Blackjack is a game of chance that involves elements of skill. Understanding basic strategy can help you minimize the house edge and improve your chances of winning. Learn to manage your bankroll and make effective decisions based on the dealer’s up card.
A player can split pairs if the cards have the same value, but they must place a second bet equal to their original. You can also double down when the dealer has a weak upcard.
Game rules
Blackjack is a card game in which players compete against the dealer. The goal is to get a hand that is closer to 21 than the dealer’s without going over. Each player receives two cards and may choose to hit (receive additional cards) or stand. Face cards count as 10, and aces can be worth either 1 or 11. The game is played with one or more decks of standard playing cards.
The game rules differ from casino to casino. Some allow a player to double down on any two-card combination. Others only permit doubling down on certain combinations. Some games require the dealer to hit a soft 17 and other games allow the player to stand on a soft 17. The latter variant reduces the house edge by about 0.2%.
Bets
Many players try to beat the house edge by using betting progressions. These systems increase your bets after losses, but then reset to the original amount after wins. The problem with this approach is that there is no mathematical evidence that it will improve your chances of winning.
The Wizard of Odds has worked out the probabilities of a net win, push, and loss on a blackjack hand by applying a technique called combinatorial analysis. This is a method of looking at all possible outcomes and counting up how many “desirable” ones there are.
The rules for side wagers vary from game to game, but usually a player must place a blackjack wager equal to or greater than the value of any side wager. This is to prevent card counters from placing extra bets.
Splitting pairs
When you are dealt a pair of cards in blackjack, you have the option to split them into two hands. This gives you an extra chance to beat the dealer. However, it is important to know the right time to split. For example, you should never split a pair of fours as it will leave you with a weak hand.
You should also avoid splitting low pairs like 2s, 3s and 6s if the dealer has a strong card. This could lead to a loss. You should also not split a pair of fives because they total 10. It is better to double down on this hand than splitting it. You can use the best blackjack strategy charts to make this decision. The charts are intuitively color-coded to help you best learn the basic strategy.
Double down
Doubling down is a risky but potentially rewarding move in blackjack. It involves increasing your wager by pushing a stack of chips equal to your original bet and receiving one additional card. You cannot hit after doubling down and must stand with your hand. It is advisable to double down only if your cards total 9, 10 or 11 without an ace.
To execute a double down, push an additional stack of chips next to your initial bet and use a one-finger tap or verbal confirmation to signal the dealer that you want one more card. Do not put the additional chips on top of your initial bet; this is frowned upon by croupiers and could be considered tampering.
Dealer’s face-down card
In blackjack, a dealer’s face-down card is an important piece of information to use when playing the game. Players should assume that the dealer’s card is worth 10 and play accordingly. If the dealer’s face-down card is exposed, it is not considered cheating if the player continues to hit until they reach a hand value of 19 or bust.
If the dealer’s up card is an ace, they may ask for insurance bets from the players before dealing their cards. The players place a side bet of up to half their original bet that the dealer’s face-down card is a ten and thus a blackjack for the house. The dealer then turns over their face-down card and pays off the insurance bets if they have a blackjack.
