Bad Blackjack Strategy: Mimic the Dealer

On 02.24.11, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

Of all of the poor quality and bad blackjacks strategies out there, mimicking the dealer is one of the worst, second only to assuming the dealer’s hole card is a ten.

When a blackjack player mimics the dealer, he is playing exactly how the dealer would play. This means hitting on a hand that the dealer would hit on and standing when the dealer stands. This is limiting to a blackjack player simply because there are hands, specifically hard hands of 12 through 16 against a dealer’s 2 through 6, which the player would find the best opportunity in standing on rather than hitting; but those are hands that the dealer has no choice but to hit.

Another loss to the blackjack player found in mimicking the dealer is found in the lack of doubling down and splitting pairs. Those are two plays that the dealer does not have at their disposal in a game of blackjack. Of the two, not doubling down is the most hurtful. Losing out on doubling down causes the player to lose the 1.6% odds boost that they would have gotten. As for the odds lost from a lack of splitting pairs, that is 0.06% that is not gained.

Now for the astute blackjack player who does want to make the most of hitting, standing, doubling down and pair splitting opportunities, the best strategy option is to use basic strategy. A basic strategy chart will tell players when the best time to double down and split pairs, as well as the best times to hit or stand. Making the most of those opportunities is what brings the house edge down to 0.5%. Mimicking the dealer gives players a house edge of 5.48%.

Between those two I would rather follow basic strategy and knock the house edge down to 0.5% than mimic the dealer in a bad blackjack strategy and suffer with a house edge of 5.48%. Remember, never mimic the dealer.

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Never Assume the Dealer has 10 for a Hole Card

On 01.27.11, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

There are many blackjack strategies in the world that are not suitable for use. This is because they actually hurt a player’s blackjack odds rather than improve them. One such strategy that is in fact not a strategy is to assume that the dealer has a 10 for a hole card.

Really quick, just to review, a 10 is not just the 10 card of a suit, it is also a Jack, Queen or King.

The way this supposed strategy works that the player makes all of his or her plays based on the idea that the dealer’s hole card is a 10. So if the dealer is showing a 6, the player will assume the dealer has a 16.

But this strategy is not practical because there is only approximately a 30% chance of the hole card being worth 10. This is because out of the thirteen cards in a suit, only four are worth 10. The remaining nine cards have other values, which gives them a 70% chance of showing up as the dealer’s hole card.

It is rather silly to base a strategy on poor odds when the purpose of strategy in blackjack is to increase your odds. Playing by assuming the dealer’s hole card is a 10 actually increases the house edge to 10.03%. Now compare that just over 10% house edge to the house edge gained by playing according to basic strategy, which gives players a house edge of 0.5%.

So with the option of using a supposed strategy that makes no logical sense which gives you a house edge of 10.03% or a blackjack strategy that gives you a house edge of 0.5%, which are you going to choose? Exactly, you want to use the blackjack strategy that gives you that 0.5% house edge—basic strategy.

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Double Down for Your Odds, Hmm?

On 12.28.10, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

Most definitely! I know that doubling down ahs the extra risky feeling, but if you are doubling down at opportune times then you know that the statistics are on your side, and that you have a decent shot of making that double down successful.

Doubling down at opportune times actually increases your blackjack odds, both in online blackjack and in casino blackjack. The play—how it is executed and how it actually works—is the same no matter which format you are playing in.

Yes, doubling down does carry an increased risk, after all you are doubling your wager. But think of the doubled amount in winnings that you will receive if your double down is successful.

Doubling down is not a scary move meant to be intimidating. It is one of the plays built in to the game that is there to help players…that is if they know how to use it. And that is the trick isn’t it.

Actually it is a remarkably easy trick to overcome in all actuality. The key to knowing when it the opportune times to double down are can be found on a basic strategy chart. That nifty little chart will tell you the best times to double down. The majority of them will come when you have a hard 10 or hard 11. Not all, mind you, but most.

One rule of thumb though for doubling down is to never, ever double down against a dealer Ace. Ever. And I do mean ever.

A dealer Ace has the same flexibility that it does for a player—its total can be reduced from 11 to 1 if necessary, and you do not want to have double the money on the line when the dealer has more flexibility than normal. That is a good way to lose your double down wager. Remember, never ever double down when facing down a dealer’s Ace.

Check your basic strategy chart if you are not sure when the best times to double are. At 1.6% in odds added to your blackjack odds, doubling down should be a play to use and not abuse. Use that chart to add successful double down-ing to your blackjack strategy. If you do not have a basic strategy chart of your own to use, you can find a basic strategy chart here for free.

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Splitting Pairs as a Part of Your Blackjack Strategy

On 09.17.10, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

Once a novice player becomes comfortable working with hard and soft hands in blackjack, the next part of their blackjack strategy to work on is pair splitting.

Kind of like how soft hands require a little extra thought to play at first, so too do pairs in blackjack. The biggest trap in dealing with a pair is the just knowing that it is a pair, and that you have an extra playing option that is not available with hands that are not pairs.

Because of having this extra playing option to split a pair into two new hands and possibly win twice as much in a single round, players make the mistake of splitting every pair. Unfortunately this is not good blackjack strategy.

Just because it is a power and the player has the power to split it does not mean that every pair should be split.

For example a pair of 5s and a pair of 10s should not be split. The pair of 5s can be played like a hard 10 and be doubled down on. Doubling on a pair of 5s has better odds of winning and making a profit than splitting the 5s does. Likewise, a pair of 10s is stronger as a hard 20 than split. This is because there are only two hands with which the dealer can beat you with: hitting to 21 or having a natural blackjack.

But then there are pairs that should always be split simply because the player has a better chance of building two stronger hands than beating the dealer by standing on the pairs. Those two pairs are a pair of Aces and a pair of 8s. It is more advantageous to split those two pairs.

Basic strategy is a good pair splitting strategy tool. It should be used as the base of your blackjack strategy because it tells players the most advantageous play to make.

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Odds of Winning Insurance Bets and Why Not to Include it in Your Blackjack Strategy

On 09.10.10, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, By Vivi

Insurance is the one play in a regular game of online blackjack that needs to be talked about a lot. Many players truly do not understand why insurance is so bad for their blackjack odds and why they should not include it in their blackjack strategy.

In their eyes they are not losing money if the dealer does have a natural blackjack since they are getting the amount of their original wager back. Yes, with insurance you do break even, but the dealer has to have a 10 for a hole card in order for that to happen. And the odds are actually not in the house’s favor to have a 10 hole card.

There are thirteen different types of cards in a deck, with four of each type. Of those thirteen cards only four are worth 10 in blackjack and could create a natural blackjack when the dealer is showing an Ace: 10, Jack, Queen and King. So that is four out of thirteen cards, or a 31% chance of the dealer getting that natural blackjack.

On the other hand the other nine cards would keep the dealer from having a natural, which would cause you to lose your insurance bet, which is a 69% chance of losing the insurance bet.

Just looking at the odds you can see that the odds are in favor of the player losing their insurance bet, which is what casinos and online casinos want since insurance is a money-maker for them.

And speaking of money, let’s turn those odds into money so that you can see what a player stands to lose blackjack odds-wise from insurance.

If you were wagering $10 game of online blackjack, insurance would cost $5. Based on the odds, you stand to win $10 (insurance pays 2-1) four times for a total amount of $40 won. But you would have odds of losing your insurance wager nine times, which totals for a $45 loss.

Even if you won insurance four times and then lost it nine times, you still would not break even—you would still lose money. Which is exactly why insurance should not be a part of any players blackjack strategy. The odds are designed for the player to lose.

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Surrender as a Part of Your Blackjack Strategy

On 09.03.10, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

Eventually novice blackjack players will come upon surrender. This is a play that is not always available in blackjack games, although it is available more often in blackjack games in brick and mortar casinos than it is in online blackjack.

Surrender is a blackjack play that should be a part of your blackjack strategy, ready in the wings should you find yourself in a blackjack game that allows for it. In a basic definition, surrender is when a player gives up half of their wager to give up playing out the round. It is similar to folding in poker, only your entire wager is not lost.

There are two types of surrender in blackjack: late and early.

Late surrender is only possible after the dealer has checked to see if he has a natural blackjack. If he does not, then players can surrender if they would like. But if the dealer does have a natural blackjack surrender then there is no surrender, and chances are you are going to lose the round. When made at advantageous moments, late surrender can hit the house’s edge for 0.08%.

On the other hand there is early surrender. This type of surrender differs from late surrender in that players can choose to surrender before the dealer checks to see if he has a natural blackjack. Even if he is showing an Ace and your hand is one that basic strategy says to surrender, you can still surrender and keep half of your wager. And you have the satisfaction of hitting the house edge for 0.6% as well.

And speaking of basic strategy and knowing when to surrender, those times are as follows:

Hard 15 versus a dealer 10
Hard 16 versus a dealer 9, 10 or Ace

The important thing to understand about surrender and your blackjack strategy is that you should only surrender when it is advantageous to do so. Surrendering just because you do not like the cards you have been dealt is not a reason to do so. Keep it in your blackjack strategy to only surrender when those four hands and dealer up card combinations are on the table.

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The Importance of Doubling Down in Blackjack

On 08.27.10, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

Unfortunately many novice blackjack player—both online blackjack players and blackjack in a brick and mortar casino—tend to stick to basic plays, limiting themselves to hitting or standing. This is like learning to swim and then never leaving the shallow end of the pool.

But there are other blackjack plays out in there and they do offer benefits that basic plays do not. Again, this is like how you can dive for diving sticks in the deep end of the pool when you really cannot in the shallow end.

One of those other blackjack plays is called double down. With this play, a player doubles that amount of his original wager. So if you were playing blackjack online and were wagering $10 on a hand and wanted to double down, your wager would increase to $20.

Once the wager has been doubled the player only receives one more card before having to stand. There is no more hitting after you double down. It is a play to end your turn.

But it is not a bad play. In fact, it is highly advantageous to use when used at the right moments. And such moments are not difficult to know. All a blackjack player needs to do is look on a basic strategy chart to know when the best times to double down are.

What makes doubling down so advantageous is that when you win you receive the same amount that you would receive if you had won two rounds. This is because your payout is based on that $20 and not the $10, even though you only have one hand on the table.

Because you are making more money in the payout than you would normally have made, the house’s edge is hit harder. Doubling down at the right moments will knock 1.6% off of the house edge. That is how important this play is.

Follow a basic strategy chart to know the best times to double down, and enjoy receiving a larger payout and knowing that you have knocked the house’s edge down. So do not be afraid of the deep end of the pool, swim out and start doubling down

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About Online Blackjack Games and Variations

On 08.13.10, In Blackjack Rules, Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, By Vivi

Those who play online blackjack are bound to see blackjack variations from time to time. They crop up everywhere, in the majority of online casinos. They are out there—Face Up 21, Super Fun 21, Blackjack Switch and more. The problem is that not all novice online blackjack players truly understand these blackjack variations and the impact their rules have on their blackjack odds.

One of the biggest hits to a player’s blackjack odds comes from the payouts offered by these blackjack variations. Whereas in regular online blackjack games, a natural blackjack receives a 3-2 payout, in the majority of variations the blackjack payout is an even money payout.

And an even money blackjack game will take 2.27% off of a player’s blackjack odds. If you are playing according to basic strategy, the house’s edge will go from 0.5% back up to 2.77%. Playing in a game with an even money payout like that is only handing your edge right back to the house.

Another common rule found in blackjack variations pertains to doubling down. Many variations only allow players to double down on 9s, 10s or 11s. This impacts the player’s blackjack odds in a negative way again, taking 0.18% away from the player’s odds.

Typically doubling down can take 1.6% from the house’s edge. That is a big hit to their edge. And that is why many blackjack variations will only allow doubling down on 9s, 10s and 11s only.

The key thing to understand about blackjack variations is that they were created to take players’ money faster. And while they can be fun to play from time to time, they should only be played for fun in practice modes so as not to risk losing any money; or to play blackjack variations at low stakes. That is how you handle your blackjack strategy in regards to blackjack variations.

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Differences Between Blackjack and Online Blackjack

On 07.30.10, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, Online Casino, By Vivi

As players learn blackjack they like to try out what they learn. You could call it practicing, which is necessary in a game of skill. Some novice blackjack players will practice in the free play modes offered by online casinos. Others will play in low stakes games at brick and mortar casinos. But there are a few differences between the two that players should be aware of so they are ready if they switch back and forth between the two.

We will start at the beginning. In a casino blackjack is played at a table with up to six other players, for a total of seven players. When playing blackjack online, you would be playing one-on-one with the dealer. This difference affects your rate of play.

Online blackjack tends to be played at a faster rate because it is just you and the dealer. In order to not let this impact your blackjack odds, slow down your rate of play—play slower and take breaks. It will have the same impact of playing with other players because in a casino, the more players there are at the blackjack table the longer a round takes and your rate of play drops.

Another difference: at some tables surrender is allowed. This is advantageous to players as they can bow out of a round losing only half of their wager rather than all of it. Surrender is not offered in online blackjack.

Because this is a house rule there really is not a way for online blackjack players to compensate for it, other than playing according to basic strategy every time.

All this sounds like there is no advantage to playing online blackjack, but it does have some. For one thing you can play for free, which you will never find in a brick and mortar casino. There is also the aspect of convenience that comes from playing on a computer; as long as you have internet access, you can play blackjack online.

Knowing the differences between playing blackjack at an online casino and a brick and mortar casino helps to avoid mistakes made from being unfamiliar with one or the other. It never hurts to keep yourself informed.

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About Single Deck Blackjack Games

On 07.23.10, In Blackjack Rules, Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

While playing blackjack online is fun—not to mention convenient—there will be times when novice blackjack players will find themselves in a brick and mortar casino. Naturally they would want to play blackjack.

Now these are good students of blackjack. They know that the more decks there are in play at a table the more the blackjack odds tip towards the dealer. Naturally these students of blackjack will seek out the single deck games that have made a comeback in brick and mortar casinos.

But they are back with a twist.

The twist is the payout. In many—not all but many—of the single deck blackjack games to be found in casinos do not offer the usual 3-2 payout. Instead many single deck blackjack games offer a 6-5 payout.

Unfortunately many novice blackjack players do not quite understand what a 6-5 payout does to their odds.

Not only does a 6-5 payout meant that the player is receiving less for his blackjack in terms of the payout, a 6-5 payout also has a negative impact on a player’s blackjack odds.

Blackjack odds are based on your opportunity to make a profit from the game. When a house rule makes it harder for the dealer to win, it increases the player’s blackjack odds because that rule decreases the dealer’s chances of winning, which conversely increases the player’s.

In the case of the 6-5 payout, players lose some of their blackjack odds simply because they are receiving less money for a natural blackjack. Less money received in a payout means that the opportunity to profit is less, hence lowering the blackjack odds of the player.

When pulling up a chair to a 6-5 blackjack game a player is lowering their blackjack odds by 1.39%. Even playing with basic strategy cannot overcome this reduction in odds because of the payout, not because of house rules or player choices in plays.

Because of the reduction of odds—not to mention the lost money—it is best to avoid playing at 6-5 payout tables. If all of the single deck games are 6-5 payouts then play at the blackjack table with the least amount of decks.

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