You thought casino games were all about luck, didn’t you? Well, that’s not entirely the case with blackjack. There’s a reason why the casino classic is the most popular card game in the world, and that’s because there’s some skill involved.
If you want to play blackjack like the pros, you’ll need to know some basic strategies to get you started. The good news for you is that we’ve simplified everything and put it together in this handy guide. Read on, and you’ll be one of the sharks at the table in no time.
Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart
As you can see, we’ve provided you with a handy blackjack chart above. This basically tells you what to do in any situation. All you need to do is take a look at your cards, see what the dealer’s upcard is, and then perform the action the chart tells you – simple!
We’ll give you more detail on what all the various actions mean in the upcoming sections of this guide. First, it’s important to understand that following the chart isn’t an exact science. There’s still a lot of luck involved with blackjack, and nobody knows what card is going to peel off the deck next.
The actions that the chart describes are simply the optimal steps to take based on the information you have. When you get to know the game more and have a better feel for things, you can expand on this basic strategy with some more advanced tactics.
One other important thing to note is that it’s always wise to check the specific rules of the variant you’re playing beforehand, as there are some minor differences between the various strains. Online casinos have brought about a few innovative forms of blackjack too, which require their own strategies. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Key Factors to Master Basic Blackjack Strategy
In this section, we’ll take you through the different actions that you can perform after you’ve got your cards. Make sure you know all this terminology before you get started, so you don’t get lost when you’re in the middle of a game.
Surrenders
Surrender does exactly what you might expect. You wave the white flag and give up your hand immediately. In this situation, you get half your bet back, and it’s used to minimalize losses.
If you see that the dealer has a strong upcard and your hand is particularly weak, it can be a good idea to surrender and cut your losses. However, early surrenders before the dealer checks for blackjack are rare, as they reduce the house edge massively.
You’ll most likely find the option of late surrender, which is after the dealer has checked for blackjack. If they have blackjack, you won’t be allowed to surrender. But if they don’t, you can perform the action and have half of your wager returned. Some say that this is a good tactic for bankroll management and to reduce variance in the game.
Splits
Splitting is a great way to up the excitement levels in a game of blackjack. It allows you to turn one hand into two, and can potentially give you a better chance of winning. Bear in mind, though, that you can only split your hand if it features two cards of identical rank.
If you want to split, you need to place an additional bet on your new hand that’s equal to your original. Then, each card becomes the first card of a new hand, with the dealer dealing a second card to each. At some casinos, you can even split again if you receive another pair!
Check out the chart to find out when the best times to split are. There are certain opportunities when splitting is by far the best thing to do, such as when you are dealt a pair of eights, for instance. However, there are also times when you should never split, such as when you are holding tens. The reason for that is that your hand already equals 20, giving you a strong chance of winning outright.
When to Stand
Although you may feel tempted to hit when your hand equals 19 and you have a good feeling, it’s important to realize that your chances of landing an ace or a two are small. You need to know when to stand and hope for the best, and that’s when you’re in a situation that’s highly likely to bust you.
When to Hit
The main principle of hitting that you need to understand is that it should be done when your hand is highly unlikely to beat the dealer’s. There are times when it makes probabilistic sense to hit over standing, and there are other times when it would be crazy not to.
For example, if your hand total is eleven or less, you must hit. There’s no chance of going bust on the first card in that situation. In other situations, such as if your total is between 12 and 16, you need to assess how strong the dealer’s chances of winning are. If they show an upcard between seven and Ace, your best strategy is to hit.
When to Double Down
You’ve probably heard of doubling down, as the term has even entered everyday language as an idiom. This is when you have a high chance of winning, so you should increase your bet size to try to win more.
When you have a hard total between nine and 11, it’s wise to double down. A hand value of 11 represents the best time to double down. Soft 17 and soft 18 are also great times to double down to try to win more money.
Blackjack Basic Strategy FAQs
Hopefully, our handy guide has given you all the knowledge you need to get started with blackjack today. However, we realize that you may still have some burning questions that you need answered. So, luckily for you, we’ve gathered some frequently asked questions. If you still need assistance or information, feel free to contact our helpful customer support team.
Does basic blackjack strategy work online?
Yes! In fact, online casinos are the best places to implement blackjack strategy. That’s because you can easily have a blackjack game open in one tab, and your blackjack strategy chart on another. If you’re ever unsure what to do, simply consult the chart to find the optimal play.
What are the odds of winning blackjack with basic strategy?
The odds of winning vary depending on the strain you’re playing and the number of decks in use. However, there’s no doubt that you can reduce the house edge if you play with optimal strategy. There’s no exact number, but you can hope for an average win rate of around 44 percent if you follow the charts. If you went in blind and made decisions without a proper strategy in place, this percentage would be much lower.
How to count cards in blackjack basic strategy
Counting cards is a more advanced form of blackjack strategy, and it’s designed to keep track of high and low cards remaining in the deck. To do this, you need to assign points values of plus or minus one to the cards and keep a running total.
You increase your bets when the count is positive and bet minimally when the count is negative. If you’re interested in this method, you’ll need to read more detailed guides to get a better idea of what to do. Due to the use of multiple decks in modern blackjack, it’s not as effective as it once was.
What is the house edge in blackjack with basic strategy?
Then house edge can vary depending on the variant that you’re playing. If you use perfect blackjack strategy, you can expect a house edge of between 0.5 and one percent.
How to memorize blackjack basic strategy
The beauty of playing online is that you don’t need to memorize the strategy – you can simply have the charts open in another tab. However, if you play the game a lot, these moves are going to become second nature to you. After developing that foundational knowledge, you can go on to study more advanced methods at the felt.
