The Ultimate Guide to Blackjack

Winning at blackjack might involve a bit of luck, but having a few strategies in your hands might increase your winning potential. If you want to elevate your blackjack skills, this guide will give you some knowledge to help you become a sharper blackjack player.

Some Basic Knowledge About Blackjack

Blackjack is a game that you play against the dealer. The player whose hand gets the closest to 21 will win the game. When you begin a new blackjack round, the dealer will give you two cards. The dealer also gets two cards: one will remain facing down, while the other one faces up. Then, you’ll have two options. You can choose to hit (get another card) or play with the two cards you have. The catch is you can’t go over 21 or you’ll lose.

You need to strategize wisely because you need to make your decision based on the dealer’s up card and your starting hand. Before we talk about what strategies can help you win more easily, let’s understand more about the cards’ value.

Cards Value and Hand Totals

All face cards are counted as 10 points regardless of their rank. Aces, on the other hand, can be worth 11 or 1, depending on which benefits your hand the most.

That’s why there’s a ’soft’ hand in blackjack, as any two-card combo with an Ace can have two different values. No soft hand can bust when you decide to hit, unlike ’hard’ hands that have rigid values.

Player Decisions

Once you’ve received your starting two cards, you have several options. Depending on your strategy, these options can get you closer to winning.

Hit: Ask for an additional card to get your hand’s value closer to 21.
Stand: Play your current hand without getting an additional card.
Double Down: Double your bet, but you can only get one additional card.
Surrender: End your turn, get half of your bet back, and forfeit your hand.
Split: When your first two cards are of the same value, you can split them into two hands to play them separately. So you’ll be playing two hands with two separate stakes (the new hand’s stake must follow your original bet amount).

Winning and Payouts

Three outcomes can happen during a blackjack game: a win, a push, and a loss. A win is a situation where your final hand’s value is higher than the dealer’s without going over 21 (busting), so you win even money (1:1) on your bet. A push is when your final hand’s total value is equal to the dealer’s, so your bet will be returned. A loss is when the dealer’s total is higher than your hand’s total, so you’ll lose your stake.

Blackjack Playing Strategies

Blackjack mostly relies on luck, but there are a few strategies you can apply to increase your winning potential. Here are the fundamentals of optimal blackjack you can apply to your next game.

Know When to Hit or Stand

You might ask, how to decide if you should hit or stand? You can tell by seeing the total of your hand and the dealer’s upcard. Common situations where you’d usually do better hitting are:

Your hard total is 11 or lower.
Your hard total is 12 to 16, and the dealer’s upcard is 7 or higher.
Your total is 12 if the dealer’s upcard is a 2 or 3.
Your soft total is 17 or less.
You have a soft 18 hand and the dealer’s upcard is a 9, 10, or ace.

On the other hand, these are the scenarios where standing is the better choice:

You have a hard total of 17 or higher.
Your hand total is 13-16 while the dealer’s upcard is 2-6.
You have a soft total of 19 or higher.
You have a total of 12, and the dealer’s upcard is 4-6.
You have a soft 18 hand, and the dealer’s upcard is less than 9.

Know When to Double Down

Hitting or standing aren’t the only options you have at blackjack. When playing American Blackjack, you’ll get to double on any two cards. On the other hand, some European Blackjack variants might restrict double downs to totals of 9, 10, or 11.

So, when is the perfect time for you to double down? There are a few common scenarios that will prove to improve when you choose to double down.

You have a hard 9 and the dealer’s upcard is 2-6.
You have a hard 10 or 11 when the dealer’s upcard is lower than your total.
Your hand is a soft 13 or 14, and the dealer’s upcard is 5 or 6.
Your hand is a soft 15 or 16, and the dealer’s upcard is 4-6.
You have a soft 17 or 18, and the dealer’s upcard is 3-6.
You have a hard 10 and the dealer’s upcard is lower than 10.

Splitting Strategy

Splitting can only be done when your initial two cards are of the same rank. However, your decision to split will still be affected by the dealer’s upcard. The best scenarios for splitting are:

When you have Aces and 8s.
When you have 9s, and the dealer’s upcard is not a 7, 10, or Ace (which will be better for you to stand).
When you have 7s, and the dealer’s upcard is 2-7. If not, hitting is the better choice.
Your initial cards are two 6s, and the dealer has 3-6.
Your initial cards are 4s against the dealer’s 5 or 6 if doubling after a split is allowed.
You have 2s or 3s facing the dealer’s 4-7.

Surrender Strategy

Surrendering might seem like you’re folding or giving up. However, in certain cases, it’ll be a great strategy to do and save half of your original stake.

If you have a 15 and the dealer has 10, surrendering can be the best option. Having a 16 when facing a dealer with a 9, 10, or Ace upcard will also be your cue to surrender. This is a strategy to rescue your wager during difficult situations.