Online Blackjack Strategy
Many times when new players first start playing Blackjack, they go into it not knowing
exactly how to play and what they should do with the cards that are dealt to them. Because
Blackjack is a casino table game that allows the players to have some say in what happens
with the cards they are dealt by choosing to stand, hit, split or double down. Blackjack
is a pretty simple game to master if you put a little time into doing some research and
learning some good Blackjack strategies. When players make the wrong moves by not knowing
what to do, they increase the house's edge. So to give yourself the best odds of winning
at Blackjack, be sure to check out what you should do with different hard hands, soft hands
and pairs.
Online Blackjack Strategy - Hard Hands
A hard hand is a hand that is dealt that does not contain an Ace in it. It can contain
any other two cards as long as they are not a pair. Below you will find a table letting
you know what to do with all of the different possible hard hands.
- If your cards total 5-8 you should always hit no matter what card the dealer has showing.
- If your cards total 9 and the dealer has a 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, A you should hit. If the
dealer has any other card showing you should double down if allowed and if not you should
hit.
- If your cards total 10 and the dealer has a 10 or Ace showing, you should hit. If
the dealer's face up card is any other card, you should double down if allowed and if
not you should hit.
- If your cards total 11 and the dealer has an Ace showing, you should hit. If the dealer
is showing any other card, you should double down if allowed and if not you should hit.
- If your cards total 12 and the dealer has a 4, 5 or 6 showing you should stand. If
the dealer has any other card showing you should hit.
- If your cards total 13 or 14 and the dealer has a 7, 8, 9, 10, or an Ace face up,
you should hit. If the dealer has any other card showing you stand.
- If your cards total 15 and the dealer has a 7, 8, 9, or Ace sitting face up, you should
hit. If the dealer has a 10 showing you should surrender if allowed and if not then you
should hit. If the dealer has any other card you should stand.
- If your cards total 16 and the dealer has a 2, 3, 4, 5 tr 6 you should stand. If the
dealer is showing a 7 or 8, you should hit. If the dealer has any other card showing
you should surrender. If surrender is not an option you should hit.
- If your cards total 17-20 you should always stand no matter what card the dealer is
showing face up.
Online Blackjack Strategy Soft Hands
A soft hand is the opposite of a hard hand of course. Where a hard hand means you do
not have an Ace in your hand, a soft hand means that you do. The meaning behind this is
that hands without an Ace only have one possibility as the numbers are hard. However, Aces
are considered soft cards in Blackjack because an Ace can be either a 1 or an 11, so the
number is changeable, moldable, soft. Below is a list of what you should do with all of
the different soft hand variations.
- If you are holding A, 2 or A, 3 in your hand and the dealer is showing a 5 or 6, you
should double down if able and if not then you should hit. If the dealer is showing any
other card, you should hit.
- If you are holding A, 4 or A, 5 in your hand and the dealer is showing a 4, 5 or 6,
you should double down if allowed, if not, you should hit. If the dealer is showing any
other card, you should hit.
- If you are holding A, 6 in your hand and the dealer is showing a 3, 4, 5 or 6, you
should double down if the casino allows it, if not, you should hit. If the dealer is
showing any other card, you should hit.
- If you are holding A, 7 in your hand and the dealer is showing a 3, 4, 5 or 6, you
should double down if surrenders are an option at the casino you are playing at, if not,
you should stand. If the dealer's face up card is a 2, 7 or an 8, you should stand. If
the dealer is showing any other card, you should hit.
- If you are holding A, 8 or A, 9 in your hand, no matter what the dealer's card showing
is you should stand.
Online Blackjack Strategy - Splitting
Splitting is something you often do when you are playing casino Blackjack and you are
dealt a pair. However, like any other hand in Blackjack, it is not always good to split
every pair. Below will help you to know what to do with different pair possibilities.
- If you have a pair of 2's or 3's, you should only split if the dealer's face up card
is a 2-7. If the dealer is showing an 8, 9, 10 or Ace you should hit.
- If you have a pair of 4's, you should only split them if the dealer is showing a 5
or a 6. If the card showing in the dealer's hand is any other card you should hit.
- If you have a pair of 5's, you should never split them. If the dealer is holding a
10 or an Ace you should hit, for any other number you should double down. If you can
not double down you should hit.
- If you have a pair of 6's, you should only split them if the dealer is showing a 2-6,
anything else showing and you should split.
- If you have a pair of 7's, you should split them if the dealer is showing a 2-7 card.
If the dealer is showing any other card you should hit.
- If you have a pair of 8's, you should always split them no matter what card the dealer
has face up on the table.
- If you have a pair of 9's, you should stand if the dealer is showing a 7, 10 or an
Ace. If the dealer is showing any other card you should split the pair.
- If you have a pair of 10's, you should always stand no matter what card the dealer
has face up.
- If you have a pair of Aces, you need to always split them. It does not matter what
card the dealer has, always split Aces.
Conclusion
If you study these strategies and play soft hands, hard hands and paired hands correctly,
you will have a much greater chance of coming out on top. Any time you are playing a game
that is against the casino, the casino holds some kind of edge percentage. Depending on
the rules of the game (double down, surrender etc.) and how many decks are being used will
also change these odds. You can profit by playing Blackjack, but you must be serious, you
must want to win and you must be willing to do your homework, study the strategy and do
whatever needs to be done to make that possible. Remember, you coming to the Blackjack
table knowing good Blackjack Strategy, it's like bringing a cheat sheet to a pop quiz,
you are sure to Ace it!