Most gamblers love blackjack. When it comes to online gaming, you’ll come across a wide range of captivating casino games that are just a few clicks away, ready to immerse you in an exciting world of chance and entertainment. You will rarely see slot mavens spend time at baccarat and roulette tables, but you’d be hard pressed to find a reel-spinning enthusiast that does not wish to play a few hands of twenty-one action now and again.
Its appeal predominantly lies in two factors. The first element is that this game has simple rules that anyone can grasp quickly, which have remained identical everywhere. The second is that, by default, it has a house edge of only 2%, which can get further brought down to sub-0.5% levels if a player opts to follow a defined strategy for blackjack games of any kind.
Nowadays, twenty-one entertainment is available at virtually every casino with a license to offer Class III gaming and on regulated online sites. The latter usually delivers live dealer blackjack and this gambling classic in its software form, powered by RNG algorithms.
Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart
The first step to learning how to beat blackjack involves becoming familiar with a basic strategy chart. It provides an optimal way to play the game, with the correct move for every situation that arises at the table. This is based on the cards you have and on the dealer’s upturned card.
We recommend printing the basic strategy chart, below, and keeping it in front of you or else simply opening this chart on your computer screen when you play. If you happen to be in a casino and have not memorized all the plays, you can consult a basic blackjack strategy chart as you play.
The following strategies can be used in all games unless stated otherwise. The strategies discussed below also assume you are a recreational player, and not a card counter.
Memorize the basic terms of the game
The game itself is simple enough to figure out. Every player knows they need to get to 21 to beat the dealer. However, many players don’t understand the terms used beyond hitting to get another card or staying to end their term. Before you play, know about asking to double down, split your hand, or surrender your hand so you can incorporate these into your betting strategies and give yourself the best chance of winning.
- When you choose to double down, you double your bet and receive only one more card.
- When you have two of the same card, such as a pair of twos, you can split them and play them as two hands with two separate bets.
- Very few casinos allow you to surrender your hand. When you have a bad hand, you can surrender and save half your bet.
Always double down on a hard
You’ll always win more money if you double down on hard 11 against any dealer’s up card vs. hitting in all games, with one exception. If you are playing a multi-deck game where the rules specify the dealer must stand on soft 17, you are slightly better off hitting against a dealer Ace rather than doubling down.
Utilize a Strategy Chart
A blackjack strategy is nothing more than a chart informing players what to do in specific scenarios. It is a table that lists different hands a gambler may get dealt and what to do when he holds every card combo possible. The instructions provided include hitting and standing, doubling down, splitting and not splitting pairs, surrendering if that is an option, and more. For example, if a player has an eleven card total, and the dealer’s up card is a ten, then a basic strategy chart will advise a gambler to double down on his hand. It is never a good idea to play live blackjack online frequently and not have memorized a chart outlining the best moves in each probable situation.
Always Split a pair of 8s and Aces
You should always split a pair of 8s and Aces regardless of what the dealer’s up card is. Unfortunately, many players won’t split with a pair of 8s when the dealer’s up card is a 9, 10, or Ace. They reason that because they are a big underdog in this situation, why bet more money by splitting? What they don’t understand is that you are less of an underdog by playing two hands, each starting with an 8 (by splitting), than you are playing one hand of 16 (and hitting). In other words, you will lose less money in the long run by splitting 8s against a 9, 10, or Ace than by hitting hard 16. Bottom line: Always splitting 8s and Aces is your best strategy because in the case of Aces, it results in significant gains for the player; and for 8s, it will, based on the dealer’s upcard, allow you to cut your losses or win more money.
(Note: If surrender is offered and you are playing in a multi-deck game with h27, or a double-deck game with h27 and NDAS, your best strategy is to surrender the pair of 8s vs. the dealer’s Ace rather than splitting them.)
Mitigate the house advantage
The dealer gains an advantage because the player must act first without knowing what the hole card, the face-down card, is. Also, once you go over 21, or bust, you lose even if the dealer busts as well. Once you understand this, you’ll realize that winning depends upon reacting to the cards you have as well as those other players and the dealer show on the table in order to predict what card the dealer has face-down.
Play at Tables Where the Dealers Stand on Soft 17s
Soft hands are those with an ace, which can count as a one or an eleven. Hence, a soft seventeen is a card total where an ace counts as an eleven, and the other cards make up the number six in the dealer’s hand. Some gaming venues and the best live blackjack online USA sites impose that a dealer must stand on soft 17s, which improves a gambler’s winning odds. Thus, always seek out such games, online and offline. That is one of the best blackjack tips anyone can provide to casino newcomers.
Neglect Betting Patterns
Some people advertise the use of betting patterns on every casino game around. These are negative progressive systems that demand players increase their bet size after a loss. The problem with these systems is that an unlucky streak can lead anyone into a massive financial hole.
How Does Blackjack Basic Strategy Work?
Basic strategy was devised in the 1950s. It was created by four US Army engineers, who used simple adding machines to find the optimal playing strategy for blackjack. The approach was later refined with the use of computers, with millions of blackjack hands simulated. Based on those results, the blackjack strategy chart was created in order to give players a clear view of the right decisions.
It is important to understand that a basic strategy will not guarantee a profit in the short term, or in the long run. It is simply a way to reduce the house advantage and give you a better chance of losing less money. However, short-term results are often difficult to predict and luck still plays a big role in 21, no matter how low the casino’s house edge is.
Learn How to Play Any Hand
The first thing to do for those who want to play blackjack like a pro is to master basic blackjack strategy, like the basic rules, variations, casino edge, and etiquette of the game. With this knowledge, you’ll be set to play your best no matter what cards you are dealt.
Frank Scoblete, author of the Ultimate Roulette Strategy Guide and a highly regarded casino specialist, agrees that “There is a reason why mankind invented the computer. We needed to find out the optimal way to play blackjack so that we kept the house edge seriously at bay. The optimal way is called basic blackjack strategy.”
There is a statistical advantage to employing basic strategy — it provides you with skills to double your bet in favorable situations, split when the dealer can’t, stand on totals of 12-16, and capitalize on a bonus payoff where the deal can’t.
Henry Tamburin Ph.D. is one of the most respected blackjack experts in the world, and author of the Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide, Blackjack: Take The Money and Run, as well as a litany of other magazine pieces. He has made his name teaching blackjack, participating in tournaments like the prestigious Blackjack Ball.
Tamburin advises players that “You can reduce the casinos’ edge in blackjack to about 0.2 — 0.5% (rule dependent) by knowing the correct playing decisions.”
While there are plenty of deviations to basic blackjack strategy, it’s wise to hold a firm understanding of the basics before moving on to advanced strategies.
Don’t Be Afraid to Surrender
Players look at their two-card hands and compare against the dealer. If they know the chances of winning are poor, they still often avoid the surrender and stay in the game. Why?
Tamburin explains that “Most players disdain the surrender option because they much prefer to try to ‘win their hands,’ rather than wimp out and surrender them… Surrender can be a smart play if you know which hands to surrender.”
So, players should know when to surrender in blackjack.
There are two scenarios in which surrender is a smart play:
Surrender a hard 16 (but not 8-8) against a dealer nine, 10, or Ace upward.
Surrender a hard 15 to a dealer 10 upcard, Why?
Each time you surrender, you lose 50% or half of what you wager. So, in these cases, the math says you should choose to surrender in the two scenarios where your expected loss from staying in the game through to the conclusion is more than 50%.
Basic blackjack rules to remember
Now we’ve covered the basics of how to play blackjack, there are a few other basic rules you’ll need to keep in mind. It’s always worth knowing what payouts you’ll receive in various blackjack scenarios, and which moves to make depending on your hand. Take a look at the additional blackjack rules below:
Regular wins pay 1:1
This is when the value of your cards is closer to 21 than those of the dealer.
Blackjack wins pay 3:2
This is when your cards equal 21.
16 and below
Dealers must hit on any hand valued at 16 and below.
Hit or Stand
Players have the basic choice of adding a card to their hand (hitting) or not (standing) to reach a final hand value of 21, or closest to it. They can also double down or split…
Split
Turn your hand of two into two separate hands, for an extra chance to beat the dealer. This is an option when you have two cards of equal value.
Double Down
You can choose to double your bet mid-hand, but you’ll receive just one card and you won’t have the option to take another. While it’s not necessarily your best move to double down on anything other than a 10 or an 11, some casinos will let you double down regardless of what you’re holding. However, some online casinos limit the option.
Conclusion
The right blackjack strategy will lower the house edge and, if you master card counting, might even allow you to win at the table. If you play with basic strategy, you can reduce the casino advantage to around 0.5%, making blackjack a game with one of the lowest house edges on the casino floor.