While games of Roulette, Poker, and Craps have several different strategies, Blackjack has just one. Known as Basic Blackjack Strategy, it is a mathematical formula developed to encourage bets that offer the highest probability.
Every move is based on the dealer’s face-up card and the player’s starting cards and there are fixed recommendations.
For instance, this Blackjack strategy recommends against the use of Insurance, because while it offers a high payout, it is a bet that will lose more times than it will win. More importantly, the payout offered is not relative to the risk taken.
Some of the other recommendations include taking more risks when you have a low score and the dealer is showing an Ace/Ten, and fewer risks when you have a high score and the dealer has a low card. In the first instance, the dealer is likely to get a high score, in the second, they are more likely to get a low score or go bust.
Basic Blackjack Strategy also impacts when you should Split, Double Down, and Surrender. For example:
- Split
A very powerful move if you use it properly, the goal of splitting is to create two strong hands and to double your payout as a result. Strategy dictates that you should never split 10s, as you’ll only be turning one strong hand into two weak hands, and you should consider splitting 7s and 8s.
For instance, if you have two 8s, you have a score of 16 and are left with an awkward decision. Do you Hit, do you Stand? It’s a relatively low score, but it’s high enough for you to bust quite easily.
By splitting, you’ll have two 8s and can effectively start again. If one of those hands gets an Ace or 10, you now have an 18 or 19. If they get a 2 or 3, you’re one card away from a perfect score.
2. Double Down
Doubling Down is recommended when you have 11. In such cases, a 10 will give you a perfect score and an 8 or 9 will give you a very good score. Of course, you could also get a 5 or less, in which case you have a relatively weak hand, but it’s all about playing the percentages and the odds are that you will have a 6 or higher.
This method can work with other positions, as well, but caution is advised when the dealer is showing a 9, 10, or Ace.
3. Surrender
If your hand is weak compared to the dealer’s, you can surrender it. Many Blackjack strategists recommend that you surrender a 16 when facing a 9, 10, or Ace, as the odds are highly in the dealer’s favor.
This is actually a great way to understand the Basic Blackjack Strategy and the logic behind it. Many players would never dream of folding a 16. But if the dealer has a 10, it means that a 7 or higher will beat you immediately. 8 of the 13 cards in every suit will beat you. And even if one of the other 5 appears, you’re not out of the woods yet.
Most dealers stand on soft 17, so if they get a 6 or less, they will simply take another card, giving themselves another chance of beating you.
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