On the surface, blackjack is a simple casino card game you can enjoy in multiple ways, including online blackjack live dealer games or the traditional digital and in-person formats. But once you start to look beneath the game’s surface, you’ll discover many strategies for blackjack that can help you reduce the house edge and increase your chances of winning.
Read on to learn a few general strategies for the game, as well as specific in-game blackjack tips to help you improve.
General Blackjack Strategies and Tips
You can use general strategies and tips to improve your approach to poker. Consider adding these metagame (approaches to the game) strategies and tips when you play blackjack:
1. Study a Blackjack Strategy Chart
If you’re learning how to play, the best blackjack strategy is to use a blackjack strategy chart. A blackjack strategy chart teaches you how to play every hand in order to optimize your chances of winning. This means knowing when you should hit or stand, double down, split pairs, or surrender.
In a perfect world, you should commit the information on this resource to memory, but in reality, you might need a reference strategy chart to refer to until you do. However, this may not always be an option, particularly if you’re playing blackjack in person, as certain venues might have rules around using specific tools and resources.
2. Start Small With Your Bets
If you’re a more experienced blackjack player, you already have a feel for the game and can decide on what bet size you want to make. However, if you’re new to blackjack, it’s a good idea to use a blackjack betting strategy that starts with smaller bets as you learn the ins and outs of the game. Smaller bets will allow you to play more games and gain more experience on what you should do under specific circumstances.
3. Learn to Manage Your Bankroll
While it would be nice to have an unlimited amount of money to play blackjack with, the reality is that most players have limited gambling funds. To get the most out of your gambling budget, it’s important to learn how to manage your bankroll. This means limiting the sizes of your bets and how many games you can play each day, and looking for casino promotions that you can take advantage of to get even more bang for your buck.
4. Don’t Take a Chance On the Side Bets
While the standard bets in blackjack have as little as a 0.43% house edge with the right strategy, side bets don’t offer you such good odds. In fact, the side bets in blackjack can have a house edge of more than 5%. This may be much lower than other gambling games, but it’s still more than 10 times riskier than placing a regular wager. If your goal is to win more than you lose, you should avoid the side bets at all costs. You should only consider a side bet if you have money you’re happy to lose.
5. Remember To Keep Your Cool When You Have a Bad Run
While there are ways to reduce your chances of losing in a game of blackjack, it’s important to remember that the odds are in favor of the house, and as with most gambling games, it’s still a game of chance. So, as much as you might study to improve your skills, there will still be days when, no matter what you do, even a single win will be out of reach.
When you have these streaks of bad luck, it’s important to remember that this happens to everyone who plays games of chance. If you find yourself getting frustrated (or tilted, as they say in poker), having a few tools to help you mentally reset is essential. Consider practicing meditative breathing techniques, playing another game, or even taking a break until you’re in a better mood.
Specific In-Game Blackjack Strategies and Tips
With the general tips out of the way, it’s time to look at some specific strategies. You’ll find many of these on a blackjack strategy chart, but if you don’t have the option to keep one with you, it helps to have the most important ideas memorized for later. Here are several in-game strategies and tips that you should always keep in mind:
1. Split a Pair of 8s
One of the worst hands in blackjack is a pair of 8s. It’s too high to risk hitting and too low to have a good chance of securing a win. This is why splitting a pair of 8s is a good idea. It removes your hand by opening your options, which are extremely limited should you stick with a pair of 8s.
2. Split a Pair of Aces
Another weak pair that you should always split is a pair of aces. Combined, you only get a 2 or 12 should you choose to keep this hand, but when you split this pair, you start with two hands worth 11, which leaves you with greater opportunities to win.
However, some consider it such an advantageous move for the player that some casinos may have specific rules on what you’re allowed to do after you split aces. For example, you may only be allowed to receive one card after you split. Make sure you know the casino’s rules before you make this play.
3.Never Split 10s
While a natural blackjack is undoubtedly the best hand, the next best thing is a pair of 10s (including cards like the king, queen, and jack that count as 10). Don’t be fooled into splitting 10s and thinking you can double your odds of winning when, in reality, splitting your hand drastically reduces your chances of beating the dealer. Again, the only thing that can beat two 10s is a blackjack, so you should take your chances with this powerful hand. A split could potentially reward you with a bigger win, but the risk of losing is greater.
4. (Almost) Always Double Down on 11
A double down is an additional bet you can place after receiving your first two cards. This wager is equal in value to your original bet. However, when you place this bet, you can only receive one more card and cannot hit.
For example, if you have 11, decide to double down, and only get a 2, you can’t hit again. Your final hand value is 13. While this sounds like a bad idea, the reality is that most of the time, when you double down on an 11, you’re likely to hit a card that will give you a strong final hand.
However, this doesn’t mean that you should always double down. As a rule of thumb, if you have 11 and the dealer has an upcard worth 10 or less, it’s safe to double down. If they have an ace, you may want to think twice about doubling down.
5. Stand On Any Hand Greater Than 17
This is an easy rule to keep in mind. Even though a 17 isn’t the strongest hand you can make, it’s strong enough to stand if you have it. This is also because hitting from this position is likely to make you go bust, so it’s best to play it safe with a strong hand, even if there is a chance of it losing to an 18 or higher.
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