Blackjack Strategy – What will you learn from our guide?
How to win at Online Blackjack ? This is undoubtedly one of the most common questions among gamers Online casino .
In truth, there is no single answer for the different situations that occur in the game, as each one requires different approaches and methods based on your hand and the rules of the table.
By reading this guide, you will be able to familiarize yourself with online blackjack strategies, and then apply the one that best suits your games and will give you more chances to win your bet.
Four things to keep in mind before starting
- First of all, we remind you that it is very important to learn the rules of the game , how the odds of winning work, what are the bets that characterize each round.
- Choose the variant of blackjack which you like best. There are several that might interest you, but perhaps only one will become your specialty.
- Plan your budget in advance. How much are you willing to invest? Get a clear idea of ​​how much you can afford to play during each session.
- Think about how much time you can truly dedicate to gaming. Playing online casinos should be fun, but the time you spend should never affect your personal life in any way. That's why a piece of advice we always give is to play responsibly .
Fundamental Strategy Blackjack
Basic blackjack strategy consists of a mathematical model that suggests the most effective move depending on which hand you are in.
Based on your cards, those of the dealer and the rules of the table you will in fact have more chances of winning if you perform a certain action.
You can find a schematic plan in the table of online blackjack strategy below, with letters indicating how you should play your hand to increase your chances of profit. We will analyze each move in detail below.
Soft and hard hands
Before delving into the strategies for winning at blackjack, we need to dwell on the two categories that divide hands into hard hands and soft hands.
A hard hand occurs when neither card is an Ace or when the Ace can only be counted as 1 and not 11.
In a soft hand there is an Ace and therefore you can choose a value between 1 or 11. Let's say you have an 8 and an Ace, then the value can be 9 or 19.
Hits or Stands?
Hit and stand can be translated into with “chiamare” and “stare” respectively.
When you have the first two cards you can choose between these two options, as well as double down and split.
If you are satisfied with the cards in your hand, you may choose to stand. In this case you will not call any cards and the game continues.
The advantage of focusing only on hitting or standing is that there are two fairly simple choices. Returning to our table, we see when you should stand (S) and when you should hit (H), according to the basic blackjack strategy.
Double down
With the double down strategy you can double your bet, but at the same time you can only call one card in your starting hand.
Double down is a good option when starting with really good cards or when the dealer has a bad hand and is in danger of going over 21.
Split (“division of pairs”)
In blackjack you can split and divide pairs of like cards.
For example, if you have two 4s that together make a hand of 8, you can split this hand into two separate hands with a value of four each.
In the case of a split you need to add an extra bet of the same value as your original bet.
What is the most suitable situation for a couple to split? We recommend choosing to split when the cards in your hand have a very high value, or at least higher than those of the dealer.
Rule of soft 17
This rule, applied not to all tables but only to some, requires the dealer to request a card when they have a soft 17, meaning when the hand forms a score of 17 with at least one card being an ace.
In tables where this rule is not applied, the dealer will always stand with a score of 17, regardless of the cards in hand, and usually this is indicated by phrases like "Dealer Must Stand on all 17's".
We therefore understand that the soft 17 rule represents a small advantage for the house (exactly 0.2%), as the dealer will have more chances to form a high hand and get closer to 21.
Surrender ("surrender")
The term surrender (in "resa") means the choice to give up your hand in order to keep half of your original bet.
It is advisable to consider this option if the dealer has a hand with a higher value than yours. For example, if the dealer has an ace while you have a hard hand with a value between 12 and 17.
Advanced Blackjack Strategy
Once you've got the basics down, you can decide to add slightly more complicated blackjack strategies to your portfolio.
There are many types of advanced playing tactics in blackjack, but unlike basic strategy, a more studied strategy delves into the dynamics of the game and takes into account other elements beyond the hands, such as card counting, the number of decks used, and how they are shuffled, etc.
Card Counting in Blackjack: What it is and how it works
Counting cards in blackjack (in English "card counting") is one of the most famous "tricks" at the green table, which consists of following all the cards that are dealt during a game in order to choose the next move based on which cards have been played in previous hands.
If cards of low value were played in previous rounds, then among the unplayed cards there will be higher ones.
The higher the score, the higher your bet should be, because it means that there are still many high cards in the deck that can lead you to get a blackjack, or at least a high score.
Also, keep in mind that the obtained score needs to be divided by the number of decks being played at the table. For example, if the count is +16 and there are 4 decks remaining, the card count is equal to 16/4 = +4.
But being realistic, it has to be said that not many blackjack players have the time or mental focus to master this strategy while playing!
How do you count cards? Instructions for Use
There are several systems that you can implement to count cards in online blackjack. Each of these systems assigns a certain score to specific cards and, as a general rule, higher scores correspond to the presence of many high cards in the deck, which make it easier to get closer to the fateful 21!
Hi Lo
The Hi-Lo counting system originated in the early 1960s and is still the most popular counting strategy in blackjack today due to its simplicity. With this method, a +1 is added to cards between 2 and 6, while one point is subtracted from the ace, 10, and face cards. No score is assigned to the remaining cards.
KO
With the KO system, you need to add one point to each card with values 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, and subtract one point from aces and tens. Using the KO method essentially increases your bets in the case of a positive count and decreases them with a negative count.
Zen
The Zen counting system is one of the most complex counting systems. In practice, you add +1 for all 2s, 3s, and 7s, add +2 for all 4s, 5s, and 6s, subtract two points for all 10s, and subtract one point for each ace, ignoring all other cards.
So what strategy should I follow?
When it comes to choosing a strategy for playing blackjack, it can obviously be difficult at first to figure out which one to bet on, or which one to start with.
Also, especially online, we have seen that there are several variants of blackjack , which can make the matter even more complicated.
Our advice is, first of all, to adopt the most suitable strategy for you considering your budget and your level of experience.
Having said that, classic blackjack is undoubtedly the most suitable variant for those approaching the game for the first time.
The best strategies for beginners
If you are still a beginner, we recommend that you avoid more advanced methods of play, such as card counting. Instead, we suggest that you start playing by following the basic blackjack strategy .
Following the fundamental strategy will not guarantee you a win every round of the game, but it will help you understand which is the best move to apply and increase your chances of winning.
The best strategies for professionals
If, on the other hand, you are an experienced player, you can consider more advanced strategies. Here are some examples:
Card counting. This strategy, as mentioned above, involves counting which cards have been played, assigning them a score, and which ones remain in the deck. It is not a system particularly appreciated by casinos and therefore we do not recommend it.
Martingale. The Martingale is a strategy that aims to recover what has been lost with a single win, an objective that is achieved by doubling one's bet after each lost bet. Just as when applied to the Roulette This strategy requires a really big budget, so it is not suitable for players who cannot afford to lose a lot.
Oscar's Grind. Following this strategy, after each lost bet, the same amount as the previous hand is wagered, while after each winning bet, the initial bet is added to the amount of the previous bet.
Biggest win ever in blackjack
MIT – $100,000,000
A group of students from MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the most respected universities in the world, during the 70s and 80s managed to bring home hundreds of millions of dollars. The exact amount is still unknown today, but the story has inspired several movies and books.
Three rookie mistakes you need to avoid
At this point, we have reviewed several blackjack strategies that you can choose whether to add to your bag or not.
But it's also important to point out that those are the most common mistakes made by beginners at the blackjack table, yet they are pretty easy to avoid.
1. Not reading carefully the rules of the blackjack table you are playing
The rules of the game may differ from table to table. Therefore, before you start, make sure you know which rules apply! Things you should check are for example:
- Is the dealer on soft 17?
- Can you choose to surrender?
- Is it possible to double down after splitting pairs?
2. Never choose surrender
We have already talked about it, but choosing to "surrender" (if the opportunity exists) in certain cases can prove to be an excellent choice, as it allows you to recover half of your bet for every hand you consider lost! Instead of having a mindset focused on winning every single hand, it is better to learn to read the game and protect your own bankroll. For this reason, we consider surrendering a choice that can only bring long-term advantages.
3. Thinking it's all luck
If we compare blackjack to other casino games, we can notice that 21 definitely requires a greater component of skill and knowledge. It's not just about luck! All your choices have a mathematical weight and consequence: winning a hand or not depends on you and not (only) on chance. Once you fully understand this aspect of blackjack, your game will start to have a greater tactical component.