Science
A lot of players gravitate towards blackjack in casinos because of its low house edge.
They are guidelines that would improve the mathematical odds of you making a profit in the long run.
They won’t save you from difficult hands or from the odd chance that the dealer makes a blackjack.
With that in mind, let’s see at what you could do and how it helps your chances.
Your course of action will depend on the value of your hand and the dealer’s upcard.
Odds of Going Bust:
This applies to both you and the dealer.
These are just close approximations as it depends on the number of decks and the cards already drawn.
Virtually all strategies agree on one basic principle.
Unless, that is, the dealer has a value of 6 or your value is 17 or higher.
If the dealer draws a 7 and you have 12, then you should hit.
The chances of going bust are nearly 2/3.
Even when the dealerhits on a soft 17, your chances of going bust are too high.
Remember the numbers 5 and 6 as they are a pretty tough hand for the dealer.
The dealer will be prompted to draw a card, and usually, a second one to beat you.
Thebasic strategy chartsalmost universally tell you to double down if you have a value of 10 or 11. you might also double down on 9s, but only when the dealer has a value of 3-6.
The Aces can be split and then if your game allows you, are perfect for doubling down.
You may just win 2 blackjacks from the round, making a good lump sum.
A hand of 16 is always risky.
If the dealer has low cards (2-6) then your chances of winning jump up to 55-60%.
One popular way is to use ablackjack counting systemand combine it with your blackjack basic strategy.
In the early rounds, apply the basic strategy to gain an edge.
Then, when the remaining cards are higher or lower in value, adjust your strategy.
Surrenderis also highly useful, as it’s possible for you to cut your losses in the right circumstances.
It is best to avoid the high risk of going bust (or losing to their hand).
But in general, these side bets have a higher house edge.
They are calculated to bring the house a profit in the long run.
So if you want to keep the house edge low, you should avoid them.
Daniel has been writing about casinos and sports betting since 2021.
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