Blackjack by DC

Many casinos offer the option to double up on a single hit card. Some of us look to divine inspiration on when to double up, others use a lucky charm, I myself like to use mathematics.

There are some hard and fast rules about when to Double Down. They are as follows.

If you have 11 you can double. There is a 30% chance of making 21 and no way to bust out. If you do make 21 the dealer can only beat you with a Blackjack and even then you’ll have your money returned.

If you have a hand of 10 you can double. The odds of winning are similar to that of if you have 11 and you have no chance of going bust.

If you have 7/8/9 don’t double. As tempting as it is that you might make 17, 18, 19 or even 20 it is unlikely. Any card other than a 10 will leave you with a vulnerable hand. The only exception to this is if you have a nine and the dealer had a low (2-6) up card and thus has a good chance of going bust.

If you have 12 or more DON’T DOUBLE. As tempting as it may be when you see the dealer has a card that means he is likely to go bust. You also have a high chance of busting and losing out.

What you must remember with Doubling Down is that you can only have one further card.

I would stress that doubling up can also affect the effectiveness of your betting strategy. Especially if you are using the Paroli or Martingale system. You should make the decisions about when you are going to Double Down and stick to them so you don’t click the double button on a whim.

Blackjack is all about the maths. You can’t bluff, cheat or hustle in blackjack you just have to know the most favourable play in each situation. Really clever bods have run computer simulations to establish the best possible strategy to use in blackjack, and this is commonly referred to as Basic Strategy. Sticking rigidly to the basic strategy will reduce the houses edge.

It is basic because it is basic. You just follow the chart. No really it is that simple.

The Basic Strategy chart for a single deck game is slightly different than the Basic Strategy chart for a multi-deck game. A good blackjack player knows the Basic Strategy charts inside and out. If you are playing on line have them handy to refer to at all times. Below is a basic guide suitable for a beginner. As you get more accomplished you should read more about card counting and what to do in more complicated situations; like pairs and playing with different numbers of decks.

Please remember that the Basic Strategy is a guide. It is the mathematical solution to what to do in each situation but it is not going to make you win all the time. (If you find something that does let me know!) A basic strategy just reduces the house edge to give you a fighting chance.

Hard Totals

Soft Totals (Ace is either 1 or 11)

Action: H = Hit S = Stand D = Double