How to Practice Blackjack

Here is where the real work begins. Learning the rules is only the beginning of being a blackjack player. Learning how to play blackjack is about practice.

Why You Should Practice

Looking at blackjack from the point of view that it is a game of skill, practice becomes a necessity. The only real way of improving a skill is to do it over and over and over again. The good news is that this is a game you chose and that you enjoy, so practicing it should not be too painful.

If you are playing according to basic strategy, and you should be, then you know that if you play it perfectly you can lower the house edge to 0.5%. But this does not happen right away. It takes time and, yes, practice.

While you can use a basic strategy chart in a casino or an online casino, it actually can slow you down a bit. You have to check what the chart tells you to do. Then your brain has to tell you whether what the chart says is okay to do. Usually it is easy to do what it says. But there are times, such as when you are dealt a stiff hand, that it is hard to do so. Your brain just does not want to cooperate. You have to train you brain so that it understands why it is best to do what the chart says.

The benefit of practicing blackjack is that the moves prescribed by basic strategy will become second nature. You will not second guess yourself or undermine your own playing strategy. And, best of all, you will have confidence in winning. And let’s not forget that by playing perfect basic strategy, you can lower the house edge to 0.5%.

Becoming a skilled blackjack player can increase your chances of winning, and therefore, the amount you win.

How to Practice Blackjack

It would be great if you could sit down with your friends and practice blackjack any time you felt like it. Unfortunately that may not be the easiest thing to do all the time.

There is, however, another way to practice blackjack.

Online casinos have free instant play versions of their games. All you do is click on the instant play button, create a player account, and then choose to play blackjack. You can practice to your heart’s content for free. Do not worry about having to create a player account—it is free and is there so that the casino staff can help you if you run into any problems. And playing and practicing online will remain unless you deposit money.

Practicing online can help because the gaming software will keep the rules in place like if you were playing with a live dealer. And you can practice using basic strategy until it becomes second nature. The best part of practicing blackjack online is that it is free, so you can save your money for when you want to play for real, whether it is with friends, in a casino or online.

If you are looking to improve how you play blackjack, do not underestimate the benefit of practicing.