Increase Your Odds of Winning With Basic Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack is a game of chance, but some players can increase their odds of winning by using strategy. One of the best strategies is to learn when it’s appropriate to hit or stand. The chart below shows when you should hit or stand.

Practice keeping a running total. A true count takes more math and will help you win more hands.

Basic strategy

Blackjack is a casino card game that pits the player against the dealer. To win, players must understand the game rules and strategy. Using the right blackjack strategy lowers the house edge and increases chances of winning.

Basic strategy is the mathematically optimal way to play every hand. It was developed by a computer that played millions of hands and determined what decisions would work best for the player over time.

One disadvantage of basic strategy is that it doesn’t take into account the type of game. Some casinos use Continuous Shuffling Machines, which can worsen the odds for a player. Another disadvantage is the gambler’s fallacy, which states that a losing streak will be followed by a win.

Hi-lo system

While there are many card counting systems available, most blackjack experts recommend the Hi-Lo system for beginners. While it may not be the most accurate, it offers a good advantage over the casino and can help you make some serious profits. However, be sure to practice your counting technique carefully and set a strict bankroll. Otherwise, you could alert a pit boss or dealer and be thrown out of the game.

The Hi-Lo card counting style assigns value to each dealt card and keeps a running count of the cards left in the deck. Unlike other counting methods, this one does not require the player to memorize index values like -1 and +1.

Splitting pairs

Pair splitting is one of the most important blackjack decisions, and it can greatly improve your odds of winning. The basic strategy is simple: split aces and eights, and don’t split pairs of twos or threes. There are some slight deviations from this strategy if your casino allows doubling after splitting (DAS) or you play in games that require you to surrender a pair of 8s against the dealer’s ace.

The main factor affecting your decision to split pairs should be the dealer’s up card. The following table shows the best times to split pairs depending on the dealer’s up card. If the dealer has a weak up card, you should split all pairs except for pairs of fives.

Doubling down

Doubling down is a key part of blackjack strategy that increases your winning chances. However, it is important to understand when it is the best time to double down. Depending on the rules of the casino, you may not be able to double when basic blackjack strategy recommends it.

Essentially, doubling down allows you to increase your initial bet by 100% and receive just one additional card. You can do this by pushing a stack of chips next to your original bet in land-based casinos, or by signaling the dealer that you want to double down. Online casino games typically have a button to press for this purpose.

Insurance

The insurance bet in blackjack is a side bet that pays if the dealer has a natural blackjack. The bet is offered when the dealer’s up card is an ace and can be made by placing half of the original wager on the insurance line. However, the insurance bet is a sucker bet and should be avoided by players who follow sound basic strategy.

While the insurance bet offers a sense of protection against the game’s least-desired outcome, its high house edge makes it unprofitable in the long run. Moreover, it can even cost the player more money than they won on their original bet!

Tournaments

Tournaments in blackjack offer players the chance to compete against other participants rather than the casino dealer. They begin with the same amount of chips and play a designated number of hands. The player with the most chips at the end of the round advances to the next table.

Before you play a blackjack tournament, read the rules and make sure you understand how the tournament works. This includes knowing the betting limits, how many rounds are played, how players advance to the final table, and whether surrender is allowed.

Elimination Tournaments are often posted on a leader board so that players can see how much they need to win. They also tend to have a higher entry fee and take more than one day to complete.