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1. When To Hit Or Stand In Blackjack Charter
2. How To Play A Soft 17 In Blackjack? - 888casino.com

Splitting in Blackjack is one more solution available for Blackjack players. It can be used in combination with the double down or surrender option – the main thing for the players to consider is how to combine these solutions to get a better result. In this article, we are going to disclose the situations when this move has to and shouldn’t be used. Along with that, we will disclose a proper approach to this solution.

Generally, yes – though it may vary from casino to casino. Dealers must generally hit if they draw an initial hand of 16, and stand if they score 17 or more. Some casinos up this rule to 17. All dealers are bound by these rules. Soft 20 (A,9) always stands Soft 19 (A,8) doubles against dealer 6, otherwise stand. Soft 18 (A,7) doubles against dealer 2 through 6, and hits against 9 through Ace, otherwise stand. Soft 17 (A,6) doubles against dealer 3 through 6, otherwise hit. Blackjack hit & stand strategy As you will learn shortly ( Chapter 4 ), the last decision you should make when choosing which strategy to implement with your hand is whether to hit or stand. In this section, I’ll cover the hitting and standing strategy for hard hands and soft hands.

What Does a Split in Blackjack Mean?

A split solution means that you play two hands instead of one after getting the initial hand. Each hand is played solely, which means that you can lose with one hand and win with the second. This solution can be a good choice, if the cards in your initial hand, can bring you more chances to win, if distributed into two hands, instead of being used in just one.

Some players ignore this move, leaving no chance to double their winnings or decrease their chances of losing. The thing is that this solution can only be used for your benefit if you are familiar with card counting and know the essence of this move.

How to Split in Blackjack: Rules

The only condition when splitting is available is when you have a pair in the initial hand. You cannot split after a hit or any other move. Thus, if you get 6-6, and then another 6, you cannot split your hand. However, there are some casinos that impose restrictions on splitting:

• Splitting is allowed only once.
• After splitting, you cannot get a natural Blackjack even if you have 10-Ace; it is valued as an ordinary 21.
• Some pairs cannot be split (Ace, 10, etc.).
• No double down after splitting allowed.

Generally, you can split as many times as you want. For example, if you get a pair of 6’s, you can split. Then you get two hands with one 6 in each one.

If in one of the hands, you get another 6, you can split that hand as well. Thus, you will get 3 hands with 6 cards. Though, some of the casinos only allow you to split once.

You also can split Aces, as well, in some of the casinos. That means that once you have an Ace-Ace, you can split and get two hands with one Ace card in each of them. Make it clear in the casino, whether you can split Aces, as some of the houses forbid that.

Double down is a move that allows you to increase your bet per hand and limits the number of cards you can get afterwards. After splitting, you can make a double down for one hand and use any other move for another hand. The outcomes for each hand won’t affect the outcome of the other hand. Though, some of the casinos do not allow you to double down after splitting.

Thus, along with knowing how to use the decision to split correctly, you also should find out the rules of eligibility for this move, in the specified casino. These rules can have a great effect on the results of the game.

Why Do You Need to Split Cards in Blackjack?

Many players do not really know when splitting is a good decision. In this article, we have disclosed situations when splitting can improve your results, and here we will answer the question, why do you need to split your cards at all.

There are three main reasons to use this move:

• Splitting can maximize your profits
• It can minimize your losses
• It can improve your initial hand

How can splitting maximize your profits? If the dealer has a weak hand, splitting your hand means you play two hands instead of the dealer’s weak hand. This means that you have more chances to win, so you use this move as much as possible, depending on the situation, when the dealer gets a weak hand in a specified game.

How can splitting minimize your losses? If the dealer has a strong hand or a moderate hand, depending on your hand and the Blackjack game rules you play, you can surrender (if possible), split, or hit.

For some of the card combinations (which are pointed out in this article), the best decision would be to split. You get the chance to have at least one strong hand against the dealer’s hand. Thus, you can minimize your losses.

How can splitting improve your hand? If you have 2 cards that can make a good combination in separate hands but make a bad combination in one hand, it may be better for you to make a splitting decision than to hit, double down or surrender. Thus, choosing this option gives you the chance of a stronger combination.

Splitting Strategy: When You Should Always Split Cards in Blackjack

Unlike the other solutions, for a split, there are situations when splitting is always a good option, no matter what the card combination is in the dealer’s hand. This is true for a pair of Aces and a pair of eights.

The main reason for the pair of aces to get split is that an Ace in the initial hand is always a good card. When you get 10 with an Ace, it is a natural Blackjack, and moreover, an Ace can be valued both like 1 or 11. Consider the fact that for your initial hand with two Aces, you get a sum of 12, and the only way to get a Blackjack comes when you get 9. Whereas, when you split, you get far more winning combinations.

When it comes to the eights, there is another reason for splitting – a hard 16 is a weak hand. It is not enough to stand, as the majority of dealers stand or hit with a soft 17. It is risky to hit with this combination, as any value that is higher than a 5 will bust your hand. You get much better options if you split, and get an eight in two hands.

You should also resplit in case you get Aces or eights in hand after the first split. The reasons for the resplit are the same as for the first split. The only reason you couldn’t use split for Aces or resplit for Aces and eights, is the situation when this move is restricted by the casino. Below you can see some examples of hands with eights and Aces that would be valuable to consider for your gaming strategy.

Split Aces

Your hand: Ace-Ace

Dealer’s up card: Any

No matter what up card the dealer has, you should split. Even if the dealer has an Ace as well, which increases the chances of him having a natural Blackjack or another strong combination.

When you split, you get two potentially strong hands, instead of one that has a value of 12. After you split, you have more options to double down or hit until you get the best value.

Split Eights

Your hand: 8-8

Dealer’s up card: Any

Hard 16 is a weak combination, as you have a 60% chance to go bust with it. Moreover, the majority of dealers stop on soft 17, so even standing on hard 16 isn’t the best option. Normally, if you get a hard 16, it is better to consider the surrender option. However, if you get pairs with an opportunity to split, you should use it, as there many chances to get a strong combination with an eight in your hand.

What cards not to split?

There are cards that you shouldn’t split under any circumstances:

• A pair of fives
• Pair of fours
• Pair of tens

The thing is that splitting these cards, no matter what card is in the dealer’s hand, will decrease your chances of winning dramatically. Below we will provide you with a detailed disclosure on each combination.

Don’t Split Tens

A pair of tens gives you 20. This is one of the best combinations to stand when playing Blackjack, as you are likely to win. Splitting will be a very risky move.

The thing is that the majority of dealers stop at soft 17, which means that you need to get 7 or more after the split to win. Based on this calculation, you have more chances to win the round if you stand on 20. Example

Your hand: 10-10

Dealer’s up card: 8

With the dealer’s eight or any other card in the game, a casino has a very low chance of winning, as it should collect 21. On the other hand, your 20 is a great value to stand at.

Never Split Fives

Splitting fives is a bad idea, as you have a better option of doubling down depending on the dealer’s up card. Most players choose the split option in this situation, basing their decision on the fact that 5 in hand gives you a great number of options for the second card and future moves. However, it is proven mathematically, that you get more chances to win if you double down or hit in this position.

Your hand: 5-5

Dealer’s up card: 4

If you split now, you have to take the risk of getting a weak combination against the dealer’s 4 with another card in hand. If doubling down, you will have more chances to acquire a stronger value than the dealer.

Never Split Fours

Having fours gives a higher chance to get more than a soft 17 than if you split this hand. Here you get even more chances to get a weak hand than with fives. You will ultimately get weak initial hands instead of a stronger one. Based on the mathematical calculations, hitting is better than splitting here.

Your hand: 4-4

Dealer’s up card: 9

In this situation, you will have fewer chances to get a strong initial hand, as if the second card in the dealer’s hand is of high value, you will have to hit numerous times, for both hands with totally unpredictable results. More chances to win remain if you hit with 4-4 giving you an 8 and a higher chance to beat a soft 17.

Splitting Other Cards in Blackjack

Along with the combinations that leave only one option on whether or not to split, there are also other combinations that can leave you with options depending on the dealer’s up card.

When to Split Twos, Threes, or Sevens

Twos, threes, and sevens should be split if the dealer shows a card with a value of 7 or less. The reason is that twos and threes give you 4 and 6, which is a naturally weak initial hand to move on, and if you split this pair, you will get far more chances to get a strong combination to hit. You should also split sevens, as you have more chances to get a strong combination by hitting two cards afterwards, than with a hard 14.

Your hand: 2-2

Dealer’s up card: 4

As you can see in this situation, you have a value of four, while the dealer has 4 as an upcard only. It is less, so you can easily split your cards, and then hit as many times as you need to. With such a combination split, you have more chances to get a high value, than with a four against four and the second card in the dealer’s hand.

When to Split Sixes

Split a pair of sixes when the dealer shows 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Based on the mathematical calculations, your hard 12 can give you a better result, when the dealer has 7 or more, and your six in hand can result in a stronger combination when the dealer has less than 7.

Your hand:6-6

Dealer’s up card: 8

Here, you have a hard 12 against the dealer’s 8. You only can go bust if you get a 10, while you do not yet know the dealer’s situation. Any other card added will only improve the value of your hand, thus hitting is a better option than splitting, when you get two weak six combinations, against the dealer’s 8.

Splitting Nines

Splitting nines is a good idea against the dealer’s 2-6, 8, and 9. When you split against 2-6, 8, you get a better combination without the risk of getting busted on the next hit. With the 9 up card, you have the same chances on the new hand. Seven is excluded from here as mathematically, the dealer has greater chances of getting a strong combination.

Your hand: 9-9

Dealer: 5

If you split now, you will get two hands with nines in each, against the dealer’s 5 card. This gives you better chances to win twice. Standing here would be a good option as well, and still, you can increase your profits if you split.

Blackjack Splitting Chart

To make it clearer for players when or not to split, we have prepared a chart showing the best combinations for a specified move.

Here you can get acquainted with the main topics that are being discussed about the split move. Continue reading below to get answers on the most frequently asked questions.

Splitting in Blackjack FAQ

How many times can you split in Blackjack?

What DAS means?

What does NDAS mean?

What NRSA means?

Other Blackjack Strategies

Along with splitting, you can also make other moves that can be combined with splitting or used solely depending on the game rules and situation. Knowing how to use these moves can improve your results dramatically, otherwise, they can be useless. Thus, there is double down, hit & stand, and surrender.

Double Down

Double downis a move that considers increasing your initial hand. It is only available for the initial hand, and after using this move, you can only get one card in hand. Sometimes double down is available after splitting, sometimes not – it depends on the rules. Double down can increase your winnings and is valuable for those who use long-run strategies.

Hit & Stand

Hit is a basic solution available for all blackjack games. It means that you take an additional card to improve your hand. This move is available only until you get a value of 21 or get busted. The stand solution is about no longer taking any more cards. It is used when you believe the combination you have is the best you can get in that hand. Hit & Standshould be used in combination with other moves.

Surrender

Surrenderis an option that is not presented in the majority of Blackjack games. Thus, when it is available, you can use it to decrease your loses. The surrender solution can only be used upon receiving the initial hand and means that you stop the hand, and receive 50% of your original wager.

Blackjack is a super popular game which also happens to be home to some of the biggest myths about gambling and winning, inevitably leading to people using various tactics to try and up their chances of landing that huge win. Of course, you’re free to try as many of these strategic techniques as you want, but let’s be realistic: there’s no silver bullet that will magically help you eliminate the house edge and one-up the casino in just a couple of swift moves. But what there is, however, are various ways to lower the house edge and get a slight advantage through a series of strategic decisions. Playing smart will not only improve your understanding of the game but also give you a chance to minimise your losses and therefore get a somewhat higher win over time. Keen to learn more? This blackjack strategy guide will give you a rundown of the basic and more advanced strategies – so stay strapped in if you want to know how to get started!

Using Blackjack Strategy: Basic Principles

When To Hit Or Stand In Blackjack Charter

Blackjack isn’t all fun and games – there’s some serious thinking to be done if you want to master a strategic approach to this game. Don’t worry though: as daunting as it sounds, in the end, all blackjack strategy comes down to is basic arithmetic and probability. There are many tools to help you learn. Strategy charts are a very common reference point for players. These combine the possible hands of the player and the dealer and give you the best follow-up moves depending on each combination.

Blackjack Strategy Chart

How To Play A Soft 17 In Blackjack? - 888casino.com

• = Hit
• = Stand
• = Double

Of course, playing at a land-based casino, you’ll have to work on memorising a chart. This is made easy with colour coding, with each hue representing a move like hit, stand, double or split. On the other hand, playing at one of our top recommended online casinos will give you the chance to use a chart as you play!

Scouting the Best Blackjack Tables

Before you hunker down and start learning some blackjack tactics, there are a few things to scope out. Namely, the place where you’ll play. Blackjack tables online are ten a penny, so you’ve got to be prudent about where to settle down and play. Our reviews of the best online casinos in the UK are a great starting point for that, so we’d recommend you check out some of the online casinos in this top list. Alternatively, our guide to the best blackjack casinos can serve as a more pointed resource tailored specifically for blackjack players.

When looking for the right table(s) to play at, always keep an eye on the details. For instance, table limits are important to consider as these can vary wildly. While some tables start at just £0.25, others may be more geared towards high stakes gambling with table minimums that start at £50 or more. Another factor to consider is the number of decks in play. Typically, you’re looking at 5 or 6 decks, but there are also single or double deck games both online and offline (though online, the former is more common). This may seem like a small difference, but the number of cards in play does have a massive effect on probability.

The number of players also matters for similar reasons. Simply put, dealing out one, two or three hands will impact not only how many cards there are left in the shoe, but also what that implies for your chances. That’s why many blackjack strategy experts advocate sitting at a crowded table only if you’ve got a good deal of experience to back you up. Lastly, shuffling also matters. Most dealers will shuffle by hand and place the deck(s) in the shoe, while some tables employ a continuous shuffling machine. This contraption mixes up cards constantly, virtually eliminating your chance to know what’s left in the deck and make it harder for you if you try to count cards.

What is the Best Blackjack Strategy to Use?

It’s hard to pin one particular chart down as the overall best blackjack strategy. This is mainly due to the fact that there are several game variations, with each game’s slight difference in rules rendering an adjusted strategy chart. For instance, Blackjack Pontoon players follow a subtly different chart than those playing Double Exposure. Nevertheless, there are some basic blackjack strategy guidelines and tactics that can be applied to all variations of this game. We’ll tackle these in the following section.

Blackjack Tactics for Beginners

Whether you play Blackjack Surrender or Single Deck Blackjack, there are some common threads that allow you to make smart decisions and, hopefully, reach a rewarding outcome. These may seem incredibly obvious – but you’d be surprised at how many people approach the table without any knowledge of the basics and hit, split or double up willy-nilly! So, all things considered, it never hurts to review the basic blackjack tactics, if not for anything else then at least to have you avoid looking like a total noob at the casino.

• Basic Blackjack Principles
• Check the dealer’s upcard – This will help you gauge how likely the dealer is to win or lose a round.
• Stand on 17 and up – It’d be extremely unwise to hit with such a high count – you’ll most likely go bust!
• Split Aces and 8s: These are the best pairs to split – you’re nearly halfway to a win, twice!
• Double with 11 points – This is an advantageous position, so use it!
• Don’t take insurance: It’s mostly a rip-off, so swerve it.

That’s fairly easy, isn’t it? Of course, there are additional guidelines and recommendations – for instance, never split pairs of 10s or double when you’ve got a soft 19 and the dealer has a 6. For those keen to practice, you can check out our casino games demo player with a handful of blackjack favourites!

Test Your Basic Blackjack Strategy

To help you practice what we’ve just preached, here’s a quick exercise in blackjack basics where you can test out the principles we’ve just gone over. Take a look at the hand on the left and decide what to do next and see if you’ve mastered the basics. Option A – Hit. Option B – Stand. Option C – Double Down. Click the expandable text to find out, whether you succeeded or not.

HOW DID YOU DO? If you chose option C, then you’ve mastered this little example, well done! The dealer will stand on 17 they turn a 10, so doubling down for a 7 or higher is a nice move. But there’s still more things to learn. Stay put and get the scoop on some principles of the more advanced blackjack strategies.

How did you do? If you’ve mastered this little example, well done! But there’s still more things to learn. Stay put and get the scoop on some principles of the more advanced blackjack strategies.

Advanced Blackjack Strategy

If you’re feeling confident in your basic strategy for blackjack, time may be ripe for moving onto some more advanced methods. We’d be lying if we said that these will usher in an era of endless wins. However, that’s not quite how this card game works (and, frankly, if it were so, it would take all the fun out of the experience, wouldn’t it?). So, mastering an advanced strategy simply means playing in a way which minimizes your losses over time – and, consequently, ups your wins. Apart from observing the basic tactics explained above and making good use of strategy tables, here are some general steps or levels of advancement you can undertake in order to join the ranks of blackjack heavyweights.

As you can see, these are long-term strategical approaches instead of direct shortcuts to astronomically high wins. Frankly, this is what it boils down to in blackjack – playing smart and thinking strategically will, in the long run, prove rewarding. All you need to do is stay alert, don’t get swept up in the thrill of the game, and think before you act.

Basic Blackjack Strategy for Side Bets

There are several options for side bets among the existing blackjack variants out there, and they are offered both at offline and online tables. Since availability is not an issue, the only thing to address is when a side bet is worth going for. Apart from insurance, which is best left untouched, various side bets offer players the chance to wager on various scenarios, out of which some can actually be very rewarding if played right (otherwise the RTP can be quite low). With that in mind, many pro players choose to stay away from side bets and focus on good basic play. This is something to consider as we browse the options. Here are some of the more common side options to consider.

Perfect Pairs

As the name suggests, Perfect Pairs is a wager placed on the player’s expectation to get a number pair in his hand. Your wager should be equal to the original one, and the initial wager and the side bet are treated separately, meaning you can lose one but win the other, and vice versa. You get different payouts based on what colour and suit the cards are. For instance, a 5:1 payout is in store for mixed colour and suits, while same colour but mixed suits gets 10:1 and the same suit, same colour combo gets you 30:1. While there’s nothing wrong with using this side bet every so often, there’s little benefit in doing so long term – the side bet has an extraordinarily large 6% house edge (which is crazy high compared to most blackjack house edge averages).

Royal 20’s

Another attractive side bet is the Royal 20’s, which pays a player out based on whether he or she has a total of 20 in the initial hand (if the player opts for this, of course). It pays up to 25:1 for two cards of the same suit, while same suit but non-face cards get 10:1 and unsuited get 5:1.

21 + 3

Though there are various versions of this side bet, especially in land-based casinos, in principle, the 21+3 bet is based on the player’s hand and the dealer’s up-card. If you opt for this side bet, most commonly you’ll get a payout of 9:1 when the three cards form a straight flush (three cards of the same suit in a sequence), three of a kind, straight, flush or pair and flush.

Bust Bonus

Another side bet you might come across, the Bust Bonus, is perhaps also the only side bet that allows the players to take it after they have played their hand. You can bet before the dealer plays her or his hand – even if you have already busted you own! You might have already guessed it from the name – the Bust Bonus is a wager you can place on the dealer busting when she or he reveals the hole card. Observe the dealer’s upcard and you’re halfway there, but win the bonus, and you can have up to a 50:1, depending on the combination of cards in the dealer’s hand.

How to Decrease the House Edge

Knowing the basics and the side bet options have hopefully given you a good overview of the game. Though we should note that, with blackjack being an ever-evolving game, it is still possible to spot other fringe side bets depending on the casino you play at. That being said, there’s some tips and guidelines which will help you make use of the rules and your own strategic thinking in order to minimise the house edge if you play well. The foundation of this should be a basic strategy for blackjack, for instance, the total-dependent or composition-dependent one. The former observes the total of the player’s hand but not the composition and considers whether the hand is soft or hard and whether actions like splitting, doubling or surrendering are possible. There are total dependent strategy charts for games with one deck, two decks or four or more decks, as here the total number of cards also plays a role.

Alternatively, the composition dependent approach considers the make-up of the hand in relation to the rest of the cards in the deck. However, this strategy works best in single deck games. For instance, a hard 16 hand can consist of a 10 or a 6, or even a 7, a 5 and a 4 – so the two compositions are wildly different. Whereas a T-D strategy chart would tell you to hit on both, the C-D strategy proposed standing with a three-card 16 and hitting on the other one.

Another thing to observe is whether the dealer hits or stands on a soft 17 (an Ace and a 6). This detail plays a huge role because it might influence the rate at which the dealer busts, which, of course, gives you an advantage. Pay close attention to the blackjack variant or even table – this rule should be clearly designated each time. Re-splitting is another touchy item on the table: some games allow you to split a second time, with some casinos even allowing unlimited splitting. Keep your eyes peeled for the chance to re-split Aces: if allowed, playing this strategy could further reduce the house edge by 0.08%.

Bogus Blackjack Strategies

As much as you might want a foolproof method to beat the house, we’re sorry to say many approaches that call themselves ‘strategies’ are actually absolute biscuits. Whereas some roulette players stay true to the Martingale system, for instance, we’re talking about a different game here and, as it turns out, with blackjack, you’re best off sticking to the good old strategy charts. Let’s take a look at some of the less-advisable methods.

Martingale/Doubling Strategy

A simple approach like Martingale is based on doubling your wager after each loss, meaning that a win will recover your lost wagers and give you a profit of one unit. This sounds fair and square and also quite attractive, but this strategy spells out trouble for blackjack players. Options like splitting or doubling down complicate the matter, so, to actually employ this strategy you’d need a sizable bankroll. Plus, you’re likely looking at more losses than wins considering that there’s roughly a 52% chance of losing a hand. Considering this detail combined with the fact that maximum table limits are a thing in real life, you’re likely to hit a wall with doubling your bets before you recover your losses.

Fibonacci Betting

Inspired by the principle of the Fibonacci sequence, the betting pattern of the same name involves making a wager which is always the sum of its two predecessors. That means that, starting from two wagers of one unit each, the third one will be the sum of the first two, the fourth one the sum of wager two and three, and so on. This repeats until you win, which is when you go back and start from one. However, this method again ignores the element of doubling up, splitting, re-splitting, etc, so you’d need a really hefty bankroll to pull through with the Fibonacci method. As intriguing as it sounds, perhaps it’s better to stick to this approach when trying to replicate renaissance paintings.

D’Alembert Strategy

This strategy is somewhat similar to the Martingale approach – but slightly tweaked. While you increase your bet by one unit after a loss, you also decrease your bet by one unit after a win. And even though this system was presumably invented with card games in mind, it’s still hard to apply the D’Alembert system to blackjack due to the quite common streaks of losing hands, as we’ve mentioned before.

Practice Makes Perfect

Put your knowledge to the test and hit up the play table to see how far this blackjack strategy guide has got you! Don’t want to risk losing any money while you learn? No worries – there are plenty of practice play game versions and demos where you can try out a hand of 50 (or 500 for that matter) and apply a strategy chart in combination with other tactics described above. Alternatively, you can opt for a casino with a no-deposit bonus or a free play reward to still have a crack at playing with real money. Keep at it until you feel like you’re making a small profit after breaking even, or after you feel completely comfortable with the game. Only then move on to real money play – it’d be a shame if you succumbed to impatience and lost a chunk of money as a result!

Our Verdict on Blackjack Strategies

As you can see, there’s no magic or mystery to mastering the best blackjack strategy out there – simply stick to the fitting chart and keep in mind the principal rules applied at a specific table and choose your tactics carefully based on those rules. We could go on for days and explore various angles and takes on how to make smart gameplay decisions – but that won’t help you further, will it? Instead, focus on the basic blackjack tactics, helpful tools and a realistic long-term strategy and you’ll be on your way to becoming a skilled blackjack player!