Complete Guide To Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack is among the most popular games at most online casinos because the house edge is so low. You might get lucky in the short term and win. Plus, even though that house edge means the casino will end up ahead over the long haul, blackjack won’t gouge you too severely.

Taking advantage of that low house edge requires a bit of skill. You have to play your cards right to give yourself a chance to get lucky. Fortunately, playing perfect blackjack is not only possible; it is relatively easy. Here’s a complete guide to blackjack strategy.

Game Selection: Make the Right Blackjack Decision

Blackjack is a game with dozens of variations. Most US online casinos host several. The differences among types lie in the rules—for example, whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17, when you can double down, and other gameplay elements.

Most of these rules impact what’s called the house edge: the casino’s mathematical advantage over the player. There are player-friendly rules that lower a blackjack variation’s house edge and house-friendly rules can make the house edge even higher.

Blackjack is a game of decisions. The very first decision you have is what blackjack variation to play. The best strategy for this decision is avoiding blackjack variations with house-friendly rules. Here’s a look at some of the rules you’ll want to avoid.

• Blackjack Pays 6:5: Blackjack should pay 3:2. If it pays 6:5, the house edge gets a 1.4% bump.
• Dealer Hits On Soft 17: If the rule is the dealer hits on soft 17 instead of standing, the house edge goes up 0.22%.
• No Double After Split: You should be able to double down after splitting. If there’s a rule against it, that blackjack variation has a 0.14% higher house edge.
• Double Down Restrictions: You should be able to double down on any two cards. If you can only double on 9,10, or 11, the house edge gets a 0.09% bump. Plus, it is 0.18% higher if you can only double on 10 and 11.
• No Surrender: You should be able to surrender and give up half your bet if you don’t see a way to win. No surrender blackjack variations have a house edge that’s 0.08% bigger.
• No Re-splitting Aces: If you can’t split aces after splitting aces, you’re looking at a 0.08% house edge bump.
• Number of Decks: Single-Deck Blackjack has the lowest house edge. Two decks mean a 0.19% higher house edge, six decks are 0.46% higher, and eight are 0.48%.

The Blackjack Cheat Sheet

As we just said, blackjack is a game of decisions. After the initial deal and with every subsequent card, you have a decision to make. Stand, hit, split, double down, surrender—it’s all up to you. However, when it comes to giving yourself the best chance to get lucky and keeping the house edge as low as it should be, there’s a correct decision for every situation you’ll face.

Make the right decision every time and you’re playing “perfect blackjack.” Fortunately, all the information you need will fit on half a sheet of paper. There’s no law against showing up at a casino with a blackjack cheat sheet like this in hand. Plus, there’s absolutely nothing stopping you from referring to one while you play blackjack online. In fact, here’s a blackjack cheat sheet you can use anytime you like. Just remember, this cheat sheet is for hard, not soft holdings (with an ace), and you have to be playing four to eight-deck blackjack where the dealer stands on soft 17.

Counting Cards

Card counting is a strategy that can help eliminate the house edge entirely. Casinos don’t like it, and they’ll give you the boot if they catch you doing it, but it’s not against the law.

It’s actually a relatively basic blackjack strategy. You take one point from your count for every 10 through Ace dealt in an effort to determine how many high-value cards are left in the shoe. Then, when the shoe gets low and it appears there’s a higher percentage of high-value cards left, you increase your bet.

Divide your count by the number of decks remaining to work out what’s called the true count. Every point in the true count reduces the house edge by 0.5%. That means a big enough true count will give you the edge instead of the house.

Now if pit bosses, supervisors, and casino managers see you playing around with your bet sizes, they’ll ask you to leave. They may even ban you from the casino. However, online casinos don’t mind if you count cards. That’s because most online blackjack variants use a continuous shuffle process. The shoe never gets low. Every deck in it is shuffled and reused with every hand. Counting cards is worthless online.

Blackjack Bet Sizing Strategies

You can also play around with your bet sizing to try and find a blackjack edge. These positive and negative progression betting systems involve changing the size of your bet based on what happened in the previous hand.

• The Martingale System: This negative progression system asks you to double your bet after losses. You continue doubling the bet until you win, earning a profit equal to your original bet. However, the bets can get big quite quickly. You need to have enough money on hand to cover extended losing streaks. Plus, you have to be careful about reaching the maximum bet allowed.
• The Parlay System: This positive progression system asks you to double your bet every time you win a hand. You’re essentially doubling down on your profits, or letting it ride. Get hot and you might win big. However, you have to set limits, stick to them, and get lucky to get out at the right time, or you’ll eventually lose it all.
• The Paroli System: This positive progression system asks you to increase your bet by a certain percentage after winning hands.
• The 1-3-2-6 System: This positive progression system asks you to increase your bet by multiples of 1, 3, 2, and then 6 after consecutive wins.
• The D’Alembert System: This negative progression system asks you to raise your bet after you lose and lower it after you win.