Basic strategy is easy to learn: just memorize all the winning hands, as well as some important losing hands (like 16 vs 10). Mastering it will go a long way towards helping you play online blackjack for real money and land consistent rewards. But it can be difficult to apply basic strategy at the table in a precise manner because we’re human beings, not robots. You can get tired after several hours of gameplay and start making mistakes. When fatigue sets in — you can end up forgetting things such as what cards have already been played.

Having a basic strategy lets you know exactly how much you need to bet on each hand so you won't lose money over time. The best part is, this approach works at both online and land-based casinos.

2. The Martingale System and Counting Cards
Now that you know how to apply and use a basic strategy, let’s look at some more advanced styles of play.

The Martingale system
When you’re playing blackjack for real money, the most popular (and effective) betting system is called "Martingale," and it works like this:

1 - Place your first wager on blackjack (if your hand has no value).

2 - If you lose, double your bet and continue playing. For example, if you previously bet $10 but lost, increase the bet size to $20. Carry on doubling your bets until you win.

3 - So, let’s say you’ve lost twice and won once i.e. L ($10) L ($20) W ($40), your net earnings should come up to $10.

This strategy ensures that you’ll always walk away with something even though you’re hit with a continuous stream of losses. While some may say that extended losses can leave you out of pocket, the odds of that occurring are relatively low.