Blackjack is one of the most popular card games, and you can find it in almost every online casino without GamStop. The rules of the game are easy to learn, you sit at the table with other players and the pace is nice and high. It is simply a wonderful game, which is also very exciting and can yield big winnings. So there are plenty of reasons to love a game of blackjack.
An even better reason to play blackjack is perhaps the exceptionally high chance of winning. In fact, blackjack is widely known as the game with the highest RTP. If you apply the optimal strategy, you can achieve a payout percentage of as much as 99.6% with blackjack, depending on which variant you play.
Never played blackjack before or do you want to go through the rules again? Read the explanation about the game.
Take Card, Fold, Split or Double?
To apply the perfect blackjack strategy and achieve the highest chance of winning, you need to know what the right decision is in every situation. When it is your turn you usually have the following options in blackjack: Hit (take card), stand (pass), split (split) or double (double). There are other options, such as ‘insurance’ or ‘surrender’, but they are less important for achieving the highest chance of winning.
In order to play optimally, you must therefore know what the best move is in every situation: draw, fold, split or double. In some situations it is obvious which is the worst option. For example, if you have a 10 and a king (20 in total), and the dealer has a 6, of course you shouldn’t take a card. That would be a stupid decision. In this example, however, it is a lot more difficult to know which is the right decision: to stand, split or double? Passing is certainly not a bad option, as in most cases you will win the hand. However, you may make more profit in the long run by doubling down or splitting. It requires more skills and experience to make these kinds of choices.
Below are therefore some rules of thumb about the four options.
Hit (take card)
The aim of blackjack is to get more points than the dealer, while not going over 21 points at the same time. So you have to get as many points as possible, but be careful when you get close to 21. So a good rule of thumb is to always take a card with low hands, hoping to improve your hand and not bust.
If you have a mediocre hand (for example, 13, 14, 15, or 16), the dealer’s face-up card determines whether you should hit or fold. If the dealer has a high card (7-A), it is worth taking the risk and taking another card. If the dealer has a low card (6 or lower), it is better to stand in the hope that the dealer will go over 21.
Stand
In many situations it is obvious that passing is the best option. If you have a high number of points (17 or higher), it’s not worth taking another card. There is a good chance that you will exceed 21 and bust. At the same time, the chances are quite high that you will beat the dealer. It becomes a bit more difficult when you have a less good hand, for example 14 or 15. It is best to look at the dealer’s open card and make your decision based on that. If the dealer has a low card, the best option is to stand. If the dealer has a high card, it is better to take a card.
Split
Each blackjack variant has its own rules when it comes to splitting cards, but in general you are allowed to split your cards if you are dealt a pair. Each starting hand of two 10 cards (including a 10 and a king) counts as a pair of 10s. Your bet is doubled if you decide to split.
In some situations it can be profitable to split your cards. For example, if you have two 9s (18 in total), and the dealer has a 4, there is a good chance that you would win both hands if you split. If you were to fold, you’re certainly not guaranteed to win the hand, and taking another card would also be a bad option. In other situations, it can be difficult to know if splitting is the right decision. A blackjack table can help with this.
Double
Doubling down is an interesting option as it gives you the opportunity to make twice as much profit. However, if you lose, you also lose twice as much. In addition, if you double, you only get one extra card. So you have to be pretty sure of yourself to choose this option.
Doubling down is usually only the best option if your first two cards give you 9, 10 or 11 points. It also depends on the up card of the dealer. If the dealer has a low card, doubling down is more worthwhile. If your last card is a high card, chances are you will win the hand.
Blackjack Stratgy | How to Use It?
You can master the rules of blackjack in a few minutes, but to play the game perfectly you need a lot of training. Despite there being many rules of thumb, it is almost impossible to remember the best option in every situation. However, there is a valuable tool that can help you with this: a blackjack table.
A blackjack table shows exactly what to do in each situation. At first glance it may look complicated, but after a bit of practice you will find that it is quite simple.
In the left column of the table you will find your own hand, and in the top row of the table you will find the dealer’s hand. There are 31 possible hands for the player and 10 different open cards for the dealer. This yields 310 combinations. If you can remember all of these 310 combinations, you can play blackjack perfectly. Using a table or ‘cheat sheet’ is of course much easier!
To read the sheet properly you need to understand the following things:
- H stands for Hit – take a card. This action is shown in red in the table
- S stands for Stand – This means to pass. In the table this action is shown with a green color.
- SP stands for Split – In the table this action is shown with an orange color.
- D stands for Double – Double is to double. In the table, this action is shown with a blue color.
