How to Win at Blackjack Without Counting Cards

Seven luck-luring tips to win blackjack without card counting.

If you have a decent amount of experience with the game of blackjack, you surely know that, minus card counting, there’s no way to gain even the slightest advantage over the house; not without some serious cheating, anyway. And believe me, they take that stuff seriously. They will press charges, seeking punishment to the fullest extent of the law.

A perfect strategy can get you as near to a break-even expectation as possible (~0.5%). The fact is, though, to win at blackjack without card counting, you’re going to need just a bit of luck on your side. The following tips will help get you there. The rest is up to the proverbial Gods of fortune.

7 Tips to Win Blackjack without Card Counting

#1 Employ Perfect Strategy

As I mentioned above, it takes a perfect strategy to get as close as possible to eliminating the house edge. Obviously, this is the first thing you’ll need to practice and memorize. Make sure your strategy chart matches the precise rules of the blackjack game you intend to play.

#2 Practice Strategy Free Online

Memorizing a basic strategy chart takes time. Trial and error is common. If you’re playing blackjack for real money, errors are unacceptable. Online casinos offer unlimited free blackjack games. There are also free mobile blackjack apps; even blackjack strategy apps built specifically for honing your skills. Make use of them.

#3 Avoid 6:5 Blackjack Pays

Never, ever play a blackjack game that pays 6:5 for a natural blackjack. This increases the house edge by a whopping 1.39%. It has to be traditional 3:2 payouts or nothing!

#4 Never Place Side Bets

Blackjack side bets are nothing but a waste of money. The house edge on any side bet is going to be somewhere between abysmal and astronomical. Don’t do it.

#5 Play Slo-o-o-owly

Take you time. If you’re not counting cards, then the more hands you see per hour, the faster (mathematical probabilities state) you’ll lose money. If you’re playing in a land-based casino, join a table with lots of players. As a single player, you can expect 200 hands per hour. A full table of 6 averages only 50 hands per hour. If you’re playing online, take your time and enjoy frequent breaks.

#6 Take Advantage of Promotions

If you’re playing blackjack online, use deposit bonuses, reload bonuses, comp points and other promotions to supplement your bankroll. There’s nothing better than winning on the casino’s dime.

If you’re playing in a land-based casino, even if you lose a little cash, you can actually come out ahead by asking for comps. Think about this…

You spend 4 hours playing $5 blackjack, seeing 50 hands per hour with an edge of 0.5%. Your expectation is a loss of only $5.

[4($5*50) / 0.5%] = $5

If the casino is willing to comp you a free $15 buffet, that puts you ahead $10. Not bad for a full evening of entertainment! Which brings us to our last tip…

#7 It’s All About Entertainment

As I stated in the beginning, you cannot expect to win blackjack without card counting. Thus, playing with the expectation of winning is futile. Gambling should be seen as a form of entertainment above all else. If you follow the above tips, you can at least get a great deal of entertainment at very little cost. That alone is a win in my book.