Posts Tagged ‘blackack tips’

The most misplayed hands in blackjack

Saturday, September 3rd, 2011

p48 blackjackThere is a wide array of possibilities of how a round of blackjack will turn out. Those who play blackjack usually rely on their basic game strategy on how they will play their cards but there are hands which are often misplayed even by the experts. Here are some examples.

Soft 17 against an upcard

A lot of players who get a soft 17 ( a hand that makes use of Ace as 11 and a 6) commit the error of standing. The common notion is that like on a hard 17, the strategy will be to stand since there is a good risk of busting in case the dealer has an upcard. But if the dealer will not have a 3 thru 6 then the chances of raking in with a 17 is very slim. So it is always a better move to hit or even double down when you have a soft 17 to up your chances of winning.

Soft 18 against Ace,, 9 or 10

Another commonly misplayed hand is a soft 18 versus an upcard Ace, 10, or 9 of the dealer. Most players tand when they get a soft or hard 18. Look at the probability though and the chances of winning against the dealer’s upcard Ace, 9, or 10 is very slim. It is true that you have a good risk of busting when you hit after getting a hard 18 but when you have soft 18 , you should always ask for more cards and try to get more than 18 .

Splitting pairs

A lot of blackjack players are not sure what to do with their pairs. Most will split their Aces and then stand when they get 10s. How about a pair of 9 or 8?

A pair of 8 is 16 so it is really risky to hit but you know that this is not good enough to win unless your dealer will go busted. So the wises move is to split the 8s when the dealer gets anything beside bust cards. Splitting 9s is also the best move when the dealer has an Ace, 10, or 9.