10 Blackjack Myths Busted!

Whether you’re an amateur or professional blackjack player, you’ve likely come across more than a few theories about the popular casino game. Many believe and even base their gameplay, on such blackjack myths; however, the truth is they’re just misconceptions.

If you really want to enjoy your time playing Blackjack — without superstitions — join us as we debunk the most popular Blackjack myths one by one.

Myth #1 – Card Counting Is Illegal

Films like ‘21’ led many to believe this infamous blackjack technique is illegal. It isn’t — but land casinos don’t take kindly players who are good at winning and might ban you if you’re caught. Also, as clever as it is for physical casinos, it doesn’t work for online Blackjack. Since cards are shuffled before each hand, keeping track of low or high cards becomes near impossible.

Myth #2 – The Aim In Blackjack Is To Hit 21

Blackjack players generally try to get the closest hand they can to 21, but this is not the aim of the game. In fact, chasing 21 will likely end with you busting. The goal is always to beat the dealer by having a higher value hand, or by not busting when the dealer busts.

Myth #3 – Math Skills Help You Win At Blackjack

Aspiring blackjack players may think they need to be some kind of math whiz to succeed at the game. However, learning Blackjack rules, basic strategy — even card counting — is actually quite straightforward. We just suggest you practice your Blackjack skills to advance your game.

Myth #4 – Blackjack Always Has The Lowest House Edge

Statistically, playing with player-friendly rules and a perfect Blackjack strategy can lower the house edge to 0.5%. However, this varies depending on your skill level and how you play the game. In fact, poor strategy and unfavourable rules can raise the house edge quite a bit.

Myth #5 – The Dealer Is Too Hot (On A Winning Streak!)

Lots of players don’t join Blackjack tables where the dealer’s on a winning streak. Blackjack is a game of luck and skill, so winning streaks don’t matter and no one knows what the next hand can bring. Also, you never know when luck lets you ride a winning streak of your own.

Myth #6 – Unskilled Players Affect Your Winning Chances

Bad blackjack players cannot affect your game because their moves have no impact on the dealer’s ability to win or lose. Players play against the dealer and the result is random. So there’s no point avoiding tables with bad players.

Myth #7 – Progressive Betting Helps You Win

Progressive betting is when you double your bets with each loss until you finally win a hand or vice versa. But since each blackjack hand is random, no one can know whether your next turn will be a win or a loss. So you may find this system just doesn’t work, stealing from your bankroll instead of boosting it.

Myth #8 – Always Accept Even Money

If the dealer reveals an Ace, you may get offered Even Money or ‘Insurance’ bet which pays 2 to 1. Keep in mind though, that chances of the dealer having a blackjack are about 31%. So there’s a bigger chance they won’t have a blackjack. Even Money proposals simply increase the house edge and can lower your profits.

Myth #9 – The Dealer Always Has 10 In The Hole

It’s easy to automatically assume your dealer has a 10-value card in the hole, because you’re preparing for the worst, right? But remember, only 16 out of 52 cards in a deck have this value — that’s 30%. So it’s more likely that the dealer’s card has a value lower than 10 and any basic blackjack strategy would confirm it.

Myth #10 – Consecutive Losses Mean You’re Due A Win

You may be disappointed if you’re one of many players who believe their blackjack win is due after consecutive rounds. The problem here is that players continue to raise their bets, thinking their eventual winnings will cover past losses. However, the fact is that every Blackjack hand has the same 48% shot of winning (excluding ties), no matter how previous hands fared.

We hope that this article gave you some clarity on how to better manage your casino gameplay. If there’s anything we missed, please let us know in the comments.