Proven Blackjack Strategies that work
Blackjack has been one of the favorite casino games of many players, thanks to its dynamics, simplicity, and highly high Return to Player (RTP). Live blackjack games can have up to 99.6% RTP, making blackjack a perfect skilled-based game for every gambler who wants to rely on his abilities and not so much on lady luck.
To develop gaming skills and achieve the best play, you must use the best blackjack strategies and see which ones work the best for you. A blackjack table is a place to be if your goal is to earn more money playing in an online casino.
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Where Can You Play Blackjack Online?
The ultimate way to test a blackjack betting strategy is by playing as much as possible and gaining experience. But to do so, bettors have to find reliable online casino sites that provide a safe environment, secure withdrawals, fair games, casino promotions, and professional customer support.
You will find exceptional operators who proved themselves many times and have undergone a strict testing process on our site. They also have various versions of the blackjack game and great online blackjack tables where you can put your perfect blackjack strategy into practice.
Why Do Players Need a Basic Blackjack Strategy?
Since online blackjack is such a popular table game, the number of players is huge. But only a part of them knows how to play it well and use a betting strategy to their advantage. The house edge in blackjack is relatively lower than in other casino games, such as free spins, and by using a correct strategy, you can help yourself win more money with a minimum deposit.
You do not have to be a professional blackjack player to use a basic blackjack strategy. But it would help if you were willing to learn and understand blackjack strategy charts that you can then use as a “cheat sheet” to maximize your winnings.
You can start with simpler strategies and work your way up to card counting and more complex blackjack strategies. Having a basic blackjack strategy can also help you play responsibly and be smarter with your decisions. This will help you in the long run and build good habits.
Blackjack is not a complicated gambling game, and neither are the strategies. You just have to be aware of what is happening on the table and know all the rules so you can successfully choose a blackjack strategy that will work the best in a given moment.
All About the Blackjack Strategy
A blackjack basic strategy actually represents a set of rules that help you decide what move to do next, depending on your hand. The dealer does not have the luxury of using a blackjack strategy since he is obligated to follow specific rules.
If the dealer has 17 points in total, he must stand in many game variations. If it is less than 17, he is obliged to continue to draw.
On the other hand, a player can freely choose if he wants to hit, stand, split, or double down, no matter his blackjack hand. That is why it is essential to know your options.
Blackjack Rules: Know the Game Inside Out
Blackjack is played against the dealer, not other players. The goal is to win by either getting a hand that is higher in value than the dealer (up to 21); or by not busting (going over 21 points) before the dealer. As we mentioned earlier, blackjack is not difficult to understand. Still, it has some nuances that can help you decide what you should do depending on the situation.
The numbered cards (from 2 to10) are counted by their face value; picture cards (King, Queen, and Jack) are worth 10 points each, while aces can be counted as 1 or 11. Their value depends on the player’s hand and what suits them better at that moment.
If you have ever played this game, you could see that blackjack offers a so-called insurance bet. It is a side bet, independent from the main wager. The insurance bet is placed when a player thinks that the dealer has a blackjack and is available if the dealer shows an ace as his up card. In other words, you bet that the hole card (dealer’s down card) has a value of 10. These are the basic blackjack rules. Some additional rules may be valid in other game variations.
Terminology Used in Blackjack Games
Every game has its own specific terminology. The same goes for blackjack. Many casinos have available guides to help gamblers learn the terms used. It is vital to fully understand them because they can have a huge impact on the game’s outcome. In the following paragraphs, we will talk about the most important terms used for blackjack strategies.
Surrender: An Option to Cut Your Losses & Start Again
Surrender is when a player has less than a 50% chance of winning. After the dealer deals two cards and puts his card up, you can see what your chances are. If you see that it is not looking good for you, you can choose to surrender and give up half your bet.
There can be early and late surrender. Early surrender means ending the game and giving up half your wager before the dealer checks the hole card. Late surrender is an option that allows you to surrender after the dealer checks the other card for blackjack.
Split: Making Two Individual Hands
Splitting is an option that allows players to separate two similar cards they got in first hand into two separate hands, hence the term split. Keep in mind that if you split your cards, you must place an additional bet in the same amount as the original bet.
In case when you split aces, each ace gets one card. So if the dealer hits you with a ten and ace after splitting, it will be counted as 21 (but not blackjack).
Double: Maximize Your Winnings With Doubling the Initial Bet
When a player gets a good hand, he can opt for Double or Double Down. It means that the player will make an additional wager equal to the original bet and draw only one card. This move can only be made after receiving the first two cards and before getting a new draw card.
Hit or Stand: Basic Moves When Deciding on Your Next Step
When a bettor receives his first hand, the most basic moves he can do next are hit or stand. Hit means opting for another card, usually when the total is ten or lower. If a player is happy with his cards and does not want to draw, he chooses to stand and leave his hand. Generally speaking, users opt for the stand when their total is 17 or higher.
| Player´s first 2 cards | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17-20 | ||||||||||
| 13-16 | ||||||||||
| 12 | ||||||||||
| 4-11 | ||||||||||
| A+8; A+9 | ||||||||||
| A+7 | ||||||||||
| A+3 - A+6 | ||||||||||
| Hit (Draw) | ||||||||||
| Stand (do NOT draw) | ||||||||||
Basic & More Complex Blackjack Strategy Systems
In addition to a basic strategy, blackjack is a great game to try another betting strategy, such as counting cards, and putting blackjack charts into good use. To help you with that, we will present several casino strategies that you can use when playing online. Keep reading and pick the perfect blackjack strategy to reduce the house edge and get more money on your bankroll.
Single Deck Blackjack Strategy: Soft 17 & Hard 17
A single-deck blackjack game has the lowest house edge since there are only 52 cards in the deck. The first hand will be dealt face down in a single deck game. The following cards will be face up.
It is also important to know what “soft 17” and “hard 17” mean here. “Soft 17” is a hand with a six and an Ace (counted as 11). In the “hard 17”, a player does not have an ace valued as 11 but has a total of 17 points (e.g., seven plus a Jack).
Depending on the version of the game, the dealer will stand on soft and hard 17, while in the others, the dealer hits on soft 17. The rule will be visible on the table, stating “Dealer Hits Soft 17” or “Dealer Must Stand on all 17.”
Depending on the player’s hand, he can choose to hit, stand, split, double down, even money, or surrender. You can find the best move in the strategy charts depending on the combination you were dealt with.
The abbreviations you should know to read the chart are H=Hit, S=Stand, D=Double, SP=Split, H/SU=Surrender if you can, otherwise Hit, S/SU=Surrender if you can, otherwise Stand.
Double-Deck Game Rules: Soft 17 & Hard 17
Similar to the single deck game, double-deck blackjack rules can vary depending on the casino and the game variations, so be sure to check the table before playing to see if the dealer stands or hits on soft hands with a total value of 17. If the dealer can hit soft 17, that increases the house edge slightly. Gamblers can use different combinations from the strategy charts depending on whether a dealer must stand on all 17 or hit.
If the dealer stands on 17, your possible moves are to take an extra card (H), stand (S), split (SP), double your bet (D), double if possible or stand if not (D/S), surrender if possible, otherwise hit an additional card (SU/H), or split if you are permitted to double down in the next hand. Otherwise hit (SPD/H).
If a dealer can hit soft 17, there are two additional combinations since the game works in favor of the casino in this case. If a strategy chart shows SU/S, it means that you should surrender if allowed or stand if not. If you see SU/SP, the basic strategy should be to surrender if possible or split if you cannot surrender.
Multiple Deck Game Charts
Multiple deck game of blackjack includes four to eight decks. The fewer decks there are, the easier it is to know what to expect. However, you will often find versions with six decks of cards in online casinos.
Basic strategy is a product of a computer simulation. According to the outcomes of countless rounds and hands played, people made a strategy chart for every deck. It is crucial to remember the meaning of abbreviations, memorize the charts, and pick the best strategy during the game. You can also find the D/H option in multiple deck charts, meaning double if possible, otherwise hit.
One of the general rules of the basic strategy is never to take even money as a side bet if you do not plan on counting cards. Although it is marketed as an insurance bet, you do not know if the dealer’s hand ties you. Unless you count cards and know that more than ⅓ of the cards in the deck are ten valued cards.
Card Counting: A Math-Based Strategy
Card counting is used to “calculate” who will have a mathematical advantage in the next hand – a player or a dealer. A card counter keeps a count of dealt cards (high and low value), trying to minimize the casino edge. Gamblers who use this strategy wager more when they have an advantage and bet less when they calculate the odds with the dealer.
By counting cards and determining the edge, players base their decisions on the money wagered and their next steps. The premise in card counting is that cards with high values (aces, 10s, and 9s) work in favor of the player, while low cards help the dealer.
In the basic strategy, a bettor assigns a positive, negative, or zero value to each card. Every time a card is dealt, the player adjusts the count. If a low card is dealt, the deck then has a higher percentage of ten valued cards.
The famous Hi-Lo system works on a system of subtracting one when a 10, Jack, Queen, King, or Ace are dealt and adds one for 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. A few cards do not affect the count and are valued as a zero (7, 8, and 9).
Martingale Strategy: Double the Wager Until You Win
Martingale is undoubtedly one of the most well-known strategies in the casino world. It can be used in versions of blackjack with a different number of decks and whenever you play online. For many players, Martingale is easier than counting cards, which is another reason bettors use it when playing blackjack in online casinos.
Essentially, if a gambler uses the Martingale system, he doubles his bet every time he loses. For example, if you made a min deposit of ₹1,000 for one bet and lost, your next wager will be ₹2,000. The doubling continues until you land a winning hand, and after a win, you reset and start it all over again.
The goal in Martingale is to recoup all the previous losses with a single win. Still, if you are on a losing streak (and we all are sometimes), it requires quite a big bankroll to make it work.
Nevertheless, the best way to see if it works for you is to try it and experiment with it. Of course, having enough money on the casino account plays a significant role here, but make sure you set limits before you start to play blackjack and focus on the basic strategy.
How to Learn the Best Blackjack Strategies
Learning new strategies and exploring the games in more detail can be highly beneficial for players. That is why our website presents the best strategies for playing blackjack and many other casino games.
Our blog is a go-to site for getting the answers to all questions you may have about blackjack charts and strategies. Here you can find guides, detailed explanations, and educational materials in one place and written by experienced gamblers.
Short Summary
Blackjack is definitely a game that is highly lucrative for the players. A basic strategy will make it worth your time and money, whether it is a single-deck game or you prefer multi-deck games. The best strategy does not have to be the complicated one. You are already halfway to a win by learning the rules and options by using a blackjack strategy chart.
Most blackjack casinos also give you a bonus balance on your first deposit, and if the deposit bonus conditions allow you to use it in blackjack, we recommend sticking with this simple yet exciting game.
Last Updated on: 08/11/2022 ago by Shyla Anand
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