Blackjack Strategy

The basic strategies of blackjack include understanding when to take insurance, hit, stand, double down, split and surrender. Unfortunately, nothing is really "basic" about all of this. It is actually a whole set of different rules stemming from statistical analysis. This means that, for every card combination, basic strategies are the moves that can give you the best chances of winning some money as more time goes by.

Basic strategies are highly effective when all the rules are consistently and strictly adhered to. For instance, doubling down and splitting are on the same level of importance in blackjack as standing and hitting are.

Now, the most vital deciding factor in each hand's strategy would be the up card of the dealer, so make sure you look at it long and hard before doing anything else.

If your hand is an 11 or lower, you can hit safely; don't worry about busting. However, these hands can be doubled down or split sometimes.

Also keep in mind that if you get an Ace, it is possible to think of it as a value of 11 or 1, so you can change this as you play.

If you have 17 or higher, do not hit. There is only one exception for this: soft 17s, where there is an Ace in your hand.

Standing and Hitting

The basic strategies for standing and hitting are as follows:

  • Hit when under 12
  • Stand with anything higher than 16

Between 12 and 16, you have to:

  • Hit when the card of the dealer is between a 7 and an Ace that counts as 11
  • Stand when the dealer has a value under 7

Soft Value Standing and Hitting

Values are considered soft when an Ace is involved since it can count as a 1 or an 11.

So, if there is an Ace making up your soft value:

  • Hit when your total is equal to or under 17
  • Double when your total is equal to or under 17 and your dealer holds a 4 or a 5
  • Stand when your total is a 19 or a 20

Double Downs

Basic strategies on deciding when you should double down are as follows:

  • Do not double with hands that are lower than 8
  • Double down with an 11
  • With a 10, only double down when the dealer holds a value between 2 and 9.

Splits

Basic rules when it comes to splitting:

  • Split Aces and 8s
  • Do not split cards with a value of 10, 4s, and 5s