Blackjack Strategy
Blackjack can be played with a single deck or multiple decks. The strategy changes somewhat depending on how many decks are used. However, since most online casino sites use multiple decks, this strategy will be covered in the table below.
Your Hand (1st 2 cards) Dealer Upcard
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ace
8 or less H H H H H H H H H H
9 H D D D D H H H H H
10 D D D D D D D D H H
11 D D D D D D D D D H
12 H H S S S H H H H H
13 S S S S S H H H H H
14 S S S S S H H H H H
15 S S S S S H H H H H
16 S S S S S H H H H H
17-21 S S S S S S S S S S
Soft 13 H H H D D H H H H H
Soft 14 H H H D D H H H H H
Soft 15 H H D D D H H H H H
Soft 16 H H D D D H H H H H
Soft 17 H D D D D H H H H H
Soft 18 S D D D D S S H H H
Soft 19-20 S S S S S S S S S S
S=Stand H=Hit D=Double Down
Blackjack Strategy For The House Odds
The house odds can be difficult to calculate as this is a place where the skill of a player is a factor in the outcome. So, a good player can lower the house edge, but a bad or inconsistent player increases the house edge. Typical online blackjack casino house edge is roughly .4%-.5%. This is affected by several factors that you should pay close attention to:
- Late surrender being allowed (hard to find) reduces house edge, but less than .1% (good for you)
- Being able to split aces reduces the house edge (good for you)
- Being able to split several times reduces house edge (good for you)
- Restricting doubling to 9-11 increases the house edge (bad for you)
- Being able to double after splitting (hard to find) reduces the house edge (good for you)
- If dealer hits on a soft 17 reduces house edge (good for you)
- Single deck is better than multiple decks
No matter which venue you are playing blackjack, be it land based casino or online casino, the house edge you are playing against is low as compared to other games, and can be manipulated based on your skill level. Here are some rough averages for a few popular online blackjack casino software solutions pertaining to online Blackjack house edge:
1. Vegas Technologies: .73% house edge
2. Microgaming: .13% house edge
3. Playtech: .5%
Blackjack Card Counting and Online Casinos
Card counting has gained great popularity over the years because of the many books and websites written that swear that the key to winning blackjack is card counting. However, this is based on 2 main factors: the number of decks used, and how often they are shuffled. If the cards are shuffled after every hand, card counting will not be of much value. If you plan on attempting to card count, for say a live dealer blackjack game, it is essential to know how many decks are being used, and if they are shuffled, how often. Here are the kinds of stats to look for in determining your strategy.
Black Jack Cryptologic BlackJack (Multi-Deck) Single Deck
8 decks 1 Deck
Dealer stands on soft 17 Dealer hits on soft 17
Player may double on any first 2 cards Same
Player may double after splitting Same
No surrender No surrender
Blackjack Real Time Gaming (RTG)
2-4 decks
Dealer hits on soft 17
Double on any first 2 cards, can double after the split
Can split to 3 hands
Surrender is available
Microgaming Black Jack
European Blackjack Vegas Strip Blackjack Multihand Blackjack
2 decks 4 decks 5 decks
Double on 9-11 only Double on any first 2 cards Double on 9-11 only
No doubling after splitting Double after split allowed No doubling after splitting
No resplitting Can resplit to 3 hands No resplitting
One bet position One bet position 5 bet positions
Online Blackjack Advantages
First and foremost, you don’t have to travel to Vegas to play, no hotels, no tipping, no extra expenses. You can play at your leisure, on your timetable, any where you like. Secondly, if you are unsure about a hand, you can pause the game and check the strategy tables. If you are unsure what to do, you can take your time to decide. At a land based casino, the games are pretty fast paced and you don’t have time (and might feel embarrassed) consulting a strategy table. So, playing in your home can help build your confidence, your skills, and help you play at the pace you feel comfortable. Once your skills have developed, it is easy to up the stakes and really bring home the bacon!!
Summing it all up
Online blackjack is one of the most popular online casino games for obvious reasons, not the least of which is that it is one of the most exciting and riveting online casino gaming experiences possible. Blackjack is available in both electronic and live dealer versions at online casinos, and is growing in popularity every day. As more and more people discover the convenience and excitement that is at their fingertips when they log in to their favorite online casino and click through the doors of that inviting blackjack suite, we anticipate that the blackjack trend is in no danger of slowing down anytime soon. |
Blackjack Pages
