If you want the Blackjack strategy you reduce the casino's advantage to less than 1%. From there, you can take the Odds in your favor. In combination with the count cards this strategy will give you a long-term advantage over the casino. You will get more win and lose less. To do this, you must make the decisions in the following blackjack Strategy Table memorize.
It'll be worth it for you though!
VIDEO: BLACKJACK STRATEGY EXPLAINED SIMPLY
THE PERFECT BLACKJACK STRATEGY
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[BLACKJACK STRATEGY CHART - PDF DOWNLOAD]
When you are dealt two cards, you always look first at what the dealer has and make your decision based on that. You go through the following options in order.
You can remember the order: Surrender, Split, Double, Draw, Stand...
- You wonder if you can play the cards without... SURRENDER should if the surrender option is allowed.
- If you don't want to Surrender, you check to see if it's a pair that you might be SHARE (Split) can.
- If you don't have a pair, maybe a VERDOPLLUNG (double down) in question?
- Only when these three special options can be excluded, you decide whether you still want a card PULL wants (Hit)
- If you don't want to move, you stay STAND (STAND)
Explanation of the Blackjack Strategy Table
H = Hit (draw card)
S = Stand (Remain standing)
DD = Double Down
SP = Split (dividing)
In the left side column is the total of your own hand. In the header is the dealer's open up card. The field where the two statements intersect reflects the best possible decision.
SURRENDER
Surrender means "to give up". You get half of your bet back without having to make a decision. The surrender option is not offered in all casinos. And if surrender is allowed, you should only use it in these special cases:
- With 16 (except pair of 8) against 9, 10 or A of the dealer.
- With 15 against a 10 of the dealer
SPLIT: Share couples
When the player gets two cards of equal value, it is called a "pair". This gives you the option to split. This involves the two partner cards being separated and pushed apart by the dealer. You must place a second bet equal to the original bet. You are then dealt another card for each of the two partner cards. You now play two hands separately and each has the same options as at the start of the game: surrender, split, double down, stand or draw.
So you get two chances to beat the dealer or lose. Knowing when to split pairs in blackjack is crucial to playing at a high level. Best of all, since there are only ten Card values it is not difficult to remember what to do in each situation.
- Always Aces and share 8s
- Never split 5s and 10s
- Split 2s and 3s against 4-7
- Split 4s against 5 and 6
- Split 6s against 2-6
- Split 7s against 2-7
- Split 9s vs. 2-9 (except vs. 7!)
DOUBLE DOWN: Double the bet!
- 9 vs. 3-6
- 10 against everything except 10 or Ace
- 11 against everything except ace
- A2 (Soft 13) or A3 (Soft 14) against 5 and 6
- Ace & 4 (Soft 15) and Ace & 5 ( Soft 16) against 4 - 6
- Ace & 6 (Soft 17) and Ace & 7 (Soft 18) against 3 - 6
HIT OR STAND: Draw a card or stand still?
The last thing you do is decide whether you should draw a card or stand still in Blackjack.
- 11 or less: always pull
12 stop against 4 - 6, otherwise draw - 13 - 16: Stand still against 2 - 6, otherwise move
- 17 or more: stop
- Soft hands from A3 to A6 (Soft 14 to Soft 17) always pull
- A7 (Soft-18) remain standing, except against dealer's 9, 10 or Ace.
- A8 (soft 19) always stop
What is the difference between "hard" and "soft" hands?
For blackjack beginners, the technical terms may be a bit confusing. For example, people talk about "soft hands" and "hard hands" (soft hands and hard totals). These are the types of hands you can get from the dealer in each round, so you should know exactly what this means before playing for money at the blackjack table in a casino.
The difference between a "hard" and "soft" hand in blackjack is a single card: the ace.
If one of the two starting cards is an ace, you have a soft hand because an ace can be either 1 or 11.
Example: If you have an ace and an 8, your hand can be either 9 or 19. If you have an ace and a 4, your hand can be either a 5 or a 15.
With an ace, there is less risk of overbought (Bust). That is why hands with an ace are considered "soft". If you play a soft hand over 21 would come, the ace "cushions" the impact and is counted as 1, so that you can either take another card or stand directly.
A "hard" hand in blackjack means you don't have an ace. With a "hard" hand, you are stuck with a rigid hand that usually can only be improved with great risk - especially if the sum of the two cards is more than 11 and any additional card could lead to a "bust".
The dealer draws cards until he has at least 17. However, if the dealer has a soft 17, there is a special rule in some casinos that says that the dealer must draw again even with a soft 17 until he has a hard 17.
- SURRENDER with 15, 16 from a pair of 8 and with 17 against an ace of the dealer.
- DOUBLE DOWN with against Ace
- DOUBLE DOWN with soft 18 (ace & 7) against 2.
- DOUBLE DOWN with soft 19 (ace & 8) against 6
With these Tips out of Blackjack strategy table, you've already taken a big step towards becoming a successful blackjack player!
