In any casino game, your goal as a player should be to try and reduce the house edge. For that to happen in blackjack, you need to head to the table with an understanding of the blackjack basic strategy.
Many players are now playing online, so in this piece, we are going to dive into the games, the strategies, and the things you can do to make it more possible to walk away from the virtual table with more money than you sat down with.
What Is Blackjack Basic Strategy?
Before we start talking about basic strategy for bj, we need to make it clear that even with perfect strategy, you are not going to win every single hand.
Over time, though, this should help you avoid mistakes that a lot of players make again and again.
With basic blackjack strategy, you will learn the optimal way to play in just about every situation against the dealer.Generally speaking, you are working with what you can see, which are the cards in your hand and the dealer’s up card.
You are both trying to get as close to 21 as possible without going over, and it is the cards that you can see that dictate what you should do next.
^Blackjack Perfect Strategy Fundamentals
The game itself is simple enough on the face of it, but knowing when to hit, stand, double down, split pairs, and surrender is the difference between winning and losing.
It is also basic bj strategy that tells you exactly how to play without running through multiple different scenarios in your head.
With all that said, let’s dig a little deeper into the fundamentals of blackjack.
^Hard Hand Decisions
Blackjack strategy guides define a hard hand as one where a player does not have an Ace card or has one that counts as one instead of eleven.
You are more likely to bust when you have a hard hand, since there is no flexibility with the Ace.
For example, let’s imagine that you have a hard 17 (10+7), you should generally always stand, as the chances of busting when you hit are very high.
One thing to consider here is the dealer rules, some of which dictate that a deal must hit on a soft 17 or stand on a hard 17.
Soft Hand Plays
On the flipside, a soft hand is when you have an Ace that can be counted as 1 or 11. In both hard and soft hands, perfect blackjack strategy can be used to give you an edge, a lot of which depends on the card the dealer is showing.
When you have an Ace in your hand and don’t have a blackjack, you will essentially be able to hit without fear of going bust.
Generally speaking, you should stand on a soft 18 or higher and hit on 17 or lower.
If a dealer is showing a weak card, usually 4,5, or 6, blackjack strategy suggests that you should double down.
Pair Splitting Rules
BJ basic strategy is quite clear when it comes to splitting a pair of cards.
The rules suggest you should always split with Aces or 8s, while also saying that you should NEVER double down with 4s, 5s or face cards.
More advanced strategies will go into more detail about what to do based on the dealers’ up card.
^Learn Blackjack Basic Strategy provided by MyBookie
Perfect Strategy Blackjack Charts
While it may seem as though basic blackjack strategy would be tough to master, the good news is that there are charts available that you can download and refer to while you play online.
It’s not a bad idea to play blackjack for fun while you learn the basic strategies, and then go online to play for real once you have it down.
^BJ Basic Strategy Variations
Generally speaking, bj basic strategy variations come into play depending on what the table rules are.
We mentioned one earlier when talking about whether a dealer has to hit on a soft 17 or stand on a hard 17.
There are other rules that need to be adhered to, so make sure you know the table rules before jumping in.
^Basic Strategy BJ Expected Returns
Digging deeper into basic blackjack strategy, you see how you can gain a definite edge. The house edge generally sits at about 1.5%, but that can be reduced to less than 0.5%.
By understanding the basic strategies of blackjack, you not only reduce the house edge, but you also ensure that your bankroll will last longer.
^Blackjack Odds Perfect Strategy Comparison
It is important to understand that the house will always have an edge, even when you use perfect blackjack strategy.
That said, you can expect around 99.5% return to the player when you properly employ perfect blackjack strategy.
^Conclusion
Blackjack is a fast-paced, exciting table game that offers you a real chance to win regularly if you can learn basic blackjack strategy.
There is definitely still an element of chance, and you will not win every hand, even with perfect strategy, but when you understand the math, you can swing things in your favor and play at your favorite online casino with real confidence.
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