| Updated: There are many complex strategies and counting systems that can help players increase their chances of winning at blackjack, but less experienced players often struggle to understand the basic and most important aspects of the game. After learning the rules, some novices head to the nearest casino, where they may easily lose their entire bankroll by following bad advice.
Most blackjack players, including beginners, probably know some obvious precautions, such as avoiding drinks at the blackjack table and not using a credit card for gambling. However, there are also widespread myths about the game of Twenty-One that many people still believe, even though these ideas have repeatedly been proven false. The article below includes some basic tips for beginners: how to start playing blackjack, how to play certain hands, what to avoid, and more. We have also included a few essential money-management tips that can help casino gamblers, whether they play blackjack, roulette, or slot machines.
Basic Tips for Blackjack Players
Hollywood movies often depict casino gambling as an easy way to win at the blackjack table, but in reality strictly following a strategy – not to mention counting cards – is challenging. Here are a few basic steps to follow when entering the world of blackjack.
Learn the Game
Manage Your Bankroll Know When to Quit Avoid Progressive Betting SystemsLearn the Game
Learning the fundamentals of the game is essential. Under traditional rules, blackjack is played with 1 to 8 standard decks of cards. Each player initially receives 2 cards, while the dealer gets one card face-up and another face-down. The objective is to beat the dealer by getting blackjack, which consists of an Ace and a 10-value card, or by reaching a total as close to 21 as possible without exceeding it. Cards from 2 through 10 count at face value, Jacks, Queens, and Kings count as 10, and Aces can count as 1 or 11.
Players may request additional cards or stand with the hand they already have. They can also double their bet, split a pair, or surrender their hand and forfeit half of the bet. The correct decision for each situation can be found on strategy charts available at casinos and online. These simple charts outline the basic strategy for each blackjack variation. The recommended moves depend on the specific rules of the game, the player’s cards, and the dealer’s upcard.
The best tactic for beginners is to memorize a strategy chart and practice it by playing blackjack online. Most online casinos offer both real-money and free-play modes. A few rounds will not be enough, however. Players should be comfortable applying the strategy before wagering real money.
Manage Your Bankroll
Once blackjack players are confident in their knowledge of the game, they should focus on another crucial aspect of casino gambling: bankroll management. A bankroll is the fixed amount of money set aside exclusively for playing blackjack. Many recreational players lose large sums in a short time because they gamble with all of their available funds. Setting aside a specific amount for blackjack and never wagering money you cannot afford to lose is essential.
Another effective tactic is to set limits for winnings and losses per session and stop playing once you reach either limit. Beginners should also determine the size of their bet per hand. Sticking to the table minimum can help a bankroll last longer, even if the player loses most hands.
Experienced casino players also recommend adjusting the bet size to the bankroll. For example, if the bankroll for one session is $300, dividing it by 100 hands produces a bet size of $3 per hand. This approach can limit potential losses, although it does not eliminate risk.
Know When to Quit
A common mistake, even among seasoned players, is trying to recoup losses by wagering more while continuing to play the same way, often with a poor strategy. This usually leads to even greater losses. To avoid this trap, players should know when to quit. Many gambling guides advise quitting while you are still ahead. Although this is sound advice, few players manage to control their spending habits in practice.
The concept of winning and losing streaks is also frequently misunderstood. Some players believe that they are destined to win after a losing streak, but a sequence of past results does not predict the outcome of the next hand. Players who choose blackjack games with favorable rules and apply basic strategy correctly should not worry about perceived streaks. Instead, they should focus on making the correct decision on every hand.
Avoid Progressive Betting Systems
Relying on progressive betting systems is a poor choice. These systems involve adjusting the stake based on whether the previous hand won or lost. Such progressions are fundamentally flawed and can be very risky. Under the Martingale system, for example, players double their bet after every loss. Losing five consecutive hands with an initial bet of $5 would result in a total loss of $155, clearly illustrating the risk involved.
A more informed approach for skilled advantage players is to increase the bet when more high cards than low cards remain in the dealer’s shoe. This is one of the basic principles of card counting and advantage play in blackjack. Several relatively simple counting systems can help players estimate the ratio of high to low cards in the shoe.
Playing Basic Strategy
Unlike games such as roulette, where you simply guess the winning number, blackjack offers mathematically right and wrong ways to play each hand. By analyzing the probability of specific cards being dealt, researchers have identified the optimal decision in every situation. These decisions can vary depending on rule differences among blackjack games – for instance, whether the dealer must draw on a soft 17 (Ace plus 6).
As a rule, players should always draw another card (Hit) when holding hard totals of 11 or less. A hard hand contains no Ace, or an Ace that can count only as 1. If the Ace can count as 11 without busting, the hand is considered soft. Players should also Hit on soft totals of 17 or less.
When holding a strong hand, players should Stand and play their two cards against the dealer. Specifically, they should always Stand on hard 17 or higher and on soft 19 or higher. They should refuse additional cards on hard 12 against a dealer 4-6; against other dealer upcards they should Hit. Similarly, players should Stand on hard 13-16 against a dealer 2-6 – otherwise they should Hit. Basic strategy also advises Standing on soft 18, except against a dealer 9, 10, or Ace.
These are the fundamentals of Hitting and Standing, but players have additional options. They can Double Down, Split pairs, or Surrender under certain conditions. Below, we outline the specific situations in which each action is correct.
When You Should Split Pairs When You Should Double Down When to Surrender Don’t Buy InsuranceWhen You Should Split Pairs
Splitting is available when the player receives a pair, meaning two cards of the same denomination, such as a Queen of hearts and a Queen of spades. Some games also allow unlike 10-value cards, such as a Queen and a Jack, to be split. Players can usually make up to 3 splits per round, although some games allow only one.
- Always split Aces and 8s.
- Never split 5s and 10s.
- Split 2s and 3s against a dealer 4-7; also split them against a 2 or 3 if doubling after a split (DAS) is allowed.
- Split 4s against a dealer 5-6 only if DAS is allowed.
- Split 6s against a dealer 3-6; also split them against a 2 if DAS is allowed.
- Split 7s against a dealer 2-7.
- Split 9s against a dealer 2-6 or 8-9.
When You Should Double Down
When players choose to double down, they double their bet and receive exactly one additional card. Most casinos allow doubling after a split, but some games restrict this option.
- Double hard 9 against a dealer 3-6.
- Double hard 10 except against a dealer 10 or Ace.
- Double hard 11 except against a dealer Ace.
- Double soft 13-14 against a dealer 5-6.
- Double soft 15-16 against a dealer 4-6.
- Double soft 17-18 against a dealer 3-6.
When to Surrender
Knowing when to surrender is also important. This option is not always available, and casinos set different conditions for using it. Typically, players are given the option to surrender their hand and forfeit half of their bet when the dealer shows an Ace or a 10-value card. The precise conditions vary between games.
Surrendering may sometimes seem safer than risking the entire stake, but some players overuse the move. It should be considered only in the following situations:
- Surrender hard 16, except a pair of 8s, against a dealer 9, 10, or Ace.
- Surrender hard 15 against a dealer 10.
Don’t Buy Insurance
Players are sometimes offered insurance, which is a controversial topic among blackjack players and researchers. This option is available when the dealer shows an Ace. It is based on the possibility that the hole card is a 10-value card, which would complete a blackjack. Although there are more 10-value cards than cards of any other denomination, a dealer blackjack is far from guaranteed.
In fact, the odds are approximately 9 to 4 against the dealer having blackjack, meaning that insurance will lose more often than it wins. When the dealer has blackjack, the insurance payout generally offsets the original wager because the insurance bet costs half of the original stake and pays 2:1. Overall, insurance is considered a poor bet and should be avoided unless the player is an exceptionally skilled card counter.
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Beware of Gambler’s Myths
Blackjack players are generally logical, strategic, and rational, yet dozens of superstitious beliefs persist in gambling, many of which can be overheard at the blackjack table. Novices can easily become confused by unfounded theories and concepts that range from mere speculation to outright falsehoods. Below are several common gambling myths that blackjack players should always view with skepticism.
”Hot” and “Cold” Dealers Players Due to Win Good and Bad Betting Positions Avoid Continuous Shuffling Machines”Hot” and “Cold” Dealers
The concept of “hot” and “cold” dealers and tables is pure superstition. If everyone at a table appears to be losing, it says nothing about the table or the dealer. The results may reflect poor decisions, house-favorable rules, or a short sequence of losses. Dealers must follow the house rules and have no discretion over how they play their hands.
Likewise, believing that a favorite dealer or table can bring good luck is misguided. Players who improve their long-term blackjack results do so by applying optimal strategy and possibly tracking the cards in the shoe, not by relying on luck. Lucky charms are equally ineffective. By contrast, strategy charts can be useful both online and in land-based casinos.
Players Due to Win
This myth is closely related to the concept of winning and losing streaks. Some players believe that after several losses they are “due” to win, a notion more common among slot machine or roulette players. In reality, these games produce random outcomes, and perceived streaks are simply patterns that players identify in those outcomes.
In blackjack, the result of each round is also influenced by the player’s decisions, which is why relying on perceived streaks is unproductive. Believing that you are due to win is equally illogical, especially when using a progressive betting system.
Good and Bad Betting Positions
Seat selection is the subject of another widespread blackjack myth. Some players refuse to sit at the so-called “first base,” while others insist that the third-base seat is the most important because its occupant acts last. You may even hear claims that another player took the dealer’s bust card or your winning card, but it is impossible to know which card will be dealt next.
Such concerns are irrelevant when playing online blackjack in a solo, computer-dealt game. In a land-based casino, players who act last can see which cards have already been dealt to the other players. This provides information about the cards remaining in the shoe that a card counter may incorporate into the count.
Avoid Continuous Shuffling Machines
Many players recommend avoiding tables with continuous shuffling machines (CSMs) because the dealer regularly returns used cards to the shuffler. This process ensures continuous randomization of the cards and eliminates any practical advantage gained through card counting.
However, most blackjack players are not card counters, and many people who attempt to count cards are unsuccessful. Players who rely on basic strategy do not need to worry about whether the casino uses a CSM or a regular automatic shuffling machine. Continuous randomization does not change their basic strategy decisions. CSMs are also expensive and are not used by every casino.