Blackjack Strategy
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Playing blackjack games online is straightforward enough - the player wins if his hand has more points than the dealer, without going over 21. If either the player or dealer go over 21 it is called a break or bust - and the bust hand automatically loses.
If both the player and the dealer bust the player loses, wherein lies the house advantage. If the player and the dealer tie, the bet is a push or draw. By using basic blackjack strategy you can eliminate a degree of the guesswork from the game and balance the odds to an extent.
Blackjack basic strategy is the most basic of systems and is based on the mathematics of the game. Tested and refined through computer simulations, the system of charts reveals the best mathematical play in any blackjack scenario.
When followed correctly it can reduce the house advantage from around 7%-8% down to about half a percent. Rule variations in different casinos can necessitate chart variations. For example some casinos will allow you to double down after splitting (DOS) and some do not allow it. There are also some changes made to basic strategy depending on whether you are using single or multiple decks.
Using Basic Strategy
Using blackjack basic strategy isn't complicated if you study and learn the basic strategy charts. The abbreviations below are those commonly found on basic strategy charts:
- H - Hit
- S - Stand
- D - Double if allowed, otherwise hit
- Ds - Double if allowed, otherwise stand
- P - Split
- H/P - Split if you can double after split, otherwise hit
- H/R - Surrender if allowed, otherwise hit
- P/R - Surrender if allowed, otherwise split
- S/R - Surrender if allowed, otherwise stand
Memorising Basic Strategy
The best way for new players to memorize the basic strategy is notice patterns and to try to understand why every situation should be played as the chart says. Make flash cards and repeatedly go over them until the chart is committed to memory.
If you’re finding it difficult memorizing the charts get a blackjack strategy card. These are simply laminated cards, about the size of a credit card, printed with the basic strategy. As well as referring to the card whilst practicing blackjack games online, some offline casinos will even allow you to use the cards at the table while playing.
Winning with Basic Strategy
As the Basic Strategy is in effect a system for reducing the odds against you there’s no way that it can be a guaranteed winning system. There’s no 100% guarantee that you will always win when using it, in fact, you won’t win half your hands let alone every hand. Despite the short-term ups and downs however, over the long run you will roughly break even using it.
The Basic System assumes no knowledge of the distribution of the rest of the cards in the deck and simply illustrates the best likely decision for every blackjack scenario based on mathematical probability. The rigour of its mathematical basis leads it to be regarded as the foundation for all other blackjack strategies. A must learn starting point for any serious player.
The value of hands
When you play blackjack games online, the chances of being dealt a blackjack are 4.8%. You should consider the probabilities that other hands have to offer.
‘Dealer-busting cards’ is one of the most crucial concepts to appreciate when playing blackjack. The majority of decisions will be influenced by the dealer's ‘up card’ (the card he has displayed). If he shows a 4, 5, or 6, then he has a busting card. It’s a safe assumption that they have a card with a value of 10 as their hole card (16 out of 52 cards have a value of 10). Logically, the dealer is likely to be holding 14, 15, or 16. As the dealer has to draw cards until he gets to seventeen, we know they would have to hit a 14, 15, or 16. We can presume that the dealer will also draw a 10-value card - therefore the totals of 14, 15, or 16 are likely to bust the dealer.
The concept of dealer-busting cards are helpful to the blackjack player, as you’ll be more inclined to double down or split where – perhaps - you wouldn't usually do so.
In a game where the dealer stands on 17, the following guidelines are worth thinking about:
If you have 9 or lower - You should hit.
If you have 10 or 11 – double down if your cards add up to more than the dealer’s upcard. If not, Hit.
If you have 12 to 16 – hit when the dealers upcard is 7 or higher otherwise stand.
If you have 17 or higher – Stand.
Now you’ve got a strategic leg-up, why not try one of our Castle Casino live Blackjack games to see how much you can win.
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