Tips
It is recommended that you always follow the rules the casino sets down and you break such rules at your own risk.
Many players wrongly split when they have two tens against a seven and many double down when they have A9 against a seven. But the article would be very short, one word in fact: “Don’t”, I have therefore included other errors that social players make at Blackjack.
I assume you know the rules of Blackjack. The basic strategy was covered in full for a single-deck game in my article in casino.org in July. I am repeating the basic chart again now. Slight changes to the rules affect the decisions but the differences will be very small. If you follow the chart you will get a return of around 99.5% which is the best you can do without a computer program or counting. Let me give seven rules to follow. The magnificent seven.
1. Firstly, when you have a total of 2-8 which does not include an ace and is not a pair, then you hit. It is never right to stand, and almost never right to double.
2. When you have a total of 9-11 which does not include an ace, then double your stake unless the dealer has a ten or ace showing. If the dealer has an ace or ten, and has checked for Blackjack, you can double with 11, as you know dealer does not have 21.
3. When you have 12 thru 16, you should hit if the dealer has a 7 or more, otherwise stand. There are one or two exceptions, If you have 12 and the dealer has a two or three showing, it is slightly better to hit.
4. When you have 17 or more you should stand regardless of what the dealer has.
5. You need to know what to do if you have a pair. In essence you never split tens, fours or fives. If you have a pair of eights, you always split. For other pairs you need to look up the strategy chart in my earlier article. Many people split tens thinking they will get two hands, and they end up with one poor hand and one good hand and break even. If they had stood, they would have a good chance of winning.
6. If you have an ace, and you do not have Blackjack, then you have a soft hand, and different rules apply. then it depends on whether the site or casino allows you to double or not. Many sites only allow doubles on 9, 10 or 11 without an ace. In general, you double with A5 or A6 against a small card, but not against a 7 or higher. But their exceptions and best is to learn the chart if you are going to play in a land-based casino or have it with you as a cheat sheet if you playing in an online casino.
7. There are some close decisions which depend on the exact composition of the deck. In particular with 16 v a 10, it can be right to hit or it can be right to stand. Only a computer can tell you for sure! Also, with 12 or 13 against a 2 or 3, it is often right to hit and often right to stand. Again, exact calculation is beyond the human. Perhaps Dustin Hoffman in Rain man was able to work it out. If you use the chart, you will not go far wrong.
Exceptions
The most important exceptions are when the dealer does not have a hole card, or if the dealer has a ten, the dealer does not check for Blackjack. That changes the decision when you have 11 against a dealer 10 or ace and you should just hit and not double. Also some casinos allow you to double after you have split, and that changes the strategy as per the above chart.
Number of Decks
The fewer the decks the better for the player. But casinos have generally preferred to offer six-deck or eight-deck games. These are usually played either with a shoe or a continuous shuffle machine. The former is beneficial to card counters but the latter, surprisingly, is better for someone playing basic strategy
Side Bets
These are generally unfavourable for the player. The return to player averages about 94% so you will lose in the long run, although you might hit a big payout. The side bet Crazy Sevens is an exception and that sometimes has an advantage for the player. But you have to keep track of the number of sevens that have gone and can only offer an advantage in a shoe game.
The House Edge
The house edge in Blackjack if you play perfectly is about 0.5%, depending on the rules that the casino has. You want to avoid casinos that only pays 6-5 on Blackjack, and you want to find the game with the most favourable rules. And there are sites on the net that give tables for different house rules. The free one by Michael Shackelford, Wizard of Odds, is recommended.
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