Is Winning at Blackjack all About Luck?

Blackjack, or 21, is one of the most popular casino games in the world and is played by thousands of players across the globe. However, there has been an argument raging for years within the game. How much of the game is luck and how much of it is skill? There are cases to support both sides.

The most logical approach is to suggest there is a bit of both. If you were to rely on one or the other then you would find yourself to not be a very successful player, at least not in the long run. You can reference the Blackjack Basic Strategy chart as much as you like. You can work out what the best decision to make is by working out your chances of victory when comparing your cards with the dealer’s cards. However, at the end of the day, no-one knows what the next card is going to be so in that respect luck is required if you are to win on a regular basis.

Blackjack is a game that requires some thought and analysis though. Players need to know when to HIT, STAND, DOUBLE or SPLIT to make the most of their cards and to ensure that the dealer has as little opportunity to beat them as well. This is where the game thrives on its skill and ability of the player. The strategies involved and used by players can increase their chances of winning. That is why some Blackjack portals offer a free Blackjack practice tool, aimed at increasing players’ skills. Still, luck is needed to make sure that the players’ cards beat the dealer’s cards when it comes to the crunch. In summary, without luck then the player will not win and without some level of skill then the player has decreased chances of winning.

And then there is the card counting factor. Despite being frowned upon by casinos, and is problematic to execute in online casinos it is not illegal to count cards in Blackjack so it is present within the game. It does take quite a lot of skill and learning to perfect the art of card counting. By card counting, the player works out the probability of certain cards being drawn by working out the percentage of high valued cards compared to low valued cards, present in the game. This can help to give the player a bigger advantage over the dealer because they can improve their chances of success by knowing which cards are more likely to be drawn and hence, make a more educated decision based on what they have in front of them. There are various card counting strategies such as ‘KO’, ‘Hi Lo’ and ‘Omega II’ plus many more. This shows just how in depth and skilled the process is. It must be understood that this doesn’t determine entirely the success rate of the player. A certain percentage of luck is still required to succeed. But while card counting does not guarantee success, it definitely dramatically increases the winning odds.

In summary, Blackjack requires both skill and luck in order to win long term. While luck may determine your results in the short run, longer term your odds will be highly influenced by the skill you bring into the game. This is why Blackjack will remain forever popular with the masses. It has the appeal of a game that requires some education but it also holds the exhilaration of unpredictability and the unknown in a perfect balance.

More Tools

Follow luckmeter on Twitter