blackjack from a market-leading online casino software provider/game development studio at a fully licensed and regulated online casino, you may want to start by playing computer-generated online roulette, where Random Number Generators (RNGs) are used to produce the outcomes.
These games often have above-average payout rates (anywhere from 92.00% to 98.00% or higher) and can often be accessed in the free-play demo mode. In other words, you can practise playing in the risk-free mode until you get good at memorising basic blackjack strategy.
When you’re ready to take your online blackjack experience to the next level, you may like to try live dealer blackjack – the next best thing to playing actual blackjack at a land-based casino.
However, live dealer blackjack games are rarely accessible in the fee-play demo mode. In most online blackjack games today (computer-generated blackjack games and live dealer blackjack games), you can often play one round from as little as $/€/£0.10, $/€/£0.20, or $/€/£0.50, depending on the game.
Final note
You must be at least 18 years old to play online blackjack in the real money mode. That’s the general minimum age requirement in most countries, anyway.
For some players in various other parts of the world where playing for real money at licensed casino sites is legally permitted, the minimum age required may be slightly different (for example, in Canada, it’s 19, and in the US, it’s 21).
Never play blackjack while intoxicated or under the influence. Try not to chase any losses you incur, and remember to stay within your budget.
Try to have fun, and this means not spending hours at a time playing blackjack. Try taking regular session breaks, and don’t forget to withdraw some of your winnings occasionally.