Blackjack Strategy Explained

When it comes to mastering the art of the ever-loved card game of blackjack, there are many details that need to be taken into consideration, in spite of the fact that it is generally seen as a game of pure chance.

Canadian players are not to be deterred by the fact that there is often a strategy involved in playing a lucrative game of online casino blackjack as the game can very easily become second nature to those that practice enough.

Soft 17 Increases the Chances of Winning

Looking at standard blackjack strategy, 17 is considered to place the player in purgatory because of the fact that the dealer generally has a great chance of beating the hand without busting.

At the same time, hitting on a 17 is considered far too risky, with there being little chance of receiving a 4 or lower after hitting. A soft 17 on the other hand, is an entirely different story, which essentially means that there would be an Ace hiding underneath that 6 and players wouldn’t have to worry about busting.

In fact, a soft 17 comes close to being one of the best hands there is because players are actually able to keep going until they get as close to 21 as they possibly can. It is for this reason the dealer is required to hit should they find themselves in this situation.

Splitting Down the Middle

Another aspect of blackjack that many beginners have a problem with and find confusing is splitting, which can easily be resolved with a thorough explanation. Splitting essentially allows a player to split their 2 cards to make 2 separate hands.

This means that players will have to put in twice the amount of money, which means that they double both the risk and the reward. A good time to split is when the cards are in the player’s favour, with those that receive 2 aces typically encouraged to split so that a paltry 12 could transform into 2 very decent hands.

What’s more, it is a good idea to split a pair of 8s or 9s but never a good idea to split a pair of 10s due to the fact that there is a higher chance of winning with 20 – it simply isn’t worth the risk.

The Dealer’s Upcard

A great strategy that many blackjack players adopt is using their dealer’s Upcard, which only shows half of their hand, to their advantage. The dealer’s bust rate averages at 28.36% and increases when certain cards appear.

If the dealer displays a 4, 5 or 6 then their bust percentage will be above 40%, which means players should play conservatively. If the dealer shows anything higher than 6 then there is more chance that the player will bust over the dealer. If the dealer happens to show an ace on their Upcard, then the bust rate drops to 11.65% and players will need to hunker down and root out a straight-up way to beat them.

Implemented to increase the chances of winning, online blackjack strategy means knowing what needs to be done with the hand dealt, while still paying attention to what is happening with the dealer’s hand.