Gambling in modern times is not so much different than what it has always been, at least when it comes to the core principles of wagering money on a game you enjoy. Gambling is gambling and there is not much that can be changed in the well-known formula no matter the range of technological marvels at our disposal. While it is true that traditional casino gambling used to be the main thing, nowadays it is the online variety that is the most popular type. Logging into your online account and playing the games you know and love from the comfort of your home or on the go is the only difference. It is a big one, sure, but everything else is largely the same. Most importantly, the games themselves are the same.
Technology Changes but the Formula Stays
Again, despite the changes in technology and the overall approach we have towards gambling, the general premises of the most popular casino games cannot be improved upon. These fun activities have been thought of and played for at least a couple of centuries now and nothing significant has really changed. You used to play it with physical cards and be surrounded by other people, both fellow players and casino staff. Now, everything is virtual and digital but the game and its rules remain. The same goes for skill-based games as well as for luck-based ones. As a matter of fact, the core trio of classic games that make up most of casino gambling is also unchanged. Poker, roulette, and blackjack are equally as popular now as they always were, perhaps even more so since more people play them.
Talking Blackjack
In this article, it is the game of blackjack that we are interested in the most. One of the classic big three, it is the game that many gamblers like for its combination of simplicity and challenge. While it may seem simple and straightforward on the surface, it still takes a lot to win in it more often than you lose and therefore have a positive experience. In order to have a good and fun time, while winning money and saving money at the same time, you need to know exactly how much your bankroll should be in blackjack. If you know nothing about this, worry not. Keep reading this article and you will get a chance to learn. It is all about money management, like in most other things in life, and by the end of the article, you will have the know-how to do it right. If you want to know more about online gambling and therefore blackjack, make sure to visit here and find out about some of the best online casinos to try out.
Bankroll Management
In gambling, the term bankroll refers to the amount of money you devote to playing your favorite games. It is usually what the gambler has brought with them for a daily gambling session. Basically, the money you decided to spend on your favorite casino games for the day is your bankroll. So what should it be for blackjack and are there any rules to this? Surely different people play with different amounts of money, right? But are there those among them who do it right and who would that be? Should it be measured in the tens, or hundreds of dollars, perhaps thousands? Obviously, there is no one general rule as people do and expect different things with gambling. Of course, not everyone is willing to spend the same amount of money on it nor are they financially stable enough to do so. Still, there are some general tips and rules regarding how much your blackjack bankroll should be.
The General Rule of Thumb
The basic premise of trying to spend as little is possible is rather simple. The bets you make should be big enough to maximize your profit the gambling gods are smiling down on you when your chances are low. On the contrary, limiting what you spend when the cards do not favor you is perhaps even more important. So minimizing the risk equals small bets, while maximizing the profit when the circumstances allow it equals big bets. Both bad and good streaks will happen as it is normal, but the important bit to know how and when to bust out of the bad streak. The pros use advanced mathematics to determine their bankroll size, but that is too much. Instead of this, you should calculate it based on the number of bets you want to make.
For playing blackjack, a table game like many others, between 50 and 100 decisions per hour are made. Therefore, the minimum session bankroll for a three-hour session should be 50 bets. This is lower than on slots where you need to play more to earn anything, and where a session lasts much, much less. Unless you are willing to pay a minimum of 50 bets, it makes no sense to play blackjack. For table poker, it is 100 bets, and for video poker, it is 150. Most table bets pay either 1:1, 2:1, or 3:1. When one calculates the size of their bankroll, it is important to keep in mind that the average bet is your guideline. So if you bet between $15 and $20 per hand, the minimum of 50 bets would imply that your bankroll for blackjack should be between $750 and $1,000. Do you see the pattern now?
Basically, you multiply the average bet per hand that you tend to make with the minimum amount of bets that will take you to get something out of your session. For blackjack, it is customary to make 50 bets over the course of three hours and that is what matters. For a fair chance of catching a hot streak and winning money, you need to be able to spend more than a few hundred bucks. If you come in with only $250, you have a 30% chance of losing it over 100 hands. Going in with a few dollars per hand and making too many bets over a few hours is not the way to play blackjack and win money. Remember this rule of thumb and be willing to spend more to earn more.