Online Blackjack Myths
With all of the people that make a living selling blackjack advice or strategies, it is important for players to understand what is myth and what is fact. The following blackjack myths are commonly mistaken as fact:
Bad players can ruin a game. This simply is not true. There is no arguing that bad players can be annoying, but nothing they can do will impact wins for the rest of the table.
Getting a score of 21 without going over is the object of the game. The real objective of a game of blackjack is for a player to beat the dealer.
Blackjack is a game of pure luck. There are many things a player can do in order to increase their odds of winning against the house, so assuming that the game requires no skill is one of the most common blackjack myths.
Only geniuses can play blackjack well. Although stories tell of mathematical geniuses who could successfully count cards to win abound, anyone can master blackjack with a little bit of patience.
Card counters must have a photographic memory. There are very few instances of people actually counting cards for their face values. Most card counting strategies rely on grouping cards into high, low, and neutral categories.
The best strategy for blackjack is to play like the dealer. Since the dealer cannot split, double down, or surrender, playing like the dealer can cause the casino to gain an extra edge of up to five percent!
Play defensively with the 'never bust' strategy. This is also a bad idea, since standing on a hard 12 will cause players to miss out on many opportunities to beat the dealer.
Assume the dealer has a 10 in the hole. Although many people do this, it is bad advice and it should be avoided at all costs.
Place an insurance bet when the dealer shows an Ace. The odds of winning an insurance bet are slim to none, so it is best avoided in most cases.
Only rich people can enjoy blackjack. While it is very true that blackjack is often associated with high rollers, there are tables that allow for $1.00 bets. Anyone with any size bankroll can play blackjack.
These blackjack myths are extremely common and sometimes deter new players from trying the game at all.