BlackJack is useful in the ability to keep a level head whilst there is an immediate risk of money lost dependent on your decision-making. The strategy that I will be using and working to master is the Basic Strategy. I chose this because it is based on the mathematically correct decision on any possible hand that can be dealt with. It also looks at exploiting an advantage such as doubling down and minimizing the risk of losing (not avoiding it).
The player initially receives two cards and can be dealt as many additional cards as they would like. The goal is to get closer to 21 without going over than the dealer does. All numeric cards are worth the number on them, all face cards are worth 10, and As can be worth either one or 11, whichever option gives the player the highest total without exceeding 21. The best possible hand is being dealt blackjack, which is an A combined with a 10 or a face card. This two-hand combination also outranks somebody hitting 21 with three or more cards.
Strategy
In order to prove a strategy, one would have to reveal the end target beforehand. I won’t say the exact goals but I will state the thinking that will move me forward. One thing that I can also state is that the goals will be attacked with great intensity by using the rule of a 12-week year.
It is very important to pair strategy with action and as with all things in life, with repetition comes mastery. I use the three activities below to work on specific skills.
Game Theory
For those that weren’t aware, game theory is the study of how people make decisions in a strategic manner. The best-known example of game theory is the prisoner’s dilemma, which loosely tells the origins of ‘no snitching’. However, that would be oversimplifying the complexity of the study. The aim is to understand and become a game strategist. A skill that is essential in the areas in which I have interests, such as the financial markets, machines and deep learning.
I would like to develop my k-level of reasoning with the activities that I will mention shortly. The ‘k’ in k-level stands for the number of times a cycle of reasoning is repeated. Evidence suggests that people stop at the k-2 level or only think 2 steps ahead if you want to use a chess analogy.
The basic strategy gives me a slight edge and guides my actions with the belief that over time, mathematics will work in my favour. But one strategy can’t stand in isolation.
2-1-2 strategy
The 2-1-2 works a little like the d’Alembert system but instead of increasing your bet after a win, you first reduce your bet. Win again and the bet then increases.
The clue is in the name of the system: players start with two units – R20, for example. If they hit a winning hand, they reduce their bet to R10. Win again, and the bet jumps to R30. Win again, and the bet jumps to R40.
Remind yourself that once a hand ends, it will have no impact on the next one. In other words, there is no momentum, especially true in this form of the game as the electronic deck is essentially reshuffled after every hand. Only gamble with an amount of money that you are okay with losing so that you do not get overly stressed when making decisions. Doing your best to relax and have fun will also help you make the most optimal choices possible.