Blackjack

Blackjack is the most popular casino table game. This is most likely due to the fact that blackjack is an easy game to learn and play. In blackjack the player who comes closest to 21 without going over and has a higher hand than the dealer wins.

The game starts out with you first placing your bet. You are then dealt two cards. Your cards will be dealt face up. The dealer will also be dealt two cards. One of the dealers cards are dealt face up and the other is dealt face down. Now you must decide your next move.

You have several options to choose from. Here is a breakdown of all of your options.

Hit – this is when you want an additional card to be dealt to you. You can continue to hit (ask for more cards) as long as your hand does not exceed 21.

Stand – this is when you are satisfied with the total of your cards and do not want any additional cards dealt to you.

Split – When you have been dealt a pair you have the option of splitting your hand and playing them as two separate hands. This is an effective way of turning weak hands into stronger hands that have a stronger possibility of winning. Let’s take a look at how to split a pair that you have been dealt. You have been dealt a pair of 8’s. This can be played as a sixteen or you can split them into two separate hands of 8. When you split your hand you will also be placing a second bet that is equal to your first bet. Splitting pairs can be very powerful and increase the amount of money that you can win.

Double Down – After you are dealt your first two cards if you feel that you can beat the dealer with just one additional card, you can choose to double down. To double down means that you double your bet and get just one more card. Let’s take a look at a perfect time to double down. You have been dealt a seven and a four and now have a total of eleven. If you choose to double down and are dealt a ten you now have 21 and will most likely win the hand. This is another powerful strategy to increase the amount of money that you can win.

Surrender – After you are dealt your first two cards, if you feel that you do not have a very good chance to win you can choose to surrender. This means that you concede the hand to the dealer. You will get back half of your original bet and lose the other half to the casino. Surrender is only allowed on the first 2 cards that you are dealt.

Insurance – If you think that the dealer has blackjack you can purchase insurance. If the dealer is dealt an ace and you think that the dealer’s card that is face down is a ten, you can purchase insurance against the potential that the dealer has a blackjack at the price of half of your initial bet. If the Dealer does have blackjack, the insurance pays 2 to 1 on your initial bet. If you have bought insurance and the dealer does not have blackjack you lose your insurance. Your initial bet is then settled by comparing your cards to the dealer's. If both you and the dealer have blackjack, the game results in a push with you profiting by the amount won by taking insurance - also called "even money".

Blackjack Strategy

Now that you are familiar with the types of bets and options that you have it is time to discuss blackjack strategy. Rather than try to memorize or constantly refer to a blackjack strategy card I follow a simple yet very effective blackjack strategy.

There are only four steps to remember and all of the decisions that you will make are based on the dealer's up card.

If the dealer's up card is 7 or higher you should choose to hit your hand and draw cards until you have a hard count of at least 17 or higher, or a soft count of 18 or higher. A soft hand is a hand where an ace is counted as an 11. A hand that either contains no aces or the ace is counted as a 1 is called a hard hand.

If the card that is showing face up for the dealer is a 6 or lower then you should choose to hit until you have at least a 12. You should stop drawing cards when you have at least a 12 or higher.

If your first two cards equal 10 or 11 and the dealer has a 9 or lower you should choose to double down. If you decide to double down you will then receive only one more card. This is the perfect time to double down and use this powerful blackjack strategy.

Whenever you are dealt a pair of aces or eights you should split them. Do not split any other pairs. You will now play the aces or eights as two separate hands. This is a powerful blackjack strategy that will put you in position to win more money.

Ready to play blackjack?