The point of this article is to bring some reality to playing blackjack. Some people feel they can quit their jobs and make a living playing blackjack. Very few can do this. The ones who can usually get banned from casinos.

By using the techniques described in this post, you can expect to win sometimes in blackjack—or at least minimize your losses and have a good time playing. What follows are some mistaken notions people have about blackjack. Don’t fall victim to these.

By knowing the basic blackjack strategy and applying it perfectly, I can always win at blackjack. This is not true. By applying the basic blackjack strategy, you can cut your losses to a minimum, not guarantee winning.

The rules of casino blackjack favor the house. By using basic blackjack strategy, you can lower the house’s advantage over you. You can never get the upper hand by only using this basic strategy.

By counting cards, I can always win at playing blackjack. This is not true. By counting cards you can get an idea of what’s remaining in the deck, but you certainly can’t predict what cards are going to be played next. By knowing what’s remaining in the deck, you can cut your losses and maximize your profits.

Be warned, though, casinos carefully watch players who vary their bets by large margins. They take such variations as evidence that a player is counting cards. Play it safe. If you’re counting cards, be sure to only increase your bets by a couple of units at most when the deck is in your favor.

A sure way to get banned from a casino is to bet the minimum until the deck gets a high positive count and then a couple hundred dollars.

Really good basic blackjack strategy players who count cards can make a living playing blackjack. In most cases this is not true. If you think grinding out from a casino is easy, then you’re sorely mistaken. After all, your bankroll must be able to take large losing streaks.

A professional blackjack player claimed he averaged just over a year from playing blackjack for sixteen years. (Also, for every professional blackjack player who might be able to make a living at the game, there are thousands of players who are losing, some small and some big.).

Remember that casino blackjack is geared for the casino to win. For short periods of time players can win against the casino, however, over the long haul the casino will always win against the player.