Every casino game is set up, so that people can learn it quickly and win often. Casinos know that people play more when they feel that they are experts and have a secret that no one else has unlocked.
Blackjack has an unearned reputation of being easy to win, which is one reason it is so popular at casinos. In reality, people may often beat the dealer, but the payout system is set up, like every other casino game, so that people wind up paying more to play than they usually win back.
The psychology of Blackjack has become a science of its own, with many articles written about it. Most recommend fearlessness without foolishness. The first thing a player must do is develop his skills as a player. The second is to develop the right mindset to play Blackjack.
Blackjack is a thrilling game. The emotional arousal a player experiences is intense. More than most games in a casino, the player is in charge of his destiny. What other game allows him to draw as many cards as he wants and to say what at least some of them are worth. No wonder the game is popular. No wonder it is addictive.
A player must realize, however, that he is always struggling against bad odds Do you realize that if you have sixteen points in your hand, thirty-two cards out of fifty-two will bust you. The same is true of fifteen points. Twenty-Eight Cards will bust you. You have a better chance of going bust than of not. Statistically, the safest thing to do is to stop at fifteen points and not take another hit. That is a wise course to take. You will hardly ever go bust. Also, you will hardly ever win. If you don’t mind losing all of the time, certainly concentrate all of your efforts at not going bust.
Then, if the dealer stops at two cards, he has seventeen. and you must take another card even at seventeen. The odds are better than fifty percent that you will go bust. The odds are also one hundred percent that you will lose if you don’t.
When you play Blackjack you struggle all the time against bad odds all the time. There is a reason why fewer than 1% of all players become long-term winners at Blackjack. There is no mindset you can get into that will make you win. The only way you can become a winner at Blackjack is to play for the emotional high but don’t become so addicted to it that you lose more than you can afford to. If you have a good evening out and still have enough left in your pocket to pay the rent you are a winner.
