There are different theories regarding the origin of blackjack. Despite this, however, the game has hit different countries around the world by storm. Blackjack is one of the most sought after card games in the industry, available across both online and land-based casinos.
As the dealer, the basic rules of blackjack still apply. Cards 2 through 10 are worth their face value. The jack, queen and king are worth 10 points each. The ace has a value of either 1 point or 11 points, depending on its usage in your hand. The advanced rules of blackjack, however, are a little bit different. In Blackjack, it is favorable to the player when there are more Aces and 10 Value Cards (10's, Jacks, Queens, and Kings) remaining in the shoe. So card counting is simply using a system to keep track of the ratio of low cards to high cards.
Blackjack's fast-paced gameplay and massive winning opportunities – especially when using a blackjack strategy – is what draws more players to it.
As you play blackjack, your main goal, like the majority of other online casino games, is to help you win! And while the majority of the other online casino games are left to chance, blackjack stands out. With a good blackjack strategy guide, it's easy to greatly reduce the house edge and increase your winning opportunities.
We've included several online blackjack strategies, explaining each one of them in detail. Our main objective is to ensure that even the newest of gamers can play like professionals. The strategies include:
- Blackjack basic strategy
- Blackjack strategy chart
- The famous blackjack card counting strategy
- Martingale blackjack strategy
- Splitting and doubling down
The strategies above can be implemented at either land-based or online casinos. It may take some time and practice for you to fully execute them with perfection. Also, it's necessary to know the basic blackjack rules before using any strategies.
- Want more knowledge on casino game strategies? Find out in our Best Roulette Strategies article.
Blackjack Basic Strategy
Before we look into the more complicated strategies, it's important to review some basic ones. These are what we'd like to refer to as industry standards, as they are widely used by players worldwide:
- If the first two cards give you a hand value of 16, it's best you surrender
- Remember when to split a hand
- Know when to double a hard hand
- See what is the right time to hit
Blackjack Strategy Chart
Blackjack strategy chart might be a little confusing at first. As we've already stated, these strategies take time but with practice every day, you'll soon be playing like a pro. In fact, after using this blackjack strategy chart, you'll start observing a pattern, linking the gameplay with certain parts of the chart.
A small blackjack strategy chart will help the players decide when to split, stand or double down.
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Using the Strategy Chart for Blackjack in Four Easy To Follow Steps>
- Look at the dealer's up card value and that of your hand.
- On the blackjack table, identify the cells where these two values coincide.
- Use the keys at the bottom of the blackjack strategy chart to determine the move you should make.
*Note the blackjack strategy chart is not a sure way of winning. It only represents the best course of action that you should take as you play blackjack. Once you've familiarized yourself with the ins and outs of the blackjack strategy chart, you'll realize you are winning more often!
In some instances, it's best you combine the use of this strategy chart for blackjack with a blackjack hand calculator. This is meant to give you a quantifiable amount that you stand to lose at any particular instance.
Card Counting Strategy
Card counting is perhaps one of the most known forms of blackjack strategy card. So popular is Blackjack card counting that it's banned across most of the land-based casinos across the world. The majority of people, especially the newbies, believe that it's sophisticated. However, all one needs to do is practise it a few times to remember it.
Casinos, both the land-based and online ones, have ways of making sure you don't win at the tables. At the end of it all, they are a business and all they want is to maximize the profits. Elvis games online, free. And in order to render or make card counting blackjack strategy difficult, they are adding multiple decks to the game. Silver oak casino no deposit bonus codes 2016.
But despite the number of decks they add to their blackjack games, with card counting, you can always win. What you, however, need to remember is you should always factor in the house edge before making any move. You also need to know you'll have to learn blackjack strategy and perfect it by practicing it severally. You won't just execute it perfectly from the get-go, but continuous practice will help you get it right and simplify the whole process.
In order to learn the blackjack strategy, you'll have to follow these three steps below.
How Do You Count Cards In Blackjack
Step 1: You'll have to assign different cards categories to different values. The first category is the group 2-6. The second category is the group 7-9 and the last category is the group 10-A (high-value cards). As they appear, you'll have to assign them the following values.
- Group 2-6: Assign them +1
- Group 7-9: Assign them 0
- The 10-A group: Assign them -1
Step 2: This step involves accounting for the cards. You'll have to keep a total based on the cards drawn by the dealer and the player
Step 3: The last step is referred to as True Count (Doing the actual card counting). To do this, you'll have to number the decks involved in dealing. They'll tell you the best time to raise a bet as well as give you an indication of when the dealer will cards in your favour.
Should you need more info on how card counting in blackjack works, here's Mike Aponte of the famous MIT Blackjack team breaking it down: Las vegas slots of fun.
If you require more information on counting cards when playing against dealers online, check out our article on counting cards at live casinos.
A More Conservative Blackjack Strategy Guide
If the strategy above seems to be a little more overwhelming to you, then you can always try out the more conservative blackjack gambling strategy. This is especially very important and easy to use for those of you looking to try out blackjack. You can execute it as you try to build your bankroll gradually instead of doing it all at once.
The whole procedure involves staking small amounts while taking fewer risks, being very keen on when to surrender, hit or stand.
We know it might be very boring to do this, especially if you are a thrill seeker searching for the elusive once-in-a-lifetime win. However, over an extended period of time, this blackjack gambling strategy will ease you in with the game, enabling you to understand both the rules and the strategy.
Without wasting much time, let's get down to these two popular conservative blackjack gambling strategy.
Martingale Blackjack Gambling Strategy
The martingale blackjack gambling strategy is the least conservative form of blackjack strategy, while a different form of the same strategy is used in roulette. It dictates that your bet is doubled every time you lose your bet. Should you lose the bet again, you double it again. This continues until you lock in a win.
It's not only a crazy strategy, but it's also a risky one, as you can easily get your bankroll depleted within no time, especially if you are staking huge sums of money. However, once you land a win, you'll not only recover all the amount that you've staked over time, but you'll also be able to lock in a win equivalent to the initial amount you'd wagered.
For instance:
- Your initial stake is €50 – result; lose
- According to the Martingale gambling strategy, your next stake should be €100 – result; lose
- On the third stake, it should be €200 – result; lose
- On the fourth stake, it should be €400 – result; win
When you do your calculation, amount lost = €(50+100+200) = €350.
Amount won = €400.
Net Profit = €400 – €350 = €50 (which is equivalent to your initial €50 wager).
1-3-2-6 Strategy
The 1-3-2-6 blackjack strategy is slightly less risky than the outgoing strategy. It has found popularity among some of the professional blackjack players because it offers a much better way of managing funds. It's a systematic form of betting and usually requires you to follow the trail above after your initial win. For instance:
- The first bet is equivalent to €100. If it results in a win, continue to the second bet.
- On your second bet, wager €300.
- If you won the previous bet, wager €200 on your third bet.
- On your fourth bet, wager €600, if the previous was won.
- If you won, wager €100 on the fifth bet.
As soon as you've recorded the loss, you are required to go back to the initial wager of €100 and start all over again until you record a win.
*The 1-3-2-6 blackjack strategy is highly dependent on the luck of the draw more than any other strategies listed above. Yet despite this, it's the best way of keeping track of the bets you make, hence enabling you to play for longer.
Splitting and Doubling Down Blackjack Game Strategy
Splitting and doubling down are some of the most common actions taken while playing the game of blackjack.
- In the simplest definition, splitting means you are simply ‘splitting' a hand with a pair into two new hands. The new hand will require you to stake a hand that's equivalent to the first hand, which in turn doubles your winning chances.
- In some instances, you can opt to double down your initial wager. Once you've doubled down your bet, you'll be dealt one more card after which you are required to stand. Doubling down is usually highly recommended, especially when you know you have a strong hand over the dealer.
When Is The Best Time To Split or Double Down?
Splitting and doubling down Blackjack game strategy is meant to tell you when is the right time to hit or stand. This section of the blackjack strategy guide is to highlight this!
When you've been dealt a pair of Aces, the best move is to split irrespective of the situation. It's the blackjack community consensus that it's the most effective way of playing a split hand. Generally, you can split as many times as possible. However, there are online casinos that limit the number of times you can split a hand.
Blackjack Card Value Chart
If you've been dealt a pair of 8s, you should split the hand automatically. This is the best move because a score of 16 is a very weak hand, especially when you'll be coming up against the dealer's strong hand. Therefore, instead of hitting and eventually busting, split the pair and play it as new hands. This is the best strategy!
The only time you can split a pair of 7s, 3s or 2s, is when you the dealer's up-card is 7. Any other card is too risky and you should avoid it at all costs!
Unless this is your first time playing online blackjack, it should be common sense that splitting a pair of 10s is a suicidal move. Having a hand of 20 is a risky starting point unless you are 100% certain that the next cards to be dealt with will be low-value cards. Instead of splitting a pair of 10s, always stand!
In short:
- Never split a pair of 6s, 5s or 4s
- Never split a pair of 10s and 9s, not unless the dealer's hand is a 3 or 2
- Only split 7s, 3s, and 2s when observing the soft 17 rule
- You can split and re-split 8s
- Never hesitate to split aces
Check out our splitting in blackjack guide to find out more about it!
When Is The Right Time To Double Down?
Doubling down in blackjack is dependent on two factors:
- The dealer's up-card
- The value of your two cards
If the value of your hand is either 11 or 10, then you should double down. However, if the dealer's up-card is a 10 or 9, then you should proceed and hit as normal
If the dealer's up-card is a low-value card such as a 4, 3 or 2, then doubling down is the best move if you also happen to be having a low-value card. Why? There's a high chance that the dealer will bust with such cards
You should never double down if your hand value is anything above 11. Should you choose to double down and bust, it will be equivalent to losing twice your bet
What's The Best Starting Point
All you've read can be a little overwhelming, more so if you are new to playing this beautiful card game. So, before you can start playing the game, it's important you are a little bit comfortable with the blackjack numbers as well as familiarizing yourself with the blackjack strategy chart above. After that, you can always proceed and play blackjack online at recommended online casinos.
Why should you learn how to play blackjack strategy at the online casinos? Well, in addition to playing the majority of the blackjack games for free, you can also receive help whenever you need it. The majority of the online casinos recommended are also optimized fully for mobile play, which means you can always take the game with you whenever you feel like.
Once you are full of confidence and wouldn't mind switching the play, you can always play the real money live blackjack games. The live dealer platform is energetic, fun and full of players with different characters. When playing the game here, and you implement the best blackjack strategy you've perfected, there are very fewer chances you won't win!
Closing Thoughts on Blackjack Strategy
Above all, it's important to remind you that there are several other blackjack strategies online. However, regardless of the strategy chart for blackjack you choose, the MOST IMPORTANT rule is to have clear limits from the get-go. This ensures you won't lose all your bankroll in one sitting (check out our other bankroll management tips).
Also, while the strategies above are sure to improve your blackjack play online, sadly, there isn't a sure way of winning at every hand that you play. This is because, from the start, the odds are stacked against you all due to the dealer's experience, the number of decks employed and the casino's edge.
If you've read this far, we would like to believe that the information listed above is sufficient enough to see you off on your quest to becoming a proficient blackjack player.
All the best!
Want to use these strategies straight away? Make sure to play online Blackjack games on CasinoChan to practice the chart above and win!
Learn how to play blackjack, as well as the rules and strategies for winning at the card game. In this article, you'll learn
- The origins and history of blackjack.
- The rules and strategies of blackjack
- When to hit, stay, split and double down in blackjack
History of Blackjack
It's believed that the game of blackjack has its roots in France. It was originally known as 21. The goal of the game is to beat the dealer's hand by scoring 21 or as close to 21 as you can get without going over. If the dealer scores closest to 21, you lose.
Although blackjack was played even in early American gambling houses, it was never as popular a game as poker, so gaming houses had to spice it up a bit in order to give it a little more mass appeal. Some gambling houses offered bigger payouts for blackjack hands, while others gave bonuses for certain card combinations—namely an ace of spades with a jack of clubs.
That's how 21 was renamed blackjack—from the combination of those two cards.
In modern versions of the game, any 10-value card with any ace is considered blackjack, but wouldn't it be fun to mix it up a bit when playing at home and give an extra chip or two to the player who gets the jack of clubs/ace of spades combination?
Let's Play
When you request a hit in blackjack, you're asking the dealer to give you another card.
Blackjack is played with a standard 52-card deck and is a very simple game that requires a certain amount of skill based on a certain amount of luck. The luck part has to do with the cards you are dealt and the skill has to do with learning some basic strategies—mainly knowing when to hit, stand, split or double-down.
The goal is not to beat the other players at the table—whether that's the casino table or the kitchen table—the goal is to beat the dealer's hand.
The dealer begins by shuffling the cards. Some casinos play with up to as many as six decks, but at home one deck will do just fine. The dealer will then deal the cards to each player and to him- or herself. The dealer should be standing or sitting across from the other players and always starts the deal with the person on his or her left.
The hole card is the dealer's face-down card.
On the first deal, each player is dealt two cards, face-down. The dealer deals him- or herself one card face-down (the hole card) and the other card face-up. Each player is basically playing a separate game based on the cards he or she is dealt and in relation to what the player thinks the dealer has.
The dealer begins with the first player on his or her left. That player looks at his or her cards and determines if he or she can take another card without going over 21. It's important to get a good look at the dealer's face-up card because that could determine what strategy you decide to use in playing your own hand.
The cards are valued as follows:
- Ace = Either 1 point or 11 points
- Face cards = 10 points
- Number cards = Face value of card
- Blackjack: One Ace and any card with a 10-point value
You can keep score according to wins, and determine the winning player by the number of games won. If you don't want to play for money, play for chips or for chores around the house.
Technically, scoring 21 with more than two cards is not considered blackjack, but you can still win this way. If you total 21 before the dealer or any other player, you win the pot.
When your cards are dealt, add them up and figure out whether you want to stand with what you have or take another card. In home games, you will say to the dealer, 'hit me' or 'stay,' while at the casino you will use hand motions to tell the dealer what you want to do.
There are many strategies for standing or hitting, but basically, you just have to figure out your odds. If your cards total nine, chances are pretty good that you'll be able to take another card without going over 21. If your cards total 18, your chances of going over 21 are much greater, and you will likely want to stay.
Remember that you are not only trying to score as close to 21 as possible, but you are trying to beat the dealer—so you have to check out the dealer's cards, too. The problem is, you can only see one of his or her cards at this time and you have to do some guessing to figure out if you can beat him or her.
Hitting and Standing
When you have your cards, you have to decide whether to hit or stand. As I mentioned earlier, sometimes your choice will be obvious. The tricky cards are the ones that add up to between 12 and 16.
The dealer works with one player at a time, starting with the first player on his or her left. The dealer stays with that player until he or she stands or busts (goes over 21). When that first player is finished with his or her turn, the dealer moves on to the next player and continues around the table until each person has played his or her hand.
If you decide to take the hit, the dealer will toss down a card face-up in front of you. You can either indicate that you want another hit or that you want to stand. If your hand is blackjack, turn your cards face-up to show the dealer what you have. If you're playing for chips, you will immediately receive a payout at this point and the game continues with the other players. If the dealer also has a blackjack, the play is called a push. You keep your original bet, but you don't win anything more.
The Dealer's Hand
After the deal, the dealer will have one face-up and one face-down card in front of him or her. If the face-up card has a value of 10, the dealer will look at the face-down card to check for a blackjack. If he or she has blackjack, he or she will turn over the cards and take your bet and your hand away.
If you have blackjack, the dealer will take your cards, but you keep your bet. If you are not playing for money, you and the dealer are considered tied if you both have blackjack.
If the dealer does not have blackjack, he or she will continue the play around the table. If the dealer's face-up card is an ace, he or she will go around the table and ask the players if they want 'insurance.'
Insurance
If you're playing for money, or in the casino, the dealer will ask you if you want insurance if his or her face-up card is an ace. The ace is, of course, the card that determines a blackjack. If the dealer's face-down card is a 10-value card (and there are 16 of these cards) he or she has blackjack.
If you decide to take insurance, you can bet up to half of your original bet by placing your chips below your original bet. If the dealer has a 10-value card, then he will pay off the insurance bets at two to one, but you lose your original bet. If the dealer does not have blackjack, the players lose their insurance bets and play continues with the original bets. This is why you're no better off taking insurance.
Three Strikes
Casinos will use the insurance rules, but don't be fooled—it's just a sneaky way for casinos to try and make some extra cash. The odds are against you in taking insurance, so beware.
Let's say you bet $10 and you decide to take insurance because the dealer's face-up card is an Ace. You place another $5 under your original bid. If the dealer does not have blackjack, you lose your $5, but keep your original bet of $10. You're out $5. If the dealer does have blackjack, you lose your original bet of $10, but the dealer pays out two to one, thus giving you back $10. You haven't made a penny.
Why is insurance even an option then? Beats me. You neither gain nor lose from it—only the casino turns a profit from insurance.
Splitting and Doubling-Down
When you split your hand in blackjack, what you do is turn your two cards face-up side-by-side, and if you're betting, place another bet of identical value to your original bet. You are now playing two hands. The dealer will deal to the hand on your right first—until you stand or bust—and then the dealer will play to your other hand.
The abilities to split or double-down are the strategies that make the game interesting. If you are dealt two cards of the same value—let's say two 8s—you can split the hand.
Face Value Of Cards In Blackjack
If you are dealt another 8, you can re-split and play three hands by moving that 8 alongside the other two cards, or just place another bet on the table, equal to your two previous bets.
Casino rules will vary, but some have strict rules about re-splitting. If you are unsure of the rules, just ask the dealer. Also, some casinos will not allow you to touch your cards, so in this case, just place another bet over your cards and the dealer will know that you are splitting.
At home, make sure you establish the rules before you start the game. It might be fun to adopt some of the strict casino rules just to liven things up a little.
Experts advise that you should always split aces, and it is highly recommended to split 8s.
Doubling-down refers to doubling your bet, so if you're playing for money or chips at home, you can certainly employ this strategy. It is a strategy that is definitely used in the casinos—so you should know about it if you're heading to a blackjack table near you.
The best time to double-down is when the two cards in your hand total 11. That means you are banking that the next card you are dealt will be a 10-value card. It's a real gamble, but the odds are pretty good that you will get a 10-value card because there are so many of them in a deck.
Doubling-down means that you can double the size of your original bet. You do this by turning your cards face up and placing another bet on the table that is equal to your original bet. When you double-down, you are dealt one more card—meaning you do not have the option to stand on your original hand or take any more hits after you are dealt the one extra card.
Basic StrategyBlackjack is not just a game of chance. While a lot depends on the luck of the draw, there are many strategies to better your odds of winning. Here are some basic strategies to help you play a better hand:
Blackjack Card Numbers
- Always hit any hand that totals 11 or under.
- Stand on 17 and over. (The only exception to this rule is when you have a soft 17—meaning the hand contains an ace. And even here, be careful of the dealer hand—check out his or her cards before asking for a hit.)
- For cards totaling 12 to 16, whether to hit or stand depends on the dealer's face-up cards: Hit if the dealer has a 7 or higher; stand if the dealer has 2 or 3 points.
- Never take insurance.
- Always split aces and 8s.
- Never split 4s, 5s, and 10-value cards. The odds will be against you.
- Never double-down below 8 points.
- Always double-down on 11 points.
- When you have 10 points, double-down when the dealer shows 2 and 9.
Looking for more family-friendly card games? Check out how to play Hearts.
