Blackjack is one of the favorite games among casino regulars. Betting on blackjack is a hobby spread all over the world that can make us win important figures if we become experienced players. But, to achieve this, you must first master all the mechanisms of the game.
Blackjack has many years of history. Therefore, in the past it was normal to apply one of the most widespread strategies in this game: counting cards . It is a technique that is not prohibited but whose usefulness has decreased as the game has evolved.
The casinos, gradually, have been putting obstacles to the card counters to make their strategy as difficult as possible. The most important was to expand the decks of cards that are used in each game, since the more cards there are in play, the more difficult it is to predict the card that will come out in the next turn.
But with the advent of online gaming, counting cards has definitely become a thing of the past. In online gambling, the software used by the casinos prevents us from counting cards. The reason is that, in each hand, six or more decks of cards are completely shuffled, so the card that will appear next is completely random.
All is not lost however, by applying some basic strategy, you can improve your chances of winning and minimise the losses in the long term. Continue reading to learn the best strategies for winning at Blackjack with 4-8 decks.
There are several types of blackjack although the most common are American and European or classic. In both cases the dealer has to hit with 16 and stand with 17. And depending on what our cards are, we can hit or stand, hoping that the bank will bust.
There are several tables that tell us what to do in each case, depending on our cards and those of the dealer. Below you can see one of the most typical tables. It is played with 6 decks, the dealer stands with all 17s, his second hole card is dealt, there is the option to fold and you can double with any first two cards. These are the typical North American rules.
Since it is impossible the whole table by heart, we are going to explain what is the basic strategy to become a winning blackjack player. The most important thing is to know the starting card that the dealer has: if it is a 6 or less, our chances increase, while if it is a seven, an eight, a nine, a figure or an ace, it decreases.
The basic strategy recommends always standing if you have As-9 or As-8; in case of having Ace-7 it would be necessary to ask only if the dealer has a 9, a figure or an Ace on his card; In all other cases, you have to ask for a card and take advantage of having an Ace to be able to use it as a 1 or as an 11, depending on your needs.
Here the play is very different: with 17 or more we must stand, since most of the cards would cause us to pass. With 16 or less, we depend on the dealer’s card: if he has a 7 or more, you have to hit, since we run the risk that he will draw a figure and beat us; If it has a 6 or less, the normal thing is not to ask for a letter and for the bank to assume the risk of going over 21.
When two identical cards are dealt to us in the hand, we have the possibility to separate the play and play two different hands. The decision will depend on which are our cards and which one the dealer has uncovered. In case of having two aces, the option is clear: separate the play, since we can achieve two blackjack. In case of having two faces, it is also clear: stand, since we have a high probability of winning the hand. But with other pairs, it depends on the dealer’s card. If we are dealt two 9s or two 8s, it is almost always good to separate, unless the bank has a figure. If we are dealt two 7s or two 6s, we only have to separate in the event that the bank has a 6 or less. And in all other cases, it is best to ask for a letter and not separate.
Although it may seem difficult, playing blackjack is not complicated at all and it is a lot of fun. The best thing for first-time players to play this game is to play with play money first until the game and blackjack strategies are mastered . Afterwards, you can switch to real money and make a profit playing blackjack at online casinos.
If you play a mixture of multi-deck games, some where the dealer hits a soft 17, and some where he stands, and you only wish to memorize one strategy, I would recommend you memorize the one where the dealer stands on soft 17. The cost in errors due to playing the wrong strategy is 2.3 times higher playing a stand on soft 17 game, with the hit on 17 strategy, than vise versa.
In addition to the basic game options (fold, hit, hold …), there is also the strategic option to surrender!This manoeuvre is not always accepted in all face-to-face or online casinos, so you should inform yourself about the possibility of applying it.However, when you have to, use this option wisely. Giving up at blackjack is not for cowards, it is for strategists. In this battle against the dealer, you need to know when to advance and when to back down.
It is nothing more than giving up your cards and losing half of the initial bet.You can do it no matter what your hand is. If for some reason you sense that you do not have a good hand to play and do not want to risk, with surrender you can take a step back, exit the game and keep 50% of the money bet.Better that than losing everything, of course.
Surrender is possible at two moments, although not all casinos support both. You can find:
Early surrender – We can practice it against an ace or a 10 of the dealer before he knows if he has hit a blackjack . It is the most favorable type of surrender for the player.
Late surrender – It is done when the dealer has an ace or a 10 and has seen his second card. If you have blackjack , you won’t be able to give up.
Now, with what combinations should you surrender?Although your intuition and your experience as a player enter here, surrender has been studied and its strategy is well known.
The basic strategy tables that we have shown you above are designed with casinos that do not allow surrender. In the event that you have the opportunity to choose this variable, you mustsurrender with a hard 16 (but not a pair of 8s) vs. dealer 9, 10, or A, and hard 15 vs. dealer 10.
Splitting blackjack hands is a common practice for many players when they get the hands that allow them to split. Splitting requires you to increase your bet since each new hand of blackjack requires its own bet.
Each variety of blackjack offers its own set of rules regarding the division of hands. In general, the option to split is only given as an opening move once the hand is dealt. For example, you cannot ask and then split.
Below is a list of all the possible splits that are allowed in the different varieties of blackjack. We always recommend checking the rules for the type of blackjack you are about to play so that you know in advance which divisions are allowed and which are not.
Splitting tens – Since jacks, queens, kings, and 10s are worth ten points, most online casinos will allow you to divide them into most varieties of blackjack. However, in some games, the cards not only need to have the same value, but they also need to have the same rank, such as a pair of kings or a pair of 10, but they do not allow splitting a king and a 10.
Re-split rule – allows a pair to be split, usually no more than three times in one hand, although there are some varieties that only allow one split, six splits, or unlimited splits. For example: re-split a pair of 8s, then split them and get another 8 as the second card of one of the split hands. Again you have a pair of 8s and you can split them. Each time you must match the original bet you made for the hand.
Re-split aces – a rare rule that tends to be used only in Surrender games.
Hitting more cards after splitting aces – In most cases, after splitting aces, you are allowed to hit only one card for each ace. In some varieties, this limitation does not exist and you can continue to order cards.
Split at any time – split is allowed. For example, you were dealt a 10, a 2, and you asked for another 2. You can then divide the two.
Split Any 16 – Fantastic rule that allows you to get rid of the worst blackjack hand in any range featuring 10 and 6, Ace and 5, 9 and 7.
Discard a split hand – uncommon, but very useful rule that allows you to discard one of the split hands.
Here are the general situations when you should split your cards:
The most common decision a player must make is whether to hit a card or stand in hands in which there is no Ace used to add 11. To know what to do at any given time, you can continue reading below:
When the player believes that he can improve his initial play, he has the possibility to add more cards. The value of the added cards will be progressively added to that of the previous ones until you decide not to ask for more cards, manage to add 21 points or your go bust for exceeding 21 points.
A player can close his turn at any time if his move has not been canceled. You can stand with your starting cards or after you have asked for cards. When standing, the score obtained will be the one that faces the score of the Bank.
Here are our basic recommendations on when to hit or stand:
Always hit hard 11 or less.
At the beginning of his turn, if a player considers that by asking a single card he can improve, he has the option of doubling his initial bet. By doing this, you will not be able to ask for more cards and will have to stand with the result obtained. Here are some general rules that come into play when you consider doubling your bet:
Here are some examples of when you would want to double your bet:
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