An Introduction to Blackjack Math

If you think your winning at blackjack has all to do with luck and skill and nothing to do with math, think again; in blackjack math plays a vital role in determining whether you win or lose. There is a strong connection between the concept of probability and math, and that becomes very apparent when you begin to use math when playing a game of blackjack.

To win at blackjack on a regular basis, besides knowing the rules in detail you also need to know some strategy. The importance of math in blackjack becomes clear from one simple fact – the strategies in blackjack are all math-based.

More about Math in Blackjack – Basic Strategy

To understand clearly the role of math in blackjack you will need to take a look at the strategies involved in blackjack. Professional blackjack players, researchers, and people with a head for numbers have spent a lot of time researching for workable blackjack strategies.

There are basic strategies and more advanced strategies like card counting, both of which are dependent on math. The first of the basic strategies came about more than half a century ago, in the previous millennium, thanks to three years worth of effort by Roger R. Baldwin, Wilbert E. Cantey, James McDermott, and Herbert Maisel, four officers of the army. This strategy is based on three factors that influence the results of a blackjack game – the dealer’s up-card and the two cards you are dealt.

In all, there are 550 different possible combinations that can translate to blackjack decisions, all of which come under 30 different rules. However, while this may seem exhaustive, you must also know that learning just basic blackjack strategy is not enough always; it is a good idea to know other strategies like card counting as well.

Blackjack Math and Card Counting

Blackjack math and card counting have a strong connection, because the latter would not make sense without the former. Card counting is an advanced technique that demonstrates truly the usage of math in blackjack. Using this technique and a computer, experts including computers have been able to devise a card counting technique that works.

While the usage of math in blackjack is crucial to winning, it is not the only thing that is important. Even if you are an expert card counter, you may still lose money if you do not keep in mind the other seemingly lesser but equally important concepts in blackjack. These include simple things like having the right-sized bankroll, the ratio between bets to bankroll, and others.