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.

Mike Thorn
Casino Online Reviews

---

Casino Slots

Modern casino slots are controlled by computer chips and software,... Read More

Basic Jacks or Better Video Poker Strategy

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

The Joys Of Playing Internet Poker

I started playing poker on the internet about six months... Read More

Compulsive Gambler Shares His Recovery Story About Gamblers Anonymous Now That He Stopped

A compulsive gambler who participated in Gamblers Anonymous program shared... Read More

A Game For All Seasons

An overall review of online casino software has led me... Read More

Limit Texas Holdem Poker

Limit Texas Holdem Poker is the most popular type of... Read More

Online Poker Played by Bots?

I've just read one of the most interesting stories I've... Read More

Party Poker Room Review

Party Poker is one of the world's largest online poker... Read More

Slot Machines - The Basics

Slot machines are by far the easiest - and one... Read More

Texas Holdem Poker Terms

If you're new to Texas Holdem poker this article will... Read More

Playing Ace-King in Texas Holdem

Everyone who plays Texas Holdem knows that Ace-King is one... Read More

Compulsive Gamblers Struggle To Stop Gambling Even Though They Know They Have A Problem Gambling

Every compulsive gambler has uttered the words "Please help me... Read More

Blackjack - Increase Your Odds With Basic Strategy Plus

Blackjack Basic Strategy, played perfectly in a game with favorable... Read More

Texas Hold em Poker Basics

Texas Hold em Poker (also know as Holdem Poker) is... Read More

How to Succeed in the Poker Freerolls Part 2

How to Succeed in the Poker Freerolls Part 1 looked... Read More

The Lottery Jackpot: Why You Havent Won Yet - And What You Can Do About It

Did you miss the lottery jackpot because the planets were... Read More

Las Vegas Comps and Online Comps

Las Vegas comps or casino bonus extras from an online... Read More

Holdem Starting Hands

Top starting hands should be raised and played aggressively. AA,... Read More

Online Poker Chips Away At Sexual Stereotypes

Women are being increasingly attracted to the excitement of online... Read More

Roulette System: 4 Most Important Factors To Beat Roulette at Online/Offline Casino

In this article, you are going to learn about the... Read More

Online Poker Satellites - How to Turn as Little as $1 into Millions

What do Dr. Vic Fey, an obstetrician from Clinton, Oklahoma,... Read More

Here to Stay - Cyber Casinos and Their Benefits

The obvious advantages of gambling in a cyber casino are... Read More

Poker

Americans play Poker in many places such as in casino... Read More

Blackjack - What Are the Odds?

It goes without saying but we'll say it anyway: the... Read More

Take Your Online Poker Game to the Next Level

Playing Poker online can be quite satisfying, and financially rewarding,... Read More

Why Do People Gamble?

Gambling is the act of wagering money on the outcome... Read More

Protect Yourself by Understanding Casino Bonuses

The majority of casinos attract new business by offering players... Read More

Useful Gambling Tips, Tricks & Secrets

The general idea of both land-based gambling as well as... Read More

How to Master Low Limit Texas Holdem, Part 2 - The Online Poker Game

I continue my articles about learning to master online poker... Read More

Halftime Wagering Part 1 - Hedging Your Bet:

Halftime wagering is done exactly how it sounds...at halftime. If... Read More

What Your Poker Table Says About Your Personality

Who does not have tables at home? Such a queer... Read More

Three Card Poker Hand Rankings

Even though Three Card Poker is a fairly easy game... Read More

Expected Value in Texas Holdem Poker

A successful Texas hold em player is one who maximizes... Read More