Basic blackjack strategy

Of course, the basic idea of blackjack is simple. You only need to get to 21 in total, or as close to it as possible without going over it. After starting with two cards, you can hit, stick or split. This is where both the strategy and luck come into play, as while you have no say on which cards specifically will be dealt to you, you do have a say in how many you will receive.

Soft and hard totals

A soft total in blackjack is a hand that has an ace as one of its starting cards, which counts as 11. For example, ace 9 will count as a soft 20, which you should always stand on. 

However, the other soft totals depend on what kind of card the dealer has face-up. For example, a soft 19 (ace 8) will double against a dealer if they have a 6, otherwise you should stand. But a soft 13 (ace 2) should double against a dealer if they have a 5 or 6, otherwise you should hit. 

But this changes when you account for hard totals. A hard total is any hand that doesn't start with an ace in it, or it has an ace that can only be counted as a 1. 

Hard totals are a little easier to deal with than soft totals, as you only need to really worry about standing or hitting. A hard total of 17 and over always stands, whereas a 13-16 always stands against a dealer if they have 2-6, otherwise you hit.

Always double an 11

One of the easiest strategies to remember is the 11 rule: Always Double it! No matter what combination of cards you have, if you double on an 11, in the long run, you will hit better odds. 

The only exception to this is if you're playing a multi-deck game when the dealer must stand on a soft 17, or S17, in which case you are slightly better off just hitting. Although, it's worth remembering this strategy all the same, as it's simple to learn, remember and implement on the tables!

Aces and 8's, split 'em!

Regardless of what the dealer card is, you should always split a pair of aces or 8s. Some people get nervous about splitting when the dealer's card is a 9,10 or ace, because that's a scary situation! Why bet more money?

Well the answer is simple; you are in a much better position starting out with one 8 than you are starting out at 16. The only thing you can do with a hard 16 is hit, so reduce your chances of busting and split those bad boys up.

There are some niche situations where this doesn't apply, and that's when you're playing a multi-deck game when the dealer is allowed to hit at 17, known as a h27, or when you're in a double-deck game with h27 and a no double after splitting rule. In these cases, if you have a pair of 8's and the dealer has an ace, it's slightly better to just surrender and get yourself out of that situation.

As for the aces, this is obvious. You have a chance of hitting a nice soft total after splitting them rather than starting out on a total of 2!

Don't opt-in for insurance

Insurance bets are a special bet in blackjack that can only be made under certain circumstances. If the dealer's face-up card is an ace, you have the opportunity to make an insurance bet against the dealer having a blackjack. If they do, then the insurance bet pays out at 2:1 and you still win even if you lose!

This sounds great, right? However, the dealer will only have a natural blackjack one-third of the time, meaning that you will likely lose out in the long run. 

Some casinos may offer insurance bets on ten-value cards too, but in these situations, the dealer only has an ace in the hole less than one in ten times.

Seek out games with fewer decks

The more decks of cards a casino uses, the harder it will be for a player to get the edge. Let us explain. 

If a casino uses only one deck of cards to deal blackjack with, then it can be a little easier to keep track of how many cards have been used, especially if there are other players at the table with you! If four aces come out in a single deck initial deal, then you can be pretty certain there's none left in the pack. 

However, casinos are much more likely to use between four and eight decks at a time, because it drastically increases the house advantage. A single deck has a 0.17% house advantage, whereas this jumps up to 0.60% with four decks! 

The more decks in play, the higher the chances are of the player busting. This is because of the increased amount of ten-value cards from the face cards, and the decreased likelihood of an ace card coming out. 

All this being said, if a casino does offer blackjack games with fewer decks, they may implement additional house rules to counteract the reduced house edge. For example, they may disallow doubling on soft hands, reduce the number of hands you can split and even reduce the payout odds. 

Aim for 3:2 blackjack odds

The traditional payout for hitting a natural blackjack is 3 to 2 odds, though not all casinos will offer this nowadays. With the variety of blackjack games on the market, there are some that try and get away with lower odds, especially if they run single-deck games!