Blackjack is that rare table game in which the odds can be turned almost entirely to your favor. Conveniently, you can alter your bet halfway through a game if you believe you have a potentially winning hand. Reliably, a fluctuating house edge moves along your skill level in game play; also, subscribers to what is known in blackjack as "basic strategy" believe the house edge can become virtually non-existent.
The initial steps to gaining an edge in a game of blackjack are as much rules as they are strategies. On top of the basic moves of hitting and standing, you also have the choice of splitting and doubling down—and it is with these moves where you start reaping a bigger fortune than what you began with.
Splitting. The favored practice is to always split Aces and 8s, and with good reason. You have a better chance at two new hands with a starting card of Ace or 8 each than with a two-card hand totaling 2 or 16, which is likely to be a low 12 or go over 21 once you are dealt more cards.
Doubling Down. The rule of thumb is to double down when your two-card hand amounts to 9, 10, or 11. It is easy to why: once you are dealt your third card, your hand can come up to 19, 20, 21, which would be hard to beat. Often, it is tempting to not bother doubling down just to be on the safe side. You think you are winning either way, and it does not hurt that you were not able to double those winnings. But realize that every opportunity you let pass by not doubling down and doubling your payoff only increases the house edge to unpleasantly higher levels over your personal advantage. The variable house edge is irrelevant until you turn it to your favor.
Dealer Busting Cards. A dealer up-card with a value of 4, 5, or 6 is known as a "dealer busting card"—that is, a card value that is most likely to cause the dealer's hand to bust. These up-cards, added to a hole card with a highest probable value of 10, make a sum of 14, 15, or 16. Since, as a common rule, the dealer must hit if his hand equals 16 or lower, with a third card added, his hand can get busted. When a dealer is showing busting cards, it is the best time to split or double down.
Only increase your bets when you are winning.
Do not expect to beat the game consistently, even when you are card-counting. A winning streak can not last forever. Instead, set a table limit for yourself, and know when to walk away.
The only time to take insurance is if you have reason to believe that the dealer has a natural blackjack, or if you are card-counting and know that the remaining cards in the deck will not bring you a winning hand.
"Basic strategy" is arguably the most popular term associated with blackjack strategies. And like a casino champion having both fans and detractors, some blackjack players believe that basic strategy is all you need to know to win the game while others think it leaves something else to desired. Basic strategy is a statistical method of assessing an action given a game situation in blackjack. It theorizes that, given the variables governing game play—like the number of decks in a shoe or specific table rules, it is possible to determine what moves are statistically profitable in the long term. Commonly, basic strategy is presented in a chart that indicates when it is good to hit, stand, split, or double down; and you need simply look up the chart to be guided into maximizing your wins. Here is the lowdown:
Applying basic strategy to the letter can reduce the house edge to lower than 1%.
Playing blackjack solely on instinct, and disregarding basic strategy, can raise the house edge to 3% up to 6%.
Mimicking the dealer, rather than using basic strategy, can increase your expected loss 10 times over. Dealers hit all 16s, stand on all 17s, and never split or double down. Instead, always stand on a hard total of 17 or more, or a soft total of 19 or more.
To determine a suitable bankroll, multiply your normal bet by 40.
Being dealt an Ace as your first card right away gives you an advantage of 52% over the house.
