Sometimes I write really philosophical articles about why you should play blackjack, and how building character is a reason for playing blackjack. And sometimes I write silly articles mocking blackjack system salesmen. But this article is a list of practical, hard-core blackjack tips. These are some practical ideas about how to become a better blackjack player and how to win at blackjack.
12 Hard Core Blackjack Tips - A List
Re-learn basic strategy once a year.
Play blackjack at 5 new casinos this month.
Read 2 new blackjack books a year.
Stop playing blackjack online.
Stop playing blackjack for a month.
Find 3 blackjack forums where people ask questions. Write 20 thoughtful, detailed answers to their blackjack questions.
Create your own blackjack book by collecting your favorite online blackjack articles into a file on your computer. Review this blackjack book periodically.
Play a blackjack session well below your typical stakes.
Play a blackjack session well above your typical stakes.
Find a friend or relative who doesn't know how to play blackjack, and teach that person how to play blackjack, basic strategy, and card counting.
Track your wins and losses in a blackjack journal.
Launch your own blackjack website or blog.
12 Hard Core Blackjack Tips - Elaborations
Constant and never-ending improvement should be your goal playing blackjack. The basic principles and math behind the game of blackjack don't really change much, but your skills as a player can and do change. If you want to become really good at blackjack, then you need to focus on changing and improving. You're either getting better at blackjack or getting worse. Focus on getting better at the game. That's how to win at blackjack.
Re-learn basic strategy once a year. Why? Because basic strategy is the foundation of all other blackjack success. People who want to earn a blackbelt in karate must master only seven basic moves. The ones who succeed are the ones who focus on these fundamentals. The ones who fail want to learn something new all the time. Focus on mastering the fundamentals, and basic strategy is the most fundamental of all blackjack skills.
Play blackjack at 5 new casinos this month. Why? Because playing blackjack at new casinos means you'll be dealing with different table conditions. And dealing with different table conditions will help you to improve your game. You'll challenge your mind and learn something different. You'll become more flexible and expand your repertoire of blackjack skills.
Read 2 new blackjack books a year. Why? Because if they're good blackjack books, you'll gain new insights into the game. And because if they're bad blackjack books, you'll be able to recognize the mistakes. Knowing what not to do when playing blackjack can be just as important as knowing what to do.
Stop playing blackjack online. Why? Because you can't count cards online. So if you're playing online, you're always playing with a disadvantage. If you want to play blackjack really well, then avoiding negative expectation situation is a critical habit to develop. Live blackjack is radically different from online blackjack. Become good at live blackjack.
Stop playing blackjack for a month.Why? Because you probably need a break anyway. After your month-long vacation from blackjack, you'll be more eager to play, you'll be more relaxed, and your game will improve because of the time off you took. Boredom breeds mistakes, and if you never take a break from playing blackjack, then you'll get bored and make mistakes.
Find 3 blackjack forums where people ask questions and write 20 detailed posts answering these questions. Why? Because writing about blackjack and answering questions will clarify your thoughts on some of the finer points of blackjack strategy. The best way to master a skill is to teach it to someone else. And the act of having to write about blackjack strategy will force you to think about blackjack strategy. And thoughtful blackjack play is winning blackjack play.
Create your own blackjack book by collecting your favorite online blackjack articles into a file on your computer. Review this blackjack book periodically. Why? This will expose you to some of the new ideas about blackjack on the Internet. You'll learn to discern the good advice from the bad advice. Creation and synthesis will force you to think about your game. The examined life also applies to a blackjack player's life.
Play a blackjack session well below your usual stakes. Why? You'll be able to test your discipline levels. Most mediocre blackjack players play more carelessly when they're playing for stakes that don't matter to them. Your goal is to be an excellent blackjack player. Demonstrate the discipline to play perfect blackjack even when you're playing for stakes which don't mean much to you.
Play a blackjack session well above your usual stakes. Why? This is another test of your discipline level. If you're playing over your bankroll, you might make incorrect decisions or conservative decisions you wouldn't make if you were playing your usual stakes. You'll get to know your own tendencies better at the blackjack table by doing this. Physician, heal thyself. Know yourself.
Find a friend or relative who doesn't know how to play blackjack, and teach that person how to play blackjack, basic strategy, and card counting. Why? Because teaching other people how to play blackjack will force you to think about the game. Mastering a skill becomes easier when you're forced to teach that skill to someone else. Besides that, blackjack is fun, and teaching someone how to play will remind you of how much fun it is to play blackjack at an extremely high level of skill.
Track your wins and losses in a blackjack journal. Why? Because in blackjack, wins and losses are how you keep score. If you're losing consistently, session after session, month after month, year after year, then something is wrong. You cannot manage what you don't measure. By tracking your performance in a blackjack journal, you're measuring your performance.
Launch your own blackjack website or blog Why? If you haven't figured it out yet, I think that thinking about the game will improve your skill level. And writing about the game of blackjack will force you to think about the game of blackjack. This will put you ahead of 99% of the blackjack players out there, because that's how many blackjack players DON'T think about the game.
12 Hard Core Blackjack Tips - Applications and Meaning
If you read through that list of blackjack tips and the elaborations on each tip, you'll pick up on a few themes. The main themes are that your blackjack game should be constantly improving, and improvement comes from thinking about the game. What I want for you is to be constantly learning and improving as a blackjack player. Excellence is worth pursuing, in blackjack and in life.
And the techniques for becoming excellent in blackjack apply to your entire life. Thinking about what you do, making rational decisions, helping others. These things all help you become a better person, not just a better blackjack player. These are the things that will demonstrate for you how to win at blackjack.
Take action on one or more of the hard core blackjack tips in this article, and see for yourself if your game doesn't improve.
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