Blackjack Betting Strategies

Blackjack is easy to learn — the player closest to 21 wins the hand. However, achieving success requires mastering specific skills and even a bit of card counting. Doing so can reduce the house edge. This guide will explore essential betting strategies to help you maximise every hand.

Basic Blackjack Strategy

The first step in mastering a basic blackjack strategy is understanding how the game works. Mathematicians and blackjack biggies have developed fundamental betting approaches that guide you in counting cards, deciding the best actions based on the cards in play, and implementing effective betting techniques. These strategies reduce the house edge to around 0.5%, giving you a more level playing field.

Card Counting

Learning how to count cards in blackjack is quite easy. A successful count reduces the house edge by as much as 1%. Players track how many low and high cards have been dealt, using a 0, -1 or +1 for each. So, at any given time, they know the current card count of the shoe.

This gives you an advantage as you know if the other cards in the shoe are low or high. This way, you can increase your bet and hit a winning streak.

Know When to Hit or Stand

It is an imperative rule when playing blackjack. You can use a betting chart where you see what to do based on your cards and the dealers’ cards. This is done in each hand, so you have to memorise the correct plays for each hand.

You also need to know different outcomes if you have a soft or a hard hand. In a hard hand, the total count of the cards is already known. Yet, in a soft hand, the count can change.

For example, you have an A and a 6, against a dealer’s 7. You have a soft 16, so you should hit, as the next card can be low, bringing you closer to 21. Even if it’s a face card, you still have 17 since the A now counts as 1.

Strategy Charts

They may be confusing at first glance, but once you learn how to read them, you see they are pretty straightforward. Below is a chart for 6-deck blackjack, where you can see the recommended bets. In the first column is your total hand count, while the first row is the dealers’ card.

As you can see from the example, if you have a 16 and the dealer is showing a 7, the recommended action is to hit. This is so because the dealer might have a face card, totalling 17, so you need a low card up to 5 to win the hand.

Most strategy charts will help you in the long run by recommending the correct action. Consider using them in the suggested order:

1. Surrender (Sr): You can use it only before any other action. It helps you save half of your bet.
2. Split (Sp): Once you take another card, you lose the option to split. Remember, you can split only pairs.
3. Double Down (D): You use it on hands that give you the best chance of winning. Always double down on a 10 and 11 since you have an excellent chance of landing 21.
4. Hit (H) or Stand (S): After considering all other choices above, then decide whether to hit or stand. This is where strategy charts come in handy.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Blackjack strategies are guidelines designed to help you achieve the best possible outcomes. However, players frequently make common mistakes even with a strategy in place. Here are some to avoid:

• Never split 10s: It is almost always a mistake — 99% of the time, it’s a winning hand.
• Avoid insurance: In the long run, insurance bets drain your bankroll.
• Don’t chase losses: A losing streak can persist, so chasing losses usually leads to greater setbacks.
• Don’t mimic the dealer’s strategy: The house edge favours the dealer, not the player.
• Surrender when possible: When faced with an unwinnable hand, surrendering and losing half your bet is often the wiser choice.

Blackjack Betting Systems

Blackjack and other table games, like roulette, have inspired many betting systems to be developed over the years. These differ from betting charts, showing you how to bet in the long run to achieve success. Below are some of the most popular ones.

Technique	What to Do
	Martingale Double your bet after every loss to recover the previous bet.
	Paroli Double your bet after a win. Keep doubling when you win 3 hands in a row. On a loss, bet the original amount.
	d’Alembert Raise your bet by one unit on a loss, and lower your bet by one unit on a win.
	Fibonacci Follow the 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34 progression. On a win, keep your original bet; on a loss, the bet size is the sum of your two previous bets.
	1-3-2-6 On a win, you progressively bet 1, 3, 2 and 6 units. On a loss, you bet a single unit.
	Parlay On a win, you bet the winnings from the previous hand; on a loss, you bet the original stake.

Pro Strategy Tips

To pump up your chances of success in blackjack, it’s crucial to have the betting charts down pat and stick to a basic strategy. But if you happen to slip up, don’t worry — here are some essential tips that can help you stay ahead of the game:

1. A pair of Acer or Eights is always a Split.
2. Any 13 to 16 vs a dealer 2 to 6 is a stand.
3. Double down on every 11.
4. Always hit on an 8 or below.
5. Never use insurance.
6. Splitting 10’s is not a good idea.
7. An A9 is a sure stand.
8. Any A2 to A8 against a 6 is a double.
9. A 16 against a 9, 10 or A is a surrender.
10. Never split 5’s.
11. Any 17 or higher is a sure stand.

There you have it. Even without using betting systems or strategy charts, simply following the tips above will make you a better blackjack player.