Blackjack Strategies
Although Blackjack is a casino card game of luck and chance, it also involves some strategies, skills, calculations, and common sense, that can give the player a higher edge against the house.
From this write up you will learn how to make various decisions. Your decision, however, depends on your card and the upcard of the dealer. However, note that no matter the strategy you bring to the table, you will always be at a disadvantage.
These Blackjack strategies will give you a hint on when to hit, stand, double down, and split, which many players find so thrilling.
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Table of content:
- Blackjack Strategies
- Basic Blackjack strategy
- “Soft hand” strategy
- Blackjack Split strategy
- Double down after a split
- Surrender
- Blackjack Strategy Tips
Basic Blackjack strategy
One crucial strategy to note is to play as if the dealer’s downcard is a 10. So if you have a 16 and the dealer’s upcard is seven and since you are assuming that the downcard is a 10, therefore the dealer is one point ahead of you, you must then hit.
However, in a case where the dealer’s upcard is 6, then you assume that his total card is 16 and you also have a 16, you have to stand. Of course, this is just one way of playing the game; there are other strategies we will discuss. The table below summarises some basic strategies.
“Soft hand” strategy
A “soft hand” contains an ace counting as 11 for any of the first two cards. Do not stand on a soft 16 especially if the dealer’s upcard is 6 and above. No card could hurt a soft 16 or a soft 15, or many other soft totals. The table below represents strategies for “soft hand”.
Blackjack Split strategy
If your first two cards match and you want to split both into two hands, the following chart will guide you:
Double down after a split – Blackjack Strategies
If the table permits double down after splits, the following strategy variations are necessary:
If you have: | Do this: |
Double 2 or 3 | Split 2 through 7 |
Double 4 | Split 5 and 6 |
Double 6 | Split 2 through 6 |
Surrender
- 1st-With a hard 16 (but not a pair of 8s) surrender against dealer’s 9, 10, or A.
- 2nd-With a hard 15 surrender against dealer’s 10.
- 3rd-With a hard 17 surrender against dealer’s A
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Blackjack Strategy Tips
If you get confused at some point in a game, these tips will keep you in the game.
Let the Dealer Bust
Do not hit if the dealer’s upcard is 4 through 6, except you have an ace (soft hand). Having these cards is a disadvantage for the dealer, and an advantage for you as the dealer can easily bust with these cards. You are advised to add more money into the bet by splitting or doubling.
Don’t Let High, Hard Hands Go
If you have a high hard hand like 17 and above, one of the most recommended blackjack strategies is that you should always stand as you are close to the 21-mark and your chances of busting are high.
Split Aces and Eights but Never Split Tens, five and Sixes
Always split double aces to have a higher chance of winning. However, never split 10s, 5s, 6s. Having two 10s is 20, this is very high and close to the 21-mark, you can risk 20 against anything the dealer has.
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Do not take an Insurance Bet
Although an insurance bet payout, 2:1 do not bet on it. You do not need to bother about how it works; this bet only increases the house edge.
In summary
YOUR HAND | DEALER’S HAND | |||||||||||||
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | king | Queen | Jack | Ace | ||
5+8 | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | |
9 | H | DD | DD | DD | DD | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | |
10 | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | H | H | H | H | H | |
11 | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | H | |
12 | H | H | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | |
13 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | |
14 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | |
15 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | SU/H | SU/H | SU/H | SU/H | H | |
16 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | SU/H | SU/H | SU/H | SU/H | SU/H | SU/H | |
17-20 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | |
A,2 | H | H | H | DD | DD | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | |
A,3 | H | H | H | DD | DD | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | |
A,4 | H | H | DD | DD | DD | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | |
A,5 | H | H | DD | DD | DD | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | |
A,6 | H | DD | DD | DD | DD | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | |
A,7 | S | DD | DD | DD | DD | S | S | H | H | H | H | H | H | |
A,8 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | |
A,9 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | |
2,2 | SP/H | SP/H | SP | SP | SP | SP | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | |
3,3 | SP/H | SP/H | SP | SP | SP | SP | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | |
4,4 | H | H | H | SP/H | SP/H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | |
5,5 | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | DD | H | H | H | H | H | |
6,6 | SP/H | SP | SP | SP | SP | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | |
7,7 | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | |
8,8 | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | |
9,9 | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | S | SP | SP | S | S | S | S | S | |
10,10 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | |
A,A | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP | SP |
Key:
S Stand SP Split
H Hit SP/H Split if allowed to double down, if not Hit
DD Double Down SU/H Surrender if allowed, if not hit
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