Blackjack is an incredibly exciting casino card game and can be played by novices and experts alike. The rules of blackjack are easy to learn as the game is relatively simple played against the dealer.
The player must attempt to achieve a hand, which is of a higher value than the dealer’s hand, without breaking a total of 21. The dealer gives each player 2 cards, face up, and takes 2 for him/herself, leaving only one face up. Based on the player’s cards and the dealer’s face up card, a player must decide to hit, stand, double down, split pairs, take insurance or surrender.
This casino game offers lots of strategies and tips to help the player overcome the house edge. Here are a few tips to help you improve your game.
#1: When to Hit – use these rules
- If the dealer’s face up card is 7, 8, 9, 10 or Ace, and your hand totals 8 or 12 through 16, Hit.
- If the dealer’s face up card is Ace, and your hand totals 11, do not Double Hit.
- If the dealer’s face up card is 10, and your hands total is 10, do not Double Hit.
- If the dealer’s face up card is 7, 8 or 9, and your hand totals 9, do not Double Hit.
#2: When to Stand – use these rules
- When your hand totals 17 or above, no matter what, Stand.
- If the dealer’s face up card is 6 or below, and your hand totals 13 or above, Stand.
- If you have a splitable pair of 10s or Face Cards, do not split them, Stand.
#3: When to Double – use these rules
- Always double a total of 10 unless the dealer has 10 or Ace.
- Always double an 11 unless the dealer has an Ace.
- 9 should only be doubled when the dealer has 3, 4, 5, or 6 showing.
#4: Use a Strategy Chart
These charts tell a player how to act in every possible situation. The player is essentially following strict rules based on probabilities and is effectively decreasing the house edge to a minimum.
If after reading these tips you decide that you want to give blackjack a go, online casinos are a great place to start out playing this game. In many online games you don’t even necessarily have to wager real money until you feel comfortable enough and with sufficient playing experience to do so. Play for fun until you feel confident enough to try your hand in a real live casino environment.