Tag Archives: Blackjack Strategy

There’s Something Wild About Blackjack Strategy You Should Know

Blackjack is a game that has always caught our attention. Yes, poker definitely gets all of the television time but there is still something about blackjack that you should know about. Even though you won’t see people playing blackjack on the TV live, there are still plenty of professional blackjack players. You’ll see them in all of the top casinos around the world. Vegas? Too easy. Hong Kong? You know it. Shanghai? You betcha! There are plenty of blackjack fans, even though it doesn’t get near the attention that poker does. The reason why is simple: a lot of new players just bet from the gut, not stopping to really think about the strategic angle of the game.

That’s where we come in. There’s something wild about blackjack strategy that you should know about, and it’s really important that you start thinking about it.

Blackjack Strategy

Let’s begin with the basics. When it comes to blackjack, it’s truly all about the basics. You need to make sure that you have mastered basic blackjack strategy. Have you ever looked at a chart for blackjack strategy? That’s the thing that you need to figure out before you can really get to the advanced blackjack strategies. For blackjack strategy, it’s a matter of knowing when to hit, when to double, and when to stand. If you don’t know the difference between these terms, then you need to look it up. On the other hand, if you already know the basic terms, then you can move on.

The biggest mistake that blackjack players make is that they believe that basic strategy doesn’t apply to them. Sound blackjack strategy means that you stand on hard 17 – 21. But you will still get players that think that they can go against the dealer by hitting. They are hoping that they’ll get a 4, but that isn’t always the case. The odds are against them in this regard, but again — they’re betting from the gut. They need to remember to stick to the basics of strategy for as long as you can.

As a blackjack player, you have to rise above this ideal. You want to get as much information as possible before you make decisions. The nice thing about blackjack online is that you have a way to get information when you need it. Check out http://www.playblackjackonline.co.uk/strategy for up to date information on both basic and advanced blackjack strategy.

Basic Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack can be a fun and entertaining game played with the knowledge that the house has the edge, or it can be a game played for profit, with the use of a basic blackjack strategy wherein the player has the edge.

If you’re just getting started playing blackjack, or learning strategy, the following basic blackjack strategy is the perfect place to start.

Playing blackjack is gambling, and when you gamble there’s always a distinct possibility that you will lose, however there’s nothing wrong with putting the math to use on your side.

Basic blackjack strategy is easy to memorize, and available on strategy cards at most casinos. In fact, blackjack strategy cards used to come inside just about every deck of cards sold in stores.

If you’re using a blackjack strategy card you’ll generally scan the left side of the card until you come to your hand. Then on the right hand side of the card you’ll locate the dealers up card. Find the place where these two columns meet and you have the best action for you to take.

It‘s preferable however to memorize and practice some basic strategy, so that you don’t have to be the guy sitting at the blackjack table taking peaks at a strategy card (if they’re allowed at all).


Basic Blackjack Strategy – When to take a Card


In the following situations the player will want to hit, accepting another card. These situations are based on a combination of the player’s hand, and the dealers UP card.

· When the total of the player’s two cards is 8 or any combination between 12 and 16 and the dealer is showing a 7, 8,9,10 or an ace the player should hit.

· If the player’s total of the players hand is 11 and the dealer has an ace showing, the player should hit, the player does not double down in this situation.

· When the players hand totals 10, and the dealer is also showing 10, the player should hit, this is another example of a situation where the player might mistakenly double down, when he should in fact only hit.

· When the cards in the players hand total 9 and the dealer is showing a 7, 8 or a 9, the player should just hit.

Basic Blackjack Strategy – When to Stand

A player that is content with his or her hand, or believes that the next card is likely to bust the dealer, will opt to stand, and not take any more cards.

· If the total of both of the player’s two cards is 17 or more, stand. Players should not take a card anytime their hand is higher than 16.

· If the dealer is showing a low card, 6 or lower, and the player is holding a hand higher than 12 (13 and up) the player should stand.

· If the player has a pair of tens, or two matching face cards the player should stand, the player shouldn’t ever split a hand totaling 20.

Basic Blackjack Strategy – When to Split

If a blackjack player has a pair, they are given the option of splitting that pair into two individual hands, and then playing the hands independently of each other.
· Pairs of twos and threes should only be split if the dealer’s up card is a 4, 5, 6, or 7.

· Fives shouldn’t ever be split, if the dealer is showing a 10 or an ace, just hit them, if the dealers showing anything else, double these down.

· 6’s and 7’s should only be split if the dealers up card is a six or lower.

· Aces and 8’s should always be split, regardless of the dealers card if allowed (Some casinos or games don‘t allow aces to be split).

Basic Blackjack Strategy – Doubling your Bet

Blackjack players double down when they believe they have a good chance of hitting 19 or better and the dealer does not have a 10 showing.

Players should:


· Double down whenever their hand totals 10, unless the dealer’s up card is a 10 or an ace.

· Double 11 unless the dealer has an Ace up.

· Double on 9 only if the dealer has a 3-6 up.

Because the dealer has to use a strict rule set when playing, regardless of your up card, using the above strategy tips will improve your overall ROI as a blackjack player.

Learning Better Online Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack is the merger of chance and strategy, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have the ability to become a great blackjack player. It’s just a matter of really stopping to think about what you can do and what you can’t do within the game. When you know that you want to rise pretty high in the rankings of blackjack, then it just makes sense to learn better online blackjack strategy.

One of the first things that you will need to think about when you begin learning blackjack strategy is when to hit and when to stand. These are your two basic moves in blackjack, but when you learn how to do them you’ll definitely go a long way. This is because many players do not stop and realize that they’re playing against the dealer as well as the multiple decks of card that are used in basic blackjack play. This means that you have to be aware of what the dealer has in relation to what you have. The mark of a beginner is someone that only thinks about the cards that they’re holding rather than the cards that potentially could be in the dealer’s hands.

There are strategy charts available online that break this down so that you can always know what you will need to do when you’re facing off against the dealer later. Since you will be playing online, there’s nothing wrong with having one of these charts next to you in some practice games until you really get the hang of everything else. You don’t want to end up without any ability to win against the dealer which is why studying the strategy chart is definitely a good thing.

In order to do more than just stuff your brain with extra information, you will need to make sure that you’re actually applying what you read about. This means that you will have to overcome your fears by playing a few practice games. This is where it’s better to play with virtual money than to play for money. There’s nothing wrong with playing with real money, but it’s important to ensure that you’re not throwing good money after a bad beat as well.

Remember that you don’t have to do this all on your own — you can still hit up online blackjack forums to make sure that you really do have the winning edge at the table — why not get started today?

Tips For Playing Blackjack

One form of gambling that has always been popular and it probably always will be is blackjack. Before you play it online though, you had better read these following tips so that you can get the most out of the blackjack games that you play. To start with, you had better avoid all forms of bonuses that the casino of your choice is prepared to offer. This may sound insane at first but there’s a good reason for this.

Most online casinos give away bonuses but there are terms and conditions attached that you need to be aware of. Before you can cash out any bonus money, or any money that derived from bonus funds, you have to complete some wagering requirements. The problem with these requirements is that blackjack games don’t count in the slightest so you won’t be able to cash out any money that you win. Therefore, it’s best to just stay away from all bonuses so that you can easily cash out any money that you win.

So once you’re ready to start playing, it is best that you set yourself up with a profit target and a stop loss target and stick to it for better or worse. Greed is the downfall of many gamblers and it only takes one losing run to take away any winnings, so once you reach your profit target, just walk away.

In order to give yourself the best chance of winning, you should use a tried and tested blackjack strategy that reduces the house edge down to the smallest possible amount. This is known as basic strategy and it’s a simple card that tells you what to do for every different card combination. They’re very easy to use so there’s no reason not to use one.

Once you’re playing, you will notice that you’re offered and insurance bet every now and then. This is offered when the dealer is showing and Ace and when you place the insurance bet, you’re betting that the dealer will get a Blackjack (21). It is best to avoid the insurance bet because the dealer has a less than 50% chance of getting one, so the insurance bet will cost you more than it will make you over the long term of play.

Last tip; don’t bother trying to count cards if you’re playing online blackjack because it’s completely ineffective. Card counting is only effective when there’s a physical shoe from which the cards are drawn and this isn’t the case with online blackjack and this is why card counting can’t work online. Just use basic strategy which will reduce the house edge to a minimum and then hope for good luck on the day.