This post is a continuation of a two-part article on on basic Dos and Don’ts for Live Dealer Blackjack Players. If your objective playing this game is not only enjoyment, but also to try to win, you need to be familiar with all of the game basics and be able to apply them at the table. You cannot let yourself be distracted by the other people around you or anything outside of blackjack going on in your own life. You also need to know the specific rule variations of the game you are playing so you can make whatever adjustments are appropriate.
How you manage your money at the table is critical as well. You need to set aside a realistic bankroll for your blackjack play and stick to it and be adequately capitalized for the stakes you are playing. You can’t possibly win every time you play blackjack. But by using sensible money management strategies, you can capitalize on your good luck and also weather the inevitable losing streaks that could deplete your bankroll if you are not careful.
In Part I, posted on 10/16/17, I presented six things that you should be doing when you play that will contribute to a better experience. You will enjoy the game more and have a better chance of winning. Here in Part II, we pick up where we left off and discuss six no nos for Live Dealer Blackjack. These are things you should never do.
Part II: What Live Dealer Blackjack Players Should Not Do
Six Things That Belong on Every Live Dealer Blackjack Player’s Don’t List
1. Don’t kvetch or complain.
All of the NJ online casino games, including Live Dealer Blackjack, are 100% fair and honest. So if you lose, the dealer is definitely not to blame.
Also, contrary to what many players believe, bad players at the table do not cause you to lose. Statistically, a misplayed hand could reduce the winning potential of the player of that hand, but won’t in the long run, affect other players’ results. You can still get a favorable sequence of cards and win your hand.
If you are having a rough session and one of those days when nothing seems to be going right, if it’s anybody’s fault at all it could be your own. If you are tired, hungry, not feeling well, had too much to drink, or have too many things weighing on your mind, you can’t possibly be playing at your best.
On the other hand, maybe none of the above apply and there is nothing you have control over that can explain your losing, so maybe no one is to blame and certainly not anyone else at the table.
Whatever the reasons might be for a losing session, no one at the table wants to hear you whining about it. People come to the Live Dealer Blackjack table to have fun and don’t want to be around other players who are in a bad mood. If anything is going on outside of the blackjack table that is putting you in a lousy mood, you need to check it at the door. Of, if you can’t do that, hold off playing until you can. If the dealer keeps making his or her hand and you keep losing, trying to fight the cards is futile. You should quit for the day or at least take a break.
2. Don’t volunteer information.
As tempting as it might be to put in your own two cents when you see another player at your table playing hand after hand incorrectly, don’t get involved. It is not your job to teach an inept player how to play better.
More likely than not the player doesn’t want your advice and will resent it rather than appreciate it. Therefore, don’t volunteer information on how to play a certain hand unless asked and don’t correct another player’s mistakes.
3. Don’t deviate from correct basic strategy or try to get fancy in your play.
There will be times when despite playing perfectly, you still lose. This can be very frustrating, but abandoning the strategy proven to be the best and playing your hands differently is self-defeating, and looking for an edge where none exists is a waste of time.
Don’t deviate in any way from the correct basic strategy that experts agree and statistics bear out will give you the best results. One common pitfall you need to avoid is to pay undue attention to the results of any one hand. Frequently, a player who knows the correct basic strategy and has been using it becomes so disgusted after losing a big bet, especially on a correctly doubled down hand or split pair, as to start second guessing oneself. Then the next time the same situation arises, the correct play is abandoned and the hand is played inappropriately.
For example, suppose you correctly double down on A5 vs. 4 and lose. It would be a mistake to decide not to make the extra bet and simply hit, or even worse, stand the next time the hand comes up.
Don’t play hunches or use progressive betting systems. Also don’t waste time trying to count cards in Live Dealer Blackjack. See my 8/26 post “Why Card Counting in Live Dealer Blackjack Can Make You Lose More” and you will understand why card counting won’t work in this game.
4. Don’t take insurance or make extra side bets with a high house edge.
Stick to basic blackjack. The only correct time to take insurance is when a player is tracking the cards (card counting) and encounters a situation where the true count is +2 or better or knows for a fact that a particular segment of cards is especially rich in tens and Aces. However, accurate card counting is impossible in Live Dealer Blackjack, so forget it.
As for side bets, with the exception of Bet Behind, which has the same house edge as regular blackjack, don’t be fooled by the potentially high payoffs. The more you resort to these high house edge bets, the more it will cost you in the long run. If other players want to throw away their money on bets like 21 + 3 and Perfect Pairs, that is their prerogative. But if you want to maximize your chances of winning, stay clear of these side bets. The house edge is prohibitive.
5. Don’t get greedy.
If you’re having a winning session, great, but even when you’re winning hand after hand and seemingly can do no wrong, no winning streak lasts forever. If you’re winning, don’t let your good luck go to your head and entertain pipe dreams that you are going to turn a relatively small starting bankroll into a fortune. Blackjack is not that kind of game.
Therefore, if you are ahead make sure you leave the table while still a winner. Don’t be so oblivious to when your luck starts turning that you wind up giving back all of your winnings and more.
6. Don’t chase your losses when you are losing.
Marathon sessions are not conducive to winning. After an hour (or sooner), either quit for the day, or if you want to continue playing, take a break and return to the game later. One reason is that in order to play blackjack effectively, your mind needs to stay sharp and focused. Another reason is that the longer you play, the more opportunity there is for the house edge to grind you down. Even if you are winning, you are not going to keep winning indefinitely. Therefore, you should limit your length of your sessions when you are ahead, too.
On the other hand, if you are losing, the worst thing you can do is chase your losses. Prolonged losing streaks can deplete your bankroll rapidly.
Sometimes, through no fault of your own–or anyone else–the cards just aren’t falling in a way that is conducive to winning. This can be related to inadequate shuffling, resulting in many clusters of high-low sequences leading to a lot of stiff hands and frequent breaking. Or a disproportionate number of tens and Aces might be behind the cut card so players never get them. Whatever the reason for your lousy luck, it’s best not to fight it. Sometimes it’s just not your day. Call it a day and try again tomorrow.
Keep all 12 basic tips—the 6 Dos and the 6 Don’ts—in mind at all times. Your results should improve substantially, and you will have more fun playing, too.
