Tactics To Help With Blackjack

by Simon M Skinner

Blackjack lends itself easily to certain rules and principles which can help increase the odds in your favor if you follow them. Use these tips and best practices to improve the way you play Blackjack, whether at a casino or online.

You can use specific guidelines for various situations in Blackjack that will allow you to have improved odds of winning. You can't guarantee a win in any one hand, but you can play statistically sound, so that you have a higher likelihood of winning over the long haul.

If you have a nine or lower, it's time to hit. A ten or eleven means you should double down, as long as your cards add up to more than the upcard the dealer is showing. If that's not the case, hit.

If you're holding between 12 and 16 it's a little trickier, but you'll want to hit if the dealer has a seven or higher. If you have 17 or more, you should stand regardless of what the dealer has.

Different rules apply when you are holding an Ace, which gives you a soft hand. A soft 17 for example is an Ace and a six, which can be 17 or 7 depending on how you choose to play the Ace.

If you have numbers between thirteen and eighteen in this playing style, double down if the dealer has five or six as an upcard. Seventeen or lower should be a hit, and eighteen should be a hit if the dealer's card is six or lower.

You should stand when you have more than seventeen as long as the dealer doesn't have a high card. In addition to these rules for playing soft hands, pairs need special attention as well.

Never split tens, fours, or fives, but always split aces and eights, as well as all other pairs if the dealer has an upcard of six or less.

These are some basic guidelines that can help increase your odds of winning every hand. You should also keep in mind that to improve your experience you should be looking for a game where you can play without interruption and the game is moving quickly and easily.

If you're playing in person, avoid drunk players. If you're online or at a casino, slow players are also an issue.

You should not accept the dealer's offer for insurance unless you have been counting cards and know the exact odds of a situation.

You should only play at a table that has a minimum bet equal to or less than 1/20th of your bankroll. This is a tolerable level of risk and will allow you to go on losing streaks without losing all of your money. As in any situation, treat the fellow players as well as the dealer with respect.