While you might be the best and most dangerous gangster capable of completing impressive missions in Grand Theft Auto, there is one element of GTA where you might not have the necessary skills.
In GTA Online, when you visit the Diamond Casino & Resort, you can boost your bankroll by playing blackjack. Unfortunately, rather than building your funds, you might just as easily lose them if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Thankfully, we’re here to help. This guide offers some basic blackjack advice that will increase your chances of making a profit; cash you can use for your next criminal masterplan in one of the best computer games available.
It’s all About the Number 10
Blackjack is a game of incomplete information. You do not know the value of the next card you are dealt, nor do you know the value of the dealer’s second, face-down card.
Here’s where the art of probability comes in. You need to assume that it’s most likely that the value of the next card is 10. Why? Because in blackjack, tens, jacks, queens, and kings are all worth 10, meaning there are 16 cards in every deck of that value.
Understanding this is critical to the game. Your key strategy is to first look at the value of the dealer’s upcard and assume his downcard is a ten. What total is it most likely the dealer has? Let’s say they show a 3, 4, or 5. It means it is likely that they will also have a ten, making 13, 14, or 15. In this case, they must take another card and will probably bust.
With this in mind, you can stand on any two cards of your own totaling 12 or over. Why risk taking another card and going over 21 when it’s likely the dealer will bust?
Of course, this strategy works in reverse if the dealer shows strength. Let’s say they have a ten as an upcard. Now, you must assume they have another 10, making 20. In this case, you have to be brave, taking another card more often to try and nudge towards 20 or 21 yourself.
Following the power of the ‘ten’ strategy is simple and will improve your performance instantly. The strategy works in GTA 5 just as it does in a real brick-and-mortar or an online casino, where live tables present a real dealer experience.
Double Down When Appropriate
It’s a good strategy in blackjack to double down when you believe you have a strong chance of winning the hand. For example, if your starting two cards total 11 or 10, consider doubling your bet. You then get dealt one more card, which you hope will also be valued 10 for a powerful finishing hand.
On occasion, when the dealer has a week upcard, like 4 or 5, you can increase the number of times you double down to include totals like 9 or even 8 (since it’s likely the dealer might bust).
Never Split Tens
Another option to increase the money you have invested in a hand is to split when you are dealt a pair. So, for example, if you have two 9s, you can either stand on 18 or split and play two hands, starting with a 9 card in each.
However, it’s a rookie mistake to split 10s. This looks appealing, but you should avoid it. The point is, with two 10s, you most likely have a winning hand already. Why risk a single winning bet for a double bet that is not guaranteed to win?
Bankroll Management
If you’re new to gambling and sit down in the Diamond Casino & Resort, which Rockstar Games has made ultra-realistic, it might be tempting to put huge chunks of your available cash on the line in any one hand. This is a huge mistake, and could see you go bust fast.
The house edge in blackjack is low, meaning your money should last a long time, but losing streaks are not uncommon. You must bet small enough so that you can soak up a losing streak without sweating too much.
Betting around 5% of your available funds on any single hand should see you protecting your bankroll from disaster.
Don’t Chase Your Losses
As a follow-on from the bankroll management section, never chase your losses. If you have a bad run at the blackjack table, do not increase the stakes hoping to recoup the cash. If you continue to get unlucky, it could wipe you out.
Stay levelheaded and bet with your head, not your heart.
Get a Blackjack Chart
A simple way to assess when to stand, hit and take a card, double down, or split, is to download and print out a simple blackjack hands chart, which recommends your best course of action, whatever your two cards are against the dealer’s upcard.
Good luck at the tables, and grab some cash for your next online mission.