You’re sitting at a $25 table at the Bellagio. The lights are dim, the cocktail waitress just brought you a water you didn’t really want, and the dealer slides an Ace toward their upcard slot. You look down at a pair of 8s. Most people at the table are panicking or playing by "feel," which is basically a fancy word for losing money slowly. But if you’ve actually studied blackjack apprenticeship basic strategy, you aren't guessing. You know that splitting those 8s against an Ace—as painful as it feels—is the only move that mathematically minimizes your house edge. It's the difference between being a gambler and being a person who treats the casino like a high-yield savings account with a bit more variance.
Card counting gets all the glory in movies. Everyone wants to be the genius in the grey suit taking down the house for millions. But honestly? Without a perfect, robotic execution of basic strategy, counting is useless. It’s like trying to build a skyscraper on a foundation made of wet sand. Blackjack Apprenticeship, founded by Colin Jones and Ben Lowrey, has spent years preaching that the math doesn't care about your "gut feeling" or how long it's been since the dealer had a blackjack.
The Math Behind the Blackjack Apprenticeship Basic Strategy
Let's be real for a second. The house has an edge because you have to play your hand first. If you bust, and then the dealer busts, you still lose. That's the core of the casino's business model. Blackjack apprenticeship basic strategy is the specific set of rules derived from computer simulations—billions of hands—to tell you exactly what to do in every possible situation to claw that edge back. When you play perfectly, the house edge drops to about 0.5% depending on the specific table rules.
💡 You might also like: What Time Does Lottery Open: Why Most People Get the Timing Wrong
Most casual players think they know the game. They'll stand on a 12 against a dealer 2 because they’re "scared of busting." That’s a mistake. The math says you hit. Every. Single. Time. Why? Because while you might bust, you'll win more often in the long run by taking the card. Colin Jones often points out that "basic strategy is the hardest part of card counting" because it requires you to ignore your human instincts and trust the chart.
Why 16 Against a 10 Is the Worst Hand in the Building
There is no hand more hated than a hard 16 against a dealer's 10. It’s a loser. You’re likely going to lose the hand regardless of what you do. However, basic strategy isn't always about winning; sometimes it's about losing less.
- If the casino allows Surrender, you do it. You give up half your bet and walk away. It sounds like quitting, but it's actually the most profitable move.
- If surrender isn't an option, you hit. Standing feels "safer," but the numbers prove that hitting gives you a slightly better chance of survival.
- Most people stand because they don't want to see the 10-value card come out and "bust" them. They’d rather let the dealer win than feel responsible for their own loss.
The Reality of Variations and Rule Changes
Not all blackjack games are created equal. A "6-to-3" payout on blackjack is a scam. Period. If you see that on a sign, walk away. You should only be playing at tables that pay 3-to-2. This single rule change affects the house edge more than almost anything else. If you use blackjack apprenticeship basic strategy at a 6-to-5 table, you are still going to lose your shirt because the math is heavily tilted against you from the jump.
Then you’ve got things like "Dealer Hits Soft 17" (H17) versus "Dealer Stands on Soft 17" (S17). If the dealer hits a soft 17, it's worse for you. You have to adjust your strategy slightly. For instance, in an H17 game, you should double down on an 11 against a dealer Ace. In an S17 game, you just hit. These tiny nuances are what separate the people who get free rooms from the people who pay for the casino's next fountain.
The Problem With Modern "Continuous Shuffle" Machines
If you’re trying to use these strategies to eventually learn card counting, stay away from Continuous Shuffle Machines (CSMs). These are the devices where the dealer puts the used cards back into the shuffler after every single round. While blackjack apprenticeship basic strategy still works perfectly on these machines to minimize the house edge, they make counting impossible. Plus, they speed up the game. Faster games mean more hands per hour, which means the house edge (even at 0.5%) grinds your bankroll down faster.
Stop Making These Three Amateur Mistakes
I see it every time I’m in Vegas. Someone sits down, buys in for five hundred bucks, and then proceeds to set it on fire because they think they’re being "smart."
👉 See also: Demon King Ganondorf: What Most People Get Wrong About the Tears of the Kingdom Villain
- Taking Insurance: Never do this. Ever. Unless you are a high-level card counter who knows the deck is rich in 10s, insurance is a sucker bet. You’re betting that the dealer has a 10 in the hole. The odds don't justify the payout.
- Splitting 10s: I know, I know. You want more money on the table. But you already have a 20! 20 is a winning hand. Don't ruin a winning hand by trying to be greedy. Basic strategy dictates you keep those 10s together.
- The "Flow" of the Cards: There is no such thing as "taking the dealer's bust card." The cards don't have a memory. The deck doesn't care if the guy at third base is a moron who hits on a 20. It doesn't change your long-term mathematical expectation.
Transitioning From Strategy to Advantage Play
Once you have the blackjack apprenticeship basic strategy burned into your brain—meaning you can play it while someone is screaming in your ear and you’re on your third ginger ale—then you can look at card counting. The most common system taught by the Blackjack Apprenticeship crew is the Hi-Lo system.
It's simple:
- 2s through 6s are +1.
- 7s through 9s are 0.
- 10s through Aces are -1.
You keep a running count of every card that leaves the deck. When the count is high, the deck is full of big cards, which is good for the player (more blackjacks, better doubling opportunities). When the count is low, it’s good for the house. But again, if you’re counting perfectly but you mess up a basic strategy split or double, you’ve just wiped out your entire advantage.
Actionable Steps for the Aspiring Pro
If you actually want to take this seriously, don't just read a chart once and head to the casino. You will fail. The pressure of the environment makes you forget things you thought you knew.
First, get a basic strategy card. You can literally buy them in the casino gift shop. Most casinos will let you use them at the table as long as you aren't slowing down the game. Use it like a cheat sheet.
Second, use an app. There are plenty of basic strategy trainers (including the one from Blackjack Apprenticeship) that will buzz your phone every time you make a wrong move. Practice until you can do 100 hands in a row with zero errors.
🔗 Read more: Free search and find games: Why we're still obsessed with looking for tiny objects
Third, bankroll management. Even with perfect strategy, you can lose. You need enough money to weather the "variance." If you’re playing $15 a hand, you should probably have at least $1,500 to $2,000 just to handle the normal swings of the game. Anything less is just a "gambling trip," not a strategic play.
Fourth, verify the rules before you sit. Check the table minimum. Check if it's 3-to-2 or 6-to-5. Look at the dealer's S17/H17 rule. If the rules suck, find a different table. Walking away is a winning move.
Blackjack is one of the few games in the casino that can actually be beaten. It's not a secret, and it’s not magic. It’s just discipline. Most people don't have it. They want the rush of the gamble. But if you want the profit, you have to be boring. You have to be a machine. You play the blackjack apprenticeship basic strategy exactly as the math dictates, every single time, without exception. That’s how you win.
Next Steps for Mastery
- Memorize the "Soft Totals" first. Most people know what to do with a hard 12, but they freeze up when they have an Ace-6. (Hint: You double against a dealer 3 through 6).
- Find a 3-to-2 table. Use a site like Current Blackjack News (CBJN) to find the best rules in your local area or for your next trip.
- Practice "Table Talk" distraction. Once you know the strategy, practice it while watching TV or talking to someone. If you can't play perfectly while distracted, you aren't ready for the casino floor.
- Learn the Deviations. Once basic strategy is second nature, look into the "Illustrious 18." These are the 18 specific times you deviate from basic strategy based on the card count.
The path to winning at blackjack is paved with boring, repetitive practice. Start with the chart, end with the profit.