Blackjack - Luck or Skill ?

It is been a long-standing argument all over the world - Is blackjack really about luck, or about skill? There have been many points and rebuttals thrown around to support or refute either, but the simple answer is that it is not that simple!

Lady Luck

Blackjack is not a straightforward dichotomy of pure luck or pure skill. Both are important factors for any successful player, and relying too heavily on either one will surely lead to losses and consternation. Blackjack and other similar card games have been favorites with professors of probability and statistics for obvious reasons.

With just 52 cards, there are already thousands of possibilities and hands to consider. The sheer immensity of that number, however, could spell bad news for you if you know little about applying the odds to your advantage.

Conversely, it could also spell good news for you. That is the strange thing about luck. You never know when it is going to happen, but you are bound to win sooner or later. You are ensured that you will eventually bring home the pot. Without this there would be little point, or fun in playing!

Relying on luck alone will only get you so far in becoming a winning player. Studying the game and reading books, along with using counting software is a sure fire way to make sure you make the most of your luck when it dose happen. You can find more information and products to help you at our books, Dvd's, e books and software page.

This is why a big part of the contemporary blackjack strategy includes things like calculating for pot odds and, to some extent, card counting. Contrary to what some believe, practicing those concepts does not necessarily improve the odds for you. They just help you find out when the odds are right to bet, hit, sit, double or split. All things considered, that is a very close second to actually improving your odds.

Strength in Skill

When you say skill in blackjack, it involves a combination of experience, knowledge of the game, and a little bit of high school mathematics thrown in. Now, experience and knowledge might be familiar words to you. And we will discuss both these factors.

Experience helps you react faster because you are used to dealing with many situations and the right responses to them. there are times when playing blackjack, or any other card game for that matter, when experience counts. An example may be playing multiple hands at once. A beginner may freeze at the amount of choices to make, whilst a seasoned player will know what to do by instinct alone.

Knowledge refers to the theoretical component of blackjack which includes concepts like bankroll management. This is broadly discussed under build your blackjack bankroll, and should be applied to any serious player with a long term goal of winning. Theory also applies to how you use the rules and strategy of playing blackjack to your advantage.

As for the part about mathematics, it is basically for the calculations that were referred to above. You should be able to perform the quick calculations that are needed for card counting, an essential blackjack skill. The more complex and multifaceted techniques for card counting, in particular, require you to be able to do such computations along with factoring in other considerations, such as what will the next player do, and why.

As many blackjack tournament promoters would advertise, blackjack also involves skill. However, you should not focus only on skill to bring home the pot of money for you. Luck makes sure that you are bound to win eventually, while skill makes sure that you make the most of it when that time does arrive. Together they are a powerful force.

The experienced blackjack players who make it to the tournaments, win, and then onto fame (or in some cases, infamy) will tell you that it takes both the factor of luck and the advantage of skill to become a consistent winner. This is what separates the good players from the great ones.

Free Tip: Never rely on luck alone, make the time to study the game by reading books, watching Dvd's and using counting software to gain an edge.