Blackjack Strategy – Are You Ready to Take on the House?

We don’t fear mentioning the words ‘strategy’ and blackjack odds in the same breath because, as astute players, we take into consideration the one and the other. Why? This is the best way of going about taking on the house. There are bound to be times when even the best of strategies won’t do as well as expected, but in a game of probability such as blackjack, a solid strategy also happens to be the only cure to unwanted volatility in the results you’re experiencing. Learn how to be nimble, adapt and overcome difficult situations with this exhaustive online blackjack strategy overview.

Why You Need an Online Blackjack Strategy to Be Successful?

Let’s set one thing straight – you’re only to benefit from incorporating a blackjack system into your game plan. You’d better seriously consider using one yourself. As an additional small incentive for you, listed below are some of the benefits you’ll reap after finding what system works best for you.

• Lower the house edge on certain occasions
• Have a clear path laid out before you
• Take the correct decision from a statistical standpoint (when to hit and when to stand)

Every single one of the abovementioned arguments ties up nicely with the intent of playing responsively and from a position of advantage. Essentially, your goal is to adopt an approach that will serve you well in taking rational decisions according to the course of the game.

A Beginner’s Blackjack Betting Strategy – Strategizing Against the House

Even the most sophisticated of plans can’t substitute having a common understanding of the game. That is knowing when what move has the best chances of success. The four most basic actions in a game of 21 are obviously Hit, Split, Double Down, and Stand. Mastering the use of those to a tee will in and of itself transform you into an expert. Making any of the moves, of course, is done on the assumption that it will bring you the closest to the coveted 21. Let’s take a look now at how things should work, at least on paper.

The only reason you would take insurance against the dealer having 21 is when statistically their face-down card is more likely to be a ten than anything else. Other than that, staking additional money on insurance is generally a bad idea as far as the odds that the casino gives are concerned. Insurance pays 2:1, and the likelihood of the dealer having 21 when showing an ace is 9:4, which makes it a bad side bet.

Blackjack Strategy Chart – Not Unbeatable but Close Enough

Provided that an element of chance is involved in all card games, it’s a good practice to have a strategy chart handy to give you a general direction in the game. Not only that, abiding by the rules of mathematical probability, you are going to avoid falling into the trap of the “hot streaks” fallacy. Not to mention how helpful a chart can be if you’re new to the game. In such case, you can bank on the pragmatism of a well thought out blackjack system card. Despite the small differences in advice, they are quite easy to follow and help a ton in a sticky situation.

Before using this or any other system, make sure it’s up to the job. These are the things you should look out for. How many decks there are in the shoe, whether the dealer stands on soft 17 or not, what your double down options are. The example above is designed for a game played with from 4 to 8 decks where the dealer stands on soft 17. We’re very much aware that a single system can’t factor in the particulars of all blackjack variations, that’s why we encourage you to visit our blackjack strategy chart page and broaden your knowledge on the matter.

What’s the Best Strategy? – Blackjack Card Counting

What’s card counting? If you’re just as clueless, there’s probably a vital piece of information you’re missing. In blackjack, a card that was played previously can’t be dealt again until the whole shoe is played through. Then a new freshly shuffled shoe is brought into play. This dynamic is what gives grounds for various card counting techniques. They all share one thing in common, which is you only have to keep count of the “good cards” vs “bad cards” ratio. There are different card counting systems in practice. Below we discuss the ones we think attend to the needs of the average gambler.

Hi Lo Card Counting Method

As established previously, the Hi Lo method functions in accordance with the high cards to low cards ratio. To put it simply, when there are more high cards than there are ‘small’, you are welcome to place bigger wagers. Practitioners of the Hi Lo method assign values from -1 to 1 to the cards depending on their kind. The cards from 2 to 6 get a value of 1; 7 to 9 are worth 0, and from ten to Ace get a -1. All you do is sum the value of all cards that are and have been in play for the current shoe and act on accordingly depending on whether the result is a positive or a negative number.

We think you could use a bit of clarification. BC or ‘betting correlation’, indicates how accurate of a system you’re dealing with. PE (Playing Efficiently) denotes the effectiveness of a system at correctly allowing for all possible deviations. Insurance Correlation (IC) is the potency measurement of a system at deducing when buying insurance is beneficial. Bal? shows whether the system is balanced (counting starts at 0 and ends at 0).

The Knockout Blackjack System

K-O (knockout) is a typical example of an unbalanced system (count begins at 0). Among other things that it does right, this method enables you to know when the number of high cards is higher than the number of low cards. In other words, what the right time to raise the stakes is. Similar to the Hi Lo technique, knockout gives the low cards a value of 1 and all tens and aces a value of -1. Counting all cards in one deck in this manner will mean that you have a positive balance of +4 at the end.

BC, PE, IC, and Bal? parameters are quite similar to those of the Hi-Lo method, with minor variations. The high Betting Correlation of 98 is a sign of a solid yet versatile strategy. Since the other parameters carry practically the same weight, we’d like to point your attention at Bal. As expected, when the sum of an entire deck of cards is different than 0 (in this case it’s 4) the system isn’t balanced.

Recommended Blackjack Variant

If ain’t broke, don’t fix it – the old saying goes. And this rings so true in the case of blackjack strategies. By this, we mean that opting for classic blackjack could very well be your best move and here’s why. For starters, how does a 99.65% RTP sound? It’s good by any standard. Blackjack pays the highest – 3:2, and the dealer stands on soft 17s. The exact game we have in mind is brought to you by NetEnt, and the rules incorporated into the software also enable multi-hand play.

Advantages:

• High RTP
• Blackjack pays 3:2
• Dealer Peek
• Multi-hand
• Double After Split
• Split is allowed

Disadvantages:

• No Side Bets
• No Re-split

Practice to Your Heart’s Content – Play Free Blackjack

We are big on the ‘try before you buy’ idea and that’s what we recommend you abide by. Even the best blackjack sites will be no good if you lack first-hand experience, right? Now is the time to correct that. Below this paragraph, you’ll find a fully functional piece of classic blackjack software brought to you by NetEnt. The game can be played for free, meaning that regardless of whether you win or lose, the outcome will not affect your finances.

Besides, the simple blackjack chart you can try out one of the card counting strategies mentioned earlier. If you’d allow us to pitch in, our choice would be Hi Lo technique, because it seems the most uncomplicated and easy to execute. Remember to double down on 11, split eights, and not to take insurance, and you’ll be geared up for one clean game. Take your time and don’t give in to frustration, if it were easy, we’d all be millionaires. There’s no pit boss to breathe down your neck so, try to make it count and bring out the best of your card counting ability.

Real Money Play – What Is the Perfect Blackjack Strategy?

When playing blackjack for real money, the options are many. The huge variety of table games allows you to keep your options open and change track with a game of blackjack online whenever you feel like it.

However, several important factors must be considered to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. First and foremost, choosing an online casino with the necessary licenses and certifications is crucial.

This ensures that the games have been independently tested and are 100% fair, providing peace of mind while playing. Look for reputable casinos licensed by recognised authorities, such as the UK Gambling Commission.

Another key aspect is the variety of betting limits available. A good online casino should offer various blackjack variations to cater to specific preferences.

Other Blackjack Variants You Might Want to Consider

Pinning your hopes on just one blackjack strategy or variant is a capital mistake we can’t allow you to make. What we did is choose three different game versions that are also worthy of your consideration. Double Attack and Blackjack Surender put their unique spins on the original rules. Not only that, the two variants, together with Double Attach, are top-notch Playtech software products with an RTP of over 99.50%. Not only is the RTP good, but there are plenty of other virtues to be found in these three games gameplay-wise.

Blackjack Staking Plan – The Best Way to Distribute Your Bets

Now that you have ample knowledge of how to spot advantage bets, we’ll address the elephant in the room, which is how much to bet exactly. You want a sensible betting plan that takes into account the outcome of your last wager, such are referred to as ‘progressive’ and are a fantastic way of playing responsibly. There are other advantages to placing wagers in a systematic manner. The takeaway from such style of play, we summarized in the four key points listed below.

Those of you that are still tempted to chase losses, we’d advise thinking better of it. At the same go, we want to debunk the myth that doubling bet after losing a hand is a particularly good idea. This strategy, also known as Martingale, is similar to the brute-force attack in cryptography – pretty straightforward but not especially effective. We are going to see why in the next paragraph. A more sensible strategy will give you better control over your losses and the ability to lock in your profit. Sure enough, there are different techniques so let’s take a look at two of the more popular ones.

The Martingale Blackjack Strategy

The Martingale betting system owes its notoriety to the common misconception that it’s unbeatable. Here’s how it works. Regardless of the game, the player ought to back even odds and double their bet after losing. While it seems reasonable, staking in this fashion, players may find themselves in a situation where they can’t afford the next wager. The truth of the matter is that when playing at a casino, the expected value is negative because of how the house edge works. With the Martingale’s promise for a small profit equal to the initial stake size and the house edge counteracting that profit, we can say that expected value is somewhere around zero.

2-1-2 Strategy – Reap Steady Profits Playing Safe

Gamblers who are all about winning streaks take kindly to the 2-1-2 system. This technique suggests that a fixed increment is added to the initial bet upon winning. That pattern continues until a loss occurs. Upon losing the player must start over with the basic bet size. This is a nice way to protect your winnings and learn to gamble responsibly. One significant downside about this system is that a player must do a whole lot of winning to turn a profit. The 2-1-2 doesn’t have a cure for unlucky streaks, it simply provides a way of cutting losses.

Blackjack Strategy Questions

Hang around gamblers long enough, and you quickly realize they won’t find a peace of mind until after the invention of the perfect blackjack system. So far, there’s nothing of this sort that we are aware of, so let’s proceed with answering some questions of topical importance. There’s a lot of value in information, especially when it comes to gambling.

Get to Know Blackjack Even Better

We shed light on some of the most popular blackjack strategies in existence, but there’s still a long way to go before you can call yourself a true expert. The good news is it’s just a matter of “when”. We have just the right read to help you achieve the goal of becoming that blackjack-savvy person. Take your pick between live dealer, bonus and individual game reviews. It’s high time you really get a grip on the “playing blackjack” business. All the quick links you need are right below this paragraph. You might be interested in another card game that is a favourite of many though. We are talking about the baccarat live online, of course!