Jan
22
There is actually a psychological factor to blackjack, making it more complicated than it would initially seem. In fact, that psychological factor is quite major because it relates to your state of mind while playing. You’re going to be the one making all the decisions and calling all the shots throughout the game, so that psych factor could make the difference between a winner and a total bankroll wipeout.
Don’t Lose Your Focus
Just about every blackjack players handbook and strategy guide out there will say this, and for good reason. This simply cannot be overstated. When you sit down at a blackjack table, you simply cannot be distracted, troubled, fidgety or - even worse - with an impeded sense of judgment (read: drunk). Remember that the people who win at blackjack are those people who can make good decisions at key points in the game and based on previous events in the game. You have to focus on the card being dealt out, on the dealer’s cards, on the cards of the other people at the table and, most importantly, your own cards. Doing that is impossible if your mind is clearly not in the same place as the cards.
Get Over Your Apprehensions
Many players have preexisting apprehensions when it comes to decisions in a blackjack game. Many of these fears are related to going bust when they’re hitting and already have a high number like 17. Even if all card counting strategies and calculations on probability would support the decision to hit, it’s very likely that those reservations still exist. Players who lose actually prefer to be beaten by the dealer than to go bust, because going bust says something about an incorrect decision or an avoidable event earlier in the game.
If you’re familiar with and you’re experiencing this factor, there’s nothing like practice to help you get over it. Aside from regular blackjack sessions, set some practice time aside for your card counting or other probability-based strategies as well. The idea is to steep you both in the mood of an actual blackjack game and in the logic-based decision process. You have to learn how the actual game feels and how to make decision calls based more on facts and numbers rather than fears and emotions.
While they’re certainly not easy to overcome, these mental stumbling blocks are almost always personal problems, so you can also solve them yourself. Investing just a little time each day or week in improving your psychological outlook while practicing your regular blackjack routine will surely go a long way.
Mary is the editor-in-chief of the Poker Newspaper, Casino Newspaper and Blackjack Newspaper. You may freely reprint this article provided the following author’s biography (including the live URL links) remains intact.
January 22, 2008
Comments
One Response to “The Frame of Mind for Blackjack”
Leave a Reply
I know what the author’s writing about
Once I lost the focus and lost the whole stack by ocasionally bussing hit with soft 20 instead of stand