One of the tenets of my methodology is Knowledge of the game of Blackjack. The other is Discipline however I want to talk about Knowledge as I witnessed what I never want anyone to do two days ago.
Knowledge of the game is learning how to play perfectly. In Blackjack, how to play is called Basic Strategy. It was developed in the 1960’s credited to Edward O’ Thorpe and basically instructs you how to play your hand based on the dealers “up card” and the cards dealt to you as the player. After many years of review and computer simulation the system has only been modified slightly and also for games based on the situation for example the number of decks used by the dealer. You will discover most players have at least a working knowledge of the strategy.
I was watching a table and there were 3 players playing. The table betting minimum was $25 of 6-deck continuous shuffling cards. Two of the players were playing $25 to $75 per hand and were awful in the sense they were playing correct Basic Strategy about 70% of the time. I think they were more interested in the side bets of matching their first two cards which I will never understand.
However, the other player was betting $100 black chips and usually about $400 per game. He seemed very anxious and distraught and obviously had not been doing well. He lost every game he played while I watched and not once did he play Basic Strategy correctly. It was a train wreck to the point where it was so bad you couldn’t look away. His final hand at this table he was dealt a pair of eights against a dealers face card and he surrendered. It was the topping on the disaster game. (I am sure readers know that with a pair of eights the correct move is always to split).
He then left and immediately sat down at the next Blackjack table and was betting $200 per hand and quickly flamed out again after not playing Basic Strategy for the 4 hands I watched. It was horrible. The other players who were equally incompetent showed no emotion to his or their own bad play.
The lesson here is to learn Basic Strategy and play it 100% correctly. No exceptions. If not, you are just giving your money away.
Blackjack for the Casual Player expands on this very thought, why not get your copy today.
Recent Comments