Basic Strategies for Popular Casino Table Games

Playing Smarter, Not Harder

While most casino games are based on luck, some table games involve an element of skill or strategy that can improve your chances of winning. By making mathematically optimal decisions, you can lower the casino’s built-in advantage, known as the “house edge.” Let’s look at some simple ways to play smarter at these two classic casino games.

Blackjack: The Power of Basic Strategy

Blackjack is one of the few casino games where player decisions directly impact the outcome. To play optimally, you need to learn basic strategy. Basic strategy is a chart that dictates the most profitable move in any given situation, based on your hand and the dealer’s visible card.

Core Blackjack Tips:

• The Golden Rule of Splitting: Splitting two Aces gives you two chances to hit 21. Splitting two 8s turns a very weak hand casino (16) into two much better starting hands (8).
• Never Split 10s or 5s: A hand of two 10s is a 20, which is a very strong hand you don’t want to break up. Two 5s make a 10, which is a great hand to double down on.
• Double Down on 11: An 11 is the strongest possible starting hand for doubling down.
• Stand on Hard 17 or Higher: If you have a “hard” total (a hand without an Ace) of 17 or more, you should always stand, as the risk of busting is too high.

Using a basic strategy chart is the single best thing you can do to improve your odds in Blackjack.

Minimizing Risk in Roulette

Roulette is a game of pure chance, and no betting system can change the odds or predict the outcome. However, you can use betting strategies to manage your bankroll and influence your volatility.

The Safest Wagers:
For casino the best odds of winning on any single spin, stick to the even-money outside bets.

• Red or Black
• Odd or casino; https://goldfish.it/, Even
• High (19-36) or Low (1-18)

While the payouts are small, these bets have the lowest volatility and are best for bankroll preservation.

Pro Tip: Play European Roulette: Whenever possible, opt for the European version of the game. European Roulette has only one zero (0), giving it a house edge of 2.7%. American Roulette has two zeros (0 and casino 00), which nearly doubles the house edge to 5.26%.