Blackjack Playing Strategies

One of the most popular games in any casino is Blackjack. Part of this is due to its general presence and acceptance, but more so because of the opportunity to play with Blackjack strategies. Most games within a casino will focus on luck and chance. In fact, many of the most popular casino games, such as Roulette or Keno, are completely based on luck, with you having virtually no interaction that can change the outcome of the game from moment to moment beyond the decisions you make when placing your bets.

In Blackjack, you can use your skills to reduce the house edge, whether you're playing online or in person. When played correctly, players can reduce the house edge in this game to one of the smallest margins found in the casino.

There are several blackjack strategies that can work and help you win money. The easiest to start with is called the basic strategy. This is a mathematical way of playing each hand based on what the dealer is showing. Now, it may seem like a Herculean task to memorize this for every possible scenario, but most casinos sell all sorts of cheat sheets in their gift shops.

Splitting

The popular tactic of split strategy is used when you are dealt two of the same card (especially 8s or Aces). This means that you can split those cards into two separate hands. Before the dealer deals three more cards (leaving him with one and you with four, with the hands you've created), you've already doubled your bet, with half going one way and half going the other. This is considered a wise move.

There are two reasons to split:

1. If you're dealt an 8, you should split because 16 is a miserable hand and you're still under the dealer's 17. Any six or higher will bust you. But an 8 is a good starting hand (with one or two of them). I might as well say something about splitting aces here: It gives you the chance to get two (or possibly more) Blackjacks and other positive hands. You might even get a winning draw.

• If players choose to split Aces, they will start with two hands of 11. If either hand is then dealt a 10 or a face card, that hand would become a Blackjack, or an automatic win. Now, let's pause to review: When players split Aces, two dealer holes are created. That's no small feat. But tilting the odds in the house's favor is the likely reason a player stays in the game long enough to be dealt an ace on the next round. The next time the dealer hits, the house usually benefits from both the current hand and the previous round's double penetration. However, Blackjack's shifting odds can work not only for the dealer, but also for the player, especially if he or she is among those likely to win at the time of the hand. That's how we get the half-life framework of the game.

Splitting is a worthy strategy both in brick-and-mortar casinos and online.

Insurance

When the dealer shows an Ace, players have the option of purchasing insurance from the casino. Most insurance policies give the player 3-2 odds on the dealer making Blackjack, which is more enticing than it sounds. In the long run, players will lose money on insurance bets. Even if a player had a good reason to believe that buying insurance would give them a mathematical edge (or cover their ass), they would never have a good reason to buy insurance online.

Surrender

Another option offered by blackjack dealers is to surrender, but this is one that players should generally ignore. When players surrender, they get half of their bet back, but they give up the other half to forfeit their hand. There are times when surrendering may seem like a good idea, such as when you have a 16 and the dealer shows a 9 or 10, but you should really just stand. It's a better play in the long run.

This is not the case in all situations, such as insurance. Card counters may be able to use this option effectively, but for online gambling, surrender is not a viable option.

Doubling Down

The blackjack strategy most people know and the easiest to use is doubling down. When you double down, you place a bet equal to your original bet and are dealt one more card. You get a chance to double your money on a very strong starting hand. If you have a total of 11 and your first 2 cards, you should always double down. That is, if you have 11 total, double down. You have an almost 33% chance (32.2% to be exact) of drawing a card that gives you 21 (but you're not done yet; more on that in the next point). And even if you don't hit exactly 21, you are very likely (58.3% with 3 cards left, and then with 4 cards left after doubling down) to hit a number 17 or higher. In certain situations, you should also double down on 9s and 10s. See the table below for context.

Hit, Stand or Double Table

Card Counting

Blackjack counting strategy is the most complicated of all strategies. It requires not only a good memory, but also the ability to perform mental calculations at a rapid pace. The purpose of counting cards is to give the player an idea of when the deck is particularly hot (full of high value cards) or cold (full of low value cards). While card counters have a good idea of when to raise and when to lower their bets, they also have to remain fairly expressionless at the table because the moment a dealer or pit boss senses that someone is using an advantageous strategy, that player is more likely to be backed out or even banned from the casino.

Although learning to count cards can lead to big rewards - and possible outright bans - in physical casinos, it's important to understand that the strategy is impossible to beat when playing online. Counting cards works in a land-based environment because it's virtually impossible to shuffle several hundred cards between each hand of play. However, online casinos can virtually shuffle the cards between each hand, rendering the whole card counting thing moot.

Advanced Blackjack Strategies

There are a number of other strategies that some recommend with varying results.

Mimic the Dealer: This strategy suggests that players play according to the dealer's rules. To be successful, they must hit with a 16 or less and stand with a soft 17 or higher. Players never double; they never split. The reason they follow these less than ideal actions is because the house edge is a whopping 5.48 percent. And that's a lot.

Assume 10 in the Hole: In this case, the player always assumes the hidden dealer card is a 10 and bets accordingly. For example, if the dealer shows a 9 and the player has an 18, basic strategy would call for a hit, even though anything higher than a 3 will bust the player. There are certainly times when assuming a 10 is consistent with basic strategy, but using this strategy exclusively will cost the player money in the long run.

Bankroll Management

When deciding on a bankroll and bet size, players should consider how long they want to play and how much money they're willing to lose. If players are betting $10, that means they should expect to lose $10 for every 10 hands played. Assuming players follow basic blackjack strategy perfectly, the house edge should be around one percent. Online, it's not unreasonable to expect to see two hands per minute or more. So a half hour of play at $10 will cost a player an average of $60.

This average can vary widely, so players should maintain a comfortable cushion in their bankroll. More importantly, you should never gamble more than you can afford to lose.

Conclusion

It takes a lot of practice to perfect blackjack strategy. Even without the complication of counting cards, it takes many repetitions to engrave good basic strategy - knowing when to hit, stand, split, or double - into one's memory. The online casino is the best place to practice because it allows players to play many more hands of blackjack in a given period of time than they could in a land-based casino.

If you want to play blackjack, you can start at any of the casinos listed below that offer the game. Our personal favorite is Royal Vegas, and we recommend you give them a try.