Blackjack is probably the most popular casino and card game in the world. With a lower house edge than most casino games, blackjack is the favorite choice by many players because there are higher chances of winning. Despite having straightforward rules and being easy to play, blackjack is not a simple game, as it requires a lot of studying and practice to be able to read the cards and apply the best course of action to the hands at play.
Also known as “21”, blackjack was based on a Spanish card game called Veintiuna, of which the first written references are found in a 1602 short story by Miguel de Cervantes. In the 19th century, the first rules were created in Britain, and the game was played under the Vingt-Un (twenty-one in French). It became very popular in the United States during the Gold Rush, and by the 50s, had become a staple at casinos across the country.
Many beginning players think that learning blackjack strategies is unnecessary, and completely disregard practicing at free-to-play online tables. This is a huge mistake and can lead to significant losses. Another common mistake among rookies is to deviate from the basic strategies with hands that present the worst mathematical expectations, like hitting on a hard 20.
But following a few simple steps, you should get a better understanding of blackjack strategies, thus being able to avoid some mistakes and improve your winnings – whether at a land-based venue or in one of these US friendly casinos.
Game selection
Most land-based and online casinos offer blackjack tables with two different payouts: 3:2 and 6:5. But you should always play at 3:2 tables, and here’s why: a 3-to-2 ratio means a $100 bet will get a $150 payout for a natural blackjack (ace, 10). However, with a 6-to-5 ratio, the same wager will get a $120 payout.
The house edge also varies with the different payouts. In 3:2 tables, the house edge is between 0.5% and 1%, while the 6:5 payout adds 1.5% to the house advantage. This means that instead of losing $1 per $100 wagered, you’ll lose $2.50 on average over time. Additionally, punters only get the 6:5 payout on amounts divisible by 5; any overage is paid off at even money.
Study the strategy chart
Novice players make many mistakes, like not splitting a pair of 8s or splitting a pair of 10s, which could be easily avoided by studying a strategy chart.
A blackjack strategy chart is a guide that presents players the correct actions according to the player’s score and the dealer’s upcard. The player’s hands are shown in the first column, and the dealer’s upcards are on the first row. You just need to find your hand and scan down the chart to find if you should hit, stand, split, double, or surrender. For example, if you have a soft 17 and the dealer is showing a 5, you should double down.
Strategy charts are the perfect tool for beginners, and even experienced players make use of it. So if you’re playing online blackjack, be sure to have one to aid you.
Stay away from insurance and side bets
If the dealer is showing an ace as the upcard, the insurance bet becomes available, and players get paid 2:1 in case the dealer has a natural blackjack. But the odds for the dealer getting a 10 and hitting the blackjack are 9:4 – they are too low, and the dealer won’t hit it enough times to make this wager worthy.
Insurance and side bets also raise the house edge to over 7%. They may seem attractive to rookie players, but most of them are negative expectation bets, so you should always avoid them.
Dealer upcards
It’s always important to identify the dealer’s upcard before making a decision on whether hitting, standing, or doubling down. We can sort the dealer’s upcards into two types: strong and weak cards. Strong dealer cards are those ranging from 7 to A, and the weak cards are 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
After identifying the upcard, you break up the strategy into two approaches: against strong dealer cards, you should hit until you get a total of 17 or higher, or bust; against weak cards, you should avoid hitting if you have a chance to bust.
These are general guidelines, and there are many exceptions to these approaches, depending on which hands are at play. Therefore, you must keep studying strategies and the strategy chart, to develop your blackjack knowledge, thus improving your winnings.
Hard hand vs. Soft hand
Soft hands are those with an ace, that you can count as 1 or 11 and hit without going bust. And hands without an ace are called hard hands. When you’re playing a soft hand against a weak dealer upcard, there are some situations in which you can double down to take advantage of the fact that you can bust by hitting at least once. To decide if you should double or not, you can use what is called by blackjack specialists the Rule of 23.
Playing with this strategy, when you have a soft hand of 18 or lower against a weak dealer card, add your total to twice the value of the card the dealer is showing. If this amounts to 23 or higher, you should double. If not, you hit with totals of 17 or lower and stand with totals of 18 or higher.
It’s very important to learn when to double with soft hands, and, with the Rule of 23, you’ll play right more than 95% of the time in these scenarios, without having to memorize strategy charts.
Doubling down with hard hands
Finally, there are some situations when you can double down even if you have a hard hand, especially if you have a total of 9, 10, or 11. With a total of 9, you should only double down when the dealer is showing a weak card. With a 10, you can double if the dealer is showing a 9 or lower, and with a 11 you should double down against anything but an ace.