The ideal Blackjack strategy is to treat every card that isn’t dealt as a 10 point card. The reason for this is simple, with 4 times as many 10 point cards in the deck, the odds are the next card will be worth 10 points.
This means that if you have 12 points showing and the dealer has 6 points, you should stand. Ideally, the dealer will draw turn over its face-down card, revealing a 10, for a total of 16 points, and have to hit. If the card is a 10, the dealer will bust, instead of you busting at 22 points.
It should go without saying that this strategy isn’t perfect, but in the long run, it can help answer you decide whether to hit or stand.
Some of the other basic strategies that you should consider during a game are:
Split
When you’re dealt a matching pair, the tendency is to split the cards. However, this isn’t always a good strategy, and you should look at both your cards and the dealers. If your odds of winning are great, a pair of 10’s, for example, do you want to ruin that by splitting? Another scenario that splitting isn’t recommended is when the dealer is showing an A.
Your Hand | When to Split vs the Dealer |
2's, 3's | 4 through 7 |
4's, 5's, 10's | Never |
6's | 3 through 6 |
7's | 2 through 7 |
8's | Always |
9's | 2 through 6 and 8 or 9 |
Ace's | Always |
Double
Doubling down seems like a good idea, based on the above strategy. If you have 9 points, double your bet and get one more card, which could very well be a 10, giving you a total of 19 points. Although, in reality, it’s not that simple. Once again, take a look at the dealer’s cards. If it's showing a 9, 10, or A, then it would be wise to play out your hand without doubling the wager.
Your Hand | Double if Dealers face-up card is: |
9 | 3 to 6 |
10 | 2 to 9 |
11 | 2 to 10 |
A and 2 | 5, 6 |
A and 3 | 5, 6 |
A and 4, 5 | 4, 5, 6 |
A and 6 | 3 to 6 |
A and 7 | 2 to 6 |
A and 8 | 6 |
Surrender
If you’re playing a game with a surrender option, take advantage of it. If you see that your odds aren’t good, don’t be ashamed to surrender. You’ll recoup half your bet and live to fight another round.