Blackjack has long been one of the most popular games in casinos around the world. If you walk into any casino, you can bet your bottom dollar that you will see people enjoying this game. And now, we’re also seeing more people playing online.
There are lots of great online casinos like Blackjack.me where you can play Blackjack. However, whether you are a rookie or you have been playing Blackjack for a while now, you will want to give yourself the best chance of winning.
Blackjack is not a game that is purely based on luck. Strategy is involved. If you learn the game and practice different strategic approaches, you will give yourself the best chance of winning.
With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the best strategies for winning Blackjack. Use these as a starting point, and you can then refine your game with practice.
Do not play a 6 to 5 blackjack game
This is the first strategy we have for you when it comes to playing blackjack. Historically speaking, a blackjack hand has always been paid at odds of 3 to 2. For instance, if you bet $20, and you have a united blackjack, you will receive winnings of $30.
Today, a lot of best online casinos pay a winning person’s blackjack at odds of 6 to 5 instead of odds of 3 to 2. You will get less money back in this case. In this case, you would only receive $24.
The house edge will raise by approximately 1.45 percent in a single-deck game with odds of 6 to 5. Furthermore, if 6 to 5 is offered in a multi-deck or double-deck game, the house edge will escalate to more than two percent. This is why we highly recommend that your first strategy is to only choose blackjack games that offer a payoff of 3 to 2.
Never make insurance bets
Next, one thing you should never do is make an insurance bet, even if you are tempted. Even if you receive a good hand, like a 20 or a 19, do not go for the insurance bet.
You only need to look at the numbers to see that this is a bet that does not make sense. The payoff for an insurance bet is 2 to 1. However, the odds of the insurance bet coming in are a lot higher than this, meaning the payout and the probability are out of sync. That’s why it is often described as a sucker bet by many!
Always double down on 8 against the dealer’s 5 or 6 upcard in a single-deck game
In multi- and double-deck games, you should never double down with a two-card 8. Nevertheless, in a single-deck game, the odds of blackjack shift to make double down the better strategy in comparison to hitting.
This strategy also includes a pair of 4s, with only one exception to this rule. If the rules are DAS, rather than doubling down, you should split a pair of 4s.
Always hit a hard 12 against a dealer’s 2 or 3 upcards
This is a situation where a lot of players will end up chickening out and standing on their 12 because they are worried about busting.
The bottom line here is that when you are against a dealer’s 2 or 3 upcards, you are going to lose money in the long run no matter whether you hit or stand. Nevertheless, you will lose less money by hitting, which is why this is the most advisable strategy to take.
Do not split a pair of 10s or 5s
A pair of 5s is the same as a hard 10. You are always going to be in a better position by taking a one-or-more card draw to a 10 instead of splitting the 5s and playing two hands, both starting with a 5.
Although splitting 10s is usually going to be a winning play, using them together and holding a 20 is a much greater winning play in the majority of circumstances.
You should split a pair of Aces and 8s
You should always split a pair of Aces and 8s, irrespective of what upcard the dealer has.
Sadly, a lot of players will not split with a pair of 8s when the dealer has an upcard of Ace, 10, or 9. The reason is that in this situation they are a massive underdog, so why should they spend more money on splitting?
However, what they fail to comprehend is that if you play two hands that both start with an 8, you are less of an underdog compared to playing a hand of 16 and hitting.
In more basic terms, less money is going to be lost in the long run if you split 8s against an Ace, 10, or 9, rather than hitting a hard 16.
Double down on a hard 11
Last but not least, you are always going to win more money if you double down on hard 11 against any dealer’s upcard in comparison to hitting in all games.
There is only one exception to this! If you are enjoying a multi-deck game whereby the rules indicate that the dealer needs to stand on soft 17, you will be in a slightly better position if you hit against a dealer Ace instead of doubling down.
Give yourself the best chance of winning Blackjack next time you play
So there you have it: some of the best strategies for those who enjoy playing Blackjack. If you do not learn about the different playing strategies, you are only going to be putting yourself at a disadvantage.
And remember; you should never spend more money than you can afford to lose. We do not recommend progressive play either. If you have lost a game, do not then increase your bet to try and recoup some money. Doing this is a sure-fire way of finding yourself out of pocket!
