Common Blackjack Myths

Blackjack is a casino game that has been around for ages, yet it is still associated with a number of myths that many people and blackjack players have been told and believe. Here we take a look at some of the most common blackjack myths and why they are just not true.

Blackjack is a game of luck

This is a commonly held blackjack myth that is completely false as blackjack is one of the few casino games where players can develop an edge over the house with skilful game play over a long period of time.

You need to be a mathematical / card counting whizz

This myth will have you believe that you have to understand applied mathematics and be able to card count in order to do very well at Blackjack ”“ this is definitely a misconception and while card counting can help you win more often, you can still do well and win money by using solid blackjack strategy that does not involve advanced mathematics at all!

Land based blackjack is better than online blackjack

There are many reasons that people claim support this myth, however the opposite is actually true, land based casinos do not offer you free practice games, you may be distracted by other players as well as the dealer, you may feel intimidated and you definitely will not find the number of blackjack game variations in a brick and mortar casino that you will find online. You are also able to shop around to find the best casinos and game odds when playing online, unless you are in Las Vegas or Atlantic City you won't be jumping from one land based venue to another easily! What about the social aspect of the game? Well, online casinos have that covered too! You can join multi-player blackjack games that allow you to chat with other players and there are also live dealer games that happen in real time.

If there are bad blackjack players at your table they will ruin your chances

A great deal of blackjack players maintain that bad players at the table will decrease their odds of winning and that bad decisions throw the flow of the game off completely, negatively affect the order of the cards and generally have an adverse effect on everyone's game. The truth of the matter however is that mathematically the bad players have no effect on the outcome of the game unless they annoy you so much that you lose concentration.

Blackjack games with 4 to 6 decks are just too difficult to win at

In a game of blackjack, four decks of cards will amount to 208 cards, while six will be 312 cards, and while this is a large number of cards to keep track of, and it does require concentration, it doesn't make it impossible to win as this blackjack myth would have you believe, it just means you need to focus more.

Never sit in the last position at a Blackjack table

So many players are superstitious about the last position of the blackjack table and would rather avoid the game completely than take that spot. It is these types of players who blame the player in the last position for their losses, claiming that his/her decision affects the dealer's ability to bust or not. This is really not logical at all and every player plays a part in the outcome rather than just the player in the last seat at a table.

Always assume that the dealer has 10 in the hole

This is another common blackjack myth whereby Blackjack players are told that they should always assume that the dealer has 10 in the hole, so if his/her card shows 5, then calculate their count as 15 but how this got to form part of some player's strategies is a little confusing as only 30% of a blackjack deck contains cards valued at 10, which means there is only a 3 in 7 chance that the dealer will have a hole card valued at 10...are those odds you want to bet on?

Card Counting is illegal

This blackjack myth probably came about due to movies highlighting card counting and the dodgy casino underworld. In reality while this practice is frowned upon by casinos and you will probably be asked to leave if they catch you doing it and cleaning them out, there are no laws against it.

If you don't have a large bankroll you can't win

This is a bizarre myth, probably propagated by casinos! You just have to play at tables with limits that suit your budget and smaller bankrolls simply mean selecting tables with lower limits and building up gradually. This can be achieved by following sound blackjack strategy.