Blackjack is a game in which the players and dealer each get two cards. The goal is to accumulate cards that total as close to 21 as possible without going over. Players can hit (request more cards) or stand (stop drawing) based on rules. The dealer also has certain rules to follow.
The game is played with one or more 52-card decks. The values of cards are the number on them or face value (such as 10 for cards with faces). In most casinos, a blackjack table will only allow five to seven players. It is usually okay to join a game in progress, unless someone’s coat or chips are holding the seat for them, or the game has a No-Midshoe Entry policy and you have to wait until they finish up. Once the hand is over, the dealer collects and shuffles the cards and starts a new round.
A player may double down when they have two cards of the same value, such as a 2 and a 6. Doubling down does not allow players to hit more than once; however, it increases their chances of winning by doubling their initial bet. If the player gets a 10 or higher, the hand is considered a blackjack and pays out the usual 3-2 payoff.
If the dealer has a blackjack, the player automatically loses the round, unless they have a blackjack as well. In that case, the hand pushes and the player only gets their original bet back.
Some casinos allow players to make a side bet called insurance, which pays when the dealer has an ace up. This bet is designed to compensate for the house edge on basic strategy hands against the dealer’s ace up card. Some blackjack games also offer other side bets such as “Dealer Match.”
In the study described here, participants were given a list of ten tips for playing blackjack and instructed to follow them. They were informed that following these hints would improve their chances of winning. The participants then participated in 20 rounds of blackjack where they were required to bet at least $10 each. The psychological variables and risk-taking behavior were measured before, during, and after each round of play.
The results show that more confident participants exhibited higher positive outcome expectations and reported lower state anxiety when playing blackjack. The relationships between unjustified confidence and the behavioral measures were less clear. For example, the relationship between unjustified confidence and information search and consideration was not as strong as the relationship between unjustified confidence and risk taking. Still, the overall pattern of findings is in line with the theoretical predictions. These results suggest that, although confidence does not increase the likelihood of winning at blackjack, it does reduce anxiety and increases risk-taking behavior. The researchers recommend future research to explore these and other possible relationships between unjustified confidence and other psychological and behavioral consequences. For more information about this article, see the full paper at: http://pubs.sagepub.com/content/2/4/2.full.