Blackjack Tips and Strategy
Blackjack is one
of the casinos' most popular games. Many people
are intimidated by the rules of the game and
do not fully understand the methods behind trying
to beat the odds with this card game. So, they
shy away from playing in public or make error-prone
gambles.
Many people simply
match the dealers' bets --for instance, hitting
on 16s, staying on 17s, and never splitting
or doubling. This, in reality, will actually
cause you to lose about 10 times more than if
you follow a "players" strategy rather
than a "dealers" strategy.
This is because
you have to keep in mind that the odds are still
in the house's favor.
Several methodologies
and charts have been devised. One of the most
common (and proven) is shown below. Don't worry...
you can carry this chart with you in to most
land-based casinos too (so, you don't have to
memorize!).
| Hit
= H Stand = S
Double Down = D
Split = SP |
| |
Dealer's
Up Card |
| Your
Hand |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
A |
| 17+ |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
| 16 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 15 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 14 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 13 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 12 |
H |
H |
S |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 11 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
| 10 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
| 9 |
H |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 5-8 |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A,8-10 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
| A,7 |
S |
D |
D |
D |
D |
S |
S |
H |
H |
H |
| A,6 |
H |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A,5 |
H |
H |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A,4 |
H |
H |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A,3 |
H |
H |
H |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A,2 |
H |
H |
H |
D |
D |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| A,A
or 8,8 |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
| 10,10 |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
| 9,9 |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
S |
SP |
SP |
S |
S |
| 7,7 |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 6,6 |
H |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 5,5 |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
D |
H |
H |
| 4,4 |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 3,3 |
H |
H |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
H |
H |
H |
H |
| 2,2 |
H |
H |
SP |
SP |
SP |
SP |
H |
H |
H |
H |
It might suprise
you to know that roughly 2% more of every wager
made in Blackjack is lost because of poor strategy.
By simply playing error-free Blackjack by using
the Blackjack Strategy Chart above, you'll cut
the house's edge dramatically.
Every Blackjack
player should develop their own "feel"
to the game by learning and studying. If you
learn to play error-free games and use strategies
you feel comfortable with (your own or another),
you should eventually be able to win consistently
and come out a winner.
Always split Aces
and 8's, no matter what the dealer's up card
is.
If you have a Pat
20 (first two cards total 20), your best bet
is to have the dealer showing an 8 --because
if they have an Ace, 10, or 9 in the hole, you
automatically win.
The odds increase
dramatically if you happen to land an Ace on
your first card. In that case, your odds over
the house jump to 52% percent!
Many people -including
pros- will tell you to never buy insurance.
The funny thing is that even those pros will
someone do it anyway. Why is this?
Well, buying insurance
really becomes a personal preference. It's an
added gamble (much like letting it ride when
you're up). The difference is that in most circumstances
(i.e. not having a 20 hand), the numbers are
not all that great, in our opinion. Some people
disagree; some people just go on pure luck.
So, in general,
we say not to take insurance. However, in some
cases, you might want to try your luck and increase
your take. Here's a little chart of percentages/odds
to help you decide:
| starting
hand |
win |
push |
lose |
| 17 |
11.5% |
13.1% |
44.6% |
| 18 |
24.6% |
13.1% |
31.5% |
| 19 |
37.7%
|
13.1% |
18.4% |
| 20 |
50.7% |
13.1% |
5.4% |
In any case, good luck and play
smart. Our recommendation is to download and
play for fun to get a feel for it. Many casinos
now allow unlimited free play. So, you can get
your feet wet first.
Check out our review on our most
highly recommended
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