I have been no stranger to gambling since 2015.
I went to my first casino trip with some friends at the Lac-Leamy casino in Gatineau near Ottawa.
That day I was unwilling to risk more than 20 bucks and I cashed out 30 dollars. I was happy to get a free meal at McDonald’s that day with what I won.
Over the course of the next few years, I would be fully invested in gambling.
First I was a rookie who played mostly slot machines because they are for gamblers who have so skill. There’s no way to win without luck at those machines. I find with slot machines it’s impossible to stop putting money in until your bankroll is gone.
Thankfully, I progressed into better games during 2018.
In 2018, I walked in with my last 200 bucks to play a game called “Casino War”.
War allows you to bet and get one card, then the dealer draws the card. Aces play as high cards in war.
I was able to go on an improbable run and win $2,500 playing war.
I went to the table when I had already won 700 bucks, and put a hundred bucks on three spots. I was lucky to be dealt a jack and two tens, the dealer flipped over a 7 so I now had 600 bucks in front of me. The run continued as I was now on one spot betting with green chips. Green chips are $25 chips and I would vary my bets between 75 and 125 bucks.
I went on a run where I would have won about 10 or so hands in a row. I put the excess chips into my pocket and played the chips I had left on the table.
The pocket was getting heavier and my buddy was about to cash out.
He asked me how many chips I had, and I had no idea. So I dump all the chips from my jacket pocket onto the cashiers desk, and they rack the chips. I had 60 or so greens and some blacks.
The cashier paid me in mostly hundreds and I counted my money in the washroom. I had nearly three thousand dollars.
The next day I feel like this is too good to be true.
I wake up and carry the whole thing to the bank near where I was living. Hoping to God I wouldn’t get mugged.
The days of just playing war were coming to an end. I learned other games like 3 card poker, Texas Holdem poker, blackjack and I also played some roulette in 2017. I didn’t like roulette that much because the two green zeros give the house an obvious advantage.
I had played blackjack for free and made myself an 8 deck shoe to learn the game at home.
Blackjack is a game where you have options like splitting pairs, doubling down, hitting, staying etc.
The game I’ve enjoyed the most over the years is free bet blackjack. This game allows you to split all pairs except 10’s and double on any hard 9-10-11 for free. You get a free chip put it behind your bet, and you get double the payout if your hand wins. The house gets something out of it because any dealer bust with a 22 is a push and you get nothing.
The game is an up and down battle.
You want to press your bets when you win so your winning session will give you more money.
I have many wins and losses at blackjack in my lifetime. I have probably played over 100K worth of bets on blackjack. The house edge is not that high, it’s about 1%.
This means that on any given day, you can leave with a huge win.
The biggest lesson is that making the money is easy, but making sure you get out with the money is the hard part.
Blackjack is both fun and cruel, you will see the dealer pull an improbable 21 a lot of the time. You will also hit a 16 against a 10 and hit a miracle 21. You want to be dealt 10’s and 11’s that can be doubled for free.
Hopefully the dealer gives you a 20 or a 21.
Only play at tables that pay 3-2 on a blackjack. That extra 25 you get instead of 60 when you place a 50 dollar bet is going to make a difference.
Trust basic strategy. This alone lowers the house edge to just 1%.
What makes blackjack appealing to the house is that most players don’t play properly. These are the players who give their money away. Memorize basic strategy and play on a free app until you know each decision without having to think.
Blackjack is a lot like life.
Your best opportunities in life aren’t handed to you like a blackjack.
They are disguised as garbage hands like 3-3. Here you have a 6 but you are against a 4 which is a dealer bust card. So splitting the 3’s allow you to have two hands, and potentially more action if you get a 6, 7, or 8. When a split works out, you get more profit all starting from a trash hand.
It also pays to be aggressive. An 18 doesn’t win often. 19’s and 20’s win often. If you have a 19 or a 20, you have a very strong made hand. An 18 is a made hand, but will not win as often. 17 is also a made hand, but the only way to win outright with a 17 is if the dealer busts.
Hands that are 12-16 are the worst starting hands in the game.
When faced with a 10, you have to hit and risk a bust. When the dealer is showing a bust card 2,3,4,5,6 you stay and hope the dealer actually busts.
9s, 10’s, and 11’s are the best hands in the game because you can double for free and get a 2-1 payout if you win the hand.
I always take my doubles face up because I want to know what I have before the dealer acts. Many players take it face down, but I prefer face up.
Side bets are fun to play as well, and I do play them.
Just remember that these bets are fun, but they hurt your bottom line.
Biggest take away is gambling is fun, but should never be seen as a way to make money.
The only way to beat blackjack is card counting and few people can pull that off without getting caught.
To your success,
Angus