Play Defense When Playing Blackjack
Let’s begin with an understanding of blackjack and Playing 4 Keeps®.
First, the casino has the advantage, unless you are skilled with counting cards and can play perfect basic strategy. Basic strategy is the mathematical proven play comparing the dealer’s up card to the player’s hand. Card counting is a simple way of accounting for the cards exposed during play and establishing a ratio with the cards left in the deck, yet to be exposed. Sometimes we are playing offence when using these well-known techniques. However, there are times when we rely on these advantages to play defense and save our bet.
Obviously, as advantage players, we sit down at a blackjack table with the intention to win. With a command of basic strategy, the skilled player has close to even odds at -.5% depending on the house rules. Knowing basic strategy and knowing when to make the correct play accounts for two of our advantages. Another advantage is playing defense. Did you know that many of the basic strategy plays are defensive plays? Sometimes you are not playing to win. Sometimes you make a defensive move to stave off a loss. Reducing losses in any casino table game is essential to winning more sessions. With this important understanding, I’ll address three options for playing defense, surrender, insurance, and even money.
Casinos discouraged card counters from playing their game simply by removing or installing rules to restrict advantage players. Surrender can be an advantage play for a card counter. Thus, casinos rarely offer surrender. However, surrender is making a comeback albeit limited. The resurrection of surrender may be due, in part, to players’ lack of understanding how and when to implement surrender. Surrender, perhaps, seems counter intuitive and somewhat of an obscure move. I feel that the average player is leery of a money losing play rather than to consider it a strategic defense.
Surrender means you give up half of your bet, when it is your turn to play and surrender your cards to the dealer. Essentially, the player pays the casino a 50% commission to get out of the hand. It does not sound like a good defense, appearing more like a duck and cover move.
Casinos love the novice or uninformed players, holding a stiff hand, cheerfully give up half a bet assuming losing half is better than risking all of it. The casino is paid money with no exposure to risk. Once surrendering, it eliminates any possibility of having to pay that player. I have witnessed novice players give up stiff hand after hand. They boldly surrender, acting as though they made a clever play. However, when they become of aware that much of their betting stack is missing, they seem less clever.
When you know that 40% of the hands dealt are drawing hands, you then understand the necessity of basic strategy, card counting, and playing every hand to win. Otherwise, it is flying blind, literally gambling with your money. So, where is the defense with surrender when offered in a blackjack game?
Surrender your hand when you have made a pressed bet, four to six units and your hand is stiff against the dealer’s up card seven or more. In this scenario with a larger bet, a count of plus four or more determines an increase in the units wagered. In other words, if the wager is a maximum bet, the exact count must also reflect a high plus value, expecting the big cards coming out. This situation provides an advantage to the player as the ten-count cards are out of probability. Drawing a pat hand of 19, 20, or 21 is favored with a high plus count. When holding a stiff hand you will have to draw and risk breaking or play chicken, standing with a frail hope that the dealer will break. Drawing a stiff hand with a high plus count means the odds are good for you to bust. Standing with a stiff hand, you can only win if the dealer busts. Under these conditions, if the dealer’s up card is seven or greater, your choice to concede half of your pressed bet is a better move than risk losing it all.
Surrendering with a stiff hand does have an exception and that is when the dealer is also stiff. The dealer must draw to 17. In this scenario, you would stand with your stiff hand and let the dealer take the card that breaks his hand.
If you are going to surrender, do so verbally and loudly so that the dealer hears you. The hand signal is to drag your finger as if drawing a line behind the betting box. I am not keen with this hand signal. There is a potential for a misunderstanding by the dealer as a signal for a hit. In a shoe game, I verbalize, “surrender” and wait for the dealer’s instruction for a hand signal. In a hand held game, I say “surrender”, expose my cards to the dealer, making eye contact, and toss in the cards once my play is recognized by the dealer. It is probably the most obvious surrender to the eye in the sky. Remember, in a shoe game, you do not touch the cards.
Insurance pays 2:1. Insurance is a second wager, half of your bet, to protect your bet in the event that the dealer, with and ace up, has a ten count card in the hole. Place cheques in the “insurance circle” ahead of the betting box. Essentially, you make an insurance bet when you think that the dealer has a natural, twenty-one, blackjack. If the dealer has the blackjack, he removes the bet in the betting box and pays your insurance bet double. When you win the insurance bet, winning results in a push instead of a loss, defending the bet. If the dealer does not hold a blackjack, he removes your insurance bet before further play.
Never take insurance unless you know the exact count. You need an exact count of plus four or more if you are to consider insurance.
Also, consider if you have a hand worth insuring. If the dealer has an ace up and no blackjack, the possibility of making a hand of 17 or greater is very possible for the dealer, even with a drawing hand. If you hold a stiff hand, you are at risk to break the hand by drawing, losing both bets. You want to minimize loses. If, on the other hand, you hold 18, 19, or 20, you may want to take insurance with a second chance to win back the insurance bet.
What if you hold a natural 21 facing the dealer’s up card an ace? Expose your cards and politely ask for even money, thank you.
When you draw a natural twenty-one, facing a dealer’s ace, always ask for “even money, thank you.” In a game with odds against you to win, never mess with a winning hand. Take the money. When the dealer askes for insurance bets, you shout out EVEN MONEY, THANK YOU!
When you are Playing 4 Keeps® it is never wrong to take a profit.
Learn more about Playing 4 Keeps® with Blackjack for Winners™ playbook.
Copyright© 2021 Michael Vernon