Every player wants to know how to win at blackjack and what the best betting strategy to increase winning odds is. The good news is that there are lots of betting strategies to help you improve your blackjack game. Read on to find out how you can beat the dealer almost every time you play.
How to Play Blackjack?
Firstly, let’s take a look at how to play one of the world’s most popular card games, Blackjack. Otherwise known as twenty-one, blackjack involves a player competing against the dealer by using the combined value of their cards to reach as close to 21 as possible, without exceeding it and going “bust”.
Players start off by placing a bet, and they and the dealer are then dealt two cards. The player’s cards are always dealt face up while the dealer receives one card face up and one face down. Each card is valued from 1 to 11; Aces are worth either 1 or 11, Jacks, Queens and Kings are worth 10, while cards 2 to 10 are worth their face values.
Players choose to “hit” and receive more cards, “stand” to not take any more or they may “split” their cards or “double down” (more on those further down in the article), with the aim of reaching a card total as close to 21 as possible, without busting with more.
Basic Blackjack Strategy
Because blackjack is a casino gambling game based as much on skill as it is on luck, having a basic strategy in mind can do a lot to improve your chances of winning.
But even by knowing a few strategies, it’s impossible to win on every hand. Even professional players and those who are expert at card counting will admit there’s no foolproof blackjack strategy that wins every time. However, knowing a few tips that could improve your game will undoubtedly maximize your chances of beating the dealer.
10 Online Blackjack Strategies
Here are some of our favorite blackjack strategy tips to minimize the house edge and give you the best winning odds at the blackjack table so you can win more money.
- Start Off With a Basic Strategy Chart
There really is a proven formula for what to do when faced with different hands, depending on what cards you hold and the dealer’s upcard. Blackjack charts like the one below include the recommended basic blackjack strategy for each possible card combination:
- Find the Blackjack Rules That Suit You
There are many different blackjack variants and some tables have different rules and payouts. To increase your chances of winning, you want to find the tables with the most favorable rules, such as tables that:
- Offer a 3:2 payout
- Allow players to double down
- Allow players to double after splitting a pair
- Offer the option to surrender cards
- Include six decks or less
- And where the dealer needs to stand on a soft 17 or more
- Carefully Increase Bets on Winning Streaks
Many blackjack players feel they’re on a winning streak after several successful hands in a row. Some experts suggest increasing your wagers after a few wins if it feels like luck is going your way. While this might work out sometimes, there’s no pattern to how the cards will come out, so the safest thinking is to treat each hand independently.
With this said, one popular strategy is to start at the lowest bet then increase your bet by 1 coin or unit each time you win a hand. When you lose a hand, go back to your original bet.
- Know When and When Not to Split
To be in with a chance to win blackjack, always split aces and 8s but never split 5s or 10s. For any other pairs, refer to the blackjack strategy card above.
- Know When To Surrender
If you’re playing Blackjack with Surrender, it’s important to know which cards to surrender your hand on. Blackjack experts suggest players surrender on a hard 16 against a dealer’s 9, 10 or ace, with the exception of when a pair of 8s is held (in which case you should split). Likewise, when the dealer’s hand includes a 10, surrender on a hard 15.
- Don’t Bother Taking Insurance
While the payout for a win when insurance is taken is 2:1, making it higher than when it’s not taken, the odds of needing insurance do not justify the cost of buying it. Insurance is only available when the dealer has an ace as their up card so you’re protecting yourself against the likelihood of their down card being a 10, but the odds of that happening are lower than 2:1.
- Follow the Famous Blackjack Rhyme
Surrender, Split, Double, Hit – these are the questions you should be asking yourself (in that order) when you first receive your two cards. Firstly, should you surrender your hand if it’s not particularly strong? Should you split pairs? Should you double or not? And finally, should you hit? It’s important to keep these questions in mind (referring to the basic betting strategy above) and maintain this order to get the best out of each of your blackjack hands.
- Forget Thinking You’re Due a Win
Just because you haven’t had a win for a while doesn’t mean you’re about to. Unless you’re an expert at counting cards, it can be close to impossible to guess which card will come out next. Instead, you’re best to focus on the cards you have rather than those you assume might be dealt next.
- Watch Your Budget
Both blackjack beginners and seasoned players need to keep a budget in mind and stick to it, to ensure they’re not spending outside of their means. If you’re new to blackjack and other casino games, select a low minimum bet so you can learn slowly without spending too much money. Consider setting a time or betting limit and stop when you reach it.
- Stick to Online Casinos
While sitting around the blackjack tables at land-based casinos can be lots of fun, it can also be a quick way to lose money. Whether it’s an issue of being distracted talking to the dealer or your fellow table companions or enjoying a few too many drinks, it’s often easier to be more focused and play responsibly when playing blackjack games at home or on your phone at an online casino.
Play Blackjack at PlayStar
Looking to put these winning strategies for blackjack into practice at the tables? PlayStar has a range of blackjack tables, from First Person Blackjack and Multihand Blackjack, to Blackjack with Surrender and live dealer games. Now you’re armed with some great tips, there couldn’t be a better time to start playing than now at NJ’s finest online casino, PlayStar!
