Blackjack Strategy

In most casino table games there is going to be strategies to winning. In Baccarat and Roulette there is rarely a strategy that will offer you a win. So let's take a look at Blackjack strategy to see if it will be something you can predict and win at.

Before you determine your strategy there are a few things you need to know. First in the 52 card deck you normally play with there are 16 cards with a value of ten. That is 30 percent of the deck. In casinos you normally play with eight decks, so the odds are a bit better for those 10 cards. In fact you have 128 cards out of the 8 decks that will be worth ten points. Still it is not a lot when you compare the other value cards. When you add in the 8 cards and 9 cards for value you can get 46 percent of a chance of getting that higher value card. So look at your hand to determine what you have, and then think about what the dealer could have. Chances are they are going to have at least one card as an 8, 9, or 10 value. What card is facing up in their pile? If it is a ten there is still a good chance they have the same value or the 8 or 9 in the hand. When considering strategy you also need to realize the probabilities of what could happen if the up card is a six. There is a 1 in 2 chance of the dealer having 14, 15, or 16 in their hand. In Blackjack you need to plan what the next card might be for the dealer.

Say, for example, you have a hard 13. So what could come out of the shoe for you? If you get a ten you bust. If the dealer has an up card of 6 the chance of them busting is 42 percent. If you have 13 and the rules don't state that you must hit on anything lower than 16 you can stand. In some casinos you have to hit on anything that is 15 or below. If you don't have to hit you could win as the dealer busts.

There have been several individuals in the past that looked at the probability of what card could come up next, as well as counting card strategies. You will find that the math will help you beat the house, because the edge is taken down to 1% when you play with a mathematic strategy. We are offering a table below based on a multiple deck game, so you can see when and where you might want to take a hit or stand. We will also look at other strategies for doubling down and splitting in other articles.

When you look at the table you will find it is pretty simplistic. You see what you have and compare to the dealers up card. Then you know what action you want to take. The table will tell you what to do because it offers the outcome of the dealer's hand based on the up card.

Blackjack Strategy Legend

* HIT = This means you need to take a hit if you can't double after you split.

Note: The hard totals are the values without having an ace in the hand. With a soft hand you have an ace that could be 11 or 1. Your move will change based on the type of hand. The tables discuss what you should do for both types of hands, above.

Below you have a table showing you what happens when you look at the dealer up card. You will see what might happen if the up card is a certain number, such as busting. It is all the possible outcomes for a multiple deck.

Additional Resources:

• More Blackjack Strategy Charts and Tips