The main component of basic strategy that can most affect the outcome of the hand is the dealer’s upcard. Unlike many other card games, where your hand is the only one that matters, in blackjack, the dealer’s upcard actually decides the players’ course of actions. Sticking to the basic strategy will help you chip away the house advantage, and ultimately help you increase your profit.

First thing you have to know is that the dealer plays a dead game, and he has to hit until he gets 17, without going over 21. As such, the players control the game, and the basic strategy is there to help you make the right moves to overcome the house advantage. By paying attention to the dealer’s upcard, you can turn a hand that would typically go to the dealer in your favor. For example, your hand totals 13 and the dealer’s upcard is 6. Basic strategy indicates that you should stay, but you have a feeling that this is your winning hand, so you hit a 10 and bust. The dealer takes a hit on his 16 and busts as well, but because you went bust first, the dealer wins. If you had followed basic strategy, you would’ve won with a 13.

One basic fact that you should never forget about the game of blackjack is the house has an advantage over you. This doesn’t mean that blackjack is an impossible game to win; it simply means that success requires patience and disciplined strategies. In the above example, you saw how easy it is to decrease the house advantage by sticking to the basic strategy. If you learn to discipline yourself and follow the basic strategy, you will have a better hold of the game than if you just play according to your feelings.

Basic strategy is all about mathematics, and knowing your odds will allow you to control the game more. Controlling the game is simple if you know and follow the basic strategy, at least to the extent that you can play an even game with the house. Nothing can remove the house advantage completely, and the best a blackjack player can hope for is to minimize it by following basic strategy. Usually, when card totals are low, beginner blackjack players often throw basic strategy out the window in favor of a hunch, but this is exactly what casinos want you to do. The less you utilize the basic strategy, the more you will lose, and in the end, the more the casinos win.

Whether you win or lose any given hand in blackjack is determined by making the correct decisions. Basic strategy tells you what to do in any possible hand combination, as it has been practiced and perfected over time to undercut the legendary house advantage. It takes emotion out of the game and gives you a simple game plan that works when used correctly.