Winning at blackjack is all about knowing what to do in every situation, but it’s not all about whether you call, stand, double or split! Finally, here are 5 useful strategies for winning at blackjack:
Don’t buy insurance
Almost all variations of blackjack allow you to buy insurance to cover yourself against the possibility of the dealer making 21. It’s simply not a profitable bet because the probability of the dealer making blackjack is less than the insurance payout itself!
Play only blackjack that pays 3 to 2
When you hit 21 with your first two cards, you are said to be playing 21. Usually this payout is 3 to 2, but there are some variants that offer a 6 to 5 payout, which is less convenient. As there are only a few, avoid them if possible!
Dealer’s odds of busting
Did you know that depending on the dealer’s card, the dealer’s chances of busting change? Here’s how:
- Ace: 11.5%.
- Kings, ladies, jacks and 10s: 21.2%.
- 9: 22,8%.
- 8: 24,5%.
- 7: 26,2%.
- 6: 42,3%.
- 5: 41,5%.
- 4: 39%.
- 3: 37%.
- 2: 35%.
Search for blackjacks with the soft 17 rule
Although almost all tables now implement the hard 17 rule, which requires the dealer not to draw even if he has 17 points and the cards include an ace that can be worth 1 or 11, there are still some versions that use the soft 17 rule (where the dealer must draw if, for example, he has A-6). The hard 17 rule increases the bank’s advantage by 2%!
Don’t trust people who promise you foolproof systems
More than a strategy, this is a dispassionate advice: if you come across a person or a website that wants to sell you a method to win at blackjack “100% sure”, run away! There is no strategy that can guarantee you a win, only a higher probability of winning.
Reducing House Advantage in 21
The essence of blackjack strategy is to reduce the house advantage by carefully analysing your own and the dealer’s cards to always know when to call, stay, double or split – but more on that later.
However, as I mentioned, there is also the possibility of counting cards at blackjack, a technique that is not really appreciated by land-based casinos (which in fact do everything they can to oppose it) and certainly useless in online casinos (where the decks are shuffled at the end of each hand).
What to do depending on your cards
Leaving aside the card counting system, let’s see what you should do to employ a better blackjack strategy depending on your cards.
Always split two Aces or two 8s: No matter what hand the dealer has, if you have two 8s or two Aces it is always fair to split. The two aces give you a score of 2/12, which is really bad: if you split them, you get two more chances to make blackjack. 8+8, on the other hand, makes 16, which in blackjack is too low a point to hope to win but too high a point to call a card.
Never split two 5s or two 10s: You might be tempted to split the 10, tempted by the possibility of getting two aces or two tricks. The reality is that you already have a 20 and by splitting your hand you risk ruining yourself twice. With two 5s, on the other hand, it is undoubtedly better to double than split.
