About Com Blackjack Basic Strategy

One of the best ways to increase your chances of winning at blackjack is by learning about basic strategy. Basic strategy is based on the mathematics of the game of blackjack. Mathematicians, statisticians and computer simulations have tested and discovered the best move in any situation in a game of blackjack, based on the player’s cards and the dealer’s up card. When you have a good understanding of this strategy of odds you can greatly reduce the house advantage and win at blackjack a majority of the time.

Long one of the world’s most popular card games blackjack is a game of both skill and chance. Learning blackjack basic strategy can dramatically reduce the house edge and increase your odds of winning one of the most fun and exciting casino games around. Blackjack and card counting. Blackjack and counting cards go hand in hand, especially in the popular culture. The ability to count cards, combined with the blackjack basic strategy, was the very thing that made it possible for various players and teams to make money off the casinos. Aug 01, 2019 Therefore, our basic strategy article won’t pay attention to these situations as they are considered to be part of a total-dependent blackjack strategy. The basic blackjack strategy chart will outline the best possible decision for those that don’t count cards.

If you are interested in learning basic strategy you can find a number of basic strategy charts online, as well as in books about the game of blackjack. The chart will show your hand on one axis and the dealer’s card on the other axis. Match them up on the chart to find out what the best move is (i.e. to hit, to stand, to double down, to split or to surrender).

Basic strategy changes slightly depending on the blackjack variation you are playing, as well as the number of decks in play. However, the strategy is still pretty much the same across the board. Read on for some tips that you can use to apply basic strategy to your blackjack games.

The following strategies should be applied when you have a hard hand. A hard hand is one that does not contain an Ace:

Always hit on a hand worth a value of 8 or less.
When you have 9, double down when the dealer has a 3, 4, 5 or 6. Otherwise hit.
When you have a 10, double down when the dealer has 2 through 9. Otherwise hit.
When you have an 11, hit if the dealer has Ace. Otherwise double down.
When you have 12, stand if the dealer has 4 through 6. Otherwise hit.
When you have 13 through 16, stand if the dealer has 2 through 6. Otherwise hit.
Always stand on hard hands valued at 17 through 21.

If you have a soft hand, containing an Ace, then the following basic strategies should be used:

If you have Ace-8 or Ace-9 you should always stand.
If you have Ace-7, double when the dealer has 3 through 6 and stand when the dealer has 2, 7 or 8. Otherwise hit.
If you have Ace-6, double when the dealer has 3 through 6. Otherwise hit.
If you have Ace-4 or Ace-5, double if the dealer has 4, 5 or 6. Otherwise hit.
If you have Ace-2 or Ace-3, double down when the dealer has 5 or 6. Otherwise hit.

Pairs should be played as follows:

Split 2s and 3s when the dealer has 2 through 7.
Split 4s when the dealer has 5 or 6.
Split 5s when the dealer has 2 through 9.
Split 6s when the dealer has 2 through 6.
Split 7s when the dealer has 2 through 7.
Always split 8s.
Split 9s when the dealer has 2 through 6, 8 or 9 and stand when the dealer has 7, 10 or Ace.
Always stand on 10s or Face cards.

Make sure to also read:

How to Play Like a Blackjack Pro.
Learn more about Blackjack cheating.
Find out which Blackjack you play – European Blackjack or American Blackjack.
Like the other card games, find out what’s the Blackjack house advantage.
Blackjack Tips to help you get past the myths and play to your full potential are included.

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Basic Strategy is the most basic system that all Blackjack players must master in order to become a successful player. It provides the Player with the optimal way to play based on the Player’s Total verses the Dealer’s Upcard. The system has been developed over several years of research and computer simulation. The result is a true Perfect or Correct Strategy, a mathematical imperative of best choices over time.

In Basic Strategy all we are learning to do is make the best decisions based on the cards we have and what the Dealer is showing. The Basic Strategy is based on the rules of Classic Twenty One, or Classic Blackjack, as detailed by NZonlinecasinos.kiwi. There are many other variations of blackjack, especially at online casinos, so the strategy would need to be adapted if playing another type. Other online blackjack games can get quite complex, such as Multi Hand Atlantic City Blackjack Gold, which the experts at CasinoCanuck.ca have done a great job of outlining here.

We know that the Dealer always Draws on 16 and Stands on 17. So it should be a safe bet to follow that strategy ourselves. In a sense, this is exactly what we do in Basic Strategy. However, if the Dealer is only showing a “6” or less, we don’t have to bother reaching 17 or more because the Dealer is more likely to Bust than to stand. In this way we make decisions that have been shown to benefit the Player most of the time.

In order to know the Basic Strategy there are three things you must learn:

Simple Strategy – 7 Rules for Social Play
When to Double Down
When to Split Pairs

The Simple Strategy - Seven Rules for Social Play

In order to learn Basic Strategy thoroughly, and become fluent in play, the best thing to do is learn the Simple Strategy first. These 7 rules are easy to master and you will apply them in almost 90% or your play. In other words, this is the mainstay of Basic Strategy. The rules for Doubling Down and Splitting Pairs are added to this strategy to extend the Player’s advantage slightly more but here is the core.

Below is a table that shows 7 simple rules based on the “Player’s Total” verses the “Dealer’s Upcard”. You can also download a one page PDF to use as a practice guide. In order to learn the Basic Strategy it is recommended that you practice by dealing yourself some cards, and making the decisions over and over again.

Simple Strategy; Seven Rules to help you Lose Less
Player Does	Verses	Dealer's Upcard
Stand on 13	V's	2 or 3
Stand on 12	V's	4, 5 or 6
Stand on 17	V's	7 or more
Double Down on 11 verses Dealer's 10 or less
Double Down on 10 verses Dealer's 9 or less
Always Split 8,8's
Always Split A,A's

DOWNLOAD PDF: BlackJack - Basic Strategy

Dealer's Upcard 7 or Less

When the Dealer is showing a 6 or less, he has a better than even chance of busting. So, the Player can pretty much relax and leave the Dealer to self-destruct. The only thing to remember is that if that upcard is a 2 or a 3, we stand on 13, not 12.

Stand on 13 verses Dealers 2 or 3. Stand on 12 verses Dealer’s 4, 5 or 6.

Double Down

‘Double Down” is when the Player double’s his bet on the first two cards, and receives just one more card in exchange. For example, if the Player’s first two cards are 8 and 3, he has a Total of 11. If he Hits, and he will, he has a better chance of hitting twenty-one than any other Total, and a better than even chance of a Total greater than 17. If he doubles his bet, he doubles his most likely rewards. But remember, if that card is a 5 or a 6 for example, the Player cannot hit again. When you Double-Down, you only receive one additional card. In addition to doubling down there are other basic strategies that can be used in Blackjack.

Blackjack Strategy Sheet

Always Split 8's, Always Split Aces

With two eights and you’ve got a Total of 16. No one wants a total of 16. Split and Hit, you’ve got a better than even chance of arriving at a Total of 17 or more. Even when the Dealer is showing a “6” or less and 16 would be a comfortable Stand, split the pair and double your rewards for Dealer’s better than even chance of Busting. So, all the odds say “Split”.

Splitting Aces would seem good sense to anyone, and it is. When you split Aces you only receive one additional card for each Ace. You can’t Hit again. If either of those cards is a “10” it’s not a Blackjack and only pays the usual 1 to 1, not 1½ to 1 . A Blackjack only applies the Player’s first two cards. That’s why it’s also called a “natural”. You don’t get it for extras.

Mastering Basic Strategy

Basic Strategy is not something that you can learn by walking into a casino and trying it out. You need to practice. It’s got to be second nature. And the best way to practice is to take a deck of cards and deal out a hand of BlackJack in the following manner.

As you go through the deck, make all the decisions, to Hit, Stand, Double Down, or Split. Play the Dealer’s draw on 16 and Stand on 17.

You can also deal out practice plays like this. You will go through the cards faster, so you can always combine two or more decks.

DOWNLOAD PDF: BlackJack - Basic Strategy

Perfect Blackjack Strategy

Once you have mastered these simple rules , you will have in place the basis of Basic Strategy. In order to master the complete strategy, there are two more areas of refinement to attend to. These are the rules for 'doubling down' and the rules for 'splitting pairs'. These do not alter the rules you have learnt above. They build and extend on them.

Rules for Doubling Down
Double Down On	Verses	Dealer's Upcard
11	V's	2-10
10	V's	2-9
9	V's	3-6
A6-A7	V's	3-6
A4-A5	V's	4-6
A2-A3	V's	5-6

Rules for Splitting Pairs
Split	Verses	Dealer's Upcard
A,A	V's	Any Card
9,9	V's	2-9 but not 7
8,8	V's	Any Card
7,7	V's	2-7
6,6	V's	2-6
4,4	V's	5-6
3,3	V's	2-7
2,2	V's	2-7