I really find it astounding knowing there are a number of players who believe certain misinformation being spread by fellow players and even dealers themselves regarding the game blackjack. Here are just some of them examples of Misinformation on Blackjack.
Misinformation on Blackjack: “Picture Cards Always Follow Picture Cards.”
In this regard, certain players will decline to hit their stiff hands once they recognize a picture card appears out of the shoe. Rationale behind this is that they suppose that “a picture card always follows a picture card.” That is indeed not the case. The truth is, it’s actually the opposite that makes sense, and that once you see a picture card, the probability that the next card will be another picture card becomes less likely. To explain why, if a picture card just presents itself, it now suggests that a fewer of them must be in the unplayed deck of cards. Which means there’s less chance you draw another one.
“Always Figure the Dealer Has a 10 in the Hole.”
A standard deck of 52 cards includes 16 ten-valued cards (the four tens, jacks, queens and kings). That now leaves 36 non-ten-valued cards in a deck. So practically, only 31% of the cards in a deck are “tens” and 69% are non-tens. Essentially, there are about twice as many non-tens as tens. So the more likely scenario is that the casino dealer will have a non-ten in the hole instead of a ten.
“That Third Baseman is Killing Me.”
There has been a belief by many players that the third base player has the capability to “bring down” the entire table. Some even believe that for the sake of his fellow players, the third base player should “sacrifice his hand”. Well the truth is, how your fellow players play their hands doesn’t really factor your chances of winning (or losing), and yes, that includes the third baseman.
Undoubtedly, the round could have resulted differently if the third baseman takes a card when he supposedly shouldn’t however, what could cause everyone to win their hand as well as losing, is his lack of skills. At the end of the day, it’s the same, it isn’t going to change your probability of winning and losing. This might not sound appealing but you can try playing with six chimpanzees and still it won’t make any difference in your chances of winning or losing.
“Always Insure the Good Hands.”
Most of the time, players will prefer insuring a 10-10 but never a 5-3. But know this, it’s actually the worse play to insure a 20 than an 8. That is because you are actually betting that the dealer has a ten in the hole (for a blackjack) when you make the insurance bet. Considering the fact that you’re holding two ten-value cards (with your 20), it means the probability that the dealer’s hole is a ten is less than if you held a 5-3. Therefore, insurance is a poor bet but it’s even a worse bet when you hold a “good hand”.
“Don’t Mess with the Order of the Cards.”
A lot of players tremble the moment a new player enters a game in mid-shoe. The reason behind is that such scenario will change the order of the cards that will be dealt to players and they presume that this causes disadvantage to the players. Well this actually doesn’t make any sense. In the first place, you don’t know what the order of the cards is in the shoe and once a new player alters the order, it could just “help you as much as hurt you”. It’s not that the order of the cards is inviolable.
Misinformation on Blackjack: “Press your Luck.”
Numerous players who win two or three hands consecutively have the tendency to start pressing (increasing) their bets to take advantage of the luck they’re having. Again, this doesn’t sound appealing but realistically, winning in the previous two or three hands doesn’t exactly mean it has bearing on your probability of triumph on the next hand. In blackjack, the odds of winning any hand is approximately 42% regardless of the number of hands you won previously. Hence, “pressing your luck” seems thrilling but it will not win you more money ultimately. You are actually exposing your bankroll more to the house edge by betting more money.
