• Effect of hands on results between 12-16
• Setting up hands, allocation of points
• Counting hands
• Basic idea of the strategy
• Determination of RC and TC
• Betting strategy
• Best-known card counting strategies
• Psyhology of Blackjack

PSYCHOLOGY OF BLACKJACK

It is a mathematically proven fact that you can win on casino Blackjack. Those who still have distrust may find plenty of authentic literature on the subject explaining and supporting our statement.
In this part we are not going to deal with mathematical problems but with human psychical difficulties playing a cardinal role in the realization of a successful game. These problems can even hinder the success if you do not take them into consideration.
The following extract tells us a true story enlightening the outstanding importance of the above-discussed difficulties:

"In the sixties - in the time of spreading of PCs - the first professional players appeared in Las Vegas. Casinos reacted with panic to the mathematical methods of the pioneers and the simple card counting method. The rules of DOA (Double On Any two cards) and RSA (Re-Splitting of Aces) effective until then were cancelled. The result was catastrophic: turnover of the casinos has diminished and professional players went on winning. It took only two weeks to restore the original rules and business has been booming ever since. However, those were the days when the first books were published proving that casinos and dealers can be defeated. At the same time two other things were proven as well increasing also the income of casinos: if there is a theoretical chance to make money from Blackjack then anybody can try it in practice. And masses of people did try it. However it also turned out that in spite of all theories and mathematics most people are not able to learn neither card counting nor patience. The owners of the theoretically knocked out casinos relaxed. The theoretical chance attracted millions of guests; on the other hand professionals did not take away as much as it was brought in by the ignorant swarm of guests. Since that time Vegas uninterruptedly increases its profit by 10 % annually."    (Extract from János Bárány's book: How to be a professional player?)

If somebody decided to become professional Blackjack player firstly it is better to burn the moral of this story in his/her memory before starting anything else. Perfect learning and understanding of the knowledge of card counting does not mean yet the ability to use it successfully in practice. On the way to the success the worst is yet to come. He/she will be faced a problem the solution of which is a major challenge than learning card counting. I am almost sure that people having enough playing experience will agree with me that difficulties discussed as follows can reach a point where they are more important than the perfect gambling knowledge. The negligence of these difficulties can lead to a total failure.
In this area the problem becomes painful and personal. Namely, we already know the answers to the exact impersonal mathematical questions. If we still have troubles, we have to face the following question in order to solve the problem: Whose fault is this? I think you already know the answer. The player should look for the reasons of the failure inside him/her. It seems inevitable for future professional players to start beside card-game another one as well called self-knowledge game.
It is not my intention to begin long psychological discussions. I only want to draw everybody's attention that negligence of these facts is the same failure as to have 20 in your hand and hit a new card hoping an ace.

The reasons of failure can be classified into three groups being in close connection with each other. These are the following:

• Misunderstanding of the essence of the game - consequently: imperfect gambling knowledge.
• Human psychical problems (passion for gambling, lack of self-control).
• Lack of money.

Do not think that outstanding human abilities are required for learning and understanding the game. It is enough to re-read several times the writings connected with the subject and to have for the training endurance and diligence of an average.
Even the necessary amount of money does not make a major obstacle. The bet limits of the Blackjack tables enable playing with small bets and the requested bankroll is not unattainable even for a person with small financial power.
In my opinion the most difficult one among the three mentioned problems is the human, psychical problem. Namely in this case we do not face a mathematical problem but the personal characteristics, passions, feelings of a person and the connecting subjective motives. These are not learnable, you can only develop them. They are not under direct rational guidance but can be rationally accessed. The moral of the above mentioned event supports my message and enlightens the fact that casinos do not gain major part of their profit from the mathematical advantage built into the game but from ignorance and passion for gambling of people.

PROPER GAMBLING KNOWLEDGE

Proper gambling knowledge means that the player knows and uses relations between card counting strategy and money management as a skill. This skill in gambling knowledge should be combined with excellent understanding i.e. every decision of the player must be conscious and confident. The course and rate of the game must be guided by the player and not the dealer. You should not make mistakes in counting or any other part of the game because mistakes accumulate in the long run, retard the success of the game and you will be confused and irresolute.

If you have reached a point at which the single deck play seems to be a joke, namely you win 10 from ten rounds (in case of series of at least 150-200 rounds) i.e. the dealer does not have any chance (do not think this is an overstatement, this can be a fact) you can start to play against increasing number (2,4 or 6) of decks. You must pay special attention to this because difficulty in achieving success is proportional to the number of cards. You have to change your strategy and money management and this will severely try your patience. But do not forget you should prepare yourself for playing against six decks. If you succeed in this in the course of your home trainings that is already a suitable gambling knowledge. You may visit casinos and try to overcome new challenges you experience in real playing.

PSYCHICAL PREPAREDNESS

Mathematical and psychical factors are in the game in close connection to each other. In case of tiredness, illness, nervousness, mental problems and lack of motivation the losing is almost sure. Any external or internal factors disturbing your personality, self-control or will result in a failure. By external factors I mean various solvents e.g. alcohol or other substances modifying the mental condition of a person. The consumption of all such substances solve the volitional functions and self-control which are absolutely necessary for making right decisions in the course of playing and at closing the daily series.
By internal factors I mean the character, personality and nature of a person. It is quite difficult to advise in these matters. In my opinion everybody must decide by him/herself whether he/she has the right psychic condition and self-control necessary for professional gaming. Among the psychical difficulties the largest danger is the passion for gambling. In this case my private opinion is that a person fighting such problems should not try chances of card counting and it is better for him/her to keep away from casinos because his/her gambling knowledge cannot save him/her from a fatal failure.

THE REQUIRED BANKROLL

It is no coincidence that this chapter is included in the psychological parts of Blackjack. It is not possible to start playing without the required money (unit number). Casinos have immensely larger financial resources than a player. In correlation of gambling knowledge and money management the bankroll of the player should reflect the same safe unit number. As the final score is the result of the winning and losing days, the bankroll should contain a unit number by which the losing series do not endanger neither financially nor psychically the basis of the venture. The most important thing is that the bankroll may not endanger the player's private financial existence; it must be completely separated and independent, spent only for the game. This is extremely important to create a feeling of safety without which you cannot play quietly and patiently.

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