A Psychology of Losing at Blackjack

Success in blackjack is not a good interplay of skill, wit, and basic strategies. Let's face it, how many times have we played with all these and still lost? We just have to listen to a lot of testimonies online of even veteran blackjack enthusiasts to know that winning is not really good technical application.

Many long-time aficionados aver that real success is understanding the psychology of losing at blackjack. In fact, they say this is what separates amateurs from professionals. Yet, many choose to ignore this and just talk about strategies and techniques in winning because this is what sells hot in the market. Ignoring this fact is the cause of most advantage play failures.

An advantage play is tapping the other potential of a blackjack experience other than money results. An experience of playing blackjack draws out various advantages, like learning from one's mistakes, learning new strategies, a higher maturity level, more discipline, new friends, aside from the usual monetary gains. The other aspects of blackjack, in fact, weigh more than money winnings. It is possible to win lots of money but still go home a total wreck.

And this happens when a player has no concept of the psychology of losing at blackjack. All the negative effects of distress and pressure in grabbing blackjack wins stays in the person and carried even at home, possibly even shared with family members. And what's the use of wining like this? Interpreting results of a blackjack game session in terms of money often ends up like this. What blackjack experts recommend is to look at the end result in terms of one's psyche growth, or simply put, the player's overall maturity as a professional player and as a person.

But of course, many prefer the dollar results of a blackjack play because money is easier to understand and measure than values. But values make a more lasting result than money. For instance, surmounting a 19 hand of the dealer. Making another hit while holding a 16 was probably a big deal before. But one's nerve was taken to the next level when another hit was decided, adding up to 19. And still another, to beat the dealer, but which made a bust. Well, it was a loss all right, but the value was that of beating one's fear of going over 16.

The idea behind the psychology of losing at blackjack is that winning is not all about money.