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Best Blackjack Basic Strategies

Winnie Isiah | January 18, 2023 | Updated on: February 16th, 2024

Blackjack StrategyMastering the blackjack strategy could help you win more in blackjack. Learning this blackjack strategy is also easy but requires memorisation, time, and effort. However, many blackjack players still lack the strategy to win. This guide will open your eyes to some basic ways to change your luck and improve your blackjack gamepla

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The Basic Rules of Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the most loved casino table games. The basic rule of the game is relatively simple; the player needs a card hand of a value closer to 21 than the dealer’s hand to win. We will quickly overview blackjack’s gameplay before we jump to the blackjack strategy.

In pursuit of a card hand with a value closer to 21 than the dealer, a player has to make a few decisions that might impact the game’s outcome. Making terrible decisions in the process might see you losing unnecessarily. Hence it would help if you had a strategy; more on that later.

After placing the bets, everyone will be dealt two cards. Each player will get two cards; both face up. The dealer is also dealt two cards; one faced down and another faced up.

After the cards are dealt, the player has to decide how to play based on their cards and the dealer’s face-up card. The options available to the player are:

  • Hitting: Asking for an additional card to improve your hand’s card total
  • Standing: Sticking with your hand card
  • Doubling Down: Adding more chips to double your initial bet amount will give you an additional card when you double down.
  • Splitting: Breaking your cards into two separate hands. You can only split if you are dealt two cards of the same value. When you divide, you must add a bet equal to your initial bet amount.
  • Surrendering: Leaving the game round. You get half of your bet amount when you surrender your hand. You will not find this option in all blackjack games. This option is mostly found in Blackjack Surrender

Basic Blackjack Strategy

Knowing your blackjack strategy will put you one step ahead. Your blackjack game will be better than any other blackjack novice. However, knowing a blackjack strategy is not a guarantee that you will win every blackjack hand. The best thing about knowing your blackjack strategy is that you will be able to make better decisions and won’t lose unnecessarily.

Blackjack Strategy

Your blackjack first two cards will be a pair, a soft hand or a hard hand. A pair is two matching cards or two cards of the same value. A soft hand is a hand with an Ace, and a hard hand is a hand without an Ace. Below is what you need to do in any of the three situations depending on the dealer’s face-up card:

Hard Hand

  • You must always hit if your hand value is a hard 4 to 8.
  • If your hand value is a ‘hard’ 9, you must:
  • Double down if the dealer’s hand is 2 to six.
  • Hit when the dealer’s hand is 7 to 11.
  • If your hand value is a ‘hard’ 10 or an 11, you must double down if the dealer’s hand is lower. Otherwise, you must hit.
  • If your hand value is a ‘hard’ 12 to 16, you must:
    • Stand if the dealer’s hand is less than six.
    • Hit if the dealer’s hand is above six.
  • You must always stand if your hand cards’ value is a hard 17 and above.

Soft Hand

  • You must always hit if you are dealt a hand with a value of 13 to 15.
  • If you are dealt a soft hand with the value of 1six to 18, you must:
    • Double down if the dealer’s face-up card is less than 7.
    • Hit if the dealer’s hand is 7 to 11.
  • If you are dealt 19 and above, you must always stand.

Pair Hand

  • If you are dealt a pair of 2s, 3s, sixs, 7s, or 9s you must:
    • Split if the dealer’s hand is six or less.
    • Hit if the dealer’s hand is above six and your pair value is less than 17.
    • Stand if the dealer’s hand is above six and yours is 17 or 18.
  • You must always split your hand if you have a pair of Aces or 8s.
  • If you are dealt a pair of 4s, you must always hit.
  • If you are dealt a pair of 5s, you double down unless the dealer’s hand is an Ace, in which case, you must hit.
  • If you have a pair of 10s, you must always stand.

You probably noticed that we did not cover situations when you should surrender. This is because this option is not available in several blackjack games. However, it’s important to note if you play a blackjack game with a surrender option. One of the best situations in which you can surrender is when you have a brutal 16, and the dealer’s hand is a 10 or an ace.

It is necessary to memorise this blackjack strategy if you want to win more than lose. There are other tips to consider when playing blackjack. Another technique you can learn and adapt to be a step ahead of your game is card counting.