4 Life Lessons You Can Learn by Playing Blackjack
Sometimes, life lessons are hidden where you least expect them. Blackjack is one such example. By studying each situation you may come across, you can determine the most statistically optimal play by leveraging the odds. But Blackjack will teach you much, much more, including how:
- Discipline is key
Newcomers to the game often don’t have the patience to study it, so they approach it from a surface-level of thinking. On top of that, they may make a different decision every now and then upon encountering the exact same situation, or perhaps deliberately altering their course of action just because it resulted in a loss despite being the statistically correct move. Experts, on the other hand, know full and well that you can make all the right decisions and still lose due to the nature of the game. Having the discipline to study it inside and out is what will make an impact in the long run.
Tame your mind and you will be one step closer to making rational decisions in Blackjack.
- Mastering the game takes time
No one has become a Blackjack virtuoso overnight. Period. With that being said, those who are experienced playing it have often show the willingness to pour hundreds of hours into playing online blackjack real money. The reason being is that an online environment is a good training ground for familiarizing yourself with the Blackjack chart. This allows them to train their memory so they instantly recognize what the right call in a given situation is. But getting to that point takes hours of training and dedication. Those who play with this mindset aren’t afraid to find themselves in an unfamiliar situation – they take the time to analyze it and learn from it.
- The devil is in the details
The vast majority of the time, a complete newbie to Blackjack will play exactly the same as a seasoned pro. But these handful of situations that don’t make it entirely obvious what the right play is will make all the difference and add up over time. If you consistently misplay a situation that results in you losing 48% of the time, over a large sample size, the effect of your misplays will get magnified. Similarly, in real life, you won’t get overweight from eating a single piece of cake or a donut. But if you repeat the same kind of behavior day in and day out, your body mass will reflect it, especially if you’re not balancing it out with exercise and other healthy habits.
- You shouldn’t beat around the bush
Instead, when the opportunity is right, go for it! Those who are new to Blackjack often make the mistake of playing their hands too timidly when they should be hitting the gas pedal instead. For instance, they may be tempted to stand on 16 when the right play is to hit. The underlying mentality, of course, is the fear of going bust, which, ironically, is the exact thing that ends up contributing to experiencing a losing streak. Whenever you’re unsure what the right play is, pull up your trusty Blackjack chart and study it. Soon enough, you’ll know it by heart. In the end, it’s all about taking calculated risks when it counts.
Conclusion
In Blackjack as well as in life, experience often turns out to be the greatest teacher. If nothing else, it’s bound to invoke some curiosity in you, thus sparking the desire to learn about statistics, odds, bankroll management, taking calculated risks, taming your mind, and all the wonderful things you can learn by playing Blackjack. Not bad for a single game!