- Blackjack When To Stand
- Double Down In Blackjack Meaning
- Hit Stand Double Down And Split In Blackjack Card Game
- Blackjack Double Down Strategy
- Hit Stand Double Down And Split In Blackjack Terms
- Free Blackjack Hit Or Stand
Basic blackjack strategy charts can help make it easy to learn the basics of when to hit, when to stand, when to double down and when to split pairs in any situation. Basic blackjack strategy charts are tables that list possible hand values on one axis and possible dealer upcard values on the other axis. Click 'Stand' and when the dealer completes his or her hand, the hands will be compared. Hit To be dealt another card, click on 'Hit'. You may continue to deal cards to your hand until you either stand or go bust. Double Down After you are dealt your first two cards (any value), you will see the option to 'Double Down' appear.
What makes any casino game interesting is when the play suddenly changes.
A basic round of blackjack involves players deciding whether to hit or stand on the cards they are dealt. It's fun to beat the dealer, to be sure, but there's more to the game than that.
- Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart The Basic strategy is a chart that presents the player's optimal moves (HIT, STAND, SPLIT, DOUBLE DOWN), in the different scenarios of the Player's hand vs. Dealer's up card.
- Looking at the blackjack chart, the blackjack strategy card tells us to stand whenever you have 17 points or more in your hand, regardless of what the dealer is showing for an up card. Reduce the value of your hand by one point to 16, and the chart says to stand when the dealer's up card is a 6 or lower.
Some players feel all the challenge is in counting cards. And given how casinos love to frustrate card counters by changing or shuffling shoes, card counting may be the most challenging strategy of all.
Whether you count cards or not, the moment the dealer hits you with a pair of aces or 8s, you should know to split right away.
But what if you're dealt 10 points? You have two 5s in your hand and conventional blackjack strategy says to 'never split 5s.' Some adventurous players do it anyway. 10 points is a strong hand, and the next card you're dealt could be an ace or 10-point card.
You'd have to be insane to split 5s. I'd rather double down on a pair of 5s if I'm feeling adventurous.
So, what are the best hands to split or double down? And are there times when going against conventional wisdom is less risky? Find out below.
When to Split 5s – If Ever
I'll start with the insane situation. I cannot think of a reasonable rationale for splitting 5s, but a friend once asked me to imagine a scenario where it's at least not as stupid an idea as it sounds.
Assuming you're counting cards and the casino is in a laissez-faire mood about shuffling the shoe, you'd be okay to split 5s if you're really confident you have a lot of low value cards left.
It seems like there are a lot of possible combinations to play with here. Splitting 5s really means you're playing two 5-point hands. Imagine what you'd have to do if your hand begins with a 2 and 3. You have no choice but to hit.
If the next card is an ace, you're sitting with either 6 or 16. You must hit and hope for an ace or 2-5 card.
I have a friend who calls this 'climbing out of the hole.' You're clawing your way up into winning territory. When I start with such a weak hand, it feels like I have to take three or four hits to resolve the hand.
Unless you just want to risk your wager and chew through cards, I can't think of a reason to split 5s. But if you forced me to do it at least once, I would only do it if I believed there were a lot of low-value cards left.
Who wouldn't want to beat the odds, right?
When to Double Down on 5s
Assuming your sanity doesn't leave you in the middle of the game, is it a good idea to double down on a pair of 5s?
Our card-counting friends might say it's worth the risk if you're feeling adventurous and are confident the next card will be a 7 or better. Standing on a soft 17 is better than guessing whether you've got more low cards coming. But don't make this decision in a vacuum.
When you're dealt a pair of 5s, conventional strategy says if the dealer's up card is anything from 2 through 9, you should double down.
Basic Strategy for Doubling Down
Most basic strategy guides on doubling down fail to keep it simple. Doubling down doesn't work the same way for everyone. When a strategy is based on assumed table rules, you should really think it over carefully.
If a strategy guide says, 'this works when you have six decks in the shoe,' or 'when the dealer must stand on soft 17,' that means the strategy may not work as well for you in other situations.
The 'basic' part of basic strategy begins with knowing what rules you're playing under. If you're in a highly coveted single deck game, put that eight-deck strategy card aside and vice versa.
The casino may restrict doubling down to high-value hands of 9 or higher. To keep it simple, if you're playing by these rules, only double down on an ace+7 hand. A more experienced player may feel up to the challenge of calculating the odds for other combinations.
If the casino allows you to double down on any hand, your safest strategy is to double down on hard 11 against any dealer up card and a hard 10 if the dealer's showing a 2 through 9. There are other guidelines for doubling down, but they assume certain rules are in play.
A great memorable quote from the Step Brothers movie on Quotes.net - Dale: Dad. We're men, okay? That means a few things; we like to shit with the door open, we talk about pussy, we like to go on riverboat gambling trips, and we make our own beef jerky. That's what we do. And now that is all wrecked.Robert: (Thinks for a minute) We literally have never done any of those things. Slotty Vegas reserves the right We Go On Riverboat Gambling Trips Step Brothers to suspend a cash-out request pending verification of User's We Go On Riverboat Gambling Trips Step Brothers identity, age and location of the bearer of the account. The subscriber implicitly gives his authorization to the processing of any personal data in compliance with the privacy laws in force in Malta.
Give yourself time to learn the game.
When Is It Best to Double Down With an Ace?
Everyone should know to split aces in blackjack. But when should you double down if you're holding an ace?
When you double down, you only get one more card. When this strategy pays off, you only need one more card.
There are two things to consider:
- What's your second card's value?
- What's the dealer's up card value?
If you were dealt an 8 or higher card with your ace, don't double down. Period. You're sitting on 19 or better. If you have an ace and you're sitting on 18, you might be able to get away with doubling down if the dealer's up card is a 3, 4, 5, or 6.
The lower your second card is, the more likely you can get away with doubling down. But the dealer's up card should play into your decision. If the dealer is showing a deuce or anything better than a 6, don't double down.
Should You Always Split 8s?
Basic blackjack strategy says 8s are a safe and wise split. It's hard to go wrong with splitting 8s. The math says this works out well in the long run.
So, there you are with a pair of 8s and you split, and the dealer hits you with a 5. You kick yourself for walking away from an easy 21.
If you're counting cards and you believe there are a lot of low value cards left in the deck, splitting 8s may not be the wisest move. You only need a 2 through 5. That's a narrow range of cards, but if you're sure more of the higher value cards have been played, your chances of surviving are better.
A simpler way to make the call is to look at the dealer's up card. Some people won't split 8s if the dealer is showing a 9 or 10.
The simplest strategy is to always split your 8s. When you gain more experience, you may cut some losses by judiciously not splitting 8s.
Conclusion
Basic strategy should simplify your decision-making as much as possible. Some basic strategy guides don't simplify things enough.
Blackjack When To Stand
As you gain experience and see what could have been done with your hand, go back and study the exceptions in basic strategy guides. Wait until you're truly ready to play a more challenging game.
The most widely practised options are explained below:
Hit/Stand
The most common decision a player should take in the course of the game is whether to 'hit' (draw another card to the hand), or 'stand' (stop at the current total). This is a choice that each blackjack player must make for every dealt hand. The first option is to hit and it means that you want to draw another card for your blackjack hand. If you decide to hit, the dealer will deal another card to you face up. You should hit in blackjack if you think that taking another card will give you a greater chance of getting closer to 21 or equal to 21. The second option you have is to stand and it means that you stick to the current hand value of your cards. You should stand if you think that your current hand total is high enough and you can win against the dealer's hand. One more reason to stand is when you have a higher chance to bust if you draw another card.
An experienced blackjack player will not take a decision to hit or to stand considering only two initial cards. There are other factors to consider like the up card of the dealer and the calculated winning probability.
Player's short hints: If the dealer has a 7 or higher showing, hit until you have at least 17, if the dealer's showing a 2, 3, 7 or higher, you should hit a hard 12.
Double Down In Blackjack Meaning
Split
- Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart The Basic strategy is a chart that presents the player's optimal moves (HIT, STAND, SPLIT, DOUBLE DOWN), in the different scenarios of the Player's hand vs. Dealer's up card.
- Looking at the blackjack chart, the blackjack strategy card tells us to stand whenever you have 17 points or more in your hand, regardless of what the dealer is showing for an up card. Reduce the value of your hand by one point to 16, and the chart says to stand when the dealer's up card is a 6 or lower.
Some players feel all the challenge is in counting cards. And given how casinos love to frustrate card counters by changing or shuffling shoes, card counting may be the most challenging strategy of all.
Whether you count cards or not, the moment the dealer hits you with a pair of aces or 8s, you should know to split right away.
But what if you're dealt 10 points? You have two 5s in your hand and conventional blackjack strategy says to 'never split 5s.' Some adventurous players do it anyway. 10 points is a strong hand, and the next card you're dealt could be an ace or 10-point card.
You'd have to be insane to split 5s. I'd rather double down on a pair of 5s if I'm feeling adventurous.
So, what are the best hands to split or double down? And are there times when going against conventional wisdom is less risky? Find out below.
When to Split 5s – If Ever
I'll start with the insane situation. I cannot think of a reasonable rationale for splitting 5s, but a friend once asked me to imagine a scenario where it's at least not as stupid an idea as it sounds.
Assuming you're counting cards and the casino is in a laissez-faire mood about shuffling the shoe, you'd be okay to split 5s if you're really confident you have a lot of low value cards left.
It seems like there are a lot of possible combinations to play with here. Splitting 5s really means you're playing two 5-point hands. Imagine what you'd have to do if your hand begins with a 2 and 3. You have no choice but to hit.
If the next card is an ace, you're sitting with either 6 or 16. You must hit and hope for an ace or 2-5 card.
I have a friend who calls this 'climbing out of the hole.' You're clawing your way up into winning territory. When I start with such a weak hand, it feels like I have to take three or four hits to resolve the hand.
Unless you just want to risk your wager and chew through cards, I can't think of a reason to split 5s. But if you forced me to do it at least once, I would only do it if I believed there were a lot of low-value cards left.
Who wouldn't want to beat the odds, right?
When to Double Down on 5s
Assuming your sanity doesn't leave you in the middle of the game, is it a good idea to double down on a pair of 5s?
Our card-counting friends might say it's worth the risk if you're feeling adventurous and are confident the next card will be a 7 or better. Standing on a soft 17 is better than guessing whether you've got more low cards coming. But don't make this decision in a vacuum.
When you're dealt a pair of 5s, conventional strategy says if the dealer's up card is anything from 2 through 9, you should double down.
Basic Strategy for Doubling Down
Most basic strategy guides on doubling down fail to keep it simple. Doubling down doesn't work the same way for everyone. When a strategy is based on assumed table rules, you should really think it over carefully.
If a strategy guide says, 'this works when you have six decks in the shoe,' or 'when the dealer must stand on soft 17,' that means the strategy may not work as well for you in other situations.
The 'basic' part of basic strategy begins with knowing what rules you're playing under. If you're in a highly coveted single deck game, put that eight-deck strategy card aside and vice versa.
The casino may restrict doubling down to high-value hands of 9 or higher. To keep it simple, if you're playing by these rules, only double down on an ace+7 hand. A more experienced player may feel up to the challenge of calculating the odds for other combinations.
If the casino allows you to double down on any hand, your safest strategy is to double down on hard 11 against any dealer up card and a hard 10 if the dealer's showing a 2 through 9. There are other guidelines for doubling down, but they assume certain rules are in play.
A great memorable quote from the Step Brothers movie on Quotes.net - Dale: Dad. We're men, okay? That means a few things; we like to shit with the door open, we talk about pussy, we like to go on riverboat gambling trips, and we make our own beef jerky. That's what we do. And now that is all wrecked.Robert: (Thinks for a minute) We literally have never done any of those things. Slotty Vegas reserves the right We Go On Riverboat Gambling Trips Step Brothers to suspend a cash-out request pending verification of User's We Go On Riverboat Gambling Trips Step Brothers identity, age and location of the bearer of the account. The subscriber implicitly gives his authorization to the processing of any personal data in compliance with the privacy laws in force in Malta. We like to shit with the door open, talk about pussy, 0:27 - 0:30 go on river boat gambling trips, make our own beef jerky. 0:30 - 0:34 That's what we do and now that is all wrecked. 0:34 - 0:38 We literally have never done any of those things. Funny Step Brothers Scene Description.
Give yourself time to learn the game.
When Is It Best to Double Down With an Ace?
Everyone should know to split aces in blackjack. But when should you double down if you're holding an ace?
When you double down, you only get one more card. When this strategy pays off, you only need one more card.
There are two things to consider:
- What's your second card's value?
- What's the dealer's up card value?
If you were dealt an 8 or higher card with your ace, don't double down. Period. You're sitting on 19 or better. If you have an ace and you're sitting on 18, you might be able to get away with doubling down if the dealer's up card is a 3, 4, 5, or 6.
The lower your second card is, the more likely you can get away with doubling down. But the dealer's up card should play into your decision. If the dealer is showing a deuce or anything better than a 6, don't double down.
Should You Always Split 8s?
Basic blackjack strategy says 8s are a safe and wise split. It's hard to go wrong with splitting 8s. The math says this works out well in the long run.
So, there you are with a pair of 8s and you split, and the dealer hits you with a 5. You kick yourself for walking away from an easy 21.
If you're counting cards and you believe there are a lot of low value cards left in the deck, splitting 8s may not be the wisest move. You only need a 2 through 5. That's a narrow range of cards, but if you're sure more of the higher value cards have been played, your chances of surviving are better.
A simpler way to make the call is to look at the dealer's up card. Some people won't split 8s if the dealer is showing a 9 or 10.
The simplest strategy is to always split your 8s. When you gain more experience, you may cut some losses by judiciously not splitting 8s.
Conclusion
Basic strategy should simplify your decision-making as much as possible. Some basic strategy guides don't simplify things enough.
Blackjack When To Stand
As you gain experience and see what could have been done with your hand, go back and study the exceptions in basic strategy guides. Wait until you're truly ready to play a more challenging game.
The most widely practised options are explained below:
Hit/Stand
The most common decision a player should take in the course of the game is whether to 'hit' (draw another card to the hand), or 'stand' (stop at the current total). This is a choice that each blackjack player must make for every dealt hand. The first option is to hit and it means that you want to draw another card for your blackjack hand. If you decide to hit, the dealer will deal another card to you face up. You should hit in blackjack if you think that taking another card will give you a greater chance of getting closer to 21 or equal to 21. The second option you have is to stand and it means that you stick to the current hand value of your cards. You should stand if you think that your current hand total is high enough and you can win against the dealer's hand. One more reason to stand is when you have a higher chance to bust if you draw another card.
An experienced blackjack player will not take a decision to hit or to stand considering only two initial cards. There are other factors to consider like the up card of the dealer and the calculated winning probability.
Player's short hints: If the dealer has a 7 or higher showing, hit until you have at least 17, if the dealer's showing a 2, 3, 7 or higher, you should hit a hard 12.
Double Down In Blackjack Meaning
Split
In case you have two cards of the same denomination, there will appear a Split button. You can split the cards into two hands and play each hand separately, meaning that you will take cards to your first hand until you stand or bust, and then go on with the next hand. Each hand will be played out as usual and your original bet will be duplicated for the new hand. Some casinos allow you to split the hand again after you have been dealt another pair, while others don't.
Hit Stand Double Down And Split In Blackjack Card Game
Player's short hints: Always split Aces and 8s, never split 10s, 5s or 4s.
Doubling Down
After you are dealt your first two cards (any value), the option to 'Double Down' will appear. If you're absolutely sure that your hand will beat the dealer's, you may double your original bet. Once this option is selected, the amount of your bet is automatically doubled and you will be dealt one more card. The hand will auto-stand after this card.
Player's short hints: Always double on 11 unless the dealer has an 11 (Ace) up, always double on 10 unless the dealer has a 10, always double on 9 unless the dealer has a 7 or higher up. Thunder strike thunder valley casino.
Blackjack Double Down Strategy
Insurance
Insurance gives you a chance to protect yourself in case the dealer has a blackjack. When the dealer's face-up card is an ace, you can bet on whether the dealer has a blackjack or not. This is done before any other player actions. The insurance wager is equal to your original bet and is used to cancel out the likely loss of this bet. A winning insurance bet will be paid at odds of 2:1, and since you lose your original bet, you'll break even on the hand. Anyway strategy guides tend to advise against taking insurance.
Player's short hints: Unless you are counting cards, never take insurance.
Surrender
Hit Stand Double Down And Split In Blackjack Terms
If you think that your hand is worth more than the dealer's (judging from what you can see of it,) you can fold your hand and return half of your original bet and the casino keeps the other half. You need a really bad hand for a surrender to be profitable. Once you draw a third card, or double down, or split, surrender is no longer an option.
Free Blackjack Hit Or Stand
Player's short hints: The only hands you should ever surrender are hard 15 against a ten, or hard 16 against a ten or Ace.
