There is still a 1-in-13 chance that the dealer has a blackjack and a 4-in-13 chance of a 20. So you need a strong hand to compete. An 11 gives you a good chance of making a 21 with a hit. But you are still in the risk of busting and you should hit 10 or less, hit 12-16, and stand at 17+. Dealer's Card is a 7, 8, or 9.

Hit Or Stay Blackjack

Introduction

To use the basic strategy, look up your hand along the left vertical edge and the dealer's up card along the top. In both cases an A stands for ace. From top to bottom are the hard totals, soft totals, and splittable hands. There are two charts depending on whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17.

Other basic strategy rules.

• Never take insurance or 'even money.'
• If there is no row for splitting (fives and tens), then look up your hand as a hard total (10 or 20).
• If you can't split because of a limit on re-splitting, then look up your hand as a hard total.

If you play a mixture of six-deck games, some where the dealer hits a soft 17, and some where he stands, and you only wish to memorize one strategy, I would recommend you memorize the one where the dealer stands on soft 17. The cost in errors due to playing the wrong strategy is 2.3 times higher playing a stand on soft 17 game, with the hit on 17 strategy, than vise versa.

Basic Strategy in Text

For the benefit of my blind readers, here is the above strategy in text form, when the dealer stands on soft 17 and surrender is allowed. To use the strategy, start at the top, and follow the first rule that applies.

Surrender

• Surrender hard 16 (but not a pair of 8s) vs. dealer 9, 10, or A, and hard 15 vs. dealer 10.

Split

• Always split aces and 8s.
• Never split 5s and 10s.
• Split 2s and 3s against a dealer 4-7, and against a 2 or 3 if DAS is allowed.
• Split 4s only if DAS is allowed and the dealer shows a 5 or 6.
• Split 6s against a dealer 3-6, and against a 2 if DAS is allowed.
• Split 7s against a dealer 2-7.
• Split 9s against a dealer 2-6 or 8-9.

Double

Blackjack When To Hit

• Double hard 9 vs. dealer 3-6.
• Double hard 10 except against a dealer 10 or A.
• Double hard 11 except against a dealer A.
• Double soft 13 or 14 vs. dealer 5-6.
• Double soft 15 or 16 vs. dealer 4-6.
• Double soft 17 or 18 vs. dealer 3-6.

Hit or Stand

• Always hit hard 11 or less.
• Stand on hard 12 against a dealer 4-6, otherwise hit.
• Stand on hard 13-16 against a dealer 2-6, otherwise hit.
• Always stand on hard 17 or more.
• Always hit soft 17 or less.
• Stand on soft 18 except hit against a dealer 9, 10, or A.
• Always stand on soft 19 or more.

As I've said many times, the above strategy will be fine under any set of rules. However, for you perfectionists out there, here are the modifications to make if the dealer hits a soft 17.

• Surrender 15, a pair of 8s, and 17 vs. dealer A.
• Double 11 vs. dealer A.
• Double soft 18 vs. dealer 2.
• Double soft 19 vs. dealer 6.

My thanks to Kelly for putting together the above text strategy.

Blackjack is an extremely popular casino game, and one that offers lots of strategies and tips to help the player overcome the house edge; as much as possible anyway. Below, we've documented the Top 10 Blackjack Tips to help you improve your game.

Blackjack Tips #1: When To Hit

Use the following rules to determine when to Hit, according to your hand and the dealer's face up card.

-If the dealer's face up card is 7, 8, 9, 10 or Ace, and your hand totals 8 or 12 through 16, Hit.
-If the dealer's face up card is Ace, and your hand totals 11, do not Double, Hit.
-If the dealer's face up card is 10, and your hand totals 10, do not Double, Hit.
-If the dealer's face up card is 7, 8 or 9, and your hand totals 9, do not Double, Hit.

Blackjack Tips #2: When To Stand

Use the following rules to determine when to Stand, according to your hand and the dealer's face up card.

-When your hand totals 17 or above, no matter what, Stand. (Some strategies will tell you to hit 17 if the dealer has an Ace.)
-If the dealer's face up card is 6 or below, and your hand totals 13 or above, Stand.
-If you have a splitable pair of 10s or Face Cards, do not Split them, Stand.

Blackjack Tips #3: When To Split

Use the following rules to determine when to Split your hand, according to value of your pair and the dealer's face up card.

Blackjack Hit Or Stand

-Only Split 2s and 3s if the dealer's card is 4-7
-Never Split 5s; either Double Down, or Hit if the dealer is showing a 10 or Ace.
-Split 6s and 7s if the dealers card is 6 or below.
-Always split 8s, no matter what.
-Always Split Aces if allowed.

Hit Or Stay Blackjack Game

Blackjack Tips #4: When To Double

Doubling is a strategy often used when the player's hand equal 9, 10 or 11, giving the player a good chance of hitting 19-20 with a 10 or Face card. Use the following rules to determine when to Double your hand, according to your total and the dealer's face up card.

-Always double a total of 10 unless the dealer has 10 or Ace.
-Always double an 11 unless the dealer has an Ace.
-9 should only be doubled when the dealer has 3, 4, 5 or 6 showing.

Blackjack Tips #5: When in Doubt, Use a Strategy Chart

Blackjack Strategy Charts are designed to tell a player exactly how to act in every possible situation. Some players do not like blackjack Strategy Charts because they remove the element of decision making, but consider this... Casinos get the upper hand because the dealer cannot make decisions. The dealer must follow strict rules based on probabilities when playing their hand. If the player uses the same strategy, he is effectively decreasing the house edge to a minimum.

Blackjack Tips #6: Game Selection, Know The Rules

There are many more variations of Blackjack than the classic version we all know and love. Each has a slight difference in the rules, and some even have optional side bets and progressive jackpots. When choosing to play a new variation of blackjack, such as Perfect Pairs, Super 21 or Progressive Blackjack, be sure to know all of the rules and payouts involved.

Blackjack Never Hit On 12

Blackjack Tips #7: Card Counting

Hit And Stand Blackjack

Blackjack Card Counting is an age-old strategy used by many professional blackjack players. It is not that hard to learn, and can be very effective in minimizing losses and maximizing profits. It is recommended to get a good deal of practice in card counting before applying the strategy at a live casino so that the extensive security staff does not discover you are doing it. Card counting is not illegal by any means, but it may get you promptly, if not permanently, removed from the casino if caught. Note that card counting is not a viable online casino blackjack strategy. Online casino software re-shuffles the deck with each new hand.

Blackjack Tips #8: Play Online, It's Cheaper

Aside from the omission of card counting, playing online blackjack has many benefits. For one, you can put all of the money you intended to spend towards your bankroll. You won't have to gas up the car, purchase airline tickets or book a hotel (if no local casino). When you win, you won't have the obligatory 'tipping the dealer' to reduce your profits. All in all, it just makes sense to stay home, eat your own food, drink your own drinks and spend a lot less money by playing blackjack online.

Blackjack Tips #9: Play Online for Bonuses

Playing online isn't just about convenience. You can actually double or triple your bankroll when you sign up at an online casino. They all offer welcome bonuses, most matching your first deposit 100% to 200% or more, up to a certain amount. Instead of starting with $100 bankroll, made up of your own hard earned cash, why not play online and claim a welcome bonus that could give you're a lot more bankroll for your buck by way of free casino chips?

Blackjack Tips #10: Bet Sizes That Match Your Bankroll

Lastly, we'll go ahead state the obvious. Don't play a blackjack table where the limits do not correspond with your bankroll. If you have $200, don't sit at a blackjack table with a minimum $100 bet. No matter how many blackjack tips and strategies you apply, you'll want to have plenty of opportunities to play hands, with splitting and doubling available, in order to make a sizeable profit. Make sure you will be able to place a minimum of 40 bets with your bankroll before choosing a table.

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