Welcome to our online casino blackjack strategy page. Here, we’ll gloss over the basics a little bit, which is information that you’ll be able to find in the basics of blackjack page. Instead, here we’ll give you a page that has blackjack strategy. This is anywhere between using a strategy card, betting big when you win, how to count and avoid simple mistakes.
Playing at an online casino is as easy as 1, 2, 3, and that’s good because what’s to come is a little more difficult. Mastering games like online blackjack, roulette, poker, and other casino games is near impossible, and there are professionals today who aren’t able to consistently win, and that’s essentially what’s going on. We’re gambling. The trick is to try and gamble a little better.
Learning the Game
Blackjack is one of the world’s most popular online casino games and it’s plain to see why that is. It’s a game that has a fairly easy-to-grasp concept of “get to 21”. You’ll get 2 cards and will have to decide to hit or stand and try to beat the house. Obviously, it’s a little more complicated than that, but understanding the basics is important.
It’s actually what leads us to this page in the first place. Everybody wants to win at online casino games. Nobody is coming to an online casino, putting money down and hoping to get beaten at the blackjack table, or any other table or slot for that matter. Blackjack is the type of game that can wipe you out if you don’t understand the finer points but can also still treat you well if luck is on your side.
Blackjack is easy to understand but rather tough to master, and part of mastering how to be good at a game like blackjack is simply playing the odds. This is helped along by using a strategy card. Regular casinos probably won’t let you bring something like that in, but using one online is perfectly legal and can help you a great deal.
A Strategy Card
Many sites have got their own strategy cards that they keep, encouraging users to trust their methods. The truth is that all these strategy cards are exactly the same. They account for a dealer card and player cards and advise on what you should be doing based on hard totals and soft totals. To prove a point, here’s Captainbet.org’s Blackjack Strategy Card[RC1] :
The long and short of it is that you should be standing on 17 and above. That is matter of fact. Just because the dealer is showing a 10, doesn’t mean that they are going to hit another 10. They might, but it’s not a given. Anything less than 17 will have you stand if the dealer is showing less than a 6. If they show more than a 6 then you should be hitting. If you have an 11 or a 10, then you should double down, unless you have a 10 and the dealer is showing a 10 or Ace.
It gets a little more complicated based on soft totals (with an Ace) and pair splits, but you should understand the basic idea behind it. There are more 10-value cards in the deck than anything else. If the dealer only has to stand on 17, then the dealer showing a 6 is a good thing for you. There’s a chance that the dealer could hit a 10, and then anything more than a 6 will bust the dealer after that. Game over!
Counting Cards
Counting cards is something that only the geniuses will talk about or brag about, but the chances are good they are just blowing smoke. Any online card counting isn’t possible, the deck is shuffled every single hand. This makes it a no-go.
Keeping a Total Count
When people talk about keeping a count, it’s something that works better in land-based casinos than it does online. Due to the fact that there’s only the one deck, having a full table helps, and being able to see what’s been played, and being at the end of the table also helps. This means that if you can see a bunch of little cards have been played already, then some big ones are due to come. This also applies to the dealer for their next card too, so be warned!
Bet Big When You’re Winning
It sounds pretty obvious to be doing this right but betting big when you’re winning is a key part of gambling when you’re in person. If you’re able to develop a common system involving keeping a total in your head, such as 2-6 being +1, 7-9 being 0 and 10-Ace being -1, you can establish what might be coming out.
In large, land-based casinos that use six decks in a shoe, you can see that if there’s a count of -4, that means that a lot of big cards have been played, so there are a lot of little cards still to come. This isn’t fact but is based on averages and will likely help you in the long run. So, while you have the winning streak and know the count, bet big.
Managing a Bankroll
Players need to ensure that their bankroll is something that is at the forefront of their thought process whenever they decide to play online. Using a real money balance that is backed by a casino welcome bonus is good, but it also means you need to meet wagering requirements.
Having a consistent method for spending, so that you don’t go over, don’t spend your winnings, and manage to walk away when you need to are all super important.
Avoid the Gambler’s Fallacy
Also known as the Monte Carlo fallacy, don’t believe that you are due for a win. If you’re flipping a coin and you call Heads three times in a row, and three times in a row it lands on Tails, the fallacy is believing that you are due Heads now because Tails has come up so much. The statistics and percentages don’t actually change, it will always be a 50% chance for either side.
Blackjack Order of Operations
When a player is dealt a hand, there should be a checklist that they run through their heads in the very beginning. This is to minimize silly mistakes and ensure that when you’re able to win, you’re actually winning. Start of by asking whether or not you should surrender. If game allows it and the dealer is showing an Ace, or your cards are just somewhere in the middle against a good dealer card, there’s no shame in surrendering.
Surrender is the first port of call that you should be asking whether or not you do it. From there, you ask if you should split, then double, then finally hit or stand. Hitting or standing on your card combination is the last thing that you should be doing.
Hard Totals and Soft Totals
When people talk about a hard total, you’re referring to the two cards that you currently have in front of you that cannot be malleable. This could be any combination that doesn’t have an Ace in it. These are hard totals because the totals are hard.
Soft totals have an Ace. These are called “soft” because they can represent a 1 or an 11. When a player comes up with a soft total, it’s possible to double down on some tables. This may get you a decent result but could also mess you up a little bit.
