The 10 most common blackjack mistakes

The 10 mistakes

1. Mimicking the dealer (hit to 17, never double or split). It feels safe, but the house edge climbs to about 5.5%, ten times more than with basic strategy.
2. Taking insurance "to protect" a good hand. It loses about 7% of the amount insured, whatever your hand. The math.
3. Standing on 12 to 16 against 7 or higher for fear of busting. The dealer usually ends on 17 or more: standing loses about 3 times in 4.
4. Hitting 12 to 16 against 4, 5 or 6. The dealer is the one in danger: let him bust (more than 4 times in 10 with a 5 or 6).
5. Not doubling 10 or 11 against a weak card. These are the most profitable plays in the game. When to double.
6. Standing on A,7 against 9, 10 or ace. Soft 18 looks good, but you should hit: one card can't bust you.
7. Splitting 10s. You break a hand that wins nearly 8 times in 10 against a 5 or 6.
8. Not splitting 8s against a 9 or 10. 16 is the worst hand; two hands of 8 lose less.
9. Playing at a 6:5 table. Blackjack paid 6 to 5 costs more than all your playing mistakes combined (+1.4% house edge).
10. Playing fast and tired. Most mistakes happen on hands the player "knows". A few minutes of drills a day is enough to wipe them out.

The myths

• "The dealer is on a streak, he has to lose." Each round is almost independent of the last. Only card counting measures a real change.
• "The player at third base took my card." His choices change your cards unpredictably: he helps you as often as he hurts you.
• "Double your bet after a loss" (Martingale). No betting system changes the house edge. You swap many small wins for a few very big losses.
• "Counting cards is illegal." It is just thinking. Casinos do have the right to refuse a player, though.
• "You need to memorise thousands of cards to count." No: Hi-Lo is +1, 0 or -1 per card. How it works.

How to fix them fast

1. Take the 20-hand quiz to see where you go wrong.
2. Play in coach mode: every mistake is flagged and explained until you click "Got it".
3. Check your most frequent mistakes in your stats and drill them with the flash exercise.

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