Basic Blackjack Strategy
What do traditional blackjack and online blackjack players have in common? They forget to use the same strategy over time and as a result – forget how to win at blackjack. It’s not only the biggest mistake but the most common one as well – that’s also the reason for casinos to earn significant amounts.
Online Blackjack has a theoretical RTP of 99.54% with perfect play over a long period of time. With an RTP like this, you have a fair shot at breaking even and even win over the online casino. To do that, you can’t be one of those people we talked about in the beginning. You have to follow these four steps.
- Use a strategy
- Learn how to count cards
- Never trust your gut feeling
- Show discipline
Content Overview
Why strategy is important?
Before we get to where we give you the strategy, you must understand why strategy is so important, and it all comes down to mathematics. Don’t stress, we won’t try to teach you the mathematics behind, but it is essential to understand that blackjack is built on mathematics, systems and a strict set of rules.
Because it is built on mathematics and systems, it is also possible to predict outcomes and make strategies that can come close to or actually beat the system. The basic strategy that you will learn within the next couple of minutes is built on mathematics, which is key to beating a mathematical system. Makes sense?
The first simulations of blackjack were done by Julian Braun of IBM. These computer simulations showed the mathematical probability of improving the blackjack hand or beating the dealer by a particular strategy. Said differently, it told the player whether he should hit, stand, split, double-down, etc. That is why it is important to remember that nearly all basic strategy rules are indisputable in the long run.
Blackjack strategy chart
Basic Strategy varies according to the type of playing conditions that you are exposed to. Namely, how many decks are in the shoe you are playing. Above or to the left, depending on if you are using your phone or laptop, we have made an easy to understand guide for online blackjack that makes it super simple for you to follow the strategy.
As the simulations made by the computer, this image tells you exactly what your move should be in order to play with perfect strategy.
It’s basically a “cheat sheet” you can keep on hand to tell you what the best move is in any situation. The big advantage of playing blackjack online is that you can comfortably use these cards without worrying about casinos forbidding them or other players at the table getting irritated.
Playing with a strategy always win
The critical thing to remember is that nearly all basic strategy rules are indisputable in the long run. The finite nature of mathematical science dictates that a particular playing decision, based on the player’s cards and the dealer’s exposed card, will yield a predictable outcome after millions of hands of play.
It is imperative as a blackjack player to learn this basic strategy because you will eliminate the normal 5 or so per cent advantage the casino has over the unskilled player by using it. With a basic strategy, the house advantage is only about 0.5 per cent! That is less than a 1 per cent disadvantage to the player. This is why blackjack can be one of the most profitable games to play in a casino.