The objective of Blackjack is to get the total value of your cards to 21 or as near to it as possible. In order to win your hand must be closer to the value that that of the dealer’s without overshooting it.

In this game, the suits of the cards are irrelevant; only their values matter. Face cards have 10 as their values. The Ace is the only variable in the game; its value is either one or eleven, depending on the value of the other cards in your hand. The Ace is an 11 if when summed up with the other cards in your hand, the total is goes over 21. (This is called “busting”) Its value is 1 if otherwise.

If a player busts, he loses even if the dealer also busts.

A “soft” total happens when a player has two cards that contain an Ace whose total is below or equal to 21 regardless of whether the Ace’s value is a 1 or an 11. If the player adds a 10 to his hand and the total still doesn’t cause him to bust, he now has a “hard” total.

Below is a short list of blackjack tips. These tips are meant as an addition to rudimentary blackjack tactics.

Blackjack Tips:

• Against a dealer’s card of equal or lower value, always break up7’s.
• Always break up 2’s or 3’s rather than a 4, 5, or 6.
• Regardless of what the dealer’s up card is always break up Aces and 8’s.
• Never break up face cards, 10’s, or 5’s.
• Stand on hard 17 or higher
• If the dealer has a 10, hit until you have 17 or higher.
• If going up against a dealer’s 10, hit a soft 17.
• Any chance you get, surrender a hard 15 against a dealer’s 10, and 16 (but not a pair of 8’s) against a dealer’s 9, 10 or Ace.
• Never take insurance unless you are counting cards
• Keep a tight rein on your emotions.
• The dealer is only the messenger; don’t blame him about your losses.
• Don’t blame other participants. If players at the table are vexing you with their tactics, you can always find another playing area.
• Scrutinize the last man at your table; if he seems agitated, at a loss on what to do, or desperate, move on.
• Don’t get easily enticed into playing with free drinks; losing your money is not worth it.
• Before playing always draw out limits on when to stop, win or lose.
• It is always to the player’s advantage to play on a game that has fewer decks. The casino/establishment always has a sharp rise in advantage if the deck when the game goes from a single deck to two albeit their edge is less noticeable if the game stacks more decks.
• Look for playing areas where the combination of rules present the player with an edge over the house.

Poker Tips:

• Play with people of equal level.
• Do not play in tables that have limits above what you are willing to risk.
• Lessen the random factor of the game by focusing more on hands that have higher values.
• Scrutinize your opponents. You can have inkling about your opponent’s hand by noting his mannerisms. Memorize his gestures and mannerisms and try to remember when he made those. Quickly associating these with specific situations can give you insights on what he’s holding.
• Unless you’re going to take the risk and raise, do not call.
• On the other side of the coin, do not be predictable. Remember, a skilled poker player is scrutinizing your every move as you are studying his. Keep them guessing.
• Bluffing is good and is an integral part of the game but do not use it to salvage a series of bad lucks. Use it only sparingly.