Blackjack Basics

If you ever fancied a career as a blackjack player then there are a few things that you are going to have to come to terms with. Firstly, don’t expect to make any money! Has that statement shocked you? Well it really ought to because for one thing, after twenty years of being both on the inside and the outside then I really ought to know.

This has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that blackjack can be beaten or not. We all know that the game can be theoretically beaten, anyone who has ever heard of the term “card counting” probably understands that the game can be beaten. If you thought that I was going to start talking about basic strategy or basic card counting systems then you can think again.

This is because what I am saying is basic blackjack knowledge. So just what are your chances of making it as a blackjack player? I would say somewhere between slim and non and the slim was at best. Before you start jumping on your high horse and claim that I must be some loser who is spouting off simply because he has never made the game pay personally then think again.

I ran one of the best teams in Europe between 1998 and 2002 so I really ought to know what I am talking about. But like with all forms of professional gambling, most people are simply not cut out for it psychologically. This is before we even look at areas like bankroll, variance (which is very severe in blackjack), longevity of career, a sparseness of casinos and I could go on and on and on.

Let me ask you a question, do you think that making money in blackjack is a simple process of acquiring knowledge and then repeating it? Because if you do then you are in for a rude awakening my friend! You could be the best blackjack player in the country, in Europe or even the entire World and it may all count for jack if you get caught.

Have you got the stomach to accept huge gut wrenching losses? You see that’s just it with gambling, it seduces people for the simple reason being that it is an intensely fascinating subject. In fact the topic is so fascinating that you could easily take a doctorate in gambling and still not come anywhere near to covering everything.

However, knowledge is enough in many fields. If you were a very skilled computer programmer then you may easily become one of the top practitioners in your field simply by knowing an awful lot of stuff and having imagination. You won’t be prevented by outside influences from earning your living and you certainly will not have to hide the fact of what you do to others.

Then you won’t have to experience the sensation of going home at the end of your working day with the thought that you are now worth less money than before you left to go to work. If all this is painting a gloomy picture then it is simply meant to. In no other sphere of gambling is a professionals career so short lived as in blackjack. Even if you are successful then the casinos may clock that you are being successful and once again they are onto you……still think that you want to play blackjack seriously?

This article was written by Carl “The Dean” Sampson author of Princes of Darkness: The World of Highstakes Blackjack