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Simple Blackjack Strategy to Win

Recently updated on August 27th, 2021

Using an effective blackjack strategy can improve your chances of winning by helping you build the best possible hand. Fortunately, blackjack strategies aren’t complicated at all, and there are informative blackjack strategy charts available to help you as well.

This guide is dedicated to helping you familiarise yourself with blackjack strategy to help you win. Our strategies can be used in online and offline blackjack games and have been tested by some of our in-house blackjack players. Continue reading for the best advice on when to hit/stand, double down, surrender or split pairs in blackjack.

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Blackjack Strategy Page Content

The Objective of the Game

Before we dive deep into blackjack strategy, we would like to brush up on the overall objective of the game first. In blackjack online your goal is to beat the dealer by building a hand that equals 21 or as close to that as possible. A blackjack hand ranking chart is great for identifying winning hands from highest to lowest.

After you’ve been dealt your first card(s) you’ll be faced with one of four choices. You must decide whether to hit, stand, double down, split or surrender. New blackjack players might not know what decision is best for the hand they’ve been dealt and that’s where blackjack strategy comes in handy. It helps you make seemingly tough decisions much easier.

Blackjack Strategy Chart

As we’ve mentioned previously, the important part about using any blackjack strategy is knowing when to do what. So, when should you surrender, split, double down and hit or stand? Blackjack strategy charts are a great instant decision-making resource that can help you decide what move to make when.

Blackjack Strategy Tips

Our blackjack experts believe that surrendering should be your first consideration after you’ve received your first two cards in the game. Not every online casino includes the option to surrender, and the casinos that do have it only offer the choice when your first two cards are dealt. You cannot surrender after you’ve made a hit which is why this should be your first consideration. Your decision will be based on the potential of your first two cards. If it’s a bad hand you should surrender at this point. But, if it’s a bad hand, consider the next option.

Next, you must decide whether to split or not. You should only split when you’ve received a pair of cards or two 10 valued cards like a Jack or King. If the hand you currently have doesn’t allow you to split then you’ll be faced with whether to double down or not.

If you are questioning whether to double down or not it’s usually a good sign. It means you have a hand with enough potential to double down on. Again, not every casino gives you the option to double down in the game so you might not have this option in some instances.

Your final consideration should be whether to hit or simply stand. You have to act at this stage so it will have to include taking another card or keeping what you have.

Online Blackjack Strategy Tips

Below we’ve listed a few very helpful strategy tips to help you in the game. Our strategies offer the best possible moves to make for each stage during the game.

When to Surrender

  • Surrender rules only apply on totals of 15 or 16. Blackjack strategy suggests that you surrender on 16 if the dealer has a 9 all the way down to an Ace.
  • You should also surrender if you have a 15 and the dealer displays a total of 10.

When to Split

  • It’s best to split aces and 8s but never 10s or 5s
  • You may split 9s if the dealer displays a total of 2-7 or 8-9
  • Only split 7s if the dealer displays card totals of 2 through 7.
  • You may split 9s if the dealer has cards 2 through 6, or 8 through 9
  • Split 2s and 3s against the dealers 4 through 7, but only if the double after split (DAS) rule is in play.
  • You can split your 4s if the dealer is showing cards that total 5 or 6, but only if DAS is allowed.
  • Similarly, you can split your 6s against the dealers 3 through 6. But only split against a dealer’s total of 2 if DAS is allowed.
Blackjack Strategy

When to Double Down

  • You may double down on a hard 9 if the dealer displays a total of 3 through 6.
  • Double down on a hard 10 total, but not if the dealer has a 10 or Ace.
  • Similarly, you can double down on a hard 11 total, but not if the dealer has an Ace.
  • You can double down on a total of 13 or 14 against the dealers 5 or 6.
  • Double down on soft 15 or 16 when the dealer has a total of 4 through 6.
  • Also, double down on a soft total of 17 or 18 when the dealer has a total of 3 through 6.

When to Hit or Stand

  • Optimal blackjack strategy suggests that you hit on a hard 11 total or less.
  • You should always hit on a soft 17 or less.
  • You should always stand on a hard 17 or more, though.
  • Always stand on a soft 19 or more.
  • Stand on a hard 18 total, but hit on this total if the dealer has 9, 10, or Ace.
  • Stand on a hard total of 12 if the dealer has a total of 4 through 6. If he doesn’t display these totals, hit instead.

Similarly, you can stand on hard totals of 13 through 16 against the dealers 2 through 6. But if the dealer doesn’t have these totals, hit instead.

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