Solid Blackjack Strategy for Beginners

Whether you’re playing online, classic blackjack, or a live version, having a solid and specific strategy is essential. Let’s explore the best strategies to elevate your game.

Making the Right Move: Basic Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack stands out among casino games because players can significantly influence the outcome. To excel at blackjack, one needs a deep understanding and proficiency in the game’s skills. While many have tried, only a few have mastered it.

To become an expert, starting with the basic strategy of blackjack is crucial. Despite its name, this strategy isn’t just for beginners. It’s the best way to play blackjack without resorting to card counting. While the basic strategy alone might not lead to regular wins, it can significantly reduce the casino’s edge.

Here, we’ll provide a comprehensive overview of the basic strategy and discuss adjustments you might consider based on various game types. By the end, you’ll have the tools to approach blackjack with a strategy that narrows the gap towards a break-even game.

Hitting, Standing, and Doubling Down in Blackjack

In blackjack, key decisions revolve around when to hit and when to stand. Given that these choices arise every hand, mastering them is crucial.

Hard Hands

Hard hands have a fixed value throughout the hand, making gameplay more conservative. If your hard hand totals over 11, it’s generally advisable to stand. Out of 60 possible hard hand combinations totaling 12 or more, 27 should be played as “hits” and 33 as “stands.”

Soft Hands

Soft hands can hold two potential values, thanks to the ace that can be counted as one or eleven. This flexibility encourages a more aggressive approach. Out of 80 possible soft hand combinations, 59 are best suited for hitting or doubling down. Only those with the highest values should be played as “stands.”

Specific Scenarios and Strategies

Player’s 13 vs. Dealer’s 5

Facing a total of 13 against a dealer’s 5 presents an interesting decision. While 13 is a decent score, it’s not ideal. Drawing an Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 will enhance your score, but picking a 9 or any ten-valued card will cause a bust. What’s the best move?

While beginners often lean towards taking another card to boost their total, statistically, this isn’t the wisest choice. Here’s why:

• Drawing another card presents a 39% risk of busting for you.
• Conversely, when the dealer displays a 5, they face a slightly higher 42% likelihood of busting.

Considering these odds, it’s more strategic to stand on 13 and bet on the dealer busting. Another advantage for the player is the dealer’s constraint: they can’t stand on 15 and must hit until reaching a minimum of 17.

Player’s 16 vs. Dealer’s 7

A total of 16 is a challenging hand, especially against a dealer’s 7. Many beginners wrongly believe that drawing another card could easily lead to a bust and choose not to risk it. However, a deeper analysis reveals a different strategy.

Instead of focusing on the potential bust, consider how often the dealer will end up with a hand stronger than 16:

• When the dealer has a 7, they will achieve a hand of 17 or better 74% of the time.
• Your probability of busting with a 16 stands at 62%.

These numbers indicate that the smarter move is to draw another card. By attempting to approach 21, you decrease the dealer’s chances of outplaying you.

Player’s Soft 18 vs. Dealer’s 5

Holding a soft 18, it’s natural to feel confident and think that standing is the best move. While standing on a soft 18 against a dealer’s 5 is a winning play, it isn’t the most lucrative option. Surprisingly, doubling down emerges as the best strategy. Here’s why:

• When the dealer displays a 5, they’re inclined to bust 42% of the time.
• If you double on a soft 18, there’s a 38% chance you’ll achieve a hand of 17 or higher.
• The Expected Value (EV) for doubling down in this context is 0.29, while standing has an EV of just 0.19.

Choosing to double down amplifies the EV of your dominant hands, leading to better profits over time. This move is beneficial when you’re in a position where your hand can evolve into a robust one, or the dealer is at risk of busting.

Understanding the Basics of Splitting in Blackjack

In blackjack, being dealt a pair offers you a unique strategic choice: splitting. When you choose to split, you divide your paired hand into two separate hands. Each hand is then dealt an additional card, and you play these hands just as you would with any other blackjack hand.

However, there’s an exception when splitting aces. Most casinos only permit you to draw one additional card per ace when you split them.

Splitting can either reduce the risk of a losing hand or amplify the gains of a promising one. Like other moves in blackjack—such as hitting, standing, and doubling down—the dealer’s exposed card (upcard) should guide your decision on whether to split.

Generally, the more favorable (lower) the dealer’s upcard, the more inclined you should be to split. Conversely, if the dealer’s upcard is higher, you might be more hesitant to split. Let’s explore this with a few examples.

Pair of 8s vs. Dealer’s 7

When faced with a total of 16, specifically a pair of eights, against a dealer’s 7, the game dynamics change compared to a regular 16. Instead of just hitting to get closer to 21, you have the option to split the eights. This move proves to be more advantageous. Here’s why:

Higher Potential for a Strong Hand: By splitting, you have the chance to achieve a hand totaling 18 without any risk. Such a hand stands a good chance of beating the dealer’s 7.
Diverse Hand Possibilities: Even if you don’t land on 18 after the split, possibilities open up for other powerful hands like totals of 10 or 11, which can also be highly beneficial.

Given the disadvantageous nature of playing a straight 16 against a 7 or anything higher, your primary objective should be to steer clear of that position. By opting to split your pair of eights in this situation, you transform your original 16 into two separate hands, each with a higher Expected Value (EV).

Pair of Aces vs. Dealer’s Ace

Facing a dealer’s ace can be quite daunting, presenting the dealer with a significant 30% probability of securing a blackjack right off the bat. Even if they miss that blackjack, the dealer stands a strong chance of nearing 21, given the flexibility of a guaranteed soft hand.

• Now, let’s address the pivotal question: Given the dealer’s potent upcard, why would you want to split your pair of aces and potentially face the dealer with two hands? Here’s why:

Equal Probability of Landing a 21: Just as the dealer’s ace poses a 30% chance of blackjack, your ace carries an equal 30% probability of landing a 21 post-split (though it won’t count as a blackjack).
Opportunity to Achieve a High Total: Even if you don’t hit that perfect 21, you still hold a 46% opportunity to achieve a 19 or higher. If you end up with a lower total like 14, there’s still room to draw another card.
Improved Odds by Splitting: A soft 12 competing against a dealer’s ace is generally unfavorable, making it a losing proposition more often than not. But by splitting your aces, the odds shift. If you manage to win with just one of the two hands post-split, you balance out the stakes, effectively breaking even.

Surrendering in Blackjack

Surrendering in blackjack is an option that might not be available at every casino, so it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with the specific rules of the table before you start. When permitted, using the surrender option strategically can help reduce the house edge.

Types of Surrender

There are two types of surrender: early and late. However, almost no casinos offer the early surrender option.

• Early Surrender: You can forfeit your hand before the dealer checks for blackjack.
• Late Surrender: You must wait until the dealer checks their hand. If the dealer has a blackjack, surrendering is not an option.

Purpose of Surrendering

The primary purpose of surrendering is to limit potential losses on your least favorable hands, those with the lowest expected value (EV). By surrendering, you relinquish half of your bet. To make surrendering a profitable move, the expected value of the hand should be less than 0.5. Only a few hands meet this criterion, but recognizing them is crucial if you aim to implement a flawless basic strategy.

When to Surrender

Understanding when to surrender can help you minimize your losses. Here are some common scenarios where surrendering is advisable:

Player’s 16 vs. Dealer’s 9, 10, or Ace:

• A total of 16 is a challenging hand, especially against a dealer’s strong upcard. The chances of improving your hand without busting are slim, and the dealer is likely to end up with a better hand.
• Player’s 15 vs. Dealer’s 10:
• Similar to the scenario with 16, having a total of 15 against a dealer’s 10 is not favorable. The likelihood of the dealer having a higher total is significant, making surrendering a better option.

The Proper Order of Blackjack Basic Strategy

When you’re at the blackjack tables, the variety of choices can be overwhelming, especially for newcomers. For clarity and efficiency, experienced players recommend a specific sequence of actions to follow. Here’s the order:

Surrender

This comes first because once you’ve chosen any other action (like splitting or hitting), you lose the surrender option. While not all casinos allow this option, if available, it should be your first consideration.

Splitting

Splitting is the next step since it’s another choice that becomes unavailable once you take an extra card. Remember, only pairs can be split.

Doubling Down

Consider doubling down after deciding on splitting because, in many casinos, you can double your bet after a split. This choice is best reserved for hands with the highest expected value (EV).

Hitting and Standing

After evaluating the previous options, you then decide whether to take another card (hit) or keep your current total (stand).

Blackjack Basic Strategy: The Variations

While there is a generally accepted basic strategy for blackjack, not all recommendations are universal. If you search for “blackjack basic strategy,” you’ll notice some variations in the charts. These differences arise from distinct game rules, necessitating different optimal strategies. Additionally, if you’re card counting, you’ll occasionally diverge from the basic strategy.

With card counting, you have a clearer sense of the remaining deck composition, allowing for +EV (positive expected value) strategy tweaks that offer an advantage against the casino.

Deck-Related Variations

Typically, blackjack games in casinos use between 4 to 8 decks. The strategy remains largely consistent, regardless of the deck number in this range. However, there’s a unique variant called single-deck blackjack, where only one deck is in play. The strategy for this version differs in a few aspects. Here are notable deviations for single-deck blackjack:

Single-Deck Blackjack Deviations:

• Surrender 77 vs. dealer ten.
• Only surrender 16 against ten or ace.
• Split 77 against dealer 8.
• Split 66 against dealer 8.
• Split 44 against dealer 4.
• Split 33 against dealer 8.
• Double A6 against dealer 2.
• Double both A2 and A3 against dealer 4.
• With A7, stand against a dealer ace.
• With 77, stand against dealer ten.
• Variations Based on Dealer Rules

The dealer’s gameplay rules can also affect your optimal strategy. The dealer’s actions are directly related to the EV of each of your hands. A prevalent variation you might encounter is whether the dealer must hit or stand on a soft 17. Our provided strategy assumes the dealer hits on soft 17. But if they stand, consider these changes:

Adjustments When Dealer Stands on Soft 17:

• Always split 22 and 33 against dealer 2 or 3.
• Always split 44 against dealer 5 or 6.
• Always split 66 against dealer 2.
• Instead of splitting, hit 66 against dealer 7.
• Don’t double; instead, hit 11 against dealer ace.
• Don’t double; always stand with A7 against dealer 2.
• Regardless of the dealer’s upcard, always stand with A8.

The Core of Blackjack Strategy Tips

Navigating the complexities of blackjack strategy can be daunting. To truly reduce the house edge, perfect mastery of the basic strategy is crucial. This means becoming intimately familiar with every detail of the strategy tables. For instance, if someone questions the best move with an A7 against a 5, your immediate response should be “Double!”.

While studying the tables repeatedly is irreplaceable, here are several pointers to aid in internalizing these strategies. Note: these tips are tailored for a 6-deck blackjack game where the dealer hits on a soft 17.

Key Tips for Blackjack Strategy

• Always Split Aces and 8s:Splitting these pairs maximizes your chances of improving your hand.
• Stand on 13-16 Against Dealer’s 2-6:When the dealer shows a weak upcard, standing on these totals can help you avoid busting.
• Always Double Down with 11:Doubling down with a total of 11 provides the best opportunity to get a strong hand.
• Hit on Hands 8 or Below:These low totals should always be hit to improve your chances of getting closer to 21.
• Avoid Insurance:Even if offered, insurance is generally not a good bet as it increases the house edge.
• Never Split 5s or 10s:Splitting 5s or 10s weakens a potentially strong hand.
• Stand with A9:A hand totaling 20 is strong, and standing on it is usually the best choice.
• Double Down with A2-A8 Against Dealer’s 6:This move capitalizes on the dealer’s weak upcard.
• Surrender 16 Against 9, 10, or Ace:Surrendering in these scenarios minimizes your losses on a weak hand.
• Stand on Hard 17 or More:With a high total, standing is the best way to avoid busting.

Wrapping Up: What’s the Best Blackjack Strategy?

Mastering blackjack takes time, but with practice and dedication, you’ll edge closer to mastering the art of the game. When you do, the house’s advantage diminishes, making winning all the sweeter.

By thoroughly understanding and implementing the basic strategy, you can significantly reduce the house edge. Remember to:

• Familiarize yourself with the strategy tables.
• Follow the proper order of actions: surrender, split, double down, and then hit or stand.
• Adapt your strategy based on the number of decks and the dealer’s rules.

With these strategies in mind, you’re well-equipped to play blackjack more effectively, whether in traditional, online, or live versions. Keep practicing, stay dedicated, and watch as your blackjack skills improve and the wins become more frequent.

All You Need to Know About Blackjack Strategy

What is the Best Blackjack Strategy?

The best blackjack strategy is the Basic Strategy, which provides optimal moves based on the player’s hand and the dealer’s face-up card. This strategy minimizes the house edge and is based on statistical probabilities.

Is There a Trick to Winning Blackjack?

There is no guaranteed trick or strategy to consistently win at blackjack. However, card counting, when done correctly, can give players an advantage over the house. It’s important to note:

• Card Counting: This technique involves tracking the ratio of high to low cards left in the deck to make more informed betting and playing decisions.
• Casino Measures: Casinos are aware of card counters and have measures to counteract them, such as using multiple decks or shuffling often.
• Legality: Card counting is not illegal, but casinos may ask counters to leave or bar them from playing blackjack.

By mastering the Basic Strategy and understanding the limitations and risks of card counting, players can improve their chances of winning at blackjack. However, it’s essential to remember that no strategy can guarantee consistent wins due to the inherent randomness of the game.