This short article is for those of you who have been playing the intriguing game of Blackjack for a while, not for the novice who really does not know how to play the game. Blackjack is more than "Twenty-One", and a true Blackjack enthusiast will study to learn more than simply when to double down and when to split.

You can get about as complex as you like in your study of Blackjack strategy. Some players find that even a little knowledge goes a long way. So with that in mind, here is some basic Blackjack strategy and theory to get you going.

Let's start first with some negative learning. There are players out there who insist on following bad strategies as a rule, out of simple laziness. Some of these bad but popular blackjack strategies,to be avoided at all costs, are:

Never go bust. Normally, what that means is that the player never hits a hard twelve or more, hoping the house will bust. The calculated edge this player hands over to the house is about 3.91%.

Mimicking the dealer, meaning that the player just always takes a hit on a 16 or less and stands on a 17 or more. Further, that player would never split or double. This sort of play hands over a 5.48% edge to the lucky dealer.

Assuming there's a 10 in the hole. This sort of approach is more like what children take when getting their feet wet playing "Twenty-One". Dealers love playing with children, and in this case they get a calculated edge of 10.03%!

Good Blackjack strategies include some of the following, usually in a judicious combination:

Memorizing the charts. There are many good charts out there to start building up a good, honest basic strategy. The best way is to memorize them using flash cards. These charts give you best-scenario contingency plans for every conceivable situation, so you can imagine how much memorizing one has to do to master them. However every little bit helps, and they are held in wide esteem among blackjack veterans.

Card counting. You've seen them on television, and they make it look not only magical, but simpler than it really is. Card counting is really hard. Let's face it, that's why very few people do it. Before you even contemplate learning how to count cards, it's important to learn the basic strategy. Card counting is not for the faint of heart and simply offers very little return for the player who doesn't use a good basic strategy as well.

Card counters learn how to count a deck down fast, but they also learn large numbers tables. The number one goal is to appear to be playing just for fun, not profit. The general consensus is that counting cards only provides an edge between .5% and 1.5%.

Blackjack, as you see, is more than a child's card game. In fact, it can actually turn into a way of life.