However, sitting on the Third Base can also cause troubles. I was playing a nice game of Blackjack last week and I saw a game filled with nice people; a man was sitting on the Third Base, possibly new to Blackjack. As the game progresses, this man sitting on the Third Base got scolded for making the ‘wrong move’ several times. Yes, you will receive the most scrutiny when you are sitting at the Third Base. When you get a big card that throws you out of the game — especially when the basic strategy told you otherwise — before the dealer hit a nice 3 for a total of 20, other players at the table tend to blame their losses on you.

Other players may get upset, but you need to remember that the dealer winning the round is entirely not your fault. The only person that can influence the outcome of your play is yourself. It would be best to study the basic strategy if you plan on sitting at the Third Base, though; at least you know how to justify you move and avoid upset players that will make it harder for you to focus on the game.

There are several unfavorable rules in the game of Blackjack — and some favorable ones as well — and you need to pick your table carefully in order to enjoy the most profitable playing environment. Dealer Hits Soft 17 and Blackjack Pays 6 to 5 are among the rules you should really try to avoid. Another rule that is actually quite unfavorable is the Double on 10 And 11 Only rule now used in a lot of Blackjack tables.

Although the influence of the Double on 10 And 11 Only rule may not be as bad as other unfavorable rules, this particular rule can still increase the house advantage by 0.25%. There are several doubling down opportunities with a hand worth 9, but you cannot double down if you are playing at a table with Double on 10 And 11 Only rule.

The rule also keeps you from doubling down with other starting hand totals, which makes it a lot less favorable. If you understand the Blackjack matrix, you will see several profit making opportunities that are rendered unusable when this rule is enforced. If you can, find other table that is more favorable or find another casino.

To keep their advantage acceptable, one of the things casinos usually do is use different number of decks. The more decks used in a Blackjack table, the higher house advantage the table has. Even some of the easier card counting methods can be beaten — or at least rendered virtually impossible to use — with the use of multiple decks at a Blackjack table.

At tables using two decks, the house advantage increases by 0.35%. Players who are trying to master counting card techniques will have a more difficult time using their new tricks at the table when two decks are used; advanced card counters can still use their tricks though.

With six decks, the house advantage is increased by 0.58%. Tables using eight decks enjoy a cool 0.61% increase on their house advantage. If you think the use of multiple decks alone is enough, wait till you see the new continuous shuffling machine used by some casinos. Be sure to avoid the continuous shuffling machine and stick with tables using fewer decks.

The system is generally used to determine the ratio of high cards to low cards remaining in the deck. By knowing the right ratio, you can easily make your decisions properly. Combine the Hi Lo system with basic Blackjack matrix, and you have one solid formula in winning Blackjack games.

Low cards — two, three, four, five and six — are assigned a value of plus one. You need to keep in mind that low cards are considered beneficial to the dealer, since they have to hit whenever their hand is under 17. High cards — ten, Jack, Queen, King and Ace — are assigned value of minus one. They are less beneficial to the dealer, yet can be quite helping for you. For any card in between — seven, eight and nine or known as the neutral cards — no points are assigned.

These are the basics of Hi Lo system. As the game progresses, you can easily determine the ratio of high cards to low cards based on your counts and place your bets accordingly. It would be best to practice the count as much as possible before using it, since this technique is quite hard to master.

A lot of card counters make the colossal mistake of jumping bets between rounds as they count their odds differently. This is definitely good if you are on the run and you need to make big bucks quickly, but the pit boss will stop you from playing any more rounds at some point because of your erratic behavior.

Being able to count cards doesn’t mean you can forget other basic strategies such as risk management and bankroll management. Card counting doesn’t justify you playing with more money that you can afford as well. The best way to play Blackjack is to bet a certain amount of money — usually a small percentage of your gambling bankroll, so that the risks are generally low — constantly throughout the game, with one or two rounds of bigger bets just in case you are feeling lucky.

Consider every angle of the game, and make sure you are fully aware of your risks. You can be an expert in card counting, but there will be times when your technique doesn’t work as effectively or you are just not in the zone.

The first rule is to always hit whenever you have an 8 or less, no matter what the dealer’s open card or up card is. Any hand that is worth 8 or less is far from being strong enough to compete with the dealer’s hand, so hitting is always the best way to go.

If you have a 9, you should double when the dealer has 3 to 6, otherwise hit. With a hand worth 10, you should double if the healer has 2 to 9 and otherwise hit. The same rule applies when you have an 11, with the addition of doubling down when the dealer’s open card is a 10.

A hard hand of 12 is a bit tricky; hit if the dealer has a 2 or 3, stand if the dealer’s card is a 4, 5, or 6, and otherwise hit. With a hard hand of 13 to 16, stand if the dealer has 2 to 6, otherwise hit. When your hard hand is worth 17 to 21, opting for no more cards is the best way to go. Now you know how to deal with hard hands, you can easily increase your profitability at the Blackjack table.