When you think of the easiest game to play at a casino, the first thing that may come to your mind is the game you enjoy most. It may also be one that does not require a lot of skills. For most people, the answer to this is the slot machine. Slot machine games are easy to play. You don’t need to be a gambling guru or a mathematician to know how to play slot games. All you have to do is insert the coin and start playing. However, it would surprise you to know that slot machine games aren’t the easiest to win even though they are the easiest to play.
These games are among the ones with the worst odds. It doesn’t matter if the RTP of the slot game is high or not, the house edge is always incredibly high. So, if the slot machines aren’t the easiest games to win in a casino, which game is? The answer is Blackjack. Blackjack is seen by frequent gamblers as this game has the most favorable odds in a typical casino.
How to Play Blackjack
Blackjack is one of the most popular games in the banking game family known as Twenty-One and it is played with one to eight French playing card decks of 52 cards. It is a table game that can be enjoyed by two to seven players at a time. Unlike Poker, these players don’t play against themselves. They play against the dealer or the bank as they are popularly known. While Blackjack is popularly seen as an American game, it has Spanish origins as it is a derivative of a Spanish game called Vingt-Un. The game was introduced in the United States in the early years of the 1800s. this is the popular opinion but some people believe that the game was introduced after World War I.
During the game, each player is given two cards by the dealer. One of the two cards will be hidden while the other one will be open for every player to see. In Blackjack, the value of the cards between 2 and 10 is known as the pip value. As expected, the Queen and Jack and King are worth ten each but the Aces can be worth 11. When you’ve received all your cards, the total value of what you have is called the hand value and you can improve your hand value by drawing more cards. The dealer will have to complete his or her hand after all the players have completed theirs and subsequently reveals cards until he can get 17 points. Any player that has more points than the dealer wins the round. This happens as long as the final number is not above 21.
Blackjack is the easiest game to win in the casino because the house edge is just 1%. It is much easier to win a game of Blackjack than a game of Poker where you have to play against other seasoned players. You don’t need any special skills to be able to enjoy Blackjack. A simple demonstration is all you need to understand how the game works.
How to Boost Your Chances of Winning at Blackjack
- Split the Eights and the Aces
In Blackjack, split is a move that allows the player to make two hands out of one card. Most people don’t think it is a good idea to split the eights and place an additional bet on the new hand but this is a strategy that has been used by professional players for years. When you split the Aces and Eights, you will make more profit if you win the hand.
- When you Have an Ace and the Dealer has Six, Double Down
Another common way to increase your possible rewards in Blackjack is to double down. It simply involves increasing the value of your original bet by 100% at once. The strategy must be used at the right time if you are to make the most of it. Otherwise, you will lose 100% more money. The best time to double down is when you have an Ace card and the dealer has a six. Try not to double down when you have a soft 20.
- Make Sure the Table you Pick Matches your Bankroll
Playing Blackjack is a good way to make money quickly in the casino but this doesn’t mean that it is risk-free. You must minimize risks by sticking to tables with wagering requirements that match your bankroll. In land-based casinos, you can find tables with a minimum wagering requirement of as little as $20 or as much as $10k. The last thing you want to accumulate debt by gambling money you don’t have. Also, look for tables where the dealer stands on soft 17. If the dealer stands on soft 17, the house edge is reduced making your chances of winning a little higher.
- Gamble on a Budget
This doesn’t just apply to playing Blackjack. It applies to other forms of gambling. It is not enough to stay in a matching table. You have to discipline yourself by setting a limit and sticking to it. You shouldn’t keep gambling until all the money in your portfolio is exhausted. Your portfolio should never be empty. If you’ve been losing and you are trying to get your money back by spending more money, you will find yourself in a hole of debt.
- Know when to Give up
In Blackjack, every user has the opportunity to cut and run even when their cards have already been delt. If you decide to surrender, you will lose half of your original belt. People surrender when they have a bad hand and they don’t see any other hand. So, instead of losing everything to the dealer, you will only lose half. When used properly, surrendering reduce the house edge by 0.07%.
Which Games Have Great Favorable Edges Other than Blackjack?
Blackjack might be the casino banking game with the best house edge but it is not the only favorable game in the casino. There are other great options you can try that offer great odds as well. A typical example is craps. Craps have the second-best odds in the industry. It is a dice game so your odds will always be 50-50. While beginners may have trouble catching on, a little practice is all you need to become an expert and start winning significantly either with table craps or street craps.
Another great option is roulette. Roulette is a great game that depends primarily on luck. All you have to do is choose a number, throw the dice, and let the dealer spin the wheel. If the dice stops on your number, you win. If it doesn’t, you lose. You can ditch the numbers altogether and stick to picking a color. In this case, it is also going to be based strictly on choice.
If you know how to play blackjack, winning it is not going to be a problem. Learning how to play the game is also easy. With a house edge of just 1%, your chances of winning are a lot higher than your chances of winning poker. It is an amazing card game and you will find many online publications about how to win Blackjack. If you are interested in online gambling, many online casinos offer you different variations of blackjack including the live dealer version. Some other good games to play are craps and Roulette. However, this doesn’t mean that you will not play games that you enjoy simply because the odds are not favorable.
Gambling is a recreational activity. So, you should focus less on the odds and more on how the game makes you feel. Just make sure that you gamble responsibly while you are enjoying yourself.