Blackjack strategy

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.

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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.

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