Blackjack strategy Published September 10, 2015Updated December 08 , 2020 Blackjack is one of the few casino games where players can control their destiny. Choosing the right time to stand, hit, double down, split, or surrender ensures the house edge stays as low as possible, thus increasing your chances of success in the long run. Blackjack real money casinos with lowest house edge #1 Play, Win and Run the show with On-Chain Gaming BETMODE 75 Free Spins + Up To 50% Cashback Visit BETMODE BETMODE Review Deposit $500 or more and get 50% cashback. 18+ Gamble Responsibly. BETMODE T&Cs apply. #2 ReefSpins is for winners ReefSpins 100% match up to $300 Join ReefSpins now ReefSpins Review ReefSpins encourages all players to play responsibly and within their limits, gamble responsibly. Full T&C's apply. #3 Play the best Online Casino Games OnlineCasinoGames Welcome package of $10,000 Join OnlineCasinoGames OnlineCasinoGames Review 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Full T&C's apply. #4 Top RTG casino Raging Bull Casino 250% deposit bonus + 50 free spins Visit Raging Bull Raging Bull Casino Review #5 Start your engines! Ignition Casino 200% up to $2,000 Pokies & Poker Welcome Bonus! Visit Ignition Ignition Casino Review We’re welcoming players to Ignition with a combined Pokies & Poker Welcome Bonus — our biggest ever. Get up to $3,000 when you make your first deposit with Bitcoin, or up to $2,000 when you deposit with a credit card. Full terms. #6 Bitcoin Friendly Bovada Casino 100% up to $3000 Visit Bovada Bovada Casino Review Though blackjack strategy may seem like witchcraft to beginners, it actually isn’t that difficult to learn. We’ll show you the best way to play the most popular online 21 games, including a few golden gambling rules by which all blackjack players should abide. For the superstitious, you can check out our guide to lucky gambling omens. How does basic strategy work? The most common method for stifling the house edge in blackjack is called ‘basic strategy’. This is essentially a set of predetermined moves for any given situation in a blackjack hand. By sticking to this list at all times, you can ensure that every action you take gives you the best possible chance of beating the dealer, and help you manage your bankroll. Basic blackjack strategy focuses on three things: The value of the player’s hand The value of the dealer’s up-card Whether the player has a hard total, a soft total, or a pair The best action for a situation can depend on the specific rules and conditions of the game. For example: the strategy for a single-deck blackjack game might say to double down on a hard 11 against a dealer Ace; but for an eight-deck game, the better move might be to hit. Online blackjack strategy charts We’ve drawn up some charts (with help from the Wizard of Odds’ excellent basic strategy calculator) for some of the most popular real money blackjack games online. These are great learning tools, especially when playing over the Internet. Just compare your hand against the dealer’s card, then play the move listed according to the key: H = Hit S = Stand P = Split Dh = Double down if allowed, otherwise hit Ds = Double down if allowed, otherwise stand Xh = Surrender if allowed, otherwise hit Xs = Surrender if allowed, otherwise stand Microgaming Classic Blackjack strategy Single deck No peek for dealer blackjack Dealer stands on soft 17 Double down on hard nine, 10, or 11 Cannot double after splitting Can hit split Aces No surrender Hard hands Soft hands Pairs Microgaming Vegas Strip Blackjack strategy Four decks Dealer peeks for blackjack Dealer stands on soft 17 Double down on any two cards Double after splitting allowed Cannot hit split Aces No surrender Hard hands Soft hands Pairs Microgaming Atlantic City Blackjack strategy Eight decks Dealer peeks for blackjack Dealer stands on soft 17 Double down on any two cards Double after splitting allowed Cannot hit split Aces Late surrender allowed Hard hands Soft hands Pairs NetEnt Single Deck Blackjack strategy Single deck Dealer peeks for blackjack Dealer hits soft 17 Double down on hard nine, 10, or 11 Cannot double after splitting Cannot hit split Aces No surrender Hard hands Soft hands Pairs BetSoft European Blackjack Six decks No peek for dealer blackjack Dealer stands on soft 17 Double down on hard nine, 10, or 11 Double after splitting allowed Cannot hit split Aces No surrender Hard hands Soft hands Pairs You can play Microgaming, NetEnt and Betsoft blackjack online for real money at Guts.com. What is composition-dependent strategy? The charts above are easy to follow because they focus primarily on points totals. Thus, as the exact make-up of the player’s hand doesn’t really matter, they fall under the umbrella of ‘total-dependent’ basic strategy. However, the house edge can be dented a little bit further when we also consider the specific cards dealt. This is known as ‘composition-dependent’ blackjack strategy. The principle behind composition-based play is much the same as basic strategy: your ideal move is determined by both the player’s hand and the dealer’s door-card. However, basic strategy doesn’t cover precisely which cards are in use, whereas composition methods do. By factoring in this extra information, we get a slightly more accurate read on our odds in any given situation – especially in games with fewer decks. For example: let’s say we are playing a single-deck game such as Microgaming Classic Blackjack Gold. We get dealt a 10 and a Deuce, while the dealer is showing a Six. With total-dependent strategy, we would normally stand with a hard 12; but composition play would tell us to hit, because the chances of drawing a break card (10) have greatly reduced. Golden rules for real money 21 Always split Aces There’s no mystery here: by creating two new hands, you get rid of a soft 12 and give yourself two chances to draw 21. The exception is in European-style games where players lose all bets to a dealer blackjack, in which case it is often advisable to hit against an Ace. Never split 10s On the other hand, you should always stay put when you get a pair of 10s, Jacks, Queens, or Kings. Why throw out a strong total of 20 and risk drawing two weaker scores? The odds of improving are very slight, so don’t even bother. Hit or double on Fives As with 10-point cards, there is seldom a situation where you should split up a pair of Fives. Hitting or doubling down on 10 gives you a good shot at 20 or 21, while splitting leaves you more likely to wind up with ugly 15s. Only play 3:2 blackjack games The traditional payout for a natural 21 is 3 to 2, but newer and more exotic variants often cut that down to 6 to 5 or even money. Short pays on blackjack can add as much as 2.3 per cent to the house edge, so always look for the standard 3 to 2 payout. Never play side bets If you want to play cleverly and keep the house edge down, then steer well clear of the blackjack side games. These are sucker bets which can increase the casino’s mathematical advantage by 10 times or more, thus completely eliminating any ground gained through learning and using basic strategy. If you want to increase your blackjack gambling knowledge even further, check out our list of the best books to learn gambling strategies. Latest online casino news King Johnnie’s Booongo & Playson Tournament offers €385,000 prize poolPlay Booongo and Playson slots at King Johnnie Casino for your chance to win a slice of €385,000. Five thrilling tournaments run until August 2,... Jacky’s Bet: Limited-time free spins at 1xBet casinoDon’t miss Jacky’s Bet at 1xBet! Follow simple steps on Instagram and claim 50 free spins for selected slots. Promo valid for 5 days only. Get 20% back every weekend with House of Jack’s casino promoHouse of Jack’s Wild Weekends give players 20% cashback up to $2,000 on losses. Play slots, tables, and more. Deposit at least $20 to qualify. Claim 321 Solstice Spins + 123% Bonus at Hugo CasinoActivate Hugo Casino’s summer promo with INFERNO & HEATWAVE. Get 321 free spins and a 123% deposit bonus on Zombolics this June. Spin to Win $25K with BetOnline’s prize wheel promoJoin BetOnline June 20–22 for the $25K Take the Prize™ slot event. Trigger the Fortune Wheel and win real cash. 1,000 prizes, no wagering. More News Latest online casino promos Unlock Boho Casino’s Treasure Hunt: 30% bonus & 50 spinsBoost your play at Boho Casino with 30% up to $300 + 50 spins daily on Billie Wild. Available July 30–Aug 3 with promo code... Get up to 100 VIP free spins at Boho Casino every TuesdayBoho Casino is offering up to 100 VIP free spins every Tuesday when you log in and make a deposit. Find out how to cash... Kirgo Casino Wednesday Free Spins – Your Midweek Boost!Spin into midweek wins with Kirgo Casino’s Wednesday promo. Use bonus codes WED25, WED70, or WED150 to grab up to 150 free spins. Tahiti Casino Weekly Splash Starter 100% deposit matchTahiti Casino Weekly Bonus: Get a 100% match up to $1,000 with your first deposit of the week. Clear terms, great value. King Johnnie Kash Drops promotion | Win massive real money prizesKing Johnnie Casino is making it rain with the Kash Drops — your chance to pocket surprise real money prizes while playing your favourite games.... More News Share On Facebook Share On Twitter