Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack is one of the only casino games where your decisions have an effect on your chances of winning. Blackjack strategy is based on the mathematics of the game. Even knowing just basic strategy, you can reduce the house edge to just 0.5%, so it is definitely something worth considering.

The first thing to consider, always assume the dealer’s hole card is a 10. Why? Because there are more cards with a value of 10 (10, J, Q, K) compared to any other values. In Blackjack, 16 of 52 cards in each standard deck have a value of 10.
Following is a basic online blackjack strategy guide that covers what you should do in any given situation.

Playing Hard Hands

A hard hand is two starting cards that do not contain an ace.
If you have eight or less, always hit.
If you have nine: Double if the dealer has 3 thru 6 – otherwise hit.
If you have ten : Double if the dealer has 2 thru 9 – otherwise hit.
If you have eleven: Double if the dealer has 2 thru 10, hit if dealer has Ace.
If you have twelve: Hit if the dealer has 2 or 3, stand if the dealer has 4 thru 6, otherwise hit.
If you have 13- 16: Stand if the dealer has2 thru 6, otherwise hit.
If you have 17 – 21: Always Stand.

Playing Soft Hands

A soft hand is when one of your starting hands contains an ace.
If you have Ace 2 or Ace 3: Double if the dealer has 5 or 6 – otherwise hit.
If you have Ace 4 or Ace 5: Double if the dealer has 4 thru 6 – otherwise hit.
If you have Ace 6: Double if the dealer has 3 thru 6 – otherwise hit.
If you have Ace 7: Stand if the dealer has 2, 7 or 8. Double if the dealer has 3 thru 6. Otherwise hit.
If you have Ace 8 or Ace 9: Always stand.

Playing Pairs

If you have a pair of Aces or eights: Always split.
If you have a pair of twos or threes: Split if the dealer has 2 – 7, otherwise hit.
If you have a pair of fours: Split if the dealer has 5 or 6 – otherwise hit.
If you have a pair of fives: Double if the dealer has 2 thru 9 – otherwise hit.
If you have a pair of sixes: Split if the dealer has 2 thru 6 – otherwise hit.
If you have a pair of sevens: Split 2 thru 7 – otherwise hit.
If you have a pair of nines: Split 2 thru 6, and 8 or 9. Stand if the dealer has 7, 10 or an Ace.
If you have a pair of tens: Always stand.

Other things to consider

Unless you are counting cards, avoid insurance. It’s almost always a sucker bet. When the dealer’s up card is an Ace, he will offer insurance – you can bet up to half your original bet at this point. For the casual player employing basic blackjack strategy, just ignore insurance – it’s a sucker bet.
Your online blackjack strategy will differ only in that there is no real way to track cards. Otherwise, the basic strategy is the same.

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is to manage your money wisely. Make it a rule to never sit at a table with a minimum bet larger than 1/20 of your bankroll, and your money will last a lot longer.