Very early on in the career of any punter, they realize that there are more merits than demerits to having a betting strategy. However, as they soon discover, it isn’t enough to have a betting strategy; you need to have one that works well consistently. When it comes to playing blackjack today, there are few strategies more relied on as heavily as the basic blackjack strategy. Look below for things you need to know about this system.
Understanding The Basic Blackjack Strategy
Don’t let the name trick you because sometimes blackjack strategy can be remarkably complicated. One primary reason for this might be that it strives to account for many different scenarios. As such, it becomes easily convoluted.
Factors To Remember When Using The Basic Strategy
While its efficacy is not in doubt, it mentions how well it works can change drastically if even one variable isn’t properly accounted for. With this in mind, some things you should always have locked down if you plan to use this betting system are;
- The rules of the blackjack you’re playing.
- What is the dealer’s upcard is.
- The availability of the option to double or split bets as the situation may warrant.
- The value of the hand they have.
With these out of the way, we can now delve into the basic blackjack strategy in its purest form.
Playing The Basic Strategy In Blackjack
Here’s a simple guideline you can follow to use this well-touted betting system in blackjack.
- Always double down when holding a 10 or 11, and the dealer’s holding an upcard less than the value of what you have in hand. The same principle applies if you’re holding a nine and your dealer has an upcard between 2 and 6.
- When you have a hand less than 11, always hit.
- Always stand in cases when you’re holding hard hands 17 to 21.
- When holding hard hands with a value from 12 to 16, make sure you stand if the dealer’s showing a value of 6 or lower. However, you would need to hit hard 12 if you find yourself against the 2 or 3 of your dealer.
- Always hit when you’re holding soft hands of 15 and below.
- Always stand when you’re holding soft hands of 19 or above.
- Consider hitting hard against a seven or higher in cases where you have soft hands between 16 to 18.
- Split when you have Aces or eight cards.
- Cards you should never split include 10s, 5s, and 4s.
- Only split with other pairs if your dealer has a 6 card or lower.
- Do not take insurance. It is one of the poorest moves you could make, even when you aren’t using basic blackjack strategy.
Bottom Line
When using this strategy, always be sure to take stock of the game’s flow. That way, it becomes easier to adapt your gameplay, secure your stake and make a win. As is only to be expected, executing this system effectively from the get-go won’t be a cakewalk. Because of this, we suggest you practice and master it with play money here before you start using it for real.
