FACT: The majority of casino players play the slots.

Do you see something wrong here? I do, which is why I asked several of my die-hard, slot-playing friends why they don't play blackjack. In a nutshell, their responses went something like this: "I'm afraid of making a playing mistake that will screw up the table and cause players to lose."

OK, being intimidated is a fair reason for not playing blackjack. But how does a wannabe blackjack player overcome this fear? According to a psychologist friend of mine, to overcome someone's fear of doing something, you've got to "build up their confidence in whatever they are afraid of doing."

Webster's dictionary defines confidence as "a faith or belief that one will act in a right, proper, or effective way."

My task, therefore, is to build the confidence of all you slots-only players to play blackjack by explaining to you the right and effective way to play. I'm game if you are, so let's give it a try.

First, you've got to understand the playing rules.

The game is played with one or more decks of cards. Whether a casino uses one or eight decks is, for the moment, of no consequence, so don't worry about it. In blackjack, every card in the 52-card deck counts its face value and you can ignore the suits. Picture cards have a value of ten and the Ace has a value of 11 or 1 (your choice). A blackjack, which is the highest hand, consists of an Ace plus any ten-value card (10, Jack, Queen or King). Blackjacks are special because players win an extra payoff (1.5 times their initial bet).

Next, you have to understand the objective of the game. You might think this is trivial, but you'd be surprised at how many players believe the objective is to get to as close to 21 as possible. Wrong. The objective is to add up the values of all the cards in your hand and hope that your hand totals higher than the dealer's or that your hand totals 21 or less and the dealer "busts" (his hand has exceeded 21).

Here are some examples of how you win or lose your hand:

1) If your hand totals 19 and the dealer's hand is 17, you win (you get paid 1 to 1).

2) If you have a 16 (or any total under 21) and the dealer busts, you win.

3) If you have 19 and the dealer has 20, you lose.

4) If you and the dealer have the same total, that's a "push" (or tie) and you don't win or lose your initial bet.

Play starts after players make their wagers in the betting area in front of them. If you don't have any casino chips to bet with, just place your money on the layout after a round is over and ask the dealer for some. The dealer will count your cash and exchange them for casino chips.

After all bets are made, the dealer will deal two cards to each player. He'll also deal one card face up and one face down to himself. Sometimes, the dealer will deal the player cards face up and other times face down, or one up and one down. Not to worry because it really doesn't make a difference which way he does it. However, as a general rule, when multiple decks of cards are dealt from a device known as a dealing "shoe," the player cards are dealt face up. In single-deck games, player's card are usually "pitched" by the dealer face down.

Always remember that when you play blackjack, it's you against the dealer. Don't worry about what cards your fellow players get because that's not what's important. Just focus on your hand and the value of the dealer's upcard.

Here's two etiquette tips: If player cards are dealt face up, don't touch them. If they are dealt face down, it's OK to pick them up, but only use one hand to do so and always keep the cards above the table where the dealer can see them. Also, many players believe that when a new player enters a game in the middle of a shoe it may cause them bad luck because the "order of the cards will change." Therefore, either ask the players if they don't mind you joining the game or better yet, wait till the shoe is complete before you make your first bet.

The one rule that gives the casino its edge over players is the fact that if you bust and the dealer busts, you lose (it's not a push). Keep this in mind as we go through the player's options and playing strategy.

Blackjack players have certain playing options available to them to try to improve their hand. By using these options correctly, you can significantly reduce the casino's edge.

Let's start with "hitting" and "standing." We'll assume a typical six-deck game dealt from a shoe.

Simplified Basic Strategy Rules 1. Never take insurance 2. Always split a pair of 8s and Aces 3. If your two cards total 10 or 11, double down if your total is greater than the dealer's upcard 4. With 17 or more, always stand 5. With 12 through 16, hit against a dealer's upcard of 7 or more, otherwise stand 6. With 11 or less, always hit (unless doubling) 7. With soft 18 or more, always stand 8. With soft 17 or less, always hit (Note: You can increase your payback even more by learning the complete basic strategy rules, which are slightly more complex.)

Taking a hit in blackjack means you want the dealer to give you another card. You would normally take a hit when the value of your hand is low. The risk when you hit is that if you bust, you automatically lose. You must signal the dealer that you want another card by making a beckoning motion with your finger or scratching it on the felt (this is done for security reasons). When you ask for another card, the dealer will give it to you face up. You can ask for as many cards as you want but remember the automatic loss rule if you bust.

If you're satisfied with the total of your hand, you should stand. Signal this to the dealer by waving your hand over the cards.

You can double your initial wager in blackjack by one of two ways. The first is known as "doubling down" and the second is "pair splitting." These are very important plays, so pay attention.

When you want to double down, you match your original bet by placing the equivalent amount of chips next to (not on top of) your original bet. The dealer will give you one and only one more card. Strategically, it's wise to double down when your initial two-card hand totals 11 or 10. You're hoping, of course, to draw a 10 or picture card for a 20 or 21. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but in the long run, you'll win more money by doubling down on these hands compared to hitting (we'll cover the strategy on when to double down in a moment).

If you have a pair, you have the option of splitting them and playing out two separate hands. Suppose you bet $5 and are dealt a pair of 8s for a 16. You are much better off splitting the 8s and playing two hands starting with 8 than playing the initial hand as a 16. To initiate the pair splitting, double your bet just like you do when you double down (place the secondary bet next to the initial bet).

Finally, there is the option known as "insurance." It's a bad bet for players, so I won't waste time explaining it. Just do nothing when the dealer asks players if they want to make the insurance bet.

Now that you got the hang of how the game is played, it's time to give you a quick-and-dirty set of eight playing rules that will determine how you play every hand dealt to you (see sidebar). This "Simplified Basic Strategy Rules" is from the book, Knock-Out Blackjack by Olaf Vencura and Ken Fuchs, (an excellent book on blackjack for beginners). By learning these eight rules, you can expect a 99% payback when you play blackjack-better than almost any other game in the casino, including the slots.

Let's try a few hands so you get the hang of how easy this is.

Suppose you're dealt a 6, 5 (11) and the dealer's upcard is a 5. By rule # 3, you should double down. Likewise, if your hand is 7, 3 (10) and the dealer shows a 9, you'd double down. However, if you had a 6, 4 (10) and the dealer shows a 10, by rule #3, you'd hit.

If you were dealt a Queen and 7 (17), you'd stand (rule #4). Likewise, you'd also stand if were dealt a 5 and 8 (13) and the dealer shows a 6 (rule #5).

To further bolster your confidence, practice the above strategy by playing blackjack at home with a friend. Keep playing until you can make every play by the rules listed in the table. You can also practice your strategy using any number of blackjack computer software programs, or you can play for fun at an Internet site that offers blackjack.

Once you're ready to take the plunge and make your first bet, do one more thing. Jot down the above strategy on an index card and take it with you when you play. Hold the card in your hand (don't lay it on the table) and use it as a sort of "cheat sheet." Don't worry, this is perfectly legal.

Now let's go back to the original reason why you won't play blackjack-you're afraid of making a dumb play. Forget it! With the above simplified playing strategy, you'll be playing a better game of blackjack than most of your fellow players, so stop worrying!

Repeat after me: "I can learn how to play blackjack with the right strategy and I can win." Say it a few times, then go for it. Once you do, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how easy and fun blackjack really is.

Until next month, play smart and win.

Henry Tamburin is the author of six best-selling books, including Henry Tamburin on Casino Gambling-The Best of The Best. For a free copy of Tamburin's gaming catalog, call 1-888-353-3234 or visit his website at www.smartgaming.com.