Blackjack Beginner

**Omni** · 02-16-2015, 09:22 PM

Hey everybody, I an fairly new to the world of Blackjack and have been doing tons of research on the game as I'm interested in it. I've recently turned 18 and was looking to do some good gambling.

I play the virtual blackjack at a machine that a computer deals out the card and have won on it and also lost of course. The basic strategy has worked but not as much as I planned (of course counting HiLow method makes this strategy more true). Is there any tips or things that I should look into to advance in this game and continue to be a winner rather than losing when making a high bet?

Also some blackjack vocabulary would help me very much as I'm new here. Thanks guys!

-Omni

**Nikky_Flash** · 02-16-2015, 10:19 PM

hi mark , u might want to read , modern blackjack , its free , might want to understand ror , or "risk of ruin" , might want to learn what an index play is - that and the i18 - especially if youre going hi-lo , also to learn how a csm works , if you are playing blackjack online or something with a machine they are basically shuffling after every hand ... negating any counting (except for one theory that I'm not quite convinced of ), let us know how it goes , best wishes

**moo321** · 02-17-2015, 05:52 AM

1. Go to the library and get some basic blackjack books.

2. It's really important that you play basic strategy perfectly. Try a trainer like hitorsplit.com.

3. Basic strategy cuts the house edge down to .5% or so. It makes blackjack a good game, but the house still has a little edge. If you want to get an edge, you'll want to learn how to count.

**Dieter** · 02-17-2015, 06:22 AM

Originally Posted by markhudson78

I've recently turned 18

Obviously, laws in your jurisdiction may be different than those in mine, but around here, you'd still need to wait at least 3 years to play.

I'd suggest 5. Save some serious money, learn to count, drill at counting / ramp / basic strategy / index plays, and read everything you can.

Jumping in too early is probably not helpful if your goal is to win.

**moo321** · 02-17-2015, 06:50 AM

There's a few Indian casinos that are 18+.

**Nikky_Flash** · 02-17-2015, 07:01 AM

good advice from the other guys here - when i went to college and after I graduated , no matter what I did I couldn't keep money in my bank account ; at first I thought this was because nobody was paying me enough , that I needed a larger weekly paycheck , but after reading financial management books , I realized it was me ... that my habits were such that - no matter how much money I would've gotten - even if I won the lottery that year , I would lose it all within a short period of time, just because of the way I was managing things - so , I then learned to manage money first , responsibly - I even payed off or removed many many items from my credit report- almost everything as of 2015 -and it was bad bad bad in 2005 - like frightening- anyways , after I could save first ... then I put counting to real life practice -

**Nikky_Flash** · 02-17-2015, 07:30 AM

the ironic thing , is that I could count cards in 2007 , but considering the small amounts of money I had at least I was smart enough to realize that the slightest variance ( my math wasn't right anyway at the time ) -losing sessions- would wipe me out ... so I waited and waited and waited ....

**MJGolf** · 02-17-2015, 09:55 AM

Mark: There is a WEALTH of information on this board for a beginner. I see you have not joined yet but you also might pay the small amount to be a member to access the subscription areas. If you are learning, you can take a look at the book reviews and this thread link to help you get started:

http://blackjacktheforum.com/showthr...ounting-Primer

**Frank Galvin** · 02-17-2015, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by MJGolf

Mark: There is a WEALTH of information on this board for a beginner. I see you have not joined yet but you also might pay the small amount to be a member to access the subscription areas. If you are learning, you can take a look at the book reviews and this thread link to help you get started:

http://blackjacktheforum.com/showthr...ounting-Primer

Link took me to homepage, not a thread titled Beginning Card Counting Suggestions Card Counting Primer. Please confirm correct link so new user might find that thread.

**Omni** · 02-17-2015, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by Dieter

Obviously, laws in your jurisdiction may be different than those in mine, but around here, you'd still need to wait at least 3 years to play.

I'd suggest 5. Save some serious money, learn to count, drill at counting / ramp / basic strategy / index plays, and read everything you can.

Jumping in too early is probably not helpful if your goal is to win.

Thanks for all the helpful replies everyone.

In the province of Quebec, the legal age here is 18.

An issue I have right now with counting cards is keeping track of the fast pace and missing a card or miss counting. Even so especially when there are multiple decks. I have a hold on the basic strategy and know when to hit and stand and split. One problem I have is the worst hand in BJ which is the 16. I always decide to go against the strategy and stand.

Thanks again and more link would be very helpful! Also you can call me Omni, not sure how to change my username.

**Nikky_Flash** · 02-17-2015, 06:53 PM

if the count is slightly positive you're suppose to stand on the 16vs 10 , but if you stand on every sixteen you get ?, no bueno ... im guessing you dont play all the soft plays 100% correct (all the aces plays ).... you'll be a long term loser of $ ... no point in trying to make money playing this game then ...just let it be a hobby or fun ...
you'd be surprised how many 21s you pull hitting your 16s .... many many times I've pulled 20s and 21s ... people at the table get all surprised and give complements ... learn the game the right way while you are young ... that means perfect basic strat ...or else its just a fun hobby that you will slowly lose money ,perhaps sometimes youll win a little , but those short term wins will eventually be offset by losing nights ....

**Omni** · 02-17-2015, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by Nikky_Flash

if the count is slightly positive you're suppose to stand on the 16vs 10 , but if you stand on every sixteen you get ?, no bueno ... im guessing you dont play all the soft plays 100% correct (all the aces plays ).... you'll be a long term loser of $ ... no point in trying to make money playing this game then ...just let it be a hobby or fun ...
you'd be surprised how many 21s you pull hitting your 16s .... many many times I've pulled 20s and 21s ... people at the table get all surprised and give complements ... learn the game the right way while you are young ... that means perfect basic strat ...or else its just a fun hobby that you will slowly lose money ,perhaps sometimes youll win a little , but those short term wins will eventually be offset by losing nights ....

Most soft plays I'll stay on if I hit a soft 18. Depending on dealers up card. What exactly do you mean by perfecting basic strategy? How does one go about doing that? I feel ive learnt enough to know when basic strategy tells me to hit or stand. I plan on learning these skills and making it into sort of a hobby and way to make some profit, if I only doing it right of course. Thanks!

**Dieter** · 02-18-2015, 03:07 AM

Originally Posted by markhudson78

I feel ive learnt enough to know when basic strategy tells me to hit or stand.

If you're making plays that don't follow basic strategy and you don't have a good reason, you're not ready to try card counting.

Basic strategy is the foundation of card counting. You don't get to follow your gut instinct; you follow the math.

Perfecting basic strategy means that if you made 100,000 plays, every one would be the right basic strategy decision. It's second nature. It's like breathing - you don't think about it anymore, you just do it right, every time, no matter what.