Blackjack is a card game in which a player attempts to obtain a total of 21 in two cards. To achieve this result, the player must receive a pair of aces or a ten-card. If the player is successful, he or she receives one-and-a-half times their bet, while a dealer collects all the bets of the players. However, the player who does not have a natural gets nothing from the game, and the dealer keeps the remaining chips. Basic strategy is the mathematically optimal way to play blackjack If you’re new to playing blackjack, you’ve probably heard about basic strategy. This mathematically-optimal method of playing the game is one of the most important things you can learn as a new player. Not only does it offer a mathematical advantage over the house, it’s also the simplest to remember. This strategy can be memorized in one hour or less. The difference between a simplified version of basic strategy and the full version is only 0.2%. The basics of basic strategy are presented in a chart that shows every possible combination of hands and what action to take when faced with them. This chart follows the basic strategy rules and will result in correct decisions. If you’re playing blackjack for cash, you can refer to the chart to help you learn how to apply it to different situations. It can also be applied to strategy charts. The strategy chart can be found online. Insurance bets are sucker bets The insurance side bet is called such because it feels like protection for the player’s hand, but it is not. In blackjack, insurance is not a real form of insurance, it is simply a bet on the dealer having a blackjack. Nevertheless, some advanced players form a card counting team to make the most of the insurance bet. They often win, while other players lose. The biggest advantage of insurance betting is that it increases the house edge to nearly seven percent. However, insurance bets are profitable for those who have learned basic blackjack strategy. For example, if a player has a ten-value card, the payout is 3:2. Moreover, if a player has a twenty, insurance is advantageous as he will not lose money on a ten-valued card. Splitting aces is a poor blackjack play The best time to split an Ace is when you have an ace and a ten-card, because the ten will not count against the ace and create a weak hand. The problem with splitting an Ace is that it limits your chances of completing a Blackjack hand mathematically. In many casinos, it is not possible to split Aces if your first card is 11. This is because the ten-card is considered a non-blackjack 21. However, when the ace is paired with the ten-card, you are awarded a 2-to-1 payout. Another time to split an Ace is when the deck contains more ten-value cards than eights. You will increase your chances of making 21 if you get a ten on your ace. Also, splitting an Ace is not a good strategy if the dealer has a power card. This situation is more common in blackjack games. You can make a more advantageous hand when you know the count of cards in your deck. Removing all the tens from the deck decreases the house edge In most casinos, removing all the tens from the deck reduces the house edge by 0.14 percent. In addition, splitting aces into two hands also decreases the house edge by 0.06%. However, most casinos will allow two separate hands when a player has an ace. If you want to play two new hands, you will need to remove all the tens from the deck. The house edge of blackjack decreases by 5% when the game is played with fewer than thirteen decks. With fewer than thirteen decks, a player may develop a strategy that is composition-dependent. Decisions to hit or stand may be affected by the total of a player’s hand. However, a large number of decks makes strategy effectively total-dependent. A sufficiently large deck has 125 cards.