Blackjack is one of the world’s most popular card games to play. It is easy and fast to get to grips with, allowing even beginners the ability to take up this game relatively quickly. Unlike poker, where rules and strategy form a highly complex game which can take years to fully understand, blackjack is simpler to understand and develop personal strategies. If you’re looking to make your blackjack game more profitable, then there are a few considerations that you should take under advisement, regardless of whether you want to maximize bets or develop a new strategy.
1. Do Your Research
Like all other games, it is very important when you’re playing blackjack to have done your research first. You should fully understand the game and applicable rules to ensure that you don’t make costly mistakes. Blackjack is a major revenue winner for online casinos, and this is largely due to player error. And, by understanding the game, you’ll ensure that you can have an error free game to maximize your success.
2. Select the Appropriate Gaming Spot
When you’re playing online blackjack it is essential that you find the right place to play. For beginners this is especially important, as you don’t want to be playing at tables where everyone else has far more experience. Avoid games which cost over 5% of your bankroll to enter, so if you have under $20, do not play in games which cost $1 to enter.
3. Remember 17’s Value
It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of blackjack, but it’s important that you remember that you can win with less than 17. If the dealer holds 16 in their hand they legally have to draw another card. This could be an ace, offering them the chance to make a winning hand of 17 if you’ve stayed with a smaller total.
4. Remember Blackjack’s Card Values
If you regularly play table games, then it’s important to ensure that you don’t get card values muddled. In blackjack, cards between two and nine hold their face value. The picture cards of Jack, Queen, King are all valued at 10, whilst the Ace can be used as both a one or an 11.
5. The All Important Ace
The Ace can be a crucial card in your blackjack game, and it is an important piece of your arsenal. Worth both one and 11, it is vital that you remember its versatility so that you can play it accordingly. It can make poor hands suddenly become winners with the simple alteration of a value, and forgetting to utilize your Ace as best you can is a major error.
6. Develop a Blackjack Card Value Strategy
Strategy is a key principle in blackjack as whilst it is chance which cards you get, it is your decisions which determine the final win. It is important to hold good knowledge of a few hand circumstances, offering yourself some obvious choices to play if you’re not willing to take risks. Picture cards and a seven are an obvious stick point, providing you with 17 and offering a win if the dealer hits at 16 and goes bust as a result. However, if 11 is held, you should take another hit. This is essential as, with more tens in the pack than other cards, the odds are in your favor to get a picture card and make blackjack with 21
7. Assess Your Hand
When the cards are first dealt, it’s important to assess your hand and not make rash decisions before accurately calculating a number of possibilities. As mentioned, having some obvious choices to make is crucial so that you don’t have to worry about risks on specific hand values. However, if you have Aces or picture cards, it’s the ideal time to deliberate making a risky move and possibly seeing a blackjack win.
8. Maximize Your Winning Chances
Never forget that your ultimate aim should be to reach 21. Whilst you can often win without reaching this figure, a lapse in concentration could see you thinking you have the upper hand with 19 only to find that the dealer has outstripped you. Play to gain 21, whilst also being conservative in your hand hits to ensure that you don’t go bust too quickly. If you have a low scoring hand, be ready to continue taking hits. But, bear in mind the maximum 10 value which could easily see your winning hand lose.
9. When to ‘Hit’
Blackjack only has two options, that to ‘stand’, or that to ‘hit’. When being dealt, the chances of gaining each card value are undetermined, but your strategy is key once your cards are known. Choosing the ‘stand’ option will see you dealt no more cards, with you having to rely that those in your hand are enough to win the game, or at very least, stop you from going bust. Alternatively, you can take a ‘hit’ as many times as you wish. However, the closer your hand value edges towards 21, the more risky your gameplay becomes. Dealers must ‘hit’ if they’re under 16 and ‘stand’ at 17, so it makes sense that you also follow these rules in a bid to win.
10. Use Betting Returns
The rules of winning in blackjack are fairly simple, as are the rules of the game. You can use betting returns to your advantage, utilizing the knowledge that they provide to guide you on which hands to take risks on, and which not too. For hands where you and the dealer have the same card value, your bet is returned and you lose nothing. If you win against the dealer for any value under 21, normal betting returns offer a like for like win. This means that if you placed $10, you’d win your bet and an additional $10 back. Meanwhile, if you’re lucky enough to hit blackjack, average payouts are 3:2, giving you $15 in winnings if you placed $10, along with your original bet being returned.