Blackjack Strategy Guide
With its reputation as having the lowest house edge in the casino, blackjack has enjoyed immense popularity for years. Entire books have been written on blackjack strategy but if you're looking for a quick primer to basic blackjack strategy, you've come to the right place.
The first thing I want to talk about is card counting. The thing about card counting is that it's not as easy as it sounds on TV. There's actually a lot of work that goes into it. It requires intense concentration and the casinos are good at spotting card counters. In addition to that, you need to master basic blackjack strategy before attempting to learn how to count cards.
Basic Blackjack Strategy
Basic blackjack strategy isn't incredibly complicated but it does require quite a bit of memorization. Most casinos will gladly give you a strategy card so if you can learn how to read those, you don't need to memorize a thing!
When you have a blackjack strategy card, the only thing you need to know is how to use it. There are quite a few blackjack variations out there, each with its own rules for, so make sure you find the right strategy card for the particular blackjack game you want to play.
Most blackjack strategy cards use the following abbreviations to save space:
S = Stand
H = Hit
P = Split
D = Double Down (if allowed, otherwise hit)
D/S = Double Down (if allowed, otherwise stand)
H/P = Split (if allowed to double afterwards, otherwise hit)
H/R = Surrender (if allowed, otherwise hit)
Your strategy card will have a list of potential hands running down the left column of the card and a list of dealer's cards running across the top row of the card. All you have to do is look for your hand, look for the dealer's up-card and then find the spot on the grid where they intersect. Inside that box you'll see one of the above abbreviations telling you what the best move is.
Play Blackjack at Winpalace Casino - Our #1 Rated Blackjack Site
These strategy cards will help you lower the house edge but that doesn't mean they're guaranteed to make you a winner every time you step foot in the casino. Some players get frustrated because they purchase a strategy card, follow it and still lose on their first night.
Blackjack Card for Multiple Deck, Dealer Stands on Soft 17:
Don't become discouraged if you experience poor results when using the proper blackjack strategy. The house edge is small, but it does exist so you'll likely go through wild swings in the short run.
Your goal while playing with blackjack strategy cards should be to learn the strategy by heart. Get to the point where you can make the strategically correct move every single time without even thinking about it. When you get to that point, you'll be in a much better position to try to learn to count cards.
Card Counting in Blackjack
Before you get started in card counting, you really need to have this basic blackjack strategy memorized. Card counting is extremely difficult because you have to combine a mathematically perfect blackjack strategy with a knowledge of the cards, the current count and how much you need to bet.
What makes it even more difficult is that you have to do all this while looking completely relaxed and natural. If a casino suspects you of card counting, they may ask you to leave. Other casinos won't ask you to leave but they'll send down floor personnel to either give you ugly looks or employees dressed as civilians charged with the mission of striking up conversation with you to break your concentration.
Major modern casinos employ sophisticated measures to identify card counters. Modern technology can now scan every card, analyze every bet and tell if you're card counting by those factors alone. Therefore you should do your card counting at smaller, less advanced venues.
Basic Blackjack Card Counting System: Hi-Lo
This is the most basic card counting system and is therefore the one you should learn first. If you know how to add and subtract single digit numbers, you should be able to master this system with a little work.
The difficult thing about this system isn't learning how it works - that's the easy part. What makes it difficult is that you have to keep track of multiple things at once and look completely natural the entire time.
When you sit at a blackjack table using a fresh deck of cards, you begin the count at 0. For every card that you see dealt, you will either add 1 to the count, subtract 1 from the count or leave the count alone.
You'll need to memorize this basic chart:
So the count starts at zero and for every card you see dealt, you will add or subtract from that count as determined by this chart. Cards are dealt quickly at a blackjack table so you'll want to practice this at home first. It's easy to lose track of your count.
Now just remember that the higher the count becomes, the better your chances of winning the next hand become. The lower the count become, the lower your chances of winning the next hand become.
So when the count is low, you will want to place smaller bets. When the count is high, you will want to place higher bets. This isn't a full proof system but it will give you a slight advantage in the game.
Your advantage will still be small, however, so don't be surprised when you go through major ups and downs in the short run. Only after thousands of hands will you see a clear pattern emerge.
Again, don't become discouraged if you use this system and it results in a major loss on your first night trying it. That's really not too far-fetched because the odds are only slightly in your favor. It takes time for the results to even out so be patient and keep a large bankroll.
Ready to Play Blackjack?
If you are ready to put this strategy to use, we suggest Winpalace Casino. You can play some of the best blackjack at Cherry Red Casino. They are running a huge blackjack promotion giving you a 100% bonus on your first 10 deposits! Simply sign up here to take advantage of this special offer.
Make sure to check out our best online blackjack sites if you would like additional rankings and more information about what makes each site a top choice.