Using Basic Strategy

On 03.26.10, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

Basic strategy is one of the best strategy tools available for blackjack players.

One of the best aspects of blackjack is how easy it is to learn to play, and that it has a very strong strategy tool that novice players can use and be successful with right away. No other game of skill has such a tool that can be used right away.

What makes basic strategy such a strong tool is that it has all the best plays to make. Blackjack players do not have to do any research for this. When basic strategy was being developed, all the plays were tested and simulated to make sure that the best statistical play was being put down on the chart.

And that is what basic strategy is: a chart with every hand a player could be dealt against any up card the dealer could have. Blackjack players can play with the chart and be confident that they are making the best play possible.

That is why novice blackjack players can begin using it right away while they are still learning the finer points of the game, but still be successful with their immediate game playing. For the blackjack player that plays every round based on what the chart says, they can lower the house edge to 0.5%, giving it the lowest house edge of any casino game.

Using basic strategy is as simple as adding up the hand total of the first two cards dealt, taking note of what the dealer’s up card is and then checking what play is most recommended for that combination. It is that easy to use.

Another high point of basic strategy for novice blackjack players is that it can be used in casinos and in online casinos. It is legal for use and will not cause a player to be kicked out or barred.

The advantages for a novice blackjack player to use basic strategy far out-weigh any reasons to not use it. Especially since it can be used for blackjack online or in a casino.

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Avoid Insurance

On 03.19.10, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

Insurance is one of those sly plays that casinos have snuck into blackjack games. The option to take insurance has been around for a long, long time, but many novice blackjack players miss what insurance actually is.

Insurance is a side bet on whether the dealer’s hole card a 10.

Insurance is only offered when the dealer is showing an Ace. Since an Ace is a must for a natural blackjack and is less numerous in the deck than 10 valued cards. So if the dealer has an Ace showing his chances of having a natural blackjack are higher than if he had a 10 card showing. So insurance is offered to ‘insure’ your bet.

When you insure your bet you pay half of your original bet; so if you had bet $10 insurance would be $5. And if the dealer does in fact have a 10 for a hole card you would be paid 2-1.

The problem with insurance is that, with an Ace, the dealer can still have a strong hand without having blackjack. In those instances you would lose the round and your original bet. But since the hole card is not a 10 you would also lose your insurance bet too.

And that is what makes insurance a bad idea. It has been proven that over time a blackjack player will lose more money by taking insurance than if he just played blackjack without taking it.

The best way for a novice blackjack player to play is according to basic strategy so that he has a strong starting point for blackjack strategy. Card counting can always be added later. But if you look at a basic strategy chart, you will notice that nowhere on the chart does it tell you to take insurance.

This is because, while following basic strategy can lower the house edge (the whole point of having a blackjack strategy), insurance will raise the house edge. Since taking insurance raises the house edge it is not advised on a basic strategy chart. And since basic strategy offers the best statistical plays, it follows that insurance is not a good statistical play.

Because it raises the house edge and will cost blackjack players more over time it is best to avoid insurance and never take it.

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Best Times to Double Down in Blackjack

On 03.10.10, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

Regardless of whether blackjack is played online or in a land-based casino doubling down is a highly advantageous play to make. The key is knowing when to double down and why those times are the best to do so.

First the double down play is a blackjack play in which the player doubles his or her original bet and receives only one more card before standing. Because only one more card is received it is important to already have a good starting hand total.

Doubling down, per basic strategy, should be done when dealt the following hard hands against the specified dealer up cards:

- Hard 9 vs. dealer’s 3-6
- Hard 10 vs. dealer’s 2-9
- Hard 11 vs. dealer’s 2-10

The reason it is most advantageous to double down on these hands is because, statistically speaking, this hands have good potential of becoming strong hands with one card. And even if the blackjack player receives a low card and their hard hand becomes a stiff hand, the dealer still has a decent shot of busting—which is what is desired when faced with a stiff hand.

Doubling down allows a blackjack player to earn double their payout if they win. It is taking full advantage of being dealt a good starting hand total.

If you had bet $10 and been dealt one of the above hands, would you rather be paid $10 for winning or $20?

If a blackjack player is in the position to take full advantage of their hand and make the more on a payout, then he or she should. And that is the point of doubling down in blackjack.

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Pairs to Definitely Split: Ace/Ace

On 03.03.10, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

Another pair that is most advantageous to split. Being dealt two Aces is not exactly the most normal of hands and it is probably the most fluid.

Obviously you do not want to play both Aces as 11’s since your hand total would be 22 and a bust. The other non-split option is to reduce one Ace to a 1, but then you hand total is 12—another stiff hand that is more difficult to win with.

A hard 12 is tricky because basic strategy says to stand if faced with a dealer’s 4-6. And while you will not lose every single time against those three up cards, you are defiantly the underdog in those instances.

So if there is another way out of being stuck with a hard 12 why not take it? Doubling your original wager and splitting those Aces will allow you to start two new hands, each with its own Ace.

The advantage is that you will be playing with two hands that each have a second chance built in. A third chance really when you count splitting them as the second chance to your hand—that makes reducing to a 1 as a fallback the hands’ third chances.

By splitting your Aces into their own hands you are playing with two soft hands. This is advantageous because if you hit one too high you can reduce the Ace from 11 to 1 and still have a shot at creating a good hand. Whereas if you were to split any other pair you do not have that fallback ability to reduce the value of a card like the Ace allows.

Being able to split a pair of Aces and then playing them as soft hands—with the ability to reduce the value of the Ace if necessary—is what makes splitting a pair of Aces so advantageous.

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Pairs to Definitely Split: 8/8

On 03.02.10, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

Now that I have covered the two pairs that you should never, ever split, I am going to discuss a pair that should always, always be split: a pair of 8’s.

A pair of 8’s has the potential to be a tricky hand. If you do not split them you have a terrible hand to play: a hard 16. Also known as one of the stiff hands.

A stiff hand is one that you pretty much have to stand on because your chances of busting are too great. A pair of 8’s being played unsplit would give you a hard 16.

To me a hard 16 is the worst stiff hand to be dealt. It is the stiff hand that is too high to really hit on because you can only take on a 5 or less to keep from busting. It is also one of only two hands in blackjack that basic strategy recommends surrendering if surrender is an option.

With all that being said about a hard 16, why would you not split a pair of 8’s?

If you are dealt a true hard 16 (6/10 and 7/9) there is nothing that you can do about your hand. You have no choice but to face your hard 16 and play it as best you can—which usually means standing and hoping the dealer busts.

But with a pair of 8’s you do not have to play your hand as a hard 16. You have a way out. You can split your pair of 8’s by doubling your original bet and playing with two hands.

If you split an 8/8, each hand will start with an 8 and you can hit to try to build a better hand. It is like allowing your hand to have a second chance, a chance to recover and not be a hard 16.

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Pairs You Do Not Split: 10/10

On 03.01.10, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

In my previous post I discussed why you never want to split a pair of 5’s. It simply boils down to what play is in the best interest of your strategy. And blackjack strategy is all about making the best play for the situation you find yourself in.

In the case of being dealt 10/10 you have two options. You can put forward another bet and split the pair into two new hands, each starting with a 10.

On the surface this seems like a smart play to make. You will be starting both hands on solid ground. If more low cards are flowing you have somewhat of a chance of building both 10’s up to strong hands. If the cards are flowing high then you have a chance of maybe creating two strong hands.

Or you choose the other play and stand on the pair as a hard 20.

This is the better play to make. A hard 20 is one of the strongest hands to be dealt. The only way the dealer can beat you is if he has a natural blackjack or if he hits to 21. So you have pretty strong chances of winning.

If you were to split the pair you run the risk of sacrificing a strong hand for only the chance of creating hands that you might be able to build up into strong hands. But why sacrifice a strong position for one that is unsure?

While blackjack is a gambling game, it is seen as ignorant to take unnecessary risks—even when gambling. The point of having a strategy in blackjack is to make the most advantageous play to win. Splitting a pair of 10’s is not nearly as advantageous as playing the hand out as a hard 20.

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