Why Basic Strategy Makes Insurance Not Necessary

On 02.03.10, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, By Vivi

Basic Strategy was created and then tested to give players the best play possible for the hand that they are dealt against the dealer’s up card. And while this does not mean that you will win every time you play according to basic strategy, you will tend to win more in blackjack.

This is because basic strategy has taken into consideration the cards that dealers are more likely to bust on and which ones they are less likely to. This explains why you stand on stiff hands when faced with anything below a dealer’s 6. Those cards, 2 through 6, are the ones the dealer is more likely to bust on. This does not mean that they will but the chances are higher with a 6 than with a 10.

By playing blackjack according to basic strategy you can lower the house edge to about 0.05%. This happens over time. And some blackjack players feel that once they are winning more that they need to protect their strong hands against a dealer’s Ace.

Not only is the Ace the least likely card a dealer will bust on, it is necessary for having a natural blackjack. A dealer will offer you insurance.

As a basic strategy player you should decline.

Insurance is essentially a side beat that casinos have in blackjack that can help to not only increase their profit, but to also raise their edge. This is because the chance of winning versus the chance of losing creates, on average, an edge increase of 7%. And it is in the house’s favor.

Taking insurance has the potential to undo the work you have done to lower the house’s edge in blackjack to 0.05%. That impact has the potential to lower the house edge to below what the average blackjack game’s house edge is to begin with.

Most blackjack games will have an average of 2-5%. If you play basic strategy and lower the house edge to 0.05%, taking insurance will bounce the edge back to the house around 6.5%, which is likely to be worse than where you started.

When you are playing basic strategy never take insurance. If you watch you will see that serious players will not take it. And if they are not then neither should you.

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How to Play a Soft 17

On 01.27.10, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, By Vivi

Being dealt a soft 17 can be a rather tricky hand to play with.

A good many players will play this hand as if it were a hard 17. And while a 17 has the potential to be a relatively strong blackjack hand, playing a soft hand like its hard counterpart is not always the most advantageous why to play it.

The Ace that makes a soft hand what it is creates a whole other way to play. This is why basic strategy has a different way to play soft hands.

But the first thing that you need to know is that a soft 17 is not the same as a hard 17. It gives you flexibility.

Let’s say that you have been dealt a soft 17. And we are going to assume, like a serious blackjack player should, that the dealer’s hole card is a 10—that is the worst case scenario. If the dealer’s up card is an 8, 9, 10 or Ace, you would normally be stuck if you had a hard 17. But a soft 17 allows you to switch to a more defensive strategy.

With the Ace’s ability to serve as a 1 or an 11, you can reduce a soft 17 to a hard 7 and hit. This is giving you another chance to build a stronger hand. You might be able to hit to a hard 18 or more, and give yourself a bit of a better leg to stand on. At any rate, it is better than simply playing a soft 17 like a hard 17.

In fact, hitting is what basic strategy advises. It also advises to take further advantage of a soft 17 by doubling down against a dealer’s up card of 3, 4, 5 or 6. That is when the dealer has the greatest chance of busting, and your strategy should put you in place to take advantage of it.

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The Next Best Hands to Blackjack and How to Play Them

On 01.20.10, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, By Vivi

While we would all like to be dealt a natural blackjack every time we play, we know that it does not happen every time. Or even half of the time. But there are two other strong hands to hope for. Unfortunately, many novice players tend to misplay these hands due to the nature of their make-up.

After a natural blackjack, being dealt a hand that totals 20 is the strongest hand to have. The only hands that a dealer can have to beat you is a natural blackjack or to hit to 21. But in order for these two hands to be worth their total they must be played correctly.

Ace-9
This is the first hand that we will look at. Because of the Ace this does count as a soft hand even though its total is 20. And that is where most novice players make their mistake. Many will reduce the Ace from 11 down to 1 and play this hand as a hard 10, often doubling down. While doubling down seems to be the most advantageous play to make it is not.

What most novice players are missing is the most basic aspect of this hand: that the total is 20. Forget the soft or hard part and focus on the hand total, and play this as a hard 20. The chances of reducing to 10 and hitting to a total that is as strong as your original 20 or 21 are slim. It is better to just play an Ace-9 as a 20.

10-10
Like an Ace-9, this hand is often misplayed due to novice players thinking that there is a more advantageous play to make. In this case, novice players see that this is a pair, and think that the most advantageous play is to split them.

This is similar to reducing the Ace and doubling down with an Ace-9; the chances of building, not one, but two hands to equal the original 20 or better is slim. It is better to play this hand as a hard 20 for the same reasons that you want to play an Ace-9 as a hard 20.

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What to Do When Dealt a Hard 12

On 01.13.10, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, By Vivi

Unfortunately the average blackjack player will be dealt a stiff hand around 43% of the time while playing. Stiff hands include hard 12 through hard 16. The reason it feels like we are dealt these hands more often is that they occur more often. There are more hard hands in blackjack than there are strong hands or low hands.

The best that you can do with a stiff hand is to play according to basic strategy. But if you are lucky enough to be playing in a game that allows for early or even late surrender, you can go with those plays and minimize your losses.

The frustrating aspect of hard hands is that it is difficult to make a winning hand with them and not bust while trying. But of the hard hands, hard 12 is the one that offers you the most opportunity.

According to basic strategy, it is best to hit a hard 12 against seven of the possible dealer up cards, whereas the other hard hands are only hitting on five of the dealer up cards.

With a hard 12 basic strategy recommends hitting against not only 7 and higher, but also hitting against a dealer’s up card of 2 or 3.

When hitting a hard 12 against a 2 or a 3, you have a 37% chance of winning the round. If you stand against a 2 or a 3 like you would with the other stiff hands, you only have a 35% chance at winning.

Blackjack strategy is about increasing our chances of winning and minimizing our losses. And while we have a greater chance of losing with a stiff hand, we have to do the best we can to keep our losses down. If there is a way to increase our chances of winning, we are likewise reducing our chances of losing.

In the case of a hard 12 against a 2 or 3, the best play to make to increase our chances is to hit. While we are only increasing our chances by 2%, it is 2% more than if we did nothing and stand.

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Know Which Hands to Double Down On

On 01.06.10, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, By Vivi

In blackjack there come points in time during the game when the player can go on the offensive—when their hand is stronger than the dealer’s. But how do you know when to go on the offensive? When you are dealt a starting total of 9, 10 or 11 is when you take your blackjack strategy to the offensive side.

The best play to make when you find your starting hand total to be one of those three is to double down. Doubling down sends a message to the dealer that you are confident and that your hand is strong—that you have a better chance of out-drawing the dealer and that you are going to do so with one card.

Granted, we not always win when we double down, but it is a fun play to make.

Doubling down is when you double your original bet and only receive one more card. Many players are a bit intimidated by only receiving one more card, but when you consider that you are already starting with a 10 or 11, you already have half of what you need to total 21. And if you are starting with 9 you are already halfway to having 20—another strong hand.

And by having the potential of creating a strong hand and winning with that hand, you have the chance of doubling your winnings since your bet was doubled.

Having a starting total of 11 is the strongest of the three. It offers you the most opportunities to double down. If you have a starting total of 11 and the dealer’s up card is a 2 through 10, double down. The only time you do not double down is when the dealer’s up card is an Ace.

In regards to having a starting total of 10, you will want to double down when the dealer’s up card is a 2 through 9.

And when you have a starting total of 9, you need to double down when the dealer’s up card is a 3 through 6.

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Blackjack Strategy for Soft 18

On 12.30.09, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, By Vivi

Soft 18 is one of those hands that is not always played to its best advantage. Most blackjack players see that their hand total is 18 and stand, thinking that they have a pretty strong hand.

And in some cases standing is still the most advantageous blackjack strategy play to make. If the dealer’s upcard is a 2 through 8 it is better to stand.

If your blackjack strategy includes assuming the worst case scenario is that the dealer’s hole card is a 10, then he could have a 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 or 18. Since the dealer has to up on the 12 through 16, he stands a pretty good chance of busting. If he has a 17 you will beat him with your 18. And if he has an 18 you will push, but at least you will not have lost any money.

It is only when the dealer’s upcard is a 9, 10 or Ace that your blackjack strategy changes.

Normally if you were playing with a hard 18 you would be stuck and would have to stand. Assuming that the dealer’s hole card is a 10, he would then have a 19, 20 or blackjack. This would cause the hard 18 to lose, but having a soft 18 gives your hand a second chance.

While there is nothing you can do to beat a dealer having blackjack, you do have a shot at beating his assumed 19 or 20. Here, your strategy would be to reduce your Ace from 11 to 1 so that you are now playing with a hard 8. Now you can hit and possibly build a hand to compete with the dealer’s assumed 19 or 20.

You might beat him or you might not. But at least playing your soft 18 this way against a dealer 9 or 10 you have a chance, whereas a hard 18 would leave you standing with no chance to rebuild your hand

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Splitting 8s as a Part of Your Blackjack Strategy

On 12.22.09, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, By Vivi

It is in the best interest of your blackjack strategy to split a pair of 8s when you are dealt them.

There are two parts to a blackjack strategy, an offensive side geared towards lowering the house edge, and a defensive side to keep from losing too much in unfavorable situations.

Splitting 8s would be a part of the defensive part of your blackjack strategy.

If you do not split you are then playing with a hard 16—a stiff hand. Stiff hands are harder to play with because they have a better chance of busting than of hitting and staying below 21. In the case of stiff hands you are hoping that the dealer will bust.

But in the case of being dealt a pair of 8s, there is a way to turn what could most likely be a loss into a possible win. Your blackjack strategy in this case must be to split.

While it is true that you are betting more money because of splitting, you now have two hands to play, both of which start with an 8. You can think of this sort of strategy as giving your cards a second chance in this round. There now exists the possibility of winning one hand maybe two.

This is defensive blackjack strategy—utilizing playing options to turn unfavorable situations into situations in which you will lose less or improve your chances for that round.

You do not want to split every single pair that you are dealt, you do not want to split a pair of 5s or 10s for example. But should you ever be dealt a pair 0f 8s, remember to split them.

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Advancing Your Blackjack Strategy—Bet on Another Player’s Hand

On 12.17.09, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, Uncategorized, By Vivi

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.

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Online Blackjack Can Improve Your Health

On 12.10.09, In Online Blackjack, Online Casino, Uncategorized, By Vivi

It has been shown in several studies that playing online games, such as online blackjack can actually lower your stress.

Studies at Oxford University in the UK and at McGill University in Canada have found that after playing games online, participants had lowered the amount of the stress hormone cortisol by an average of seventeen percent. Participants also found that they felt happier afterwards as well. Similar results were found in a study conducted by an Eastern Carolina University in the US.

The reason proposed for lowered stress and a happier feeling is that playing games online serves as an escape mechanism. When one’s mind is focus on games, such as online blackjack, their mind was diverted from the worries, anger and frustration that was causing them to be stressed.

As it pertains to online blackjack, after seeing the results from these universities studies, an online casino conducted its own independent casual survey. They found that 74% for their online blackjack players felt that they were less stress and happier after playing; they felt that playing was good for their health.

The remaining 26% of those online blackjack players did not feel that their stress had been reduced. Of that 26%, the majority of those players were playing in high stakes games. With large amounts of their money on the line it is no wonder that their stress was not reduced.

Stress has been linked to health issues including hearth problems, a reduced immune system, irritable bowel syndrome and headaches. Stress has also been linked to cancer as a possible contributing factor. Destructive behaviors are also linked to stress: excessive drinking, social instability and over eating, all of which can cause more health related issues.

So if playing some low stakes online blackjack can lower your stress a bit, you might want to give it a try. Or if you are not in the position to wager money, you can even try playing for free at online casinos.

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Making Insurance Profitable Rather Than a Loss

On 12.04.09, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, Uncategorized, By Vivi

In my last post I covered what insurance really is. Also discussed was why taking insurance will cost you more money in the long run. However, there is one instance in which it is actually profitable to take insurance.

If you are a card counting player then you are able to distinguish the one instance in which it is good to take insurance.

In order to be in that one instance two circumstances must be in place first:

You must be playing with a remaining deck that is rich in ten value cards. You must also have been dealt a natural blackjack.

Now, let’s examine the two profitable results that can happen once you find yourself in that instance of a high card rich deck and are holding a natural.

For this example, we will say that you are playing at a $10 table. You have been dealt a natural blackjack and the dealer’s up card is an Ace. You have been counting the deck as the game has been played. You know that the deck is rich in ten value cards. Because of the dealer’s Ace you are offered insurance. Because this is that one instance when it is favorable to take insurance, you take it.

The first result is that the dealer’s hole card is a ten value card—he has a natural blackjack too. You will collect on your insurance bet—this is because insurance is really a side bet on whether or not the dealer’s hole card is a ten value, and since it is you win the side bet with a 2-1 payout: $10. As for you both having naturals, that is a push and your original bet is returned to you. But you still made a net gain of $10 all because you took insurance. If you had not taken it, while you would not have lost any money, you would not have gained any either.

The other result is that the dealer does not have a natural, so you lose the insurance bet. But since you have a natural blackjack you won the 3-2 payout. You win $15 minus the $5 insurance bet. Your net gain is still $10.

This is how insurance can in fact be profitable for you.

But you must be dealt a natural blackjack. And you must have been card counting and know that the deck is rich in ten value cards.

If you do not have both of those then do not take insurance.

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