Blackjack Strategy and Tips
Many players use Blackjack Strategy cards which tell them exactly when to Hit, Split, Stand or Double Down on whichever hand they have. In fact, these cards are very well known in the industry and they are allowed to be used while playing the game. This is a great way (especially for new players) to learn the game and to find out when to make which decisions during play.
In this article we'll talk about when to bet in Blackjack, and more importantly, what to bet!
When to hit & stand
When the dealer’s up card is 2 or 3, you should always hit a hard 12.
If your hand is a soft 18 (Ace + 7) you should always hit when the dealer’s up card is 9, 10, or Ace. If you draw a small card, like an Ace, 2, or 3, you’ll have a hand higher than 18, which could improve your chances.. And if you draw a ten-valued card, you’ll still be in a good position.
Most players split a pair of 9s when the dealer’s up card is 9 or less. But when the dealer shows a 7, they prefer to stand because the odds of winning are better than splitting. This is because there is a good chance that the dealer will draw a ten-valued card. If this happens, then the dealer would get 17. And your pair of 9s, which is a hard 18, would beat the potential 17.
When to Double Down
Double Down means that you increase your first bet by 100% in exchange for committing to stand after receiving just one more card.
You could potentially increase your chances of winning when you Double Down on a hard 11. This can be done against any dealer’s up card. So for example, if you have a 6 and a 5, you would Double Down.
You may also want to consider Doubling Down on 10 when the dealer’s up card is 9 or less. The reason is that your chances of winning could increase when you hold a two-card 10 against any dealer’s up card of 9 or less.
Other Double Down strategies include Doubling Down on an Ace and a 2, through to an Ace and a 7, but only when the dealer’s up card is a 5 or 6 . The reason is that when you’re holding a soft 13 through to a soft 18, you stand to win more if you Double Down.
When to Split
If the first two cards of your hand have the same value, you can split them into two hands, each with a separate bet equal to your main bet. Usually, experienced Blackjack players will always split a pair of Aces, regardless of the dealer’s up card. They will also split a pair of 8s because it could give them better chances. The reason is that when you split a pair of 8s, you will end up playing two hands each starting with an 8, rather than playing one hand of 16 and hitting.
However, some players won’t risk splitting a pair of 8s when the dealer’s up card is a 9, 10, or Ace.
On the other hand, you should never split a pair of 5s. This is because two 5s make a hard 10 and you get better odds by hitting on a 10 than on two hands each starting with a 5. The same reasoning goes for a pair of 10s. Keeping them together as a hard 20 makes for a bette play in all circumstances.
Blackjack Tips
First things first: In Blackjack, all players use their own strategies. Everyone is allowed to play their own game and make their own decisions. There are just a few things that players tend to do (or not to do) that we would like to highlight.
Playing passively
Something that players tend to do is get a bit too passive with their hands (for example with 14, 15, 16), because they’re afraid ‘to bust’ so they won’t even bother playing.
Too aggressive on the Double Downs and Splits
Another thing players might do is to get too aggressive with Doubling Down (for example with a soft 14 or a hard 9). That usually doesn’t work out very well either, because any hand you can’t at least make a 20 is generally not a hand you'll want to Double Down on.
This also falls under the category of too aggressive play: Splitting 10s. If you Split two 10s that means that you’re looking for two 10s or better which is rather risky.
Splitting too often
Splitting too often is something you need to be careful with as well. For example if you split a pair of 7s, it could easily turn into two marginal hands that you’re then stuck with and it could swing the odds further into the house’s favor.
