The subtle art of Blackjack
Sunday, December 14th, 2008To the uninitiated and the unfamiliar, Blackjack seems like a pretty straightforward and simple game. Just get as close as you can to 21 points without going over and if you are getting close don’t take any more cards. It seems so effortless; unfortunately, the reality of Blackjack is significantly more complicated than the scenario above. If it was that easy and you could be successful more or less by trusting your luck, wouldn’t more people be better at it? Or is the balance of probability that everyone has their lucky day at some point?
For those of us with a more genuine appraisal of the merits of Blackjack, the truth is somewhat different. It is a game of skill that cannot just be taught in an afternoon; it takes practice, patience and perseverance. To be successful at Blackjack you also must have an ability to be flexible, aware enough at a moments notice to alter your strategy according to how your opponents are playing. This might mean spotting an opportunity to win, or equally as important, understanding when an opponent has you beaten and when the correct time to fold your hand might be, thereby minimizing your losses. As gambling is essentially about maximizing profits and minimizing losses (whilst obviously having great pleasure doing it), that could be one of the most important lessons that you will ever learn, not just about Blackjack, but across many games.























