Blackjack - Increase Your Odds With Basic Strategy Plus

Blackjack Basic Strategy, played perfectly in a game with favorable rules, will reduce the edge against you to about one half of one percent, the best odds of any game in the casino.

But still - it's a negative edge. While you can win in the short term on any given day, in the long term that one half percent edge against you will eventually grind you down if you play long enough and frequently enough.

An advanced basic strategy - or what we call Basic Strategy Plus - is necessary for you to step up from being a casual player to being a serious recreational player who has a better chance of winning over the long term.

To reduce the small edge against you with Basic Strategy even further, and at times even turn it into a positive edge in your favor, you simply must pay attention to the cards on the table and develop some sense of the proportion of high cards versus low cards remaining in the deck. This is exactly what a card counter does.

But you don't have to spend the hundreds of hours it takes to become a proficient card counter. You can get a general sense of the proportion of high versus low cards by doing something called "counting the table".

Counting the table simply means that in any given hand, you look at the exposed cards for all hands on the table (including the dealer's hand). Do a quick count of all the high cards (tens, jacks, queens, kings) and all the low cards (2 - 5). There are an equal number of these high and low cards.

If there are a much larger number of low cards showing than high cards (at least 6 more low cards than high cards in a six deck game), chances are that the deck now is slightly richer in high cards, which is favorable for the player. Conversely, if there are many more high cards showing than low cards (again, at least six more), chances are the deck is now slightly richer in low cards, which is bad for the player.

Armed with the information gained from this quick table count, you can now adjust your play accordingly and thus be playing a little more like a professional.

For example, there are some basic strategy moves that are so close that they could go either way. If you are doing a table count, you have additional information that may indicate a change in what basic strategy says to do in certain of these close call situations.

To illustrate, let's take the example of one of the most dreaded hands in Blackjack: your 16 count versus the dealers 10 up card. Basic strategy says to hit your 16 against a dealer's 10, but this is an extremely close call. You very badly need a 4 or 5 in order to tie or win if the dealer also has a 10 card down.

So, using the table count, here's what you do. If the table count shows at least 6 more lows than highs, then stand on your 16 against a 10. A disproportionate amount of low cards have been dealt and this lowers your odds of getting a low card to point where you should now stand with your 16.

There are several more close calls with Basic Strategy that can be refined further with Basic Strategy Plus, as well as other decisions that can now be made more intelligently and these are explained in detail on the author's web site.

Good luck!

Tom is the webmaster for http://www.blackjack-for-everyone.com, which is a website dedicated to the beginner through serious recreational Blackjack player.

How to Play Video Poker Slot Machines

Video Poker is a game that requires some skill to... Read More

Be Careful or Your Poker Nuts Will Get Crushed!

The origins of the phrase "poker nuts" are uncertain although... Read More

A Beginners Strategy Guide to Online Micro Limit Hold Em

It's hard to miss the fact that the last two... Read More

Basic Jacks or Better Video Poker Strategy

Video Poker is a game of skill - and using... Read More

2 Great Methods To Free Online Poker

What's one of the most common dreams for a an... Read More

Roulette System: Spread the News and Beat the Casino Legally

Discover the truth, the real secret behind successful business without... Read More

Gambling Myths 101

Myths and rumors come with every gambling game. However undesirable,... Read More

Sports Betting Truths

The first ever recorded sports bets, took place on 10... Read More

Learn to Play Poker Online in Order to Make Money - Pot Odds

For most people, there are only two real reasons to... Read More

Roulette - An Easy Method

Here is a very simple method that gives you the... Read More

The Secrets of the Inside Numbers

The CrapshooterThe Secret of The Inside NumbersPssst...! Wanna know a... Read More

5s in Blackjack

Counting cards in blackjack is a way to increase your... Read More

Slot Machine Odds

It probably more appropriate to call slot machines entertainment than... Read More

The Secrets of the Outside Numbers

Pssst...! Wanna know a secret?How about the secrets of the... Read More

How to Succeed in the Poker Freerolls Part 1

Online poker freerolls are a unique breed amongst poker tournaments... Read More

Three Card Poker Betting

A player must be aware of how to place bets... Read More

College Football Betting - Totals

Betting totals in college football is very different than betting... Read More

Gambling Legality Basics

The gambling scene in America can be traced back to... Read More

The Secrets of the Big Numbers

Pssst...! Wanna know a secret?How about the secrets of the... Read More

Money Management

Your bankroll must be protected at all costs, a good... Read More

Blackjack Strategy: How To Avoid Unnecessary Losses By Avoiding Emotion

Most blackjack articles seem to be written by people who... Read More

Compulsive Gambler Seeks Alternatives To Stop Gambling

Compulsive gambler's life was devastated by gambling and now seeks... Read More

Free Online Card Games -- Getting Ready for Las Vegas

Free online card games that can be played over the... Read More

Slot Machine Basics 101

Let's begin with a little bit of basic knowledge about... Read More

College Football Betting - Point Spreads

But, in the college ranks, you see those types of... Read More