The classic card game of blackjack is so simple to play. You just need to make a hand total as close to twenty one as possible without going over twenty one and hope the dealer makes a worse hand or busts. Easy, right? Not entirely. The savvy blackjack player uses a strategic approach and you can too with these blackjack strategy tips.
First, whether you play your blackjack online or in the casino make sure you stick to your budget and understand the house rules as they can differ. Protect your bankroll too by playing for stakes you can live with and give yourself a good number of hands before you’ve reached your limit. A table with a minimum stake of around three to five percent of your bankroll should suffice.
Now let’s look at some of those strategy tips and considerations. Remember that you are only trying to beat the dealer’s hand. The cards of the other players at the table matter not to you unless you are trying to count cards though that’s another story for another day.
If you find yourself on a total of seventeen then stick. No more cards. The odds of drawing a four or less to keep you under twenty one total are slim. The dealer has to keep drawing cards until he reaches or exceeds seventeen so let him see if he can beat you. He has to draw, you do not. That’s your potential advantage here.
If you are dealt two cards with a face value of ten you may be tempted to split them and play two hands. It is suggested that you do not split tens as two tens make a hand of twenty and will be hard for the dealer to beat that. If you do split them and get dealt a six on one of them (16) and a five on the other (15) you are struggling. That twenty you’ve been dealt looks great. Stay with it.
Carrying on with what pairs to split and what pairs not to split, there are other considerations. It is suggested that you do not split a pair of fives. You have ten and if your next card is a high value (say an eight or higher) that’s not so bad. However if you are a pair of eights then the suggestion is to split them. This is because the sixteen you have is in difficult territory. If you draw on sixteen you need a five or less to stay in the hand. The odds are against that. Although if the dealer has a ten it is suggested you stick and do not split. This is because the dealer has to draw another card and keep drawing until he gets to at least 17. So if he draws a six to go with his ten he has to draw again and anything over a five means you win the hand with your pair of eights.
Finally on splitting, if you are dealt two aces then always split them. If your next card on either of them is a ten then you’ve made a blackjack and the dealer has to match that to beat you. If the dealer shows an ace you can buy -insurance- against him making a blackjack. Your call whether to go for that though I’d suggest not.
So there we are, some basic blackjack strategy approaches you can take to the online tables or casino next time you play. Good luck – and of course please never, ever play with money you cannot afford to lose. That’s just crazy.
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