Mastering Blackjack: Expert Strategies to Maximize Your Chances of Winning

Blackjack has long been a staple in casino table games. Its popularity continues to sustain itself and many are continuing to play both in a land-based and online setting. For those new to the game itself, you may want to check out this in-depth guide. We will discuss numerous strategies that will give you an advantage and increase your chances of winning.

Before we continue, let’s get one thing out of the way. Under no circumstances are we guaranteeing that you win every hand. There is still a chance that you could come out on the losing side of each hand - so it is important to get your strategies refined and down pat in order to keep your success rate high. Let’s dig into what you need to know now.

Know The Basics of Blackjack

To begin, you’re going to simply know the basics of blackjack. The object of the game is to beat the deal with a hand value that is as close to 21 as possible. For example, if the dealer’s hand value is 19 and yours is 20, you win. So how can you be able to tell what you have?

Let’s explain what counts based on the cards that are drawn. Here’s a look at the rules and how each card is counted:

• Cards ranging from 2 to 10 will have their corresponding value.

• Face cards (Jacks, Queens, and Kings) will be valued at 10 points

• Aces can be valued at 11 or 1, whichever is more convenient

For example, let’s say you have five cards and a king. This will total out to 15. If you have an Ace and a 9, this can be valued at 20. However, if you have a seven and a four and call for a hit resulting in an ace, this equals out to 12. 

Now that you know the basics, you can be able to play rounds of blackjack for free to get the hang of it. If you need any more information on maximizing your chance to win, there are plenty of resources for blackjack online that you can check out.

Nonetheless, blackjack’s simple game play is one of the reasons why it’s still one of the dominant games in an online setting. Further proof that its popularity is still sustainable instead of losing its luster. 

What Are The Best Blackjack Strategies to Follow?

It’s time to take a look now at some of the best blackjack strategies. We’ll go as in-depth as possible with each so you have a good idea of how to approach each one. These can increase your chances of winning, but as we’ve mentioned earlier will not guarantee a win. Let’s take a look now at these strategies now:

Hone In The Basic Skills

Needless to say, knowing and using the basics to your advantage is necessary. Know when to hit, stand, double, or split. If you wish, you can utilize strategy charts to help you decide what to do in necessary situations in the game. These can be applicable in blackjack that is being played online, but you may want to minimize the use of such charts in a land-based setting.

Remember that there may be a time to hit such as if you have a hand total of 12. If you notice the dealer’s uphand card is a lower number, you can be sure that the dealer could have an increased chance of losing the hand via a bust. 

Manage Your Bankroll

The important thing to do no matter what casino game you play is bankroll management. What you are preventing significant losses from occurring. Meanwhile, you get to enjoy the reward of playing longer. Be sure to set limits on how much you want to bet in terms of the maximum.

Smaller unit betting can also save your bankroll the trouble of losing a lot of money. Do not bet more than you can afford to lose. If you are on a losing streak, do not increase the wager and pull back if necessary. The best action to take if you’re riding a losing streak may be to walk away while you still have enough of a bankroll. 

In other words, do not chase losses. Furthermore, do not place large bets in an effort to recoup losses. Bankroll management is about making the right calls on what to wager in every hand. Wins add up but losses can lead to losing it all. 

Find the Right Table

This suggested strategy may be a head scratcher. But hear us out on this for a moment. Not every blackjack table will be equal. The reason for this is that the rules may differ from one table to another. For example, there may be tables that will determine whether doubling down is allowed or not. 

Some tables may also have rules where the dealer must stand on a soft 17. The table that may be best favorable to you will be dealers standing on soft 17 and the ability to double down. More experienced players look for tables where the rules may be more stringent. Keep in mind they might have strategies that will allow them to maximize success despite the rules being stacked against them so to speak.

What Are The Advanced Blackjack Techniques That You Can Use?

While these blackjack strategies we’ve mentioned might work, these advanced approaches could also help you leverage better chances of winning. Please note that some of these might not be the best approaches when it comes to the rules (as we’ll explain shortly). Let’s take a look at what these are right now:

Card Counting

This is by far one of the most popular blackjack techniques for success. It also happens to be one of the most controversial as well, especially in a land-based setting. Card counting is where a player tracks the ratio of high to low cards that are still in the deck. When they do this, they adjust their bets according to what they believe could be an outcome favorable to them.

The card counting system is as follows: first, they assign values to each card. A low card is a +1 while a high card is -1. You will need to maintain the count to estimate the deck. You can increase your bets if the count is high, which represents more high-value cards than low ones. Likewise, if the count is unfavorable that’s when you can minimize bets.  

Shuffle Tracking

This practice follows the group of cards that are being shuffled. The purpose here is predicting its distribution throughout rounds. It is not called an advanced technique for nothing since this is an approach used by experts. What makes this even more challenging for advanced players is the use of machines that shuffle the cards. 

If a shuffling machine isn’t used, this might be an opportunity to use the technique to your advantage. Yet it can be quite difficult to master.

Hole Carding

While it’s not illegal, hole carding is typically frowned upon. What makes this a technique is that dealers might make the mistake of revealing their face down cards. To the keen eye, a player may notice this and exploit that mistake by deciding whether to hit, stand, or double down. This can also be challenging even for beginners but it could be a huge boost if you have sharp observational skills.

Final Thoughts

Blackjack is a game where you can be able to increase your chances of winning with the right strategy. Nevertheless, it is important to make sure you use one approach that will work best for you. Sometimes, you may need to refine it accordingly in order to keep your success rate high. As you become more advanced, you may use certain approaches that might help you increase your chances of winning. Card-counting or hole carding may be impossible to pull off in an online setting, but more possible in a land-based setting. Whatever setting your in, there is a strategy that you can use to improve your overall game.