Strategy for Blackjack

Blackjack Strategy – The Gateway to More Successful Play

Unlike most casino games, blackjack involves both luck and skill. While there is no way to predict results in blackjack, the player’s decisions can significantly affect the outcome. Knowing this, you can adopt a strategy by learning the optimal move for each hand, ensuring that you optimize your play and realise the game’s full RTP. While strategic play does not guarantee a win on each hand, you are definitely reducing the house edge and increasing your chances of winning.

While you can come across numerous blackjack strategies, especially online, many blackjack experts now consider basic strategy to be the system that provides the optimal move for each hand. In this article, we will review basic strategy and the charts that make it easier to apply.

Splitting Pairs

Doubling Down

Surrender

More Tips and Strategy

Basic Strategy Overview

One of the most popular approaches in blackjack is basic strategy. It is used by countless players because it has proven to be highly effective. It serves as a guide that suggests the most efficient move in a particular situation, taking into account the dealer’s up card and the player’s hand. To apply the basic strategy correctly, it is essential to be familiar with the fundamental rules of the game. Many players lack knowledge of fundamental terms such as soft and hard hands, depriving them of the chance to understand the game properly.

The history of the basic strategy can be traced back to 1952 when a group of soldiers decided to play blackjack during their duty at the U.S. Army Barracks in Aberdeen, Maryland. Roger Baldwin, one of the soldiers, came up with the idea that if the dealer plays according to cut-and-clear rules, it is possible to calculate the probabilities of winning and losing in every situation.

His idea was realised with the help of three other men – Army Sergeant Wilbert Cantey, Herbert Maisel, and James McDermott. In 1957, the four men, who became popular as the Four Horsemen of Aberdeen, published a book called Playing Blackjack To Win. Interestingly, the four men never used the basic strategy to play blackjack. Later on, it was Ed Thorp who tested the strategy and approved its accuracy. He further developed it and laid the foundation of the first card-counting system – the Ten Count System. He published his work in a book called Beat the Dealer.

Thanks to the basic strategy, it is possible to significantly decrease the house edge. It relies on the probabilities of different combinations of cards appearing on the table, taking into account the number of decks included in the game, as well as the player’s cards and the dealer’s up card. The basic strategy compares how your actions will affect your chances of winning and suggests the best option in the current situation. Millions of computer simulations have been run to test basic strategy and verify its effectiveness.

Reading Basic Strategy Charts

Blackjack is often played with six or eight decks, creating countless possible combinations. On the Internet, blackjack enthusiasts can find several strategy charts adjusted according to the specific rules of a given blackjack variation and the number of decks it uses.

At first glance, basic strategy charts might look overwhelming. However, reading them is not rocket science. Information about the dealer’s up card is located at the top of the chart, while the player’s hand is shown vertically on the left side. You will see that the different moves are indicated by different colors and letters.

Usually, “S” indicates that the player should stand, “H” stands for hit, “D” means the player should double, “DH” stands for double down or hit if doubling is not allowed, “SP” or simply “P” is used for split, while “DS” suggests you should double or stand if doubling is not allowed. However, you do not need to learn this by heart as blackjack basic strategy charts feature a legend at the bottom.

Rule Variations Affecting Basic Strategy Moves

If you often find yourself puzzled over whether you should hit, stand, split, or double down, then it is time to have a look at the basic strategy chart.

Even though the objective of the game remains the same, there are some rule variations that can influence your actions and affect the size of the house edge.

Some of the most common deviations include the number of decks, whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17, doubling, resplitting, surrendering, dealer peek, and the payout for a blackjack. You can browse the Internet to find strategy engines that will help you adapt basic strategy to the specific rules of the game.

If you play a single-deck game where the dealer hits on soft 17, your hand is Soft 13, and the dealer’s up card is 4, then you should double if allowed; otherwise, hit. Provided that you play a 4- to 8-deck variation in which the dealer stands on soft 17, your hand is Soft 13, and the dealer’s exposed card is 4, you have to hit.

Let us take another example. You play single-deck blackjack and the dealer is allowed to hit on soft 17. You are dealt Soft 18 and the dealer’s up card is 2; in this case you should stand. But in multi-deck variations, you should double if allowed; otherwise, split.

When to Split Pairs

Getting two matching cards is a situation that will inevitably occur at some point during the game. In such cases, many players act impulsively, adhering to the popular belief that pairs should always be split, regardless of which cards compose them. However, this is not always the case, as there are situations in which it is better to avoid this move and keep the pair intact instead.

Moreover, if players don’t follow a reliable strategy, they are bound to lose money in the long term no matter what they do. Let’s have a look at all of the possible pairs that can be dealt and determine the best move for them, taking into account the players’ hands and the dealer’s up card.

Let’s start with the situation when players have a pair of 8s or Aces. In such cases, players have to split regardless of the dealer’s up card. Splitting these two pairs provides blackjack devotees with the opportunity to start two strong, separate hands.

When players have a pair of 5s, it is recommended never to split it, no matter what the dealer shows as an up card. Instead, it is best to double down, as the chance to improve your hand is high. The same goes for a pair of 10s – players should avoid splitting; it is best to stand instead, regardless of the dealer’s up card. If you are wondering why, here is the answer – any other move would most likely place you in a more unfavorable situation.

In case you have a pair of 2s or 3s, it is advisable to split when the dealer’s up card is 2 through 7. When it comes to a pair of 4s, players should split only if the dealer’s up card is 4, 5, or 6. If they have a pair of 6s or 7s, they should split if the dealer’s up card is 2 through 7.

If the dealer’s up card differs from the above-mentioned examples, players should hit. If they have a pair of 9s, it is best to always split, unless the dealer has a 7. Splitting 9s when the dealer’s up card is 9 is the best you can do in the given situation.

When to Double Down

In general, it is recommended to always double down if the dealer is in an unfavorable position, as this is when players have the highest chances of winning. This way, they will double their initial bet and can compensate for previous losses. Doubling down can be very beneficial only if this move is used properly.

It is worth mentioning that in some casinos it is possible to bet less than the original wager when doubling down. However, such a move is considered unfavorable for the players and therefore, it is best to avoid it. Let’s have a look at some of the situations in which it is best to double down:

• If the player holds hard 9 (not including an Ace) and the dealer’s up card is 2 through 6
• If the player’s hand is soft 16, 17, or 18 and the dealer’s up card is between 2 to 6
• If the player is dealt hard 10 or 11 and the value of the dealer’s up card is lower

The reason why it’s best to double down in the above-mentioned cases is that the dealer is in a weak position and thus, players should make the most of these situations. When it comes to the rest of the available combinations, players can either hit or stand.

Betting Systems

1-3-2-6 Betting Systems

Blackjack Variations

Atlantic City Blackjack

When to Surrender

This move can be extremely beneficial, but only if players know when to use it. In general, it is best to surrender if they are certain that they will lose. This way, they will retain half of their bet, which they would have lost otherwise. Whether you surrender or not depends on the number of decks included in the game and the specific rules.

Provided that you play a multi-deck blackjack where the dealer stands on soft 17, you are advised to surrender when the value of the dealer’s up card is 10 and your hand is hard 15. The same applies in single-deck blackjack variations. Assuming that you are dealt hard 16 and the dealer’s up card is 9, 10, or Ace, surrender is the most optimal decision you can make in multi-deck variations. You should also surrender if the dealer’s up card is an Ace and your hand is hard 17.

It is worth noting that many casinos don’t offer this move because it is very beneficial to players, so always double-check in advance whether it is available.

While on the subject, we have to mention that there are two types of surrender – early and late surrender. The former allows players to give up their hand before the dealer peeks for a blackjack. Early surrender is the more advantageous option, which is why not many casinos offer it. Late surrender, on the other hand, allows players to surrender their hand after the dealer has checked for blackjack. This move will cost you half of your original stake.

Composition-Dependent Strategy

Perhaps you have noticed that most basic strategy charts are based on the player’s total hand and the dealer’s up card. In other words, basic strategy does not consider what cards your hand is composed of. However, this is very important, as sometimes it can affect the way you should act in a given situation.

For example, if your hand totals a hard 12, you should stand if the dealer’s up card is 4 to 6 according to basic strategy. This is because of the high chance of getting another ten and busting. The composition strategy takes into account the cards that make up your hand. According to it, you have to stand if your hard 12 is composed of 9 and 3, 8 and 4, or 7 and 5. But if your hand consists of 10 and 2, then the composition-based strategy advises you to hit or double down if allowed. The reason for this is that the chances of getting another ten are lower, as you already hold one of them.

Other Popular Blackjack Tips

Another extremely popular strategy is card counting. This strategy is considered more advanced, which is the reason why it is used predominantly by seasoned players who already know the basic strategy inside out. Card counting gives blackjack fans the opportunity to keep track of the cards on the table and determine the ratio between the high- and low-value ones. If applied along with the basic strategy, card counting can be extremely accurate and beneficial, as it is possible to predict upcoming cards to a large extent.

Thanks to card counting systems, players can make better betting choices and moves, as they will have a general idea of the remaining cards in the deck. Throughout the years, many card counting systems have been developed in an attempt to help players increase their chances of winning. All of them operate on the same principle – they assign particular point values to the cards, which makes the card counting process efficient. Some of the most famous card counting systems are Hi-Lo System, Wong Halves System, Zen Count System, Omega II System, and others.

Valuable Tips

In order to become consistent winners and fully enjoy blackjack, players need to learn a reliable strategy. The basic strategy, combined with a card counting system, can truly work wonders and reduce the house edge significantly. The average winning hand in blackjack is 18.5, which means that players have real chances of winning even if they don’t reach 21.

Since blackjack fans compete against the dealer, they should always take into account the dealer’s up card. All their decisions should be based on the total value of their hand, as well as the dealer’s up card. If players take their time to learn the basic strategy, they will be able to make better betting choices and win more.

Conclusion

Blackjack is a game of skill and luck which gives players the chance to improve their performance by implementing an efficient plan. Such a valuable opportunity should not be wasted, as not many other casino games offer it. The basic strategy doesn’t guarantee that players will win every single hand; however, it gives them much better chances of doing so. Thanks to it, they can make wiser choices for their hand and improve their game greatly. This strategy is used by hundreds of players worldwide, which is a clear indicator that it is worthwhile.

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