Before I even start handing out blackjack tips, I want to note that you really aren’t supposed to take photos at the blackjack table. We snuck one in and then put our phones away for the rest of the game. We could not RESIST because we had champagne and grilled cheese sandwiches in front of us at 2AM. How could we NOT document that occurrence? Ok, enough of that… onto the blackjack tips.
Blackjack Tips For Your Next Girls’ Getaway
Are you planning a vacation with your friends and hoping to spend some time at a local casino? Afraid of table games because you aren’t quite familiar with all of the rules? Girl, I was you about 2 weeks ago.
But after some quick research and a pow-wow with one of my good friends, I got a good grip on the game and wanted to give you a brief overview of what to expect if you decide to take your chances at 21.
How To Win At Blackjack
Your main objective is to beat the dealer. You do not have to have a 21. This is one of the greatest blackjack tips for you to remember. You could win with a 12. It’s all about strategy and luck.
It’s all about what the dealer has and what you are showing. You can win on any card number as long as you beat the dealer’s hand.
Another way to win is if the dealer busts (or gets over 21). This is the most ideal situation because then it guarantees that everyone at the table wins together. What can I say? I’m a team player.
Hand Signs And Waves For Dealer
If you want a card, you should tap the table with your finger. As a note, do not touch your cards. Many new players tend to tap the cards as to tell the dealer that they want a new card. But on the blackjack table, we aren’t allowed to touch the cards and you will get told that if you do. So, just touch the table. Tap once or twice. You don’t have to say anything.
If you don’t want a card, wave your hand left to right. As if you are saying “no more food” to your grandmother as she hovers over your plate with a heaping spoon of mashed potatoes. Left to right. Left to right. Protecting your already filled plate. The cards are full. Your plate is full. You don’t want anymore.
Basic Rules For Blackjack
Blackjack tips can feel very overwhelming because they aren’t rock solid. You won’t find every player on the planet who stays on a 15. So, how can you call it a rule when most of the time, people follow their gut?
You also can’t say that you will always stand on a 15 because it really does matter what card the dealer is showing. So, you have to care about what cards you are holding and what card the dealer is showing. These are the two things that are always important.
So, when we discuss rules, they are more like strong-armed guidelines. The vast majority of them are clear cut, but the ones that involve the middle of the road are hard to gauge. You just have to see how you feel.
Here are some general rules for blackjack that you should remember.
(1) Stand when your hand is 12-16 when the dealer has 2-6.
You don’t want to bet when you are in the dead range of 12-16 and the dealer is showing between a 2 and a 6. These are the hands that you hate to see because they can truly go either way. If you hit on a 12, you just might get an 8. Good for you, right?! But here’s the deal… it really does depend on what the dealer is holding.
If the dealer is holding a card that is between a 2 and 6, a different strategy comes into play. You want them to bust so the whole table can win. Odds are they have a 16 because odds are the dealer always has a ten hidden.
It’s not the case, but it’s likely. And if he doesn’t have a ten, then maybe he has an 8 or a 6. Either way, they have to keep dealing until they get over 17. The HOPE is that if nobody takes a card, then they will get the picture card or the ten value.
It doesn’t always work, but that is what you are supposed to do. If you only have an 8 or something and the dealer is showing a 5, then you have to play your hand. It’s not about NOT TAKING A SINGLE CARD ON ANY HAND WHEN THEY ARE SHOWING a 2-6 in blackjack. It’s a case by case situation which makes consuming blackjack tips hard.
(2) Hit when your hand is 12-16 when the dealer has 7-Ace.
This is from the Internet, but you know what? My hard fast rule on 16 is to NEVER hit. That’s a decision that I made. It’s not always the best decision because the dealer only needs a 17 to beat me, but I rather stay in the game and have him bust than me grab anything over a 5. So, I just wait it out.
16s are hard. Know that. Make a decision and stick with it. It won’t hurt if you ALWAYS choose the same thing with 16. If I bust on a 16, I’m ok with it because it’s not like I’m constantly wavering my bet. I always stay.
I don’t think to myself… “AHHHH I usually stay and this time I bet!” Nope. I always stay. But again, the Internet says to hit. Your call.
(3) Always split Aces and 8s.
One of my favorite blackjack tips is to get into splitting your cards. It’s really how you can start earning fast. You should really consider splitting aces when you get two aces in a row and 8s when you get two 8s in a row. Here’s why.
If you split these two hands, then you have two chances of getting two high-valued hands against the dealer’s hand. But there’s a catch! With the aces, you only get ONE CARD down on each new pile. The 8s play out like regular hands. You can ask for as many cards as you like.
If you win the two hands against the dealer’s hand, then you win TWICE in one shot. Sweet! It really adds up and can add a lot of excitement to your play.
Double 11 versus the dealer’s 2-10.
The general rule of thumb is to double down on 11 (meaning to double your bet) when the dealer is showing anything but an ace. Again, another one of my favorite blackjack tips because money can really start to rack up fast.
Yes, I know… you can also lose money fast. I’m no fool. But when you walk into a casino, my view is you are there to have fun and hopefully not to make your mortgage.
Handing The Dealer Money
The blackjack dealer cannot grab money from your hand. So, as a rule of thumb, you have to place everything on the table in front of you. These blackjack tips are pretty much standard. You won’t find a single dealer in the world that will take cash from your hand.
So, take the money out of your pocket and lay it out in front of you. Then the dealer will collect it and return chips to you for equal value.
If by chance, he asks you how you’d like them in return, just know that “nickles” mean $5 chips.
Blackjack Tips About Food And Drinks
One of the best Blackjack tips on the market! Eat and drink for FREE all night long. On the last night of our trip, we ended up playing for about 10 hours straight. No judgment.
While we were playing, we missed our dinner reservation and were starving! STARVING! We told the dealer and he brought over the waitress who then brought us some sandwiches which were fantastic.
Next thing you knew, we were munching on some hotdogs and then out came the hamburgers. Finally, we rounded out the night with some grilled cheese sandwiches. This is no joke. We just kept eating.
Obviously, they didn’t want us to leave because we were playing so long and WINNING. I think they wanted their money back. LOL
As far as drinks are concerned, they are also free. It isn’t a full-service bar. It’s only the standard “rum and coke” or “screwdriver” or some wines, beers, etc. They do have a version of champagne, but you can’t ask for a mojito or anything like that. It’s not an official bar.
When the waitress comes, just be sure to tip her. She takes chips. You can give her $1, $2, $5 if you want – depending on what you ordered or how frequently she’s been visiting you.
Does The Dealer Have The Advantage?
You wouldn’t think so, but I am going to tell you that while you are sitting there you will be shocked at how many times they will pull out a 20 or a 21. It is literally shocking. There is no other word to describe it. Absorb these blackjack tips because they will save you a lot of heartache.
I had a long talk with the pit boss… is that what you call him … and he told me that you can study all you want, know every rule, follow every book, read up on every master’s strategy, and in the end, it is about 20% strategy and 80% luck. And you know what? I sort of believe him.
Maybe he is exaggerating a bit, of course. But you will find yourself sitting there with a 20 and waiting to collect your chips and then the dealer will come up with a 7-card 21 and shock the entire table. It happens and it happens often.
My blackjack tip to you from this section is to just run with it and have a great time.
There Are Serious Blackjack Players Who Don’t Like Girls’ Getaways
I have to keep it real with you because I came across one woman who literally HATED me. Most of my blackjack tips are professional, but this one is personal.
She was a professional player and she did NOT like that I was having fun and playing and chatting with my friends and guessing on 14 and 15. She hated me.
She gave me a nickname. Checkers! I had on a checkered dress that night and she would condescendingly say things like… “Oh look, Checkers won again. Well, La Di da!” Add this note to your blackjack tips – Either ignore people like this because their whole lives revolve around the game or come back at another time.
If I was losing, I would have probably left because she was WASTED and I just wasn’t about her energy. But I was up over $600 and you KNOW I wasn’t going to let that woman rain on my parade. Instead, I cheered louder and smiled harder and “woo hooed” until it burned her black heart whole. Whatever. Get over it.
But this note is just to prepare you. Serious blackjack players do not like novice blackjack players. However, if you are on a $5 table… you should stand your ground. It’s a $5 table. If they want to get serious and be around serious people, they can grab their chips and walk over to the $25.
How Much Money Do You Need For Blackjack?
I’m not going to tell you how to live your life, but I always start with $100. I only bring $200 on a trip to gamble with and I sit at the $5 table. If you bet $5 a hand, you could seriously sit and play all day. I never stay at $5 a hand.
I typically hover between $10 and $15 a hand and then once I get my groove on, I usually start doubling up my bets if I get a 20 or a 21 as my final number. I do weird things like that in my head.
There are $25 tables that you can sit at but I wouldn’t recommend it. 4 bad blackjack rounds and you will be done for the day.
Do People Count Cards?
Counting cards is a thing of the past because there are about a million decks shuffled into play. I can barely get my children into the car from the beach during the summer and I only have three of them. Good luck trying to count all the picture cards and tens. I mean, I could never… but I don’t have a brain like that.
I wouldn’t even think of this as a strategy. Maybe if you are playing with two decks at home with your friends. But at the casino… it would be downright impossible for me to fathom. And besides, it’s cheating.
Do I Need To Get A Casino Player’s Card?
You don’t technically need to get a casino player’s card, but you know what? My blackjack tips wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t tell you to take 10 minutes to get one.
Bring down your license and just sign up. If you stay long enough, you might start to earn free credits or even rooms.
Are Blackjack Side Bets Worth It?
You will notice on your table that there will be a little circle for you to add an additional bet to your current hand. It’s like playing two games at once. You can put anything from $1 to the maximum of the table. You will have to check and see what that is because it varies.
Here’s the thing. I made so much money on the first day playing that silly side bet and then the next day, I never hit it once. People were calling it a fool’s bet, but I saw so many people winning who played.
They all told me the same thing and I am going to include their advice in my blackjack tips post – either play it every hand or don’t. You don’t have to play $5 a hand. Just put a dollar if you need to. But if you play 5 hands in a row and then skip one, guess when you are going to win that side bet? Yup.
Again, I want to reiterate that the side bet is for the house. Some of the odds are 30:1 which means that it’s pretty hard to make that combination happen. If you play, play because you want a little rush, not because you think you have an advantage over the house…. because you don’t.
Blackjack Tips And Tricks
Do you have any blackjack tips and tricks to share? I would love to read them. Share them below in the comments. If I come up with any more ideas, I will add them to this roundup. I hope I gave you enough courage to give this casino table game a shot because it truly was such a great night out.
The more friends you can grab to take over a table, the better! Enjoy! Hopefully, these blackjack tips will bring you a little luck and comfort.