Unlike some casino games, Blackjack requires decision-making and tactical thinking and our Blackjack Strategy Guide can assist you a great deal to achieve maximum returns. There are different strategies that can improve your game and YourCasinoWorld.com presents out players with some of the important basics.
Blackjack Strategies
Split: If a player gets dealt two of the same cards the player can choose to split the two cards to play them both as individual hands. To split your hand you need to add the equivalent of your first bet to your existing bet, e.g. if you bet $5 and decide to split a hand, you need to add another $5 to your bet (you are not adding it to make $10, it is $5 on each hand). A player can use this basic Online Blackjack Strategy when the starting hand consists of pairs. It is a wise move to make if you have middle value cards; six, seven, eight. It is not a good idea if you have a high value pair; nines and tens. Splitting a pair of Aces is an excellent move.
Double Down: You can only double down on the first two cards. The player is allowed to increase the initial bet by up to 100% (some casinos only allow a 100% bet increase, nothing less) in exchange for committing to stand after receiving only one more card. E.g. if your original bet was $10, you need to raise it by $10, so your total bet will be $20. It is advisable to Double Down when your first hand totals either 10 or 11. The odds are in your favor that you might receive a face value, a 10 value card, or an Ace, bringing your hand total to either 20 or 21. You can also Double Down on 7, 8 or 9 – your winning odds decreases though.
It’s advisable to only Double Down when the dealers’ up card is a 2, 3, 4, 5 or a 6. The Dealer cannot stand on anything less than 17 which means there is a strong possibility that he might bust. If he reaches 17 or higher he is not allowed to draw any more cards. This is called a Hard 17. If you win the hand you will receive double your bet – in this instance $40. If you lose, you lose the $40.
NOTE: Although the Hard 17 rule applies to most Blackjack games, some casinos have the Soft 17 rule in place – this is where the dealer holds an Ace and a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 in which case he is allowed to hit (with the Ace counting as 1). Always check the casinos rules on Hard and Soft 17.
HARD HANDS: All hands not containing an Ace, or, hands that do contain an Ace but where the Ace is counted as one.
SOFT HANDS: All hands containing an Ace and a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 – with the Ace counting as 1
PAIRS: All hands that contain a pair of cards with the same value.
Surrender: This option is generally only available in Spanish 21 and allows the player to surrender their hand if they think it is likely they will lose (i.e. you hold 16 and the dealer shows a king). In this case you may surrender and you will be returned half of your bet
Insurance: If the dealer’s up card is an ace, the dealer will offer the chance to take “insurance” on your bet of an amount up to half of your original bet. The player wins the insurance bet only if the dealer’s starting hand is a “natural” (an Ace with any 10 value card). Insurance is generally not advisable.
Tie or Push: A tie or a push is a game ruling where your bet is returned to you if your and the Dealers hand is a Tie – equal score or natural hands.
Bust: This is where your hand total exceeds 21 – you lose automatically.
It is a good thing to follow this Blackjack Guide if you are looking to take your game more seriously. YourCasinoWorld.com herewith assists our readers by educating you on the most important strategies in our Blackjack Strategy Guide.