Blackjack Strategy: The Decisions Every Player Should Understand
Hit or stand?
Split or don't split?
And what exactly does “double down” mean?
Blackjack is unusual among casino games because the decisions you make can affect the mathematical house edge.
That doesn't mean there's a secret system that guarantees you'll win – there isn't.
But there is something called blackjack basic strategy: a mathematically calculated approach to making decisions based on your cards and the dealer's visible card.
So if you've ever sat at a blackjack table wondering what experienced players seem to know that you don't, this is for you.
First: the aim of blackjack
The basic objective is simple.
You want a hand with a value closer to 21 than the dealer's without going over 21.
Number cards are worth their face value.
Kings, queens and jacks count as 10.
An ace can usually count as either 1 or 11.
If your cards total more than 21, you've “busted”.
Sounds straightforward.
Then come the decisions.
HIT
To hit means asking for another card.
Imagine you have:
7 + 5 = 12
You can take another card in an attempt to improve your hand.
But there's a risk.
Draw a 10 and you have 22.
You've busted.
That constant decision between taking another card and stopping is at the heart of blackjack.
STAND
To stand means you're happy with your current total and don't want another card.
If you're holding:
10 + 10 = 20
you'd generally be rather pleased with it.
The dealer then continues according to the rules of the game.
DOUBLE DOWN
Doubling down allows a player to increase their original wager – normally doubling it – in return for receiving exactly one additional card.
It can be appropriate in certain mathematical situations, depending on your hand and the dealer's visible card.
But remember what it means:
You're increasing the amount at risk.
It should never be viewed as a way of recovering previous losses.
SPLITTING PAIRS
If your first two cards have the same value, the rules may allow you to split them into two separate hands.
For example:
8 + 8
could become:
8 | 8
A second wager is placed and another card is dealt to each hand.
Whether splitting is mathematically advisable depends on the pair you're holding and the dealer's card.
The two pairs players should remember
If you want two memorable pieces of basic blackjack strategy, they're these:
Aces are normally split
Two aces total either 2 or 12.
Separating them gives each hand the opportunity to start with an ace.
Eights are normally split
Two eights make 16 – one of blackjack's most uncomfortable hands.
Basic strategy generally favours splitting them.
Hence one of blackjack's most famous pieces of advice:
“Always split aces and eights.”
There are rule variations, so always check the rules of the particular game you're playing.
What about tens?
You've got:
10 + 10 = 20
Should you split them and try to create two winning hands?
Basic strategy says no.
Twenty is already an exceptionally strong total.
This is a useful example of an important blackjack principle:
Don't change a strong position simply because something more exciting might happen.
What is a “soft” hand?
You'll hear blackjack players talking about “soft 17”, “soft 18” and similar hands.
A soft hand contains an ace being counted as 11.
For example:
Ace + 6 = soft 17.
It's called “soft” because drawing another card cannot immediately make the hand bust – the ace can switch from 11 to 1.
That flexibility affects basic strategy.
The dealer's card matters
One of the biggest mistakes a beginner can make is looking only at their own cards.
Basic strategy considers your hand AND the dealer's visible card.
Why?
Because the dealer has to follow predetermined rules about drawing and standing.
A dealer showing a 5 or 6 is in a very different mathematical position from a dealer showing a 10 or ace.
That's why the correct basic-strategy decision for your hand can change depending on what's sitting across the table.
The infamous 16 versus dealer 10
You've got 16.
The dealer is showing a 10.
Nobody likes it.
If you hit, lots of cards can make you bust.
If you stand, 16 isn't a particularly strong hand.
So what do you do?
Basic strategy for many common blackjack rule sets says to hit a hard 16 against a dealer 10 if surrender isn't available.
That doesn't mean hitting will save you.
It means that over a very large number of identical situations, it's generally the mathematically preferable decision under those rules.
That's an important distinction.
Basic strategy improves decisions. It doesn't predict outcomes.
Should you take insurance?
When the dealer shows an ace, you may be offered “insurance” against the dealer having blackjack.
It sounds reassuring.
Mathematically, however, basic strategy generally recommends declining insurance for players who aren't using additional information such as legitimate card counting.
Insurance is effectively a separate wager on whether the dealer's hidden card is worth 10.
The comforting name doesn't change the maths.
Does basic strategy guarantee you'll win?
Absolutely not.
This is probably the most important part of this article.
Blackjack basic strategy doesn't:
What it does is tell you the mathematically preferred decision in a given situation based on the rules of the game.
Depending on the exact blackjack rules, mathematically correct basic strategy can reduce the house advantage substantially compared with making random decisions.
But an edge still remains and short-term results can vary enormously.
Five blackjack myths worth forgetting
“I'm due a good hand.”
Cards don't know what happened to you previously.
“The player before me took my card.”
You cannot know what the next cards would have produced had another player acted differently.
“I need to win my losses back.”
No. Previous losses don't change the mathematics of the next hand.
“A strategy guarantees profit.”
It doesn't.
“Good blackjack players win every session.”
They don't.
Good decision-making and guaranteed results are two entirely different things.
The best blackjack tactic of all?
Know the game.
Know your limits.
And know when you're finished.
Understanding blackjack can make playing it more interesting because you understand the decisions in front of you.
But don't confuse knowledge with certainty.
There isn't a system that tells you what's coming next.
And perhaps that's exactly why a game that has been played for hundreds of years remains so fascinating.
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