You can advance your blackjack strategy, lower the house edge a little more and possibly win a little extra money by betting on another player’s hand.
The reason you might want to bet on another player’s hand is because your neighbor may have an advantage but is hesitant to bet any more money on the hand. If you bet on their hand, you can lower the house edge on that round by around 0.15%. And you can even make a little extra money off their hand.
Let’s say that you are playing at a table where everyone has bet the minimum of $20. The player next to you has been dealt 7-4 and the dealer has a 10. Your basic strategy will tell you that the best play for your neighbor is to double down. You see him hesitating to put forth another $20, maybe he tries to double for less with $10. You can offer to cover the other $10 so that both you and the other player can take full advantage of that hand. Now you have the chance of winning money off of your own hand and your neighbor’s.
Another good time to go in with another player’s hand is if he is dealt a pair of 7s and the dealer has a 6. Blackjack players know that 7 against a dealer’s 6 is a moneymaker. The other player should split the pair of 7s. Let’s say that he puts forth another $20 to split but is dealt another 7. He should split again. But if he does not, offer to cover the bet of the second split. Again, you are helping to lower the housed edge a bit and stand to win a little extra if that hand beats the dealer’s.
Something to remember is that blackjack is played as a player versus the dealer, even though there are other players at the table. The dealer represents the casino. And by helping out your fellow players, you are helping other players to beat the casino and have the casino pay players, rather than players losing money to the casino.
The point of having a blackjack strategy is to lower the house edge and win more money. Incorporating betting on another player’s hand is a nice addition to your blackjack strategy since it can work to accomplish those things. It also has the bonus of making you look like a nice player.
This is a huge point, I wish I would have thought of this earlier.