Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack rules are really simple but the decision about the right strategy and move are pretty hard. When should I split? When should I double? Should I draw another card if I have already 16 points? Those questions will be answered in the following article.

The playing strategy which will be described her is probably not perfect but it is considerably simpler and more playable than an extensive description. A perfect way of playing would improve your game slightly (by approximately 0,2%) and you would need several books for the amount of information necessary to achieve the best results at Blackjack.

Basically, it is important to know that almost all decisions and therefore the strategies depend on the dealer’s face-cards. In order to make it simple, let us divide the dealer’s cards only into two blocks, namely the cards from 2-6 and from 7 to Ace.

The Dealer holds a 2,3,4,5, or 6

If the dealer’s hand contains rather small numbers then it is very likely that he will overstep the 21 points – because of that we will stop at 12 points. If you have 9, 10, or 11 points, you should double down if it is allowed by the rules. Some Casinos will allow you to double down only if you have 2 cards, and if you have a total of 9 points with three cards, you draw as usual without doubling down. If you have 8 or less points, you draw another card and add it to your hand.

Online Blackjack
Blackjack Rules
Blackjack Strategy
Blackjack Tips
Blackjack Tips Two
Play online Blackjack
How to Play Blackjack

The Dealer holds a 7, 8, 9, 10, or an Ace

The crucial difference to the small initial cards of the dealer is that you will now always draw a card as long as you accumulate 17 or more points. If you have 16 points and the dealer has 8 points, you draw another card. This is one of those things which most players get wrong, but this strategy is mathematically correct. If you have 10 or 11 points, you should double down when your cards are higher than the dealer’s face card. When the dealer has more points or your hand equals that of the dealer - for example if you have two cards with 6 and 4 points and the dealer has a king – than you should draw a card as usual. If you have less than 10 points then you will draw another card because it is not very likely that you will overstep the 21-points limit.

When should I split my cards?

Blackjack offers you the opportunity to split 2 equal cards. If you are willing to pay the same amount of money as for your initial bet you can e.g. split a pair of two 8s and then play each card individually against the house. The game restarts and you will get an additional card to each of your 8s and afterwards you can decide how you want to continue. But the question is when you should actually split your cards. If you have a pair of 4s or 5s you should not split. The same applies for a pair of 10s or a pair of face-cards. If you have two face-cards then you already have 20 points which is a complete hand. However, if you have a pair of 8s or Aces then you should always split – regardless of the dealer’s cards. You should split pairs of 2s, 3s, 6s, 7s, and 9s if the dealer has less than 7 points – if the dealer has 7 or more points you continue normally.

Soft hand – if you have an Ace

All hands from Soft 19 (for example an Ace and an 8) upwards should stop drawing cards. When the dealer has a 7 or a better card you should draw until you accumulate 19 points. If the dealer has between 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 points, then double down (if it is permitted by the Casino). When you have Soft 13-15 (for example Ace+2+2= Soft 15) or any other version – draw another card.

Insurance

The insurance bet applies only when the dealer has an Ace in his face-cards. The rule for the insurance bet is simple – never get insurance. It’s similar with insurances in real life – they cost money and you may feel more secure with them but very often they are needless.

Rule variations

Almost every Casino has its own peculiarities with regards to Blackjack and there are numerous variations which influence a certain strategy. The rule “Dealer hits Soft 17” means that the dealer must draw another card if he has 17 points. This is good for the player because the player’s advantage will increase by 0, 22%. Sometimes you can only double down if you have 9, 10, or 11 points – that’s a disadvantage for the players. There are also more positive rules for the players - sometimes you can split Aces twice. Surrender is also a popular variety, which allows you to end the game when the player thinks that he is going to loose. The advantage is that although the player surrenders - he has the chance of getting half of his bet back. It is important to note that you have to decide whether you want to surrender or not before you draw a third card or double down – after that the option to surrender does not apply. There are two types of surrender; “early” and “late”. The player chooses the former type of surrender before the dealer checks his cards for a blackjack. With “Early Surrender” players have a slight advantage and therefore it is not offered by many Online Casinos. More often you will see the latter form, “Late Surrender”, which applies only after the dealer has checked his cards for a blackjack – if the dealer has no Blackjack you are allowed to surrender whereas you cannot surrender if the dealer has a blackjack; in that case you will loose your whole bet.

TOP CASINOS

CASINO GAMES