Blackjack is the casino game with the lowest house edge possible – a measly 0.5%. Thanks to tight strategy, some great tips and a bit of luck, it can be the most profitable way to play in both land-based casinos and online casinos.
If you’re looking to get started with playing the great online blackjack India has to offer (or anywhere else in the world), here are a bunch of tips to get you going. Whilst some of these may be basic if you’re a seasoned player, it’s always good to brush up on skills!
Always Assume The Dealers Facedown Card Is A 10
This is a pretty basic tip, but it’s always good to remember. Always assume that the dealer has a facedown 10 or face card. Statistically, the odds of it actually being are quite high. Using this little tidbit of advice can help plan your plays and save you the agony of the dealer revealing the facedown card to be a 10/face card.
Play Your Streaks
If you find yourself on a small winning streak – winning 3 or more hands in a row – it may be wise to up your bets a little to maximize your profits for that session. Thanks to the fact you’ll have more capital to wager with, you can compound this into more profits. The same goes if you find yourself on a losing streak – simply start lowering each bet to minimize losses.
Some more general bankroll tips include always choosing an amount to play with that session, sticking to it and never placing more than 2% of your bankroll on a single bet.
Hard 11 = Double Down
You’re almost always going to get a better win if you double down your hard 11 against the upcard of the dealer instead of hitting every game – except for one instance. This is when you’re playing in a multi-deck game and the rules of that specific game state that a dealer has to stand on a soft 17. In this case, you’re ever so slightly better off hitting when you’re up against a dealer ace than doubling down your hand.
Split Aces and 8’s
A great rule to follow is to always split a pair of aces and a pair of 8’s, no matter what the dealer has as the upcard. Many players won’t split 8’s, especially when the dealer has a 9, a 10 or an ace as the upcard. This is because the player feels like they are an underdog in the situation – when in fact a pair of 8s makes you less of an underdog!
Splitting these two numbers allows you to have a higher chance of winning whilst also lowering the losses if you do lose, which makes it a no-brainer.
Never Split 10’s or 5’s
On the opposite side of the last tip, you should never split 10s or 5s. Never split 10’s is pretty much written in stone when it comes to Blackjack rules, as a 20 is a solid hand and can win more hands than splitting.
A pair of 5’s is seen as a hard 10, and taking one more card is universally better than splitting them and starting off at 5 again.
Never Take Insurance – It’s A Trap
You may have seen the insurance bet and been tempted to take it. Don’t – it’s known as the sucker bet.
The whole reason insurance bets are so frowned upon by the Blackjack community is because of the payout. It sits at 2/1, which is really not worth it considering the odds of the dealer pulling out a Blackjack.
Play With A Strategy Chart
One of the very first things you should learn when playing Blackjack is a strategy chart – such as the one invented by the so-called “four horsemen of the apocalypse.” These handy charts will tell you exactly what the best chances are to win when it comes to each and every hand.
Whilst they can be hard to learn, you can get a handy printout the size of a business card or just have a separate window open if you’re playing at an online casino.
