How to Win in Blackjack?
Did you know that you can win every blackjack game by playing optimally? In all casino games, odds are in favor of the “house”. The only exception is blackjack: If you use the right strategy, you can convert the RTP rates to positive. In other words, it is possible to literally beat the casino. In this article, we will talk about how you can do this. But remember that no matter how much research you make, you learn best by practicing. Try the following tactics and strategies in free blackjack games before trying your luck with real money.
Rules of Blackjack
Blackjack is not a game with complicated rules, but you need time to master. It is played against a dealer, and there can be more than one player. Casinos use 8 decks to prevent counting cards. The dealer starts the game and gives 2 cards to each player. He gets 2 cards for himself. According to the variant you are playing, one of the dealer’s cards may be visible.
The goal of both sides is to reach a total of 21 points. Every card in the deck has a point value. You can see them in the table below:
Card | Point Value |
Ace | 1 or 11 (choice is up to player) |
King, Queen, Jack (Face Cards) | 10 |
All others | Face value |
Based on the point value of the first two cards you receive, you need to determine your next move. If you cannot reach 21 points, it is enough to reach a higher point than the dealer. The important thing is not to pass 21 points. Otherwise, you lose. (This is called a “bust.”) The options you can use are:
- Hit: It means you want another card.
- Stand: It means you do not want another card.
- Double: If you trust the cards in your hand, you can double the bet.
- Split: If the first 2 cards belong to the same suit, you can split them in half and play each one as a separate hand.
These options are offered as standard on every blackjack game. Depending on the variant you are playing, you can also see other options such as surrender and insurance.
After the player makes his decision, it is the dealer’s turn. Dealer continues to draw cards until he reaches 2 points or a total higher than the player. At the end, the cards get compared, and the party with the highest score is the winner. Blackjack pays 3: 2 for 21 points and 1: 1 for all other points. The only exception is the insurance bet with a 2: 1 payout ratio. If you play optimally, the house edge is down to 0.13%. But for an optimal game, you need to use some basic tactics and strategies.
Best Strategies to Win
Best way to play blackjack is analyzing the table. To do this, you first need to be aware of the probability calculations. Let’s start by taking a look at the table below:
Value | Probability of a Bust (if you take one more card) |
1 – 11 | 0% |
12 | 31% |
13 | 39% |
14 | 56% |
15 | <58% |
16 | 62% |
17 | 69% |
18 | 77% |
19 | 85% |
20 | 92% |
According to this table, 17 points are considered “sweet spot”. At higher scores, you are more likely to lose. This is the first tactic you should use: If you have 17 points, do not ask for more cards. In this context, here is the ideal move table according to the amount of points in your hand:
Total Points | Best Choice |
4 – 8 | Hit |
9 – 11 | Double, Hit |
12 – 16 | Stand or Hit (depends on the remaining cards in the deck) |
17 – + | Stand |
As you can see, the real “problem” lies in the 12-16 points range. Because, in all the remaining totals, it is obvious what the ideal move is. Before giving the hit or stand decision for the range of 12-16 points, you need to estimate how many cards have been left on the deck. For this, you have to be able to count cards at a basic level. If the number of high-point cards is low, “hit” will be a better choice. If you are having difficulty with this, you can get help from an online blackjack calculator to see what the ideal move will be.