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.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

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.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Pairs You Do Not Split: 5/5

On 02.24.10, In Blackjack Strategy, By Vivi

Many novice blackjack players do not always know what to do when they are dealt a pair. Should they play it as a hard hand or split it?

While a basic strategy chart can easily tell a player which way to play a pair, sometimes it helps to understand why a particular play should be made.

There are some pairs that you do not split. In those cases it is more advantageous to play them as a hard hand. A pair of 5’s is such a pair.

The reason that you do not want to split this pair is that its total as a hard hand is 10. And hard 10’s are advantageous to double down on. They are also half of 21. And while you cannot receive a 3-2 payout for a three card 21, it will still beat everything the dealer has unless he has a natural blackjack.

But the main reason not to split a pair of 5’s is because of its double down potential.

In a $10 game in which you split a pair of fives you have $20 on the line on two separate hands. If you win both hands you would be paid $40. But if you only won one hand you would be paid $20 on that hand and lose the other $10, breaking even in effect.

And it would be difficult to hit a 5 and build another good hand, let alone two good hands.

But if you were to keep the pair together and doubled down, yes, you would still have $20 on the line, but if you won you would be paid $40 without the worry of breaking even that is found in pair splitting.

This is why it is more advantageous to keep the two 5’s together and double down on them. You have a greater potential to win a larger amount. And that is the point of strategy, to find the best way to win the most and hang on to the money you already have.

Tagged with: • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

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.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

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.

Tagged with: • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

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.

Tagged with: • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

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.

Tagged with: • • • • • •
 
1 Comments
Leave A Response

Breaking Into Blackjack

On 11.17.09, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, Uncategorized, By Vivi

Learning a new game can be a bit daunting. Then sitting down and playing it with seasoned players can make for some fear and avoidance of the game.

Blackjack can be like this. It is not uncommon to find slots players in casinos that would love to play blackjack, but they will not. They are afraid. They are afraid of making a mistake or not playing well.

And given how some seasoned players will berate novice players for making a mistake it is no wonder that novice players and even potential players are a bit nervous about playing.

But this can be overcome. You just need to build up your confidence is all.

This can be done with practice and basic strategy.

The easiest place to start is in the beginning, by learning the basic rules of blackjack. Learn what each play and how a round is played. Then practice playing in an online casino’s free play mode. That is one of the advantages found in the rise of online casinos—players can play for free so that they can learn a new game and to practice.

The real key to building your confidence as a novice blackjack player is basic strategy. This is a chart with the best statistical plays for every hand against every dealer up card. And it is perfectly legal to use in casino both land based and online.

All you have to do in regards to basic strategy is make the play that it tells you to based on what the dealer’s up card is. It is that simple. You may not win every hand, but you will win more hands playing with the chart than without it.

Since basic strategy is regarded as the best way to play in most cases you will not have to worry about seasoned players complaining about how you play your hand. And remember, it is your money and your hand—you do not have to play how another player tells you to.

Tagged with: • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Perfect Basic Strategy

On 11.06.09, In Blackjack Strategy, Online Blackjack, Uncategorized, By Vivi

It is possible to play perfect basic strategy. And you will want to play as such as it will benefit your odds. This is your best chance when playing blackjack to bring the odds as close to even as possible.

Blackjack usually carries a house edge ranging from 2% to 5%. If you play perfect basic strategy, you can narrow that edge to 0.5%. But you must play it perfectly.

When you are looking at a basic strategy chart you are looking at the best statistical odds for every single hand of blackjack against any card the dealer may have up. Basic Strategy can also be used when playing online blackjack as well.

Playing perfect basic strategy means playing your hand exactly as the chart dictates to. This sounds easier than it is, especially when it you have a stiff hand. But in most cases this will be easy to do. Just look at your chart and look to see what the best possible move is against the dealer’s upcard. Then do it. Do not question it.

It is when you question the play dictated that you reverse your odds. For a hand value of 13 versus a dealer’s 4, you are told stand. But your mind tells you that you would be better off hitting because there is no way for you to win. But consider this. The dealer will of course hit, and keep hitting. The dealer has a better chance of busting than you do if you hit.

Basic strategy will only drop the house edge to 0.5% if you play every move according to the chart. Bare in mind that you will not win every single hand. Basic strategy does not guarantee a win every time—casinos would have banned it if it did.

But it does give you much better odds, meaning you will win more often playing with the chart than without playing with it. But it only works if, regardless of whether you won or lost a hand, if you stick with it and keep following it.

Tagged with: • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response
Go To Top »