7 Blackjack Tips And Strategies
You can play with more confidence and more success when you sit down at a Blackjack table with a playing strategy and a wagering strategy.
With these 7 smart Blackjack tips you can become a high rolling player who finds success in each game he or she takes part in.
1. Basic Strategy Is Your Friend
All a successful Blackjack player really needs in his or her arsenal is what’s known as basic Blackjack strategy. This is a set of moves for set situations that you can memorise and use to see your play improve in the long run.
Basic Blackjack strategy sheets can be found with a quick search online. Use this as a foundation for your playing, whether you play live dealer Blackjack or virtual Blackjack.
2. See What The Dealer Is Doing
The Ace up your sleeve, no pun intended, in Blackjack is the fact that the dealer will show you one of his cards as soon as all hands are dealt. This fact is the basis for basic strategy. Based on what the dealer shows you, you can plan your next move.
For example, if the dealer shows you a 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, always stand if you have a 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16. The odds are against the dealer getting a 10 or Ace to beat you with.
3. Find A Reputable Casino
Our recommended casinos are the best places to find a reputable online Blackjack table.
What we mean by reputable is that the game software has been audited and proven fair, and that the casino operates a fully licensed business that employs fair practices with regards to payouts and bonuses.
4. Avoid Insurance Bets
Insurance bets are advertised as, well, just that, insurance, but it is statistically not really a great bet as it has a high house edge.
Insurance bets kick in when the dealer shows you an Ace. If it turns out the dealer has a Blackjack, the player will get a portion of their bet paid back to them, usually in a 2 to 1 ratio. You may as well take the risk and focus on your basic Blackjack strategy instead of paying extra money for a 33% chance that the dealer will get a Blackjack.
5.Understand The Rule Variations
Just choosing certain Blackjack rule variations can already give you an edge before you have even started applying basic strategy. Make sure to check your game’s stance on the important features below:
- How many decks are used – The first variable in a game you will need to consider is how many decks are in use. The more decks used in the Blackjack shoe, the lower the player’s advantage. Almost all online versions of Blackjack will use between 4 and 8 decks in a game to eliminate card counters, but you still find single deck games as well. Single deck games have the lowest house edge.
- The Soft 17 rule- The Blackjack table will usually display if the dealer will hit on a soft 17, H17, or if the dealer will stand on a soft 17, S17. If the table uses the S17 rule, it is more beneficial for the player as it lowers the house edge by 0.2%.
- The Resplitting rule –Some games allow players to split a split hand a second time if the split hand meets the criteria. If you are allowed to resplit, it will lower the house edge by between 0.03% and 0.13%.
- No Doubling allowed after a split – Blackjack tables where a player can double down after a split decreases the house edge by 0.12%, these game variations can be quite rare though.
6. Plan Your Bankroll Effectively
Playing with set wagering strategies is very important for your success. This can basically be done by setting out your monthly gaming budget, then splitting it into 1% values which will then become your minimum wager on the tables.
This, of course, needs to be reconciled with the Blackjack table’s minimum wager requirements. This all depends on what your actual budget works out to, but the main thing is that you have set betting values and stick to those, regardless of whether or not you feel you are on a “streak”. Successful Blackjack players focus on the long game.
7. Avoid Buying Strategies
The best Blackjack tip of all is to avoid the strategies and fool proof plans you will see online. Especially if you need to pay to learn the “secret insider” information. Using basic Blackjack strategy and considering the rule variations in place in the game you play already give you a great statistical advantage on your real money gaming.
You really don’t need to waste time in trying out strategies that have been doing the rounds for years, yet still have not become accepted in the mainstream because they simply do not benefit the player enough to warrant implementation.