New Year’s Resolution Idea: Switch Exclusively to Blackjack [Chance Favors the Prepared Mind]

The pinching period of the year has come. It’s time to remind ourselves, again, how fast time flies — 2019 was on afterburners — and how transient we are, which is why we devote holiday season and Christmas to loved ones and those in need. December is also the month of New Year’s resolutions. Some people diligently make the new list every year; others discard the idea and simply proceed from one to another. No rights or wrongs there, we all do as we please. Regardless of the inclination, the fact remains: New Year allows new beginnings in everlasting pursuit of a healthier, happier life to everyone — including gamblers.

As we bottom line our annual gaming performances, we find some of them satisfactory, we realize there are a few ones that could have gone different ways, we see those we’d like to take back. That’s OK —gambling is a never ending learning process, just as life.

The real December’s question is always the same: what can we do to improve, get better, and become more successful in the games we play?

Here is one answer and suggestion for potential New Year’s resolution — switch exclusively to blackjack, go deep, master it fully, and play nothing else.

Assuming there are a couple of guys out there contemplating the similar declaration — although, ittingly, this one’s not for everyone — let’s see what would be the reasoning behind it.

Why? How could it develop? To what end?

Why Should You Do It?

First and foremost, because there’s not a single game in the world with a better house edge, which alone should be more than enough to give blackjack a proper chance.

If you play roulette in Europe, the house edge is 2.7 percent; in the United States, it’s 5.26 percent — the difference comes from one extra pocket on the American wheel. Baccarat? It’s 1.06 percent on the banker, 1.24 percent on the dealer, 14.36 percent on the tie. In Caribbean Stud Poker, it’s 5.22 percent, not including casino rake. Slots are anywhere between 5 and 12 percent.

In of blackjack’s house edge well below zero — which is the multi-faceted phenomenon to be well understood — the question is, frankly, what are we waiting for?

Secondly, well-developed and proven strategy is within the grasp. There are no ifs and buts; there are only dos and don’ts. It’s learnable, doable, not that difficult — every graduate at any university has ed more difficult exams to get a degree — and requires only time and practice.

Which brings us to training: super-friendly, high-end facility (free at that) is nowadays available anytime, anyplace, on any device. It’s fully aligned to Wizard of Odds’ playing strategy, which authoritatively makes it worth a try.

Finally, blackjack has been around long enough to see several modifications and incarnations in casinos, all well documented, thus all the necessary resources are at hand.

How to Do It Successfully?

The only inhibitor on a way to be good at twenty-one is dispelling a few myths and misconceptions, playing it wisely, and devoting enough time to grow.

Speaking of wisdom, it comes down to being well informed and applying the principles of mathematics.

Why should you know all there is to know about blackjack? Because there are 6,912 variations of rules at hand and every single one reflects on the house edge.

So…

…find blackjack variant with the most potent combination and potential return, and stick to it.

This is not some ephemeral question, but a matter of mathematical precision. No need to be neither smart Alec nor the slave of the habit. Just use the right calculators and get your facts straight.

If you’re into paragons in this particular area — which is always a good idea, as long as they’re the right ones — revisit history and learn from the masters.

All the lessons you might encounter tell the same story: success has nothing to do with luck but with hard work, prepared mind, and prudent moves.

What Might Be the Best Steps?

After all, blackjack is not the most popular game in the world for no reason, and quite lucrative at that.

Financial performances in Nevada in 2018 — reported by the Center for Gaming Research at the UNLV — state that the annual twenty-one handle was $8.36 billion with a win amount of $1.14 billion, which is close to 13.70 percent.

This is telling for three reasons. Firstly, it shows it’s doable. Secondly, it’s a testimonial of how steep the learning curve is. Thirdly, in of iGaming, it sheds some light into live dealer blackjack that you should also give a shot.

Back to the right steps — the only person with the exact answer on how to make this work is you. You know yourself as no one else does. Make the best of it and devise a plan that puts your strengths at the forefront of your effort and the one that gives your weaknesses the time necessary to convert into skills.

Don’t rush it: slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Only small steps lead toward “standing on the shoulders of Giants.” Anything else is simply counter-productive and will send you back to square one.

In the end…

…mastering twenty-one is a question of time.

It’s safe to assume it might take you more than a few New Year’s resolutions to get it done.

But, do the very best you know how, the very best you can, and keep doing it until the end. If it brings you out all right, what’s said against you — or the game for that matter — won’t amount to anything. If the end, somehow, brings you out wrong, ten angels swearing you were right won’t make any difference.

That’s Abraham Lincoln.

If you add a lot of mandatory responsibility and dedication to the mix, you might as well do it right.

To that end, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, have a great New Year, give your best, and : “Chance favors only the prepared mind.”