Couple of Common Mistakes in Blackjack
First common mistake beginners make is to stand too often on their stiff hands (12,13,14,15, and 16). Players are naturally afraid to hit these hands because every one of them could make a total of 22 or more with a single hit. But when the dealer has a high card (7, 8, 9,10, or ace) showing, your best odds of winning come from hitting and giving yourself a chance of making a better total.
There are some beginners who think the best way to play is to play the same way the dealer plays: Hit all sixteens and stand on all seventeens. This is not actually true. The object of the game is not to make a hand as close to 21 as possible, but to beat the dealer. Often the best way to do this is to stand with a low total, sometimes as low as 12.
A Good Tip: Here’s how many players think: If I hit this 14, I risk busting my hand right here and now. But maybe the dealer has a 6 in the hole. If I don’t take a hit, my hand still has a chance. Maybe the dealer’s hand will bust.
Every player on the table is afraid that he will be responsible for his own loss. You must fight for the hand’s survival by taking the hit, giving it a chance of becoming a stronger hand against that 10. With a 14 against a 10, you must fight to the death.
Second Common Mistake is that some beginners think the best way to play is to play the same way the dealer plays: Hit all sixteens and stand on all seventeens. The object of the game is not to make a hand as close to 21 as possible, but to beat the dealer. Often the best way to do this is to stand with a low total, sometimes as low as 12.
Useful Tip: This is the general logic of casino blackjack. But if you just consider this logic when studying the basic black jack strategy, the pattern will become clear to you and it should not be too difficult to memorize.