Am I using the BlackJack strategies incorrectly?

[Laurelindo]

I know about the BlackJack strategies that tell you you should Hit ujp to at least 17 if the Dealer has 7 or higher, Stand if you risk busting when the Dealer has between 4-6 etc;
the problem is that I never seem to be able to actually make any long-term money no matter how religiously I follow those strategies.
It's always the same procedure: I bet X money, win a little, then lose twice that amount, win it back, lose it again, win half of it back, lose it again etc etc etc - so basically I never seem to get anywhere at all, I just stand still on the same bet I made in the beginning, if I don't lose everything instead.
My little brother is far less experienced than I am and he just followed his gut feel and managed to rake in like $120, and my constant bad luck is driving me crazy.
I want to actually WIN something, but I almost never get anywhere, and those strategies seem far too unreliable (I almost always get a Bust whenever possible, if I have like 15 and the Dealer has 10 and I choose to Hit then I usually get a card of 8 or higher).

 

[MangoJ]

You should follow the link (on the left menu) to "basic strategy engine", which will give you the correct basic strategy of your game (this will depend on rules!).

You also must understand, that basic strategy will lower the house edge, but it is not enough to actually beat the house. With basic strategy (especially if you make mistakes like hitting hard 17), you are supposed to lose your money to the house.

 

[Laurelindo]

thanks, but I atually use those strategies already, so I would guess it might be my bets that cause a lot of problems, since I tend to be very careful and usually bet $1 or so until I have doubled my initial amount of money (which rarely happens).
My litte brother had this idea that he would always bet the same amount as the one he had currently lost (for example, he would bet $2 if he had lost that total amount from what he had when he started playing, then $4 etc until he won it all back).

 

[shadroch]

Basic Strategy, which is the name for what you now do, is designed to help you lose less and more slowly, not to help you win. Using BS, you will lose less by making the best possible chouice for each hand, but blackjack is still a negative expectation game.
To gain an advantage, you need to learn to count cards, bet more when the cards are in your favor, and less when they are against you.
Your brothers idea will kill his bankroll when, not if, he encounters a prolonged losing streak.

 

[Laurelindo]

Counting cards is of no use against online casinos though, and I live quite far away from anything close to a city which makes it hard to find any actual casinos or even Blackjack table here.
I did try card counting with fake money a few times and it seemed like it made me earn more money, although I still had the occasional losing streaks when I still lost even at card counts of +4 and above.

I've heard of people who can apparently win huge amounts of money just from this game (I think I once heard of someone who managed to make around $6000 a month fairly consistently), but I guess you have to have quite great experience for that.

 

[assume_R]

you should Hit on 17 if the Dealer has 7 or higher, Stand if you are 12 or higher when the Dealer is 6 or lower etc

thanks, but I atually use those strategies already

Hold on. Are you sure you're using the strategies correctly? If you have a 17 and the dealer has a 7, you would hit? If you have a 12 and the dealer has a 2 you would stand?

Take the time to properly learn them.

 

[Laurelindo]

Hold on. Are you sure you're using the strategies correctly? If you have a 17 and the dealer has a 7, you would hit? If you have a 12 and the dealer has a 2 you would stand?

Take the time to properly learn them.

No I accidentally got that wrong, I meant "Hit up to at least 17 when the Dealer has 7 or above".
And I would always Hit on 12 if the Dealer has 2.

 

[MangoJ]

If you want to count cards online, you could try it on "online live dealer" where a person deals cards from a physical shoe. However I would not recommend it, they are very aware of counters, and will bar you quite quickly.

 

[bigplayer]

I know about the BlackJack strategies that tell you you should Hit ujp to at least 17 if the Dealer has 7 or higher, Stand if you risk busting when the Dealer has between 4-6 etc;
the problem is that I never seem to be able to actually make any long-term money no matter how religiously I follow those strategies.
It's always the same procedure: I bet X money, win a little, then lose twice that amount, win it back, lose it again, win half of it back, lose it again etc etc etc - so basically I never seem to get anywhere at all, I just stand still on the same bet I made in the beginning, if I don't lose everything instead.
My little brother is far less experienced than I am and he just followed his gut feel and managed to rake in like $120, and my constant bad luck is driving me crazy.
I want to actually WIN something, but I almost never get anywhere, and those strategies seem far too unreliable (I almost always get a Bust whenever possible, if I have like 15 and the Dealer has 10 and I choose to Hit then I usually get a card of 8 or higher).

that's why it's called "Basic Strategy" and not "Winning Strategy" or "Advanced Strategy". You're still at a disadvantage to the casino playing perfect Basic Strategy. If you want to be a long term winner you need to learn an "Advanced Strategy" like Wong's High-Low or the KO System...both of which are among the easiest to use.