In this video, Colin and David from Blackjack Apprenticeship introduce the game of blackjack. They have 15 years of professional blackjack experience and teach others through their apprenticeship program. The video covers the basic rules of blackjack, such as the goal of beating the dealer by getting closer to 21 without going over, card values (2-10 as face value, 10 for face cards, and Ace as 1 or 11), and how the game is dealt. They explain the outcomes of winning, losing, or pushing in a round and emphasize the importance of a "blackjack" (an Ace and a 10-value card).
The video also touches on playing decisions in blackjack, including hitting (taking another card), standing (keeping your current hand), doubling down (doubling your bet and receiving one more card), splitting (when you have a pair of cards of equal value), and buying insurance (a side bet against the dealer's potential blackjack). They mention the significance of following basic strategy for optimal play but emphasize that it alone won't guarantee winning against the casino.
The video concludes by discussing the casino's advantage due to player mistakes and the inherent design of the game, which means that over time, the casino will profit from most players. To gain an advantage, they mention the need for card counting, making it clear that it takes more than just following basic strategy to beat the casino consistently.
1. The video is a tutorial on how to play blackjack and how to potentially beat the game.
2. The presenters, Colin and David, are professional blackjack players with over 15 years of experience.
3. The presenters have collectively won over $4 million by beating casinos at blackjack.
4. The goal of blackjack is to get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over 21.
5. In blackjack, 2 through 10 are worth their point value, Jack, Queen, and King are worth 10 points, and Ace can be worth 1 or 11.
6. Both the player and the dealer receive two cards at the start of a round, but the dealer only shows one of their cards.
7. The player always goes first and can choose to take more cards or to stay.
8. If the player's score is 18 or more and the dealer's score is 16 or less, the player is recommended to stay.
9. If the player's score is less than 18 and the dealer's score is 17 or more, the player is recommended to hit.
10. There are three possible outcomes for a round: the player wins, the player loses, or it's a push (the player and dealer have the same score).
11. If a player is dealt a blackjack (an Ace and a 10-value card), they win automatically, regardless of the dealer's hand, and are paid 150% of their bet.
12. There are four main playing decisions in blackjack: hitting, standing, splitting, and doubling down.
13. Basic strategy is a method to play every possible hand in the game of blackjack, and it was created by mathematicians.
14. To play perfect basic strategy, it takes a couple of hours a day for a couple of weeks.
15. Even with perfect basic strategy, players still have a disadvantage of about half of 1% against the casino.
16. To gain the advantage over the casino, players must use both basic strategy and card counting.
17. Card counting is a method to keep track of the number of high and low cards remaining in the deck, which can help players make better betting decisions.
18. The presenters have legally won over $1.5 million by using card counting.
19. Some casinos may refuse service to players who use card counting.
20. The presenters teach viewers how to beat casinos at blackjack through their platform, Blackjack Apprenticeship.