The Seven Deadly Sins of Blackjack

Blackjack is a game of luck, discipline and memory. Luckily the memory aspect can be removed with online Blackjack, making it possible for you to win even if you’re not Rain Man. That leaves discipline and luck, and by applying large dozes of the discipline element you have the possibility of largely superseding the element of luck.

To paint a picture I will use the Seven Deadly Sins. Pay attention, because I will touch base with the most important lessons of Blackjack. It also falls natural to discuss responsible gambling in this article.

Wrath. As with gambling in general, do not play Blackjack when you are emotionally unbalanced. Responsiblegambling.org writes: “It is hard to make good decisions about gambling when you are feeling down.” It is hard not to agree with this.   

Greed. Gambling and greed goes hand in hand with bankroll management. Or like your grandma used to tell you: Don’t spend it all at once. Just because you are winning, it doesn’t mean you should recklessly increase the stakes. But if you are winning you should increase the stakes. I would recommend something called 1-2-3-4 progression or 50% progression. With 1-2-3-4 progression you increase the number of units per bet every time you win. So if you are betting €10 and win, you bet €20. If you win again, bet €30, and so on. If you lose, you go back to the initial stake. If you are following the 50% progression strategy you increase your bet with 50% every time you win. If you lose, return to the initial stake.

Bottom line: It’s OK to be little greedy when you are winning.

Sloth. In short, this sin can be described as failure to utilize one’s talents and gifts. When related to Blackjack this means counting cards if you are up for it. It can most definitely be described as a talent, and not everyone can do it even if it’s of course easier with an online casino. You can read more about Blackjack and card counting here. Also, if you get a gift of two picture cards or tens, you should never split; even of the dealer has an ace.

The rules of responsible gambling say you should balance gambling with other activities so that gambling does not become too big a part of your life. So don’t sit in front of the computer all day, go on outside and enjoy your skills and favorite activities.

Pride. If you’re losing, don’t be proud and gamble away the remainders of your bankroll. You should always walk away from a Blackjack table if luck is against you.

Lust. No matter how keen you are on winning back what you have lost, you should never chase losses by going over your limit. This usually leads to even bigger losses.

Envy. Never mind if the rich business next to you is betting three times as much as you each round. He will go broke before you. Stick to your game plan.

Gluttony. You probably remember the scene from Seven with the fat man who was force fed until he burst? He was being punished for gluttony, the over-indulgence and over-consumption of anything to the point of waste. So if you win, spend your money wisely.

Before we go on to find the Reversed House Edge there is one more deadly sin in Blackjack: To buy insurance. Constantly buying insurance at Blackjack tables will kill your bankroll, no doubt. So NEVER buy Blackjack insurance. Remember, the insurance salesman keeps us poor all our lives so we can die rich.