Betting at blackjack
Whether you are a blackjack card counter or not, you will, at times vary the amount wagered while at the table. The old gamblers saying “increase your bets when winning and decrease them when losing” is still good advice for any player. However, there is a betting strategy you should follow to help insure you leave the table a winner. The strategy of when to bet the table minimum should be an important part of your money management program.
Here are some suggestions to follow for betting table minimums.
- Bet minimums when first sitting down at a table. You don’t know if the dealer might be a little hot or cold. You also don’t know yet if you’re hot or cold.
- You don’t know what types of players are at the table. They might be knowledgeable, or maybe, for some of them, this is the first time they are playing blackjack. New players make lots of mistakes and I have found that they usually don’t react favorably to suggestions from other players. What this means is they could become a distracter to you. You will find yourself “playing” their hands and not paying attention to your own.
- You want the experience to be enjoyable as well as a profitable one, but you don’t know how the dealer is reacting to the game. Maybe, he or she is what is commonly called “burned out”, and doesn’t interact well with customers. Obviously, this is a game you might want to avoid.
- Another time you might want to play minimums is when a new dealer takes over. Again, you don’t know if this dealer is hot or cold, so you make small bets until you can analyze the situation.
- Lastly, bet minimums when in training. By this I mean you might be learning a new counting system. You would want to bet small until you become proficient and comfortable with the new count.
Most of these suggestions might seem like common sense, but take them to heart they just might help you to remain a winner.
