Blackjack may be a relatively easy game to understand but here’s a basic strategy you can follow to make it just as easy to win at it!
Blackjack may be a relatively easy game to understand but here’s a basic strategy you can follow to make it just as easy to win at it!
Out of all the card games that are considered staples in both land-based and online casinos, Blackjack is one of the most well-known among them, second possibly only to poker. Some love it because their odds of winning at it are quite good while others like how fast-paced the game can be which creates the exact kind of atmosphere they want.
Whatever the case, one of the most common mistakes that beginners in particular make when playing Blackjack is thinking that it’s so easy that you don’t need a plan to win at it. However, that is far from the truth as Blackjack is no different from practically every other table game out there. This applies regardless of whether you’re sitting at a real table with other players in a land-based casino or at home in front of your computer with a digital table on your screen. Simple or complicated, every game will become easier to win if you apply at least a basic strategy to it and Blackjack is no different.
Here’s the breakdown of a basic strategy that is easy to follow and should help you increase your chances of winning at Blackjack the next time you play the game.
Perhaps the most common issue when it comes to playing casino games is knowing when to step away and that unsurprisingly also applies to Blackjack. As such, the first unofficial step of any basic Blackjack strategy is to establish a limit on how much you’re willing to lose with the understanding that you’ll stop if and when you reach it. Feel free to keep going if you’re on a winning streak but if things don’t go your way, just call it quits.
Just because Blackjack has one of the most favourable odds among all casino games doesn’t mean you should go into it guns blazing and risk running out of funds before you’ve even really started. The most basic strategy you can apply to it is the same basic strategy you should apply to every other casino game out there: Start with small bets and then adjust accordingly depending on how the game as a whole is going for you.
At the start of every new Blackjack round, your hand and the dealer’s hand will have just two cards each. You will naturally be able to see both the cards in your hand but only one of the cards on the dealer’s side will be open. This is called the ‘up’ card and every basic Blackjack strategy hinges on paying close attention to its value. Don’t let that second hidden card distract you; the ‘up’ card should be the only thing on your mind as that basically determines the next step of your strategy.
There are only a handful of options you have to choose from with every new round of Blackjack and how many you’re presented with depends on what kind of hand you’re dealt. While most beginners tend to go with their gut when deciding what to do next, this is actually the point where you exercise any strategy you have to win the game no matter how basic or complex it might be.
Generally speaking, the following is what casino game expert John Marchel recommends:
However, different actions should be taken under special circumstances according to him:
Sometimes options are good and sometimes they’re not, and in this case it’s the latter. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what ‘insurance’ means in the world of Blackjack, it’s an additional bet you can make on whether the dealer has Blackjack. This option only appears if the dealer’s ‘up’ card is an Ace but it’s considered quite literally not a bet worth making due to the low chances of it panning out. No decent strategy would recommend it and this basic one certainly isn’t doing that either.
Many say casino players are some of the most superstitious people in the world next to athletes of all sports from basketball to tennis and they wouldn’t exactly be lying. But superstitions are just that and while we’re sure some of our readers have their own good luck charms or routines, you shouldn’t let them completely dictate your gameplay or strategy. Just pick the any of the free Blackjack version from your preferred iGaming provider and follow all the basic tips we’ve already outlined above.
And there you have it! This basic Blackjack strategy should help you to bet smarter and hopefully win more the next time you load up this beloved classic. However, you should remember that decisively ‘beating’ a game where luck is still a major factor isn’t actually possible so there will still be downs with your ups. Having said that, the important thing is to have fun and don’t go overboard which is probably the most basic and successful strategy you could apply to Blackjack or any other casino game and it’s a good one too so go with it!
Learn more about the origins of Blackjack in The History of Blackjack.
