I know why the strategy cards exist ? to lower the house edge (put simply, the house edge is the percentage of money bet that the casino expects to win) to as close as 1% as possible.



But because the ultimate strategy must cover every possible combination of your cards and the dealer's cards, I find them too complex to memorize exactly. The result is that I'm taking time away from the game to pore over the charts to see what the optimal move is. All of which reduces my enjoyment of the game.

And of course, this is only possible when I'm playing Blackjack online. If I were playing it at a real bricks and mortar casino, I'd be politely asked to leave before I'd made half a dozen bets!

The ideal Blackjack strategy would be easy to remember and apply, and result in a house edge of 1%. Of course, that ideal can't exist, so all Blackjack strategies are a compromise between those two goals ? simplicity and accuracy.

Any strategy is going to be more or less inclined towards one of these extremes. When choosing a strategy, your decision comes down to which end of the scale you want to be at ? do you want an easy strategy with a lower chance of winning, or a complex one that means that the last 0.01% has been shaved off the house edge?

Personally, my ideal is one that is smack in the middle ? a strategy that has an acceptable house edge, but which is so straightforward that I can just get on with playing and enjoying the game.

After studying the available strategy cards, I've devised a strategy that is intended to take players from beginner to high roller in 3 easy stages.

The beauty of this is that as you master each stage, you add on the next one when you feel ready, but you can always step back down again when you don't!

The house edge is a little over the optimal, but the accuracy (ie the percentage of times it makes the right call) is around 98%. But what's important is that it's really simple to remember (even the third stage.)

Although not complex, it's easier to present the strategy in tabular form. My website Fortune Palace (see link in the resource box below) is designed to provide strategies for popular gambling games aimed at all risk levels and styles of play. On my simple 3 stage Blackjack strategy page, I explain everything clearly and simply.

You'll also find a straightforward guide to the rules and bets of Blackjack and ? perhaps best of all! ? you'll get the chance to play Blackjack for free. I'm very confident of the effectiveness of my system. Once you've tried it, I hope you'll agree that it's the best of all possible strategies ? it gives you a great chance of winning without having to remember endless charts.

And best of all ? it keeps Blackjack fun! Happy playing.