Blackjack strategy
Learning the optimal strategy behind Blackjack.
Blackjack is one of the most played casino games ever. Sitting down at a table and seemingly divining the next few cards played is one of the most alluring aspects of this card game, while at the same time only touching the tip of the iceberg. Experienced players hone their skills for thousands of hours at online blackjack tables and lobbies while trying to craft the perfect blackjack strategy for their personal playstyle. Add to that the fact that most players also like to work with high-risk approaches should a particularly tempting payoff be in reach, you will quickly realize that a simple card game soon offers nearly unlimited depth – especially the more successive rounds are being played.
Correct usage of Blackjack strategy can reduce the so-called house edge while making every round you play more enjoyable and educational for you. Following a basic strategy can help you become a better player quicker. It not only helps you hone your skills at Blackjack itself, it will also help you practice your memorization skills and overall analytical thinking skills!
Understanding Blackjack
Blackjack is a card game where you and a dealer are being dealt cards. Your aim is to beat the dealer’s hand by
Having a hand with a total exceeding the dealer’s hand
Not going over 21 in total card value
As such, let’s start by going over card values first.
Jacks, Queens and Kings count as 10
The Ace may count as 1 or 11
All other cards use their face value
Additionally, blackjack terminology should also be covered quickly in order to fully contextualize a Blackjack strategy here. A “bust” is a hand that exceeds 21 and results in a loss. Sometimes a Blackjack game or certain tables call this event also a “break” if it happens to the dealer.
Hard hand vs soft hand
These particular expressions are used for certain card combinations in a player’s hand and for condensing information when drawing up a basic strategy for Blackjack. Take for example a hand containing an Ace being counted as 1 – it would be called a “hard hand”. This would be the case if a player’s starting hand contains 10-8, with the third card being an Ace. Or a hand carrying 5-A-10-1, which would be called a “hard 18” for example. A soft hand is a hand including an Ace being counted as an 11. A-2-6 would be a “soft 19” for example. It is only natural for you to be dealt a soft starting hand and receiving additional cards, turning your hand into a hard one. Holding a soft 18 and drawing a 4 would convert it into a hard 11 for example. In other words: drawing an initial soft hand will never result in you going bust with the next card – a very important thing to understand when coming up with your basic Blackjack strategy.
Forming a blackjack strategy
Once you understood the base assumptions surrounding card values and hand types, it is time to start forming a strategy for your game of Blackjack. This will help you play the game anywhere, be it in a land-based casino or online casino, be it with other players at the same table or via a special Blackjack App part of a casino’s portfolio. No matter what table you are sitting down at, how you interact with the dealer should be burned into your mind as these options are integral to any basic Blackjack strategy:
Hitting Cards
Usually done via a “come hither”-motion with one or two fingers, or a soft tapping of fingers on the table’s felt, this means that you have set your bet and are asking the dealer for another card. Online casinos usually provide special buttons for the different game options on the side or lower edge of the game screen.
Standing / Standing Down
Done via a wave of the hand, a tucking of cards under betting chips or via a button, this action signals the dealer that you are happy with your hand and do not require additional cards. So far so good, but what about card splitting? This is where things can be become quite intricate already, so read on:
Splitting Cards
Splitting cards can often be the decisive move between losing the round completely or coming out of it a big winner. As such it deserves its own section in this post about Blackjack strategy. You can split your hand whenever you have been dealt a pair of same value cards, for example two 8s. You may then proceed to pull both cards apart and treat them as two different hands, adding a second bet to the other card. You may also ask for as many additional cards for both your “new” hands as you like.
Some casinos may only allow 1 additional card for each hand in the case of split Aces.
You are also required to play 1 hand after the other to completion.
You can indicate you wish to split your hand by placing another betting chip next to your initial one or using a button in case of an online casino.
Some casinos may also allow to split any pair of cards with values of 10 each. Jack-ten would be viable for splitting in this case, as would Queen-King for example.
Basic Blackjack strategy for pair splitting
The two most important factors in deciding whether or not to split a pair of cards as part of your general Blackjack strategy are the applicable rules laid out above (which are different from venue to venue) and the number of decks being used at the table. Additionally, some casinos may also allow players to double down after a split (referred to as DAS) or not (NDAS). Commonly, we assume between 4 and 8 decks of cards to be used at a Blackjack table. The difference in suggested strategies regarding splitting a pair is slight but still significant, as the following tables illustrate:
Basic Split Strategy in DAS Games
Basic Split Strategy in NDAS Games
Following this basic strategy, an example would be as follows:
You are playing at a table using 4 decks and DAS, you hold 9-9. The dealer’s card is a 9. You should split your hand.
There are mainly three criteria which you should learn to understand when making the decision to split your hand:
You will win more money on average or
You will lose less money on average or
You may turn a losing hand into a partially winning one.
Surrendering your hand
Knowing when to surrender your hand and move on to the next is also an important part of your Blackjack strategy. We suggest the following hard rules:
Surrender a hand with total value of 16 against a dealer card showing 9, 10, a face card or an Ace.
Surrender a hand with total value of 15 against a dealer card showing 10.
Doubling Down
The hard-hitting moves in Blackjack are almost always connected to the player’s decision to double down. This means they doubled their initial bet in exchange for receiving just one additional card for their hand, after which they must beat the dealer’s hand since they will not be given any other cards that round. Your basic Blackjack strategy once more depends on the number of decks used in the game, for which we will again assume a minimum of 4 being used.
Our suggested Blackjack strategy suggests doubling down against a dealer’s Card the following way:
To understand the logic behind doubling down you should take into consideration that usually player’s start out on the defensive because they tend to overvalue the dealer’s hand. By memorizing your basic strategy for Blackjack you can turn the table’s dynamic and be on the offense for once. This is especially the case if you are holding a soft hand, as this increases the chance for the dealer to go bust trying out-value your hand!
Strategies behind Blackjack are an interesting topic for any casino gamer. No basic Blackjack strategy is a guarantee for winning, it should instead be viewed as an introduction to probabilities and as a guide to honing your own individual skills.
Blackjack Strategy FAQs
What does it hitting cards mean?
Hitting means to request additional cards in order to beat the dealer’s card.
What is as hard hand in Blackjack?
A hard hand in Blackjack is a hand where an Ace would be counted as 1 in order to avoid going over 21 with your initial two cards already.
What is a soft hand in Blackjack?
A soft hand in Blackjack is a hand where the initial hand contains an Ace being counted as 11 without running into trouble. It is often considered a very good hand to begin the round with.
When should I double down in Blackjack?
In general, basic Blackjack strategy suggests doubling down whenever you as a player have a soft hand and the dealer’s card is between 3 and 10 – you can find more info in our tables above.
How do I win in Blackjack?
There are no guarantees for winning in a card game of chance. However, following our general guidelines can help you evaluate hands during a round and help you decide on the best move in any given situation.
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