Blackjack Strategy

Picture 44 electronic player terminals spread out in a stadium-configured arrangement in a casino. A live blackjack dealer stands in front of the stadium facing the players. Players (in this example, up to all 44) make their bets by touching the casino chips across the bottom of the screen on their interactive terminal.

Ever since Ed Thorp published his book Beat the Dealer in 1962 it has been an accepted that the diligent player can beat the casino at blackjack.

The first step in playing blackjack is to use the correct basic strategy and the deviations to from that strategy based on the ratio of cards that remain. Soft 18 in blackjack (A-7) is a commonly misplayed hand.

One of the hands that blackjack players sometimes misplay is soft 19. This is a hand that totals 19 and contains an ace counted as 11. Examples of soft 19 hands are A-8 and A-3-5.

One of the most frustrating hands in blackjack is a 16 against a dealer’s 10 upcard. How you play this hand depends upon the composition of the cards that make up your 16 and the playing rules.

One of the most common mistakes made by blackjack players occurs when they are dealt an initial hand of 12 dealer’s upcard is a 2. The reasons most players blunder on this hand is because they are afraid to draw any 10 and bust.

The advent of live casino has revolutionized the way people play casino games. The traditional format of casino entertainment, land-based casinos, remains a popular option for many players.

A common question that I get from gamblers is: “Can you win at blackjack without card counting?”. Much to their surprise the answer is yes.

Twenty-One Plus Three (21+3)  is a popular add-on to blackjack side bet that pays when your first two cards and the dealer’s up-card form poker-style combinations like flushes, straights, and three of a kind.