Blackjack : Irrationally and Tricky Psychological Gambling Patterns

Normally, every gambler wants to be a winner. So, if you're playing blackjack, what should you do in order to become a winning blackjack player? Well, first of all, you have to understand the psychology of blackjack and its value, which is very often underestimated.

Any blackjack player who uses basic strategy and card counting every time he plays blackjack, can gain an edge over the casino and come out a winner.

Regardless of the fact that this is an acknowledged fact and many gamblers know this, they move away from what is coherent and make illogical plays.

Why do they react this way? We can find the answer if we start to analyze the human nature and the player's psychology when money is at risk.

Let's look at some blackjack psychology patterns and some ordinary errors players make when gambling:

1. The Dread of Going Bust
   
   The dread of busting (surpassing 21) is a regular wrong feeling among blackjack gamblers. If you surpass 21, you automatically lose. So, many players find it difficult to draw one more card even if it is the correct move.
   
   Standing on 16 when you ought to take a hit prevents a player to surpass 21. But, a logically judgment says that the dealer has to stand on 17 and above, so the apparent advantage of not going bust is balanced by the fact that you cannot win unless the dealer goes bust.
   
   Losing by busting is sensitively worse for many gamblers than losing to the dealer. Why? If you hit and bust it's your responsibility. If you stand and lose, you can say the dealer was fortunate and you have no blame for the loss.
   
   Players become so worried about going bust, that they fail to focus on the chances of winning and losing.


2. The Gamblers Myth and Fortune
   
   Many players raise their wagers after a loss and reduce it after a win. Identified as "the gambler's myth", the idea is that if you lose a hand, the chances of winning the next hand will go up, and vice versa. Obviously, this is crazy, but gamblers fear losing and they are going to protect the winnings they have.
   
   Other players do the opposite, rising the bet size after a win and diminishing it after a loss. The logic here is that luck comes in a succession, so if you're fortunate, increase your bets!


3. Why Do Gamblers Act Illogically When They Ought To Act Rationally?
   
   Certainly, there are players who are not aware of the basic strategy and drop into the above psychological tricks. And skilled players do so. The grounds for this are generally linked with the following:
   
   
   • Players cannot disconnect themselves from the fact that winning blackjack necessitates losing stages, they become frustrated and attempt to obtain their losses back.
   • Usually they wrongly believe that if they have lost, it wouldn't matter if they try to play differently.
   • If a gambler has other things on his mind and is not focusing on the game, he certainly can't think clear, increasing his chances of losing.
   
   
4. If You Have a Strategy, You have to follow it!
   
   This can be mentally tricky for many gamblers because it requires psychological control and discipline of being able to concentrate over a long term, taking losses as a learning experience and remain mentally focused.