Basic Strategy in Blackjack

Download our Blackjack Basic Strategy PDF!

When new players jump into the exciting world of blackjack, they often encounter exotic stories involving card counting and advanced blackjack strategies. With names like spooking, ace tracking and the zen count it’s easy to become intimidated and to skip over learning black jack basic strategy. This is a big mistake.

Basic strategy is the single most powerful tool in the blackjack player’s arsenal. It is basic strategy more than any other technique or trick that will sway the odds away from the casino and into your own pocket, making you a successful blackjack player.

Learning black jack betting strategy takes time and effort. It’s possible to use a basic strategy card or betting table to make things easier, but in the long run it’s better to take the time to memorize basic strategy. This will let you play and respond intuitively rather than relying on a chart every time the dealer puts down a new card.

This, along with the RNG (Random Number Generator) blackjack, has created the need for alternative solutions, and a number of players resorted to blackjack betting strategies that exploit the winning and losing streaks, focusing on money management rather than trying to predict the next card. At the same time, these are much easier to master than some of the advanced blackjack techniques, such as. ALWAYS DOUBLE DOWN ON A HARD 11. You’ll always win more money if you double down on hard.

History and variations

Use GambleGenie’s Blackjack Strategy Chart. This goes without saying but if you are new to the. The casino management - who are always very superstitious - decided I was 'unlucky' and put me on the blackjack tables. Before long I noticed that a few players seemed to frequently get a blackjack - two cards with a face value of 21 - after placing large bets. Tips for getting started at Bet Behind If no seats are available at the Blackjack table a message will pop up saying: “All seats are occupied, but you place a bet behind any player.” If you’ve decided to take the plunge and try Bet Behind, you will still have the chance to place bets even when seats become available.

The general idea behind basic strategy is really very simple. First you want to get to 21 without going over, but more importantly you want to beat the dealer’s hand.

The first step is to watch for patterns and to learn how to respond to them. As seasoned players know very well, there are certain card variations and combinations that show up regularly during blackjack games. Using strategy charts to learn the best way to respond to these card combinations can help you become a more efficient player.

To help players learn the optimum playing strategy for all the possible game variations, different basic strategy charts have been created. Each one takes into account every aspect of the game and its rules. These charts are designed using statistics and mathematics, so their advice is very accurate and effective.

The differences between, for example, a 2 deck strategy chart and a 6 deck strategy chart are not enormously different, but it is important to note that blackjack is a game of small percentages that add up over time, so even the smallest rule change can make a big difference in the long run. It all adds up, and every little bit helps players earn an advantage over the house.

Patience is key. Professional players know that the best way to make real money in blackjack is to play a lot of games over a long period of time, relying on small advantages over the house to slowly churn out a profit. Big wins can definitely happen, but it is better to take your time and watch your bankroll grow little by little as you play.

Once you have the basics down, you can move on to more intermediate blackjack strategy. This also involves watching for patterns, and learning how to respond to different situations. Do you hit or stand? Do you surrender, double down, or take insurance? Mathematically, there is always an optimal answer for every single hand. Learning the right answer is the key to becoming a blackjack champ.

Playing Tips

Hit

  • In general if your hand is below 17 and the dealer’s hand is anything above an 8, the recommended action is to hit, simply because the odds are more likely that the dealer’s hand will bust.
  • “Soft hands” containing an ace can complicate things. In this situation, it is especially important to consider what cards the dealer is showing and weigh the odds. Typically, is recommended to hit when you have a soft hand with a value between 13-17 if the dealer is showing a 7 or higher card.
  • Take a hit on soft 18 only if the dealer is showing a 9, 10 or ace card.

Stand

  • Stand on any hand above 14 when the dealers card is showing a 4, 5 or 6.
  • Always stand on 16 when a dealer shows a 10 if the player has 3 or more cards.
  • When the player’s hand shows a soft 18, stand when the dealer shows a 2, 7, 8 or when there are 3 or more cards.
  • Always stand on a soft 19 or higher hand. The risk of busting is simply too high.

Split

  • Never split 5’s or 10’s or face cards.
  • Always split Aces and 8’s regardless of the dealer’s cards.
  • Split 2’s or 3’s when the dealers hand shows a 4, 5 or 6.
  • More splitting variations should be based on the basic strategy chart designed for the blackjack rule variation that you are playing.
Blackjack

Double Down

  • Always double down on 11.
  • Double up when a player’s hand shows a 10 and the dealer’s card is a 9 or lower.
  • Once again “soft hands” require different tactics. In this case you want to double down if your hand is a soft 13-17 only if the dealer has a 5 or 6.
  • If your cards are a soft 15-17 you can chose to double down, but only if the dealer is showing a 4.

The ultimate goal in blackjack is making the best decision on your hand so as to get your 21 or get closer to 21 than the dealer. To do this, decisions must be made on every card. The questions here as a player are whether to hit, stand, double down, split, when to take insurance and when to surrender. Using the chart below, you are one step to becoming a major pro on getting that 21.

Key-words:

Stand: refusing to take another card from the dealer
Hit: adding a card to your hand
Double: doubling your bet and making only one hit
Split: double your bet and splitting the pairs to make more hands
Face up: the dealer’s first card
Soft:A hand that has an Ace equal to 11

Standon

Always on 17 or higher
13-16 unless the dealer’s face up is 7 or more
12 when the dealer’s face up is 4,5 or 6
A soft 19 to 20
Soft 18 when the dealer’s card is 2, 7 or 8
A pair of 10
A pair of 9 when the dealer’s face up is 7, 10 or an Ace

Hiton

13-16 if the dealer’s face up is 7 and higher or an Ace
12 unless the dealer face up is 4,5 or 6
Always on 6 through to 8
9 unless the dealer’s face up ranges 3-6
Soft 13-14 unless the dealer’s face up is 5 or 6
Soft 15-16 unless dealer’s face up is 4-6
Soft 18 when the dealer’s face up is 9 or more
A pair of 7 when the dealer’s face up is more than 8 or an Ace
A pair of 6 when the dealer’s face up is 7 or more
A pair of 5 when the dealer has a 10 or an Ace
A pair of 4 unless the dealer’s face is 5 or 6
A pair of 3 and 2 when the dealer has 8 or more

Double downon

Blackjack Bet Behind Strategy Tactics

Blackjack

11 unless the dealer’s face up is an Ace
10 except the dealer has a 10 or an Ace
9, soft 17 and soft 18 when the dealer has 3-6
Soft 15 and soft 16 when the dealer has 4-6
Soft 13 and soft 14 when the dealer has 5-6
A pair of 5 unless the dealer has a 10 or an Ace

Split

What Is The Best Blackjack Strategy

Always spilt an Ace and 8’s
Pair of 9 unless the dealer has a face up of 7
Pair of 7 unless the dealer has 8 or higher or an Ace
Pair of 6, 2 and 3 unless the dealer has 7 or higher or an Ace
A pair of 4 when the dealer has 4 or 5