Blackjack is a card game that can be played by one or more players against a dealer. The object is to get a hand total higher than the dealer’s without going over 21. Number cards count as their face value, jacks, queens, and kings (called “face cards” or “picture cards”) count as 10, and aces are worth either 1 or 11 depending on how they are used. Blackjack is a game of skill and can be won by players who know when to hit, when to stand, when to double down, and when to split pairs.
Novices tend to play their hands too conservatively, giving up a lot of money to the house by not hitting when they should and failing to double down or split pairs when the odds are in their favor. Experts, on the other hand, make smart use of every opportunity to maximize their wins. They’ll hit when they should, and they’ll double down and split pairs much more often than novices do.
The rules of the game are relatively simple: Each player places their bet and is dealt two cards. They then have the option to ask for additional cards (‘hit’), which they keep until they are satisfied with their hand or bust. The dealer then reveals their card and stands or draws additional cards until they also either stand or bust. In most cases, the dealer will offer an insurance bet before the first player plays; this bet pays 2 to 1 if the dealer has a blackjack.
A player can also choose to purchase insurance on their initial hand, which costs half the original bet and is paid if the dealer has a blackjack. The dealer will usually check their hole card (a special viewing window allows players to see the dealer’s hidden card) and then pay off the insurance bets if they have a blackjack. If the dealer does not have a blackjack, they will take everyone’s initial bets and continue playing like normal.
Previous research has found that unjustified confidence in blackjack knowledge increases positive outcome expectations and decreases state anxiety. However, little is known about how these relationships interact with one another, or about other psychological and behavioral consequences of high confidence in blackjack. The aim of this study was to examine these effects in a single experimental setting. The results support the hypothesis that higher levels of unjustified confidence lead to fewer opportunities for information search and consideration, as well as increased risk taking, which can have negative ramifications in blackjack. These findings are of interest not only for the field of blackjack, but in other domains as well. They have implications for educational interventions, such as those intended to increase home radon awareness or financial capability.