Blackjack Articles

Taking Your Time

There is a tendency to rush everything when you’re playing online. Because there’s instant dealing, instant betting, and instant results, some players will make snap decision instead of thinking abut the move that they should actually be making. That sort of reaction can be costly.

Don’t be afraid of taking a moment to consider borderline decisions. If you’re confused or you forget your betting and play strategies, don’t guess. Work it out. Remember that one error an hour can be the difference between a winning session and a losing session. Two errors per hour will almost ensure a losing session. So don’t blitz out your actions when you aren’t sure what you should really be doing.

The play clock is a resource. You’re allowed to use your time in a reasonable manner. Don’t let any other player tell you otherwise. You shouldn’t ever be pressured, cajoled, or scolded into making a bad bet or action. Keep your pace calm and steady. Don’t go on tilt just because some loudmouth tells you that you have to hurry up. On the other hand, don’t run out of time, or your hand will be handled automatically, depending on the protocols of the blackjack site.

You should also remember that you have plenty of time to contemplate and calculate during other peoples’ turns. This is the perfect time to glance at your basic strategy table, track your betting, and do any kind of accounting that you need to do. If you’ve had enough time to make a reasonable decision, some sites allow you to pre-select the next action that you wish to take. That can be a great time saver. For example, if you have a 20, you know that you’re going to stand. Pre-select that action, and use that time to do your research or accounting.

Now, a word on live play: Though there’s no clock as such, your pace is expected to be reasonable. They need to deal a certain number of hands per hour, and anyone who holds up the process is frowned upon. However, let the dealer or floor-person tell you to increase your pace, not some drunken and impatient tourist. Take the amount of time that you find reasonable to take your action. However you won’t have your basic strategy table or card counting book in front of you, so make sure that you’ve memorized everything that you need to know. You can ask the dealer for basic strategy advice… but never mention card counting, for obvious reasons. After a short time, it’ll be second nature.

For any of your blackjack tournament players, there will often be an action clock. It will either be mandatory on each action, or it can be called on a slow player by anyone else at the table. Beware: If you violate the clock, your hand will be folded.

By Bill Ricardi
Blackjack Expert