Real Money: Blackjack and the Quest for a Hot Streak
Americans love to play blackjack. Playing blackjack is one of the most popular pastimes in our history. The game of Blackjack dates back to the 1700s in France and Spain and if you go back to that time, you can see the casino game has a long and strong history. Today blackjack takes place not only in a traditional casinos but in online casinos and in homes all over the world. The blackjack table has become the place where the chance of winning has created several strategic approaches to playing the game.
Popular Blackjack Betting Strategies
Because in every casino the house has an edge, and every blackjack player seeks to minimize this house edge with every hand and have winning hands whenever possible, many players employ blackjack strategies (separate from a basic strategy) that have come about over many years. On one hand, some are based on mathematical concepts while on the next hand, others are related to bets but in the end, there is not a consensus over which is the best over the long run. Every time a player employs a betting system in a game, she is hoping to create a winning streak or at least increase the chance of a win for this particular hand. These are the most popular blackjack betting strategies but which is best is up for debate.
Martingale blackjack strategy
The Martingale system is probably the most popular blackjack betting system. It was created in the 1800s in England by John Henry Martingale. The martingale system is a basic strategy that is relatively simple to understand. Known as a “negative progression” which means that if a player loses, he must raise the bet, and if he wins he must lower the bet, to use this betting strategy a player must double the bet when losing, and return to the original bet when the winnings come. Players can freely choose the sum of their bets, but it’s best to stick to relatively small amounts. But there are, as is so often the case in Blackjack, several different variations.
Mini Martingale
One particular version of the Martingale is called a Mini-Martingale. With this betting system, you are limited in the ability to double your bet. Some believe that Mini-Martingale actually works better than the original strategy in the short term, as players increase the bets during times they lose. That is, players, lose money more slowly.
Grand Martingale
Another variation of the Martingale is called the Grand Martingale. As the name hints at, this blackjack betting system is a bit riskier and has higher stakes. With this betting strategy, players who are not satisfied with the limited rewards of Martingale can use this strategy. Here, in case of loss, a player must double the bet and add an additional one to the sum. The idea of these rules is easy to understand: after a win, a player will not only return the loss but also earn a little from above.
Speed Count
Speed counting is a card counting strategy in blackjack. Unlike progressive betting, the Speed Count is based on the fact that the average hand in blackjack consists of 2.7 cards. Also, on average, one of those 2.7 cards is a small card (2, 3, 4, 5, or 6). Most card counting systems are based on adding and subtracting. The Speed Count eliminates half the equation as the only cards you count are the small cards, and they each count as +1. All the other cards in the deck are treated as 0.
Anti Martingale
Another version of the Martingale in blackjack is called the Anti-Martingale or the Reverse Martingale. This blackjack strategy is a bit less aggressive than the original and with this, a player must double winning bets instead of raising them when losing.
It is believed that the Reverse system is a chance for players to win large sums of money in the event of a succession of winnings. Nevertheless, players should know when to stop, so as not to lose all the money after a single loss. In the end, no one can be sure that he will win again.
Flat Betting
Flat betting is when you place a bet in the same amount for all hands and do not alter it at all, as other systems allow.
When compared to other systems, this system was found to be the most profitable one, as over the course of 1000 hands it gains more money than all the rest. Therefore, this system is the best one in the long run. This system is one with the lowest risk.
In addition, if you are playing in a land casino and don’t want the staff to recognize you are counting cards you can use flat betting and be relaxed as you play. You should alter the bets when the count favors you, but do not get too obvious.
Manhattan Strategy
The 2-1-2, or Manhattan, the system is a simple staking plan used in online blackjack. It can also be played with roulette. In essence, Manhattan works like a positive progression system. If you win, you start by decreasing your stakes. If you win again, you increase them. It’s like the opposite of the Martingale where bets are always doubled after a loss. The Manhattan is designed to capitalize on hot streaks while cutting down on losses after a bad run. Let’s see how it works.
Oscar’s System
The Oscar system, otherwise known as Oscar’s Grind uses a positive progression style of placing bets and the aim is to win one unit per cycle, and once the profit is achieved, the cycle ends. A ‘grinder’ in the gambling world is known as someone who regularly wins small amounts rather than aiming for a jackpot win, and this system rewards these types of players who are patient and willing to put in hours of continuous gameplay.
The method enables more success if you’re on a streak as it lets you keep your bets low when you are losing and raise them when you are winning, similar to the Paroli system, but on the other hand minimizes the loss while having a bad streak, which is its main advantage.
Conclusion
Blackjack players do not unanimously agree on the long-term benefit of using a blackjack system or any kind of betting system. Individual players use different strategies and some useful strategies only some of the time. In the end, the best thing to do may be the simplest and that is to play blackjack to have fun.
