Your Comprehensive Guide to Blackjack and the Blackjack Basic Strategy

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Your Comprehensive Guide to Blackjack and the Blackjack Basic Strategy

Before you start playing blackjack online here at Rizk, whether you’re playing at our live casino or state-of-the-art RNG blackjack games, you need to know all about the basic rules and strategy of the game. Ultimately, the aim of blackjack is to beat the dealer and to do so, you need to learn the rules and the blackjack basic strategy.

That’s why we have put together this comprehensive guide to help you navigate your way through the world of blackjack.

BLACKJACK RULES

The first thing you need to know is the basic blackjack rules – which we have summarised here for you.

  • Your aim is to get as close to 21 as possible – closer than the dealer.
  • The cards in your hand all count at their face value (the suit of the cards is irrelevant).
  • Picture cards all have a value of 10, whilst an ace can either be used as a 1 or 11.
  • The total value of your hand is the sum of the card values you were dealt. So, a hand with 2, 8 and 7 will have a value of 17. A Queen and a 10 is 20.
  • Always assume the ace is an 11 unless this would make your hand exceed 21 – in which case it would have a value of 1. If you were dealt ace and 7, your hand would be 18.

    • However, if you were dealt 8 and 7 and drew an ace, your value would be 16 as the ace would count as 1.

  • If you hit and your hand exceeds 21, then this would be a ‘bust’. So, if you were dealt 15 and drew a 7, your hand would be 22 and you would have busted.

HOW BLACKJACK WORKS

Blackjack is a game of strategy – and no matter what variation of the game you play, if you use the blackjack basic strategy and follow the basic rules then it decreases the house edge. So, your first step is to learn the blackjack strategy before you start playing. You may want to practise it on free-play games before moving on to real money tables.

Depending on the table game, there can be as many as 7 players all at the one blackjack table. There will be a dealer or RNG (Random Number Generator) that will be responsible for dealing the cards and moving the game along under the blackjack rules and protocol.

Often a game will allow you to play more than one hand but do check the rules of the particular blackjack table you are playing at. If you do, then you must make a bet on each hand you play. This can be a great blackjack strategy – and one of the biggest blackjack winners in history won millions in one night because the player bet on 8 hands on the same table simultaneously.

Many blackjack games will require a player to wager double the table minimum on each hand if they are playing more than one hand.

  • Blackjack hitting rule: If you are dealt a low hand, then you will ask the dealer to ‘hit’. When you hit, the dealer will give you another card. You can keep on hitting until either you are happy with your hand or you bust (your hand goes over 21). Your aim is to get as close to 21 as possible without going over – closer to 21 than the dealer.
  • Blackjack pair splitting rules: If you are dealt 2 cards that are the same (i.e. a pair of 8s), then you can decide to split them. When you split, you need to make another bet that is equal to your original bet. When you split your pair, you are playing each of those cards as a separate hand. You can then draw as many cards for each separate hand as you want. However, the only exception with this is Aces – many games will only allow you to draw one card for each ace.

So, for example, if you were dealt a pair of 9s and split, you would have 2 hands both with a value of 9 per hand. You need to play out one of the split hands to completion before going to the other.

  • Blackjack standing rules: You opt to stand if you are satisfied with the total count of your hand.
  • Blackjack doubling down rules: This option lets you double your initial bet in return for getting one (and only one) draw card. With many casino blackjack games, you are only able to double down after you have been dealt your first two cards and before you draw another.

If you learn the blackjack basic strategy, it will tell you the suggested course of action for any hand you have based on the dealer’s upcard.

HOW TO PLAY BLACKJACK

So, when you have chosen your game and taken your place at the table, the first thing you will need to do is place a wager on the blackjack table. You will be able to check your specific blackjack rules to see what the maximum and minimum bets are. Many will have a minimum wager of $5, but there are some tables designed for lower rollers and higher rollers.

As soon as the bets have been placed, the dealer deals the cards to players. The dealer will deal clockwise, with one card face up to each player and one card face down for themselves. The dealer will then deal another card to the players, face up, and another to themselves also face up. So, every player will have 2 cards, both face up and the dealer will have 2 cards with one face up and one face down.

The dealer will then start with the player to their left and wait for them to play their hand. You need to count the total value of your hand (anywhere between 4 and 21). If you get a 21 (an ace plus 10 or a picture card) then you have a blackjack. In this instance, you will get paid out at 3 to 2 (depending on the game) immediately, without having to play your hand – as long as the dealer doesn’t also have a blackjack. If he does, then you wouldn’t win anything, nor would you lose your original wager (called a push). Your wager will be returned.

However, if you don’t have a blackjack you need to decide how to play your hand. You need to decide whether to hit or stand and try to get the value of your hand as close to 21 as possible without going over. You should refer to the black basic strategy to decide what is the suggested option based on your cards.

There is also another option available on certain blackjack games. This is called surrendering. There are some blackjack variants that give players the option to surrender after their two initial cards have been dealt. When you surrender, you will forfeit half of your stake and you will take no further part in that round. Although this seems like a strange thing to do, there are some circumstances where this could be the right choice.

Say, for example, the dealer shows a ten, and the value of your hand is 16. In this situation, the chance of you winning that hand is under 50%, so if you are in this position then surrendering might be the right decision.

Whether or not you win depends not just on your choices, but also on dealer options. As soon as the play gets round to the dealer they have limited options. They don’t have the option to split, double or surrender. Their only options are to hit or stand – they have to follow fixed rules.

HOW TO PLAY BLACKJACK: STEP-BY-STEP

Here is a step-by-step guide taking you through the process of playing a game of blackjack.

  • Starting a hand: At the start of a hand, place your bet based on the minimum and maximum stake of that blackjack table.
  • The deal: You will be dealt 2 cards, both face up, with the dealer having 2 cards, one face up and one face down on the blackjack table.
  • Hitting or Standing: When you have been dealt your hand, you need to decide whether to hit or stand. If you stand, you receive no more cards, so you have to wait to see what the dealer has. If you hit, the dealer will give you another card. You can keep hitting until you get close to 21 or you go bust. If you go bust, you will automatically lose your stake.
  • Insurance Bet: If you see that the dealer’s upturned card is an ace then you may be given the option to insure against the dealer having a blackjack. This will cost you half of your original wager. If the dealer has a blackjack, it pays out at 2/1 but loses out if not.
  • Splitting: If you have 2 cards of the same value, you choose whether to split them into two hands or just keep them as one.
  • Doubling: You might be able to double your stake when you have received your two cards, but the intricacies of this all depend on the blackjack game or blackjack table you play at.

BLACKJACK STRATEGY GUIDE

Blackjack is popular because it is one of the games with a high RTP (Return to Player) percentage. However, one way of increasing the RTP of the game even more is by employing the basic blackjack strategy. Indeed, we wouldn’t recommend hitting the blackjack table without knowing the basic strategy as this will make a huge difference in how successful you are in the long run.

The strategy will help you with the basics of playing the game – and what gives you the most strategic way to play your hand. It covers when to hit, when to stand, when to split and when to double down so that you know what you should do with any hand you are dealt.

BLACKJACK STRATEGIES

There are all sorts of different blackjack strategies that players employ, some are better than others – the surrender strategy, card counting strategy, the 2-1-2 strategy and popular betting systems. However, the popular strategy for newer players is the basic playing strategy.

The basic strategy is a set of rules that advises you of a suggested way to play every hand that you are dealt when the only other information available to you is the dealer’s upturned card. The basic strategy is all calculated mathematically and can guide you to a strategically good way to play each hand.

The blackjack basic strategy works by reducing the house edge. According to Techopedia, normally, it is around 1%. However, this can help you reduce the house edge even further – down to about 0.2% to 0.5% (depending on the game). That means for every $100 you wager in the game, the casino will win just $0.50 overall. This makes playing blackjack with the basic strategy a lot less costly than other games.

So, we would certainly recommend going for the basic strategy. Let’s take a look at how it works.

BLACKJACK BASIC STRATEGY

The full basic strategy can be quite complex because there are numerous situations possible when playing a blackjack hand that need to be accounted for. As such, there are multiple factors a player needs to take into account on every hand when applying the basic strategy.

  • The rules of the particular blackjack game you are playing
  • The score of your hand
  • The value of the dealer’s upturned cards
  • Whether you are allowed to double down and/or split

Many people have the basic blackjack strategy chart with them when playing – which is much easier when you are playing blackjack online. However, if there is an occasion where you don’t, here are the most important points to memorise.

  • When it comes to splitting, there are a few rules of thumb. Always split aces and 8s but never split 10s or 5s.
  • When playing blackjack, soft hands and hard hands should be played differently. Here are some of the basic strategy rules for soft totals:
    • Always stand on a soft 21 and 20.
    • You should double down against 6 or else stand if you have a hand of soft 19 made up of an ace and an 8.
    • You should double down against a 2 to 6, stand against 7 and 8 and hit against 9, 10 and ace with a hand of soft 18 made up of an ace and 7.
    • You should double down against cards 3 to 6 or stand with a hand of soft 17 made up of an ace and a 6.
    • You should double down against cards 4 to 6 or hit with a hand of a soft 16 or 15 made up of an ace and 5 or ace and 4.
    • You should double down against a 5 and 6 or hit with a hand of a soft 13 and soft 14 made up of an ace and 2 or ace and 3.
  • Here are the actions that you should take as per the basic strategy with a hard hand:
    • Surrender 16 against a 9 to Ace and surrender 15 against a 10.
    • Stand if you have a hand of hard 17 or over.
    • Stand against a 2 to 6 and hit against a 7 to ace if you have a hard hand of 13 through to 16
    • Stand against a 4 to 6 and hit against everything else with a hard hand of 12.
    • Always double down with a hand of hard 11.
    • You should double against 2 to 9 with a hard 10 and double down against a 3 to 6 with a hard 9.
    • Always hit if dealt a hard hand of 8 or below.

*A soft hand includes an ace – because it can be counted as a 1 or an 11 – this gives the player more choice. For example, an ace and 8 can be either 19 or 9.

**A hard hand is simply the absence of the ace, where the hand is rigid with no liquidity, An 8 plus 7 is always 15.

Remember, knowing the blackjack rules is really important because even small rule changes can change the basic strategy. For example, what you should play if the blackjack rules state that the dealer stands on a soft 17 won’t necessarily be the right blackjack strategy when playing against a dealer that can hit on a soft 17.

Also, you need to know the number of decks being used – whether it’s a single-deck blackjack game or whether multiple decks are being used. You also need to know whether or not you can surrender etc as this will affect the blackjack strategy used.

BASIC BLACKJACK STRATEGY CHART

If you haven’t had the time to practise your basic strategy, then we would recommend downloading a basic blackjack strategy chart which will help your game.

Having a basic blackjack strategy chart with you is a great place to start for beginners, but the more you intend to play – and if you do intend to take the game seriously, then you need to practise and commit it to memory. Blackjack isn’t like a slot game, where it’s all about luck – this game gives players the opportunity to have an impact on whether they win or lose.

In New Zealand – and all over the world, blackjack is popular, attracting casino players new and experienced. However, it’s also important to make sure you play responsibly. Whilst practising is helpful, it can be a good idea to practise for free – and always remember online casino safety measures, so you never spend more than you can afford.

So, it’s time to get started, understand the rules, get to grips with the basic strategy and see if you can beat the dealer.

FAQS

WHAT ARE BLACKJACK CHARTS?

Blackjack charts are strategy charts that help you understand the basic rules you should follow when playing blackjack. These charts provide you with the suggested course of action you should take based on what is in your hand, the dealer’s upturned card – and based on the rules of the game, such as whether the dealer has to stand on soft 17 or whether they can hit soft 17. If you follow the basic rules on your strategy chart, it can decrease the house edge to just 0.5%.

WHAT IS THE BLACKJACK BASIC STRATEGY BASED ON?

The Blackjack Basic Strategy is based on mathematical probabilities and statistical analysis. It considers the player’s original hand and the dealer’s upcard, advising the optimal decision that maximises the player’s chances of winning. The strategy takes into account the likelihood of achieving certain hand values and compares it to the potential outcomes for the dealer’s hand. By following the Basic Strategy, you can minimise the house edge and make statistically informed decisions on whether to hit, stand, double down, or split pairs.

HOW DO I PLAY BLACKJACK?

The aim of blackjack is to beat the dealer – by getting closer to 21 than they do without going over. You will be dealt 2 cards and you can decide whether to hit or stand based on what cards you have and the dealer’s face-up card. If you get dealt 21 (10 and Ace), you get a blackjack, which is an automatic win unless the dealer also has blackjack. If you go over 21, you bust and automatically lose.

WHAT IS THE HOUSE EDGE OF BLACKJACK?

The house edge of blackjack is usually around 1%. However, if you use the basic strategy, it goes down to 0.5%. That being said, if you play a side bet in blackjack, although you stand to win more, the house edge can go as high as 10%, so these are generally not recommended.

CAN I USE CARD COUNTING STRATEGIES?

Card counting strategies aren’t as effective now for a number of reasons. Firstly, they work better on a single-deck game, whereas many games now use multiple-deck games. Also many games – both land-based and online – use automatic shufflers, which makes it practically impossible.