Advanced Blackjack Strategies

If you are new to blackjack, or a veteran who wants to sharpen your skills, strategy guides are a helpful tool. However, with the growth of online casinos, the question now becomes: does my strategy need to change if I play in-person or online using my computer, smartphone or tablet?

The following advanced strategy tips are applicable to your blackjack games, regardless of which device you are using. Simple Blackjack Strategy For New & Advanced Players If you’re new to 21, the first key to becoming a pro is understanding the game. The strategy for Live Blackjack is the same as basic strategy. Multi-hand Blackjack. With no side bets and 4 decks, Multi-hand Blackjack players should follow the basic strategy guide. The minimum bet is 1 coin and the maximum is 3000. With the 2-1-2 strategy, players will win a bit more with a hot run yet not sacrifice all of their winnings. Oscar’s System – Blackjack Betting Strategies. Oscar’s System was proposed in the 1960’s in a book by mathematician Dr. It is a fairly decent system. The goal of the strategy is to win exactly one unit per series. Yet, sometimes just using basic blackjack strategy doesn’t really cut it when trying to pocket the prize. If you’d like to gain that extra edge over the casino, you’ll need to use a few advanced strategy tips to help you better your chances of winning. Below we’ve compiled a few advanced blackjack strategy tips for you to use at the casino.

The nuances of online and mobile blackjack are able to capture the essence of Blackjack through feature-rich interfaces, advanced software solutions, and responsive design technology that ensures compatibility across all the popular platforms. The following advanced strategy tips are applicable to your blackjack games, regardless of which device you are using.

Blackjack Strategy - Basic & Advanced Blackjack is a simple game to understand, but has many different strategies when it comes to winning. Here you’ll learn all about them, from Martingale to.

Simple Blackjack Strategy For New & Advanced Players

If you’re new to 21, the first key to becoming a pro is understanding the game. The basics are simple:

Players begin with two cards and must beat the dealer by getting as close to 21 without going over.
Face cards are worth 10, Aces are 1 or 11 depending on your hand, and 2-10 are worth their number value.
“Hit” is to receive another card; “stand” is to end your turn with your current amount.
Going over 21 is a bust; receiving 21 in your first two cards (A+10) is a blackjack.
A “soft hand” is a hand with an ace. For example, an ace and a 6 are a soft 17.
“Splitting” is separating your pair and matching your original bet to play an additional hand.
“Doubling” is doubling your bet and receiving one additional card. Depending on the game, this option may not always be available.
“Surrendering” is forfeiting half your bet in the beginning if you think you will lose. Depending on the game, this option may not always be available.
Insurance is betting half of your original bet when the dealer’s upcard is an ace. If the dealer has blackjack, the insurance bet pays 2 to 1.

Advanced Blackjack Strategy Tips

What is less simple is knowing when to hit, stand, double, split, or surrender. Here are some guidelines to help you start honing your skills. Below our strategy tips we also have a strategy cheat sheet for easy reference:

Single Deck Blackjack

Simple Blackjack Strategy for single-deck games, dealer stands on soft 17 (most online casinos use this format):

Pairs of 2’s if the upcard is 8-A;
Pairs of 3’s if the upcard is 9-A;
Pairs of 4’s if the upcard is 2-3 or 7-A;
Pairs of 5’s if the upcard is 10-A;
Pairs of 6’s if the upcard is 8-A;
Pairs of 7’s if the upcard is 9 or an ace;
A,2-5 if the upcard is 2-3 or 7-A;
A,6 if the upcard is 7-A;
A,7 if the upcard is 9-10;
All hands equaling 5-7;
Hands equaling 8 if the upcard is 2-4 or 7-A;
Hands equaling 9 if the upcard is 7-A;
Hands equaling 10 if the upcard is 10-A;
Hands equaling 12 if the upcard is 2-3 or 7-A;
Hands equaling 13-15 if the upcard is 7-A;
Hands equaling 16 if the upcard 7-9.

Pairs of 9’s if the upcard is 7 or 10-A;
All pairs of 10’s;
A,7 if the upcard is 2, 7-8, or an ace;
All A,8’s unless the upcard is a 6;
All A,9’s and A, 10’s;
Hands equaling 12 if the upcard is 4-6;
Hands equaling 13-16 if the upcard is 2-6;
All hands equaling 17 or more.

Pairs of 2’s if the upcard is 2-7;
Pairs of 3’s if the upcard is 2-8;
Pairs of 4’s if the upcard is 4-6;
Pairs of 6’s if the upcard is 2-7;
Pairs of 7’s if the upcard is 2-8;
All pairs of 8’s;
Pairs of 9’s if the upcard is 2-6 or 8-9;
All pairs of aces.

Pairs of 5’s if the upcard is 2-7 (if not available, hit);
A,2-5 if the upcard is 4-6 (if not available, hit);
A,6 if the upcard 2-6 (if not available, hit);
A,7 if the upcard is 3-6 (if not available, stand);
A,8 if the upcard is 6 (if not available, stand);
Hands equaling 8 if the upcard is 5-6 (if not available, hit);
Hands equaling 9 if the upcard is 2-6 (if not available, hit);
Hands equaling 10 if the upcard is 2-9 (if not available, hit);
All hands equaling 11 (if not available, hit)

Pairs of 7’s if the upcard is 10 (if not available, stand);
Hands equaling 16 if the upcard is 10-A (if not available, hit)

Mathematically, never. There’s only a 30% chance to win this bet.

Blackjack Strategy Chart for Single Deck Blackjack

This blackjack cheat sheet can be a helpful tool when familiarizing yourself with the game, and breaks down your responses to your cards in a systematic format:

Resource: Single-deck-Strategy-Chart

Multi-Deck Blackjack

Simple Blackjack Strategy for Multi-deck games, dealer stands on soft 17 (most online live dealer casinos and brick and mortar casinos use this format):

Pairs of 2’s and 3’s if the upcard 8-A;
Pairs of 4’s if the upcard is 2-4 or 7-A;
A,2 and A,3 if the upcard is 2-4 or 7-A;
A,4 and A,5 if the upcard is 2-3 or 7-A;
All hands equaling 5-8;
Hands equaling 9 if the upcard is 2 or 7-A;
Hands equaling 10 if the upcard is 10-A;
Hands equaling 11 if the upcard is an ace;
Hands equaling 12 if the upcard is 2-3 or 7-A;
Hands equaling 13 through 16 if the upcard is 7-A;

Pairs of 9’s if the upcard is 7 or 10-A;
All pairs of 10’s;
A,7 if the upcard is 2 or 7-8;
Always on A,8-10;
Hands equaling 12 if the upcard is 4-6;
Hands equaling 13-16 if the card is 2-6;
All hands equaling 17 or more.

Pairs of 2’s and 3’s if the upcard is 2-7;
Pairs of 4’s if the upcard is 5-6;
Pairs of 6’s if the upcard is 2-6;
Pairs of 7’s if the upcard is 2-7;
All pairs of 8’s;
Pairs of 9’s if the upcard is 2-9 except when it is a 7;
All pairs of aces.

Pairs of 5’s if the upcard is 2-9 (if not available, hit);
A,2 and A,3 if the upcard is 5-6 (if not available, hit);
A,4 and A,5 if the upcard is 4-6 (if not available, hit);
A,6 if the upcard is 3-6 (if not available, hit);
A,7 if the upcard is 3-6 (if not available, stand);
Hands equaling 9 if the upcard is 2-6 (if not available, hit);
Hands equaling 10 if the upcard is 2-9 (if not available, hit);
Hands equaling 11 if the upcard is 2-10 (if not available, hit).

Hands equaling 15 if the upcard is 10 (if not available, hit);
Hands equaling 16 if the upcard is 9-A (if not available, hit);
Hands equaling 17 if the upcard is an ace (if not available, stand).

Mathematically, never. There’s only a 30% chance to win this bet.

Blackjack Strategy Chart for Multi-Deck Blackjack

This specific cheat sheet contains suggested responses when engaged in multi-deck blackjack games at brick and mortar casinos or when playing live dealer blackjack online:

Resource: Multi-deck-Strategy-Chart

Teaching an old dog new tricks - BJ pros moving online

If you’re already confident in your blackjack skills in the casino and you want to move into online play, trust yourself and stick to your style of play. If you are one to small roll and grind when playing 21 in a brick and mortar casino, do not suddenly believe you can high roll your way to riches online.

Money management is just as important online as it is in-person. For the most part, trusted BJ strategies will not differ greatly between in-person and online play, so work with what got you here.

Counting cards

Blackjack strategy is synonymous with card counting. However, as many players have learned the hard way, if they catch you, brick and mortar establishments will ban you. Coupled with the amount of time and practice it takes to learn the information and the difficulties of executing it in a casino environment, card counting is not a reliable long-term strategy in blackjack.

The same is true for online blackjack: to combat card counting, the game shuffles the deck after every hand, eliminating the ability to count cards. But, if you already know how to count cards and want to continue this practice online, an option is online live dealer games.

These live dealer blackjack games give online players access to real dealers via one-way video streaming and chat but eliminate the surveillance of pit bosses and cameras. However, keep in mind that sometimes these dealers shuffle too often to make card counting very effective, typically after 4 of 8 decks or even sooner.

Talking with other players

One of the key components to brick and mortar table games is the shared experience between players. It comes as no surprise that conversation is common at the table. For newbies, this gives them a chance to learn a strategy from the pros, especially the more complicated aspects of the game like when to split. While this may be helpful for the new players, this can be annoying for experienced players and can garner unwanted attention from the dealers and pit bosses.

Online blackjack free play - an opportunity to execute your strategy

If you are afraid of bothering experienced players for their opinions or you want to learn the game without losing your money, then online, free play might be the best option for you.

With the ease of access, online, free play gives new players the chance to protect their bankroll from the comfort of their home while learning one of the most popular casino games. However, free play is not just for beginners. Seasoned BJ players can use free games to try out new betting and playing strategies, testing them out without financial risk.

The short answer is no. If you already know how to play 21, your strategy will mostly remain unchanged. If you’re new, you will learn the ropes online or in-person with minimal changes.

Usually around 0.5%, depending on the number of decks used, house rules, and the player.

What about online? In the casino, BJ games usually play with six or eight decks. Online games play with one deck and shuffle after every hand.

Card counting is legal in the United States. But this does not mean casinos will let you do it.

Once you’ve mastered the basics of blackjack, you’ll realize that your hand is not the only factor in deciding what to do when playing online blackjack. The dealer’s hand is also a critical factor. Of course, you can only see the dealer’s upcard, meaning that you are working with a limited amount of information. Many different systems have been used to work out the odds, and there are many charts available to help determine what moves should be made in every single situation. This advanced blackjack strategy section will help you understand on the elements you need to think about in each hand.

Special Rules

There are different rules that vary from game to game and really change your play strategy, so you should be careful to be aware of these rules. First, you should be aware of whether there is an early surrender rule. This is a big advantage in certain situations, so if an online casino offers a blackjack version with surrender, it will probably have a lower house edge. Late surrender is not nearly as helpful.

The second rule that varies game-by-game is whether the dealer hits or stands on a soft seventeen. It is to your advantage to play a game where the dealer must stand on soft seventeen. You should always make sure to only play at tables that pay 3:2 for blackjack. If they pay worse, then the house edge increases a lot. Another rule that can make the house edge rise radically is a rule which makes the dealer win in every tie. Don’t play at a table like that. Simply walk away. It’s better to leave with the cash in your pocket than to lose it at a rogue table.

Strategy For Regular Hard Hands

Using this basic strategy for hard hands will lower the house edge by a considerable margin.

If you hold 8 or less, always hit.
For nine, double against a dealer’s upcard of 3-6. Otherwise hit.
For tens, including a pair of fives, double against anything except a 10 or an ace. Hit against those.
For eleven, hit against anything except an ace.
For hard twelve, not including two sixes, stand against a 4,5,6. Otherwise, hit.
For hard thirteen to sixteen, stand against anything less than a seven. Hit against seven and up.
For hard seventeen and up, always stand.

Strategy For Soft Hands

When you have a soft hand (a hand that contains an ace) you should follow the strategy outlined below.

Always split a pair of aces.
A2 or A3 should double against 5 or 6. Otherwise, hit.
A4 or A5 should double against 4-6. Otherwise, hit.
A6 should double against 3-6. Otherwise, hit.
A7 should stand against 2, 7, and 8. A7 should double against 3-6. For 9, 10, or A, hit.
A8 and up should stand.

Splitting

Splitting is only an option when you are dealt 2 cards of the same value. when you do have the choice of whether or not to split, use this basic strategy.

2s and 3s should be split against 4-7. Otherwise, hit.
4s and 5s should never be split.
6-6 should be split against 3-6. Otherwise, hit.
7-7 should be split against 2-7. For 8 and up, hit.
9-9 should be split against 2-6 and 8-9. Otherwise, stand. Remember that 18 is a fairly high number.
Never split 10s.
Always split aces and eights.

If you can resplit (for example if you are dealt 2 8s, split them and then receive a 3rd 8), resplit according to the above rules. Resplitting improves your odds, so do it as much as you are allowed to.

Advanced Blackjack Strategy Table

Insurance

Advanced Blackjack Strategies

The insurance bet is a bet that the dealer will have blackjack. This is a bad bet unless you have been card-counting. Statistically speaking, it is a worse than average bet, so it should not be taken.