Blackjack is a game of skill, and while luck plays a role, the odds of winning are higher if you follow basic strategy and manage your bankroll wisely. It’s also important to maintain a positive mindset and avoid distractions while playing. To help you get started, here are five essential tips for winning at blackjack.

Practice makes perfect

Before you head to the casino, spend some time practicing your blackjack strategy at home with a deck of cards and a dealer. Start by keeping a running count as you turn over the cards, adding up the values of each card as you go. This will give you an idea of the number of cards left in the deck, which can affect the strength of your hand. Eventually, you’ll want to move up to a true count — which takes your total and divides it by the number of decks in play. Practice until you’re able to keep a true count quickly and quietly.

Know your cards

Before you sit down to the blackjack table, study a basic strategy chart for the game you’re going to play. These charts are based on the rules of each specific game, and while they won’t guarantee a winning session, they will give you an edge over the house.

It’s also a good idea to learn the rules of each game and the variations that can be played. This will help you make the right decisions when deciding whether to hit, stand, or double down.

Don’t be fooled by betting systems

Gambling history is littered with fanciful strategies that promise huge profits while ignoring the basic math of blackjack. For example, the Martingale system requires players to increase their bets after every loss, in the hopes of recovering from a losing streak. But this method is mathematically unsound and will result in more losses than wins. It’s also a bad idea to take insurance, which has a house edge of over 7%.

Always split 8s and aces

If you’re dealt two matching cards, such as two nines or two threes, splitting them is usually a wise choice. This will increase your chances of a strong hand and may, depending on the dealer’s upcard, allow you to cut your losses or win more money. On the other hand, it’s a good idea to stick with hitting when the dealer shows a seven or an eight.

Don’t worry about the other players

Despite what you might have heard, the other players at your blackjack table don’t really matter. You’re competing only with the dealer, and the goal is to have a hand value that’s closer to 21 than the dealer’s without going over. If you have a better hand than the dealer’s, you win and get your original bet back. Otherwise, you lose the hand and the dealer collects the cards, shuffles the decks, and starts a new round. If the dealer has a blackjack, you automatically lose the round unless you have a blackjack as well.