Tips To Increase Your Wins In Blackjack

Sitting down for the first time at a blackjack table, being online or not, can be an intimidating experience. Due to the nature of the game itself, there is a high pressure to make the right decisions, as each move will influence the other players' subsequent actions.

By following the blackjack strategy list below, you will exponentially increase your skills while enjoying the game to the full.

When to Hit or Stand

When learning to play blackjack, knowing when to Hit or Stand is a basic strategy that you should start to master right from the start. This decision determines whether you are dealt another card to get 21 points or as close as possible to that value, or whether you keep the hand you have based on your confidence that it has a higher value than the dealer's hand.

Even though the decision is always yours, there is a statistically best way to play each hand. You'll find the best Hit or Stand scenarios in our strategy table a little later on this same page.

Double Down

Doubling Down your hand is a risky move when learning how to play blackjack. However, it is an exciting move that you can make in the middle of a game and can alter its course. 

As the name implies, the initial bet is doubled and you get another card. If the next card is of a lower value you may be in trouble because if you Double Down you can only get one more card and if your hand is weaker than the dealer's, you lose all you put on the table. 

On the other hand, if you get the right card and end up with a better hand than the dealer’s, you double the money that was bet.

Below are some blackjack strategy suggestions for situations where you should double up:

When you get 11. With this hand, your odds of reaching 21 points are pretty good. Even if you don't get the card you need for this combination, countless possibilities will bring you very close.

When you get 16, 17, or 18 soft. Having a soft hand means you have a card plus an Ace after the initial deal. If the dealer appears to have a low hand, this could be an excellent opportunity to Double Down. There are several combinations of cards that can strengthen your hand in this scenario.

When you get a hard 9 or 10. A hard hand means that there are no aces present when calculating the value of your cards. This is also a situation where we only recommend that you consider Doubling Down if the dealer is showing a low card.

Although the Double Down strategy increases your chances of winning, it does not guarantee you victory even if you follow these suggestions to the letter. These tactics are intended to increase your long-term winning probability even if you are still learning how to play blackjack online, so you should keep this fact in mind when playing.

Split hands

You can Split hands in blackjack when you are dealt a pair by the dealer. When splitting, each card in your pair becomes a separate hand. You must match your starting bet for each hand and then continue to call or stop on each hand independently. In this way, you have the opportunity to win twice as much against the dealer, however, there is also the risk of losing double.

Just like when you Double Down, there are times that, statistically, is better to split your hand. Below is our summary with recommendations for when to split:

When you get Aces. This is one of the best starts to successfully apply the Split hand strategy. If the next card for either hand is a 10, you get blackjack on both hands. If that doesn’t happen, which is to be expected, Aces are still very flexible cards that allow you to get solid results.

When you get 8’s. A 16-point starting position is considered weak against most of the dealer's hands. Having an 8 on 2 different hands leaves you with a chance of hitting 18 points, a scenario considered strong under most circumstances.

When not to Split:

When you get 10’s or 9’s. Starting with 20 and 18 is considered a very strong position right away. When splitting in such a scenario, you risk forming weaker hands in search of cards that may give you a merely marginal advantage. Some players consider Splitting based on 10 when the dealer has low cards. This can be a valid tactic, but don't forget that there is always the possibility of ending up with a weaker hand.

When you get 5’s. Just like getting 10 with different cards, having 5’s is an excellent scenario, in this case, you are just one card away from hitting 21. As explained earlier, doubling up may be the ideal blackjack strategy here, given the rules of the game allow it.

When you get 4’s. This scenario is strong for the same reason you want to Split 8’s. A starting 8 leaves you in an excellent position to hit 18 or 19 and have a strong hand against the dealer.

Surrender

As you learn to play blackjack, you will find that some hands have a low probability of winning. Some players enjoy the thrill of trying to turn the tables in their favor, even though statistically it doesn't always seem like the best option. For anyone looking for consistency over the medium to long term, Surrender is a useful tactic that helps you stay in the game longer and play better hands.

Upon surrendering, you forfeit the current round, but you are entitled to get half your initial bet back. Blackjack tables allow one of two forms of Surrender: early and late. Early Surrender occurs before the dealer checks for Blackjack, while late Surrender occurs after that action. Surrender is a blackjack strategy that varies depending on the game version and table rules in effect.

In this guide, we have chosen to start with the principle of late surrender, as this aspect is often found in online casinos.

When you get 14. Surrender in single-deck blackjack against a dealer's 10.

If the dealer rolls a soft 17 in single-deck blackjack, surrender with 7+7.

When you get 15. Surrender in single-deck or two-deck blackjack if the dealer has a soft 17 if your hand is 9+6 or 10+5.

With 4 to 8 decks, always Surrender against a 10 as well when the dealer hits a soft 17.

When you get 16. In single-deck or two-deck blackjack, Surrender to the dealer's 10 or Ace.

With four or more decks, Surrender to the dealer's 9, 10, or Ace.

If you roll 8+8 in a game where the dealer rolls a soft 17, only Surrender to an Ace if the doubling action after splitting isn't allowed.

Remember, these are just a couple of things you can do at a black table to improve your odds of winning, doesn’t mean you will make money for sure. 

This is why we advise you to not gamble with money you can’t lose, with that said. Click here to find some fun blackjack online games: www.bovada.lv/casino/blackjack-games

Have fun and always wage responsibly!