Perfect basic strategy -
not just a pretty slogan
8 June 2007
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark: Outside of perfect basic strategy, is
there any other key to winning at blackjack?
Gary Z.
First off, Gary, you get a Gold Star for
correctly identifying perfect basic strategy as
an important factor for leveling the playing
field against the house. The second essential
key is money management.
In passing, most players try to take on the
casino with too small a bankroll. Your bankroll
is the amount of money that you are willing to
put at risk, knowing that there is a reasonable
possibility that you could lose that entire
amount. Accordingly, you should never gamble
with money you can't afford to lose. So, Gary,
if you're front-and-center at a ten-dollar
table, you'll need a war chest of at least five
hundred dollars. Count 'em $ $ $ $ $.
Never bring your entire bankroll with you to one
gambling session. You need a daily gambling
budget. Start by dividing your bankroll by the
number of days you'll be gambling. Then divide
your daily bankroll into the number of sessions
you will be playing each day. Result: your
single-session bankroll. Bet tomorrow's money
only when tomorrow comes.
Set win goals of between 50 to 100% for a
single-session bankroll. Then, when you win
something, set aside your original bankroll plus
half of your winnings. Now play with the
remainder and continue to set aside additional
winnings.
Set loss limits, meaning that, when you've lost
half your session bankroll -- your loss limit --
you walk.
Use the Winning Progressive method of betting by
predetermining a percentage increase for each
winning bet and sticking to it. For instance,
you might want to increase your winning bets by
approximately 50% after the second win. As an
example, start with a $10 bet, followed by
another $10, (both winners, you understand) then
go to $15, $22, $30, $45, etc. You would
continuously flat bet (the table minimum) when
losing.
Never double-up your bet to catch up. Your money
would just fizzle away like an Alka-Seltzer in
warm water.
Identify the profitable opportunities in
gambling by shopping for the best odds, rules,
and playing conditions available where you play.
What I can't guarantee, Gary, is that these tips
will in any way affect the casino edge. Perfect
basic strategy does that job. Nor can I
guarantee that you will win more money. What
these principles will do is minimize your losses
and in most cases protect your winnings.
Dear Mark: I believe that adjoining pairs in
Hold'em are usually of equal value, and that
holds true with Kings versus Aces. Do you
concur? Ted C.
Often, I've heard many a player like yourself
proclaim that Aces and Kings are the ultimate
starter hands in Hold'em, but I believe Kings
are nowhere near as profitable as Aces.
I will agree that the difference is slight
between smaller adjacent pairs, such as fives
versus fours, but there is a very large gap
between Aces and Kings in terms of profit when
played correctly. Holding Aces before the flop
belongs in a category all by itself.
With an A-A starter hand, you can expect to win
31% of the time. AND, if you average all the
possible playing scenarios, you can figure Aces
to be worth at least 40 percent more than Kings.
But what I find that really makes the
difference, is that when you consider actual
betting strategy, Aces are much more likely to
gain those extra bets, especially in a
full-handed game with a bulk of the players
staying to the river.
Trust this truism, Ted: Kings can do no wrong –
until they run into a pair of Aces.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Avoid people with
gold teeth who want to play cards." --George
Carlin
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