BlackJack Strategy

Blackjack is one of the most exciting games you'll find at online casinos. What makes blackjack so intriguing is that it involves strategies, and you can beat it. There's a reason why you'll find so many professional blackjack players. Where there are plenty of people playing other games such as slots, roulette and craps, and they win money, and have a lot of fun, it's all about the chance, and possibility of winning that makes those games fun. There's no skill involved, and it's all a roll of the dice, sometimes literally that stands between you and winning. With blackjack, there's no chance involved. You either make the right choices, or you lose.

The first thing you need to know about blackjack strategy is what the dealer must do. It makes a big difference in knowing where you can relax, and what the chances are he will bust (go over 21). In blackjack, the dealer must continue to "hit" (take a new card) until he hits 17 or better. In some casino blackjack strategy rules, the dealer may take one more hit on a soft 17 (two cards totaling 17). Aces are always 11 in a dealer's hand, where in a player's hand they can be 1 or 11 whichever is better for the player.

The reason this is important is that if the dealer has two cards that equal 14, 15 or 16, he must take another card, and his chances of going over 21 are very good. Of course, the closer to 17 he is, (or if he has a soft 17 in those rules) the more likely he will get more than 21 on the next card.

Basic Blackjack Strategy

The most basic blackjack strategy is to hit (take another card) on anything less than 12, play careful attention to where the dealer stands before hitting on 15 or better, and always stand on 18 or better. These are usually very safe bets in blackjack.

The player wins anytime his hand totals more than the dealers without going over 21. If the player hits a "natural blackjack" – when all of the cards add up to 21, he automatically wins with one exception: If both player and dealer have the same total value in cards, it is a "push" and no one wins, and no one looses. In the case of a push, you keep your money, and another hand is dealt.

If both player and dealer "bust" (go over 21), it is not a push, it is a loss for the player, and any bets are lost. The Split

A fun blackjack strategy is when you can split your hand. If you are dealt two cards of the same face value on the initial deal, you can choose to split. You do not have to split, but there are great advantages to doing so. Instead of playing one hand, you get to play two hands at the same time, and double your chances of winning. If you are dealt two equal value cards, and split, each card becomes the first card of two different hands. You will have to add another bet on the second hand. The dealer will treat each hand separately, and you will go through all the same motions, first on one hand, then the other of taking cards and stopping (stay) on each hand unless you bust and go over 21. The dealer will then play his one hand, and if either (or both) of your hands beat him, you win on one or both of them.

Doubling Down

Another fantastic blackjack strategy is to double down. You must decide to double down at the time your second card is dealt. At that time, you can judge your chances, and look at the dealer's single card to see whether you have a good chance of beating him. If his first card is very low, or very high, you have a good chance of beating him unless you bust, and can decide to double your bet before continuing on your hand. If you win, you get twice as much money from this type of bet.