Top 5 Blackjack Myths and Misconceptions

The most popular table game at Australian online casinos is blackjack. It is easy to learn and with a basic blackjack strategy, you can lower the house edge to around 0.5%.

However, some players subscribe to myths that end up giving the casino a greater house edge. Today, we will look at 5 common blackjack myths and why they are bad bets.

The Dealer Always Has a 10 in the Hole

Some blackjack players will make the mistake of standing on 12 or higher because they think that the dealer has a 10 or a face card in the hole. As such, they think that the dealer will have a greater risk of busting.

This is a horrible myth if you look at the number of 10 point cards in the deck. There are only 16 cards in the deck worth 10 points. That around 30% of the deck that’s worth 10 and the rest are worth other point values. It is much more likely that the dealer has a non-10 point card than a 10 point card in the hole.

You’re Due to Win Soon

A common myth in not just blackjack but in all online casino games is that a player is due to win after a losing streak. For example, a player loses four or five hands in a row and then they start doubling their bets because they figure that they are now due to win a few hands.

The reality is that the odds to win a hand of blackjack are around 48%. This is regardless of whether you’re on a hot or cold streak. As cards don’t have a memory, you can’t assume that you’re going to win because you’ve been running cold.

Also, keep in mind that online blackjack is run on a random number generator. You could win 100 hands as likely as lose 100 hands.

Progressive Betting Gives You a Better Chance to Win

You’ll see some players that increase their bets every time they win a hand. They think that this progressive betting will give them a better chance to win big. Instead, what it does is increases the speed that they are likely to lose.

Excluding ties, you’re still only 48% to win a hand of blackjack. That’s whether you’re playing the first hand or the 50th hand. There are no studies that back up claims that progressive betting strategies do anything to help you win more in blackjack.

Bad Blackjack Players Will Cause Good Players to Lose

Many blackjack players believe that a bad player at the table will negatively impact the odds of good players winning. While it is true that a misplayed hand may impact a single round negatively, it is also true that a misplayed hand may help other players.

What happens is that players forget when a bad player’s mistake helps them and only remember when it hurts them. At worst, it will only impact a single hand. If it impacted the entirety of the game, then casinos would be hiring players to play badly at the tables. That just doesn’t happen.

You Should Take Even Money on a Blackjack When Dealer Has an Ace

Some blackjack games will offer even money on your blackjack when a dealer has an ace. This ensures that you get a payout when the dealer has a blackjack. However, this is not a good bet. The reason is that you’re giving up money to the casino.

When you don’t take even money and the dealer doesn’t have blackjack, you get 1.5 on your money. For the times they have it, your bet pushes. Over the long term, not taking even money will return you 1.04 your bet on blackjacks. Taking even money only returns 1.0 your bet. While that .04 edge isn’t much, over the long-term that’s a lot of money blackjack players give back to the casino.