6 Winning Blackjack Strategies for Smart Gamblers

People At A Blackjack Table

You can make money playing blackjack online. It just takes some time and effort to start mastering a profitable strategy. If you want an inside look and are hoping to learn the secrets of winning blackjack players, this is the best place to start.

Here, you’ll read about six strategies that smart blackjack gamblers use to win more often. And you can use these same strategies to start making a profit.

And the best part is that learning how to use these six strategies isn’t hard. In fact, if you’re able to read this article, then you’ve got all of the tools you need to start winning.

1 – Look for Tables With These Rules

Each blackjack variant has a set of rules. And some tables have a unique set of rules that favor your bottom line. Unfortunately, navigating the different rulesets can make it challenging to decide on a specific type of blackjack to play.

But if you take the time to learn which variations are the best, your bankroll should see fewer losses. By learning all about the rules, you can avoid low-paying variants before you start your blackjack gameplay.

Keep in mind, there are some blackjack types that make it virtually impossible to win. To help you out, we’ll talk to you about the best rules in blackjack below. Tables with more of these rules than others are going to be the best choices for you.

3/2 Blackjack – Choose blackjack that pay at least 3:2. This is the rule that you should follow 100% of the time. No other rules matter if the blackjack table you’re playing at doesn’t pay 3:2 or better. 6:5 tables put you at a loss.
Double – As a general rule, the more options you have to double, the better. If you can double after a split, then it’s a good table.
Split – Rules that allow you to split and re-split more often are also better than tables with more restrictive split rules.>/li>
Dealer Soft 17 – When the dealer stands on a soft 17, it’s better than when they hit on a soft 17. This rule isn’t as important as the others we mentioned above.
Surrender – Having the surrender rule is better than not being able to surrender. Early surrender is also better than late surrender, but it can be difficult to find tables with early surrender.

2 – Learn How to Use Pairs

Every time you get a pair when you play blackjack, you have the option to split the pair into two hands, receiving another card on each card in the pair. In some games, you can split a pair again if you draw another pair after splitting.

The ability to split pairs is powerful because it gives you the chance to get twice as much money in play when you have an advantage. It also lets you change a terrible starting total into two hands with a better chance to win.

For example, if you have a pair of 7s or 8s, you have yourself a terrible starting hand. But when you split and start a hand with an 8 or a 7, then you have a much better chance to win.

Also, if you start with a pair of aces and split the pair, you are then starting two hands with an ace each. The ace is the most powerful starting card in blackjack.

3 – Know When to Double Down

The ability to double down is powerful for the same reason that being able to split is powerful. In certain situations, you gain a stronger chance of winning.

In some of these situations, doubling down allows you to win twice as much money in play with an edge.

If you start with a total of 11 and the dealer has a 15, you’re a strong favorite to win the hand. You can double down and get more money in play. You only get one additional card, but even if you don’t draw a great card, the dealer has a higher chance to bust.

It can be a little tricky to know exactly when it’s the best strategy to double down and when it’s best to just hit. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to learn more about this. We’ll go over it later on in the page.

4 – Learn How to Play Soft Blackjack Hands

Most of the blackjack hands you start with likely don’t have an ace. But the ones that do are called “soft” hands. And some hands are still soft even after you take additional cards. A soft hand simply means that you can use the ace for either 11 or 1 in your total.

Some soft hands are relatively easy to play. For example, if you have an ace and a 5, this is a total of 16 if you use the ace as an 11. This isn’t a good place to start. But you can also use it as a 1, and start with a 6. This isn’t great, but it’s usually better than a 16, which is already too close to a bust.

The key is learning when it’s beneficial to hit or double down on a soft hand and when it’s best to stand with a soft hand. This decision isn’t always clear. But there’s an easy way to learn about these plays and every other play you need to make when you play blackjack.

In fact, I’m going to show you a simple way to instantly know the best play in every blackjack situation without needing to calculate anything yourself. I cover this in the next section.

5 – Memorize the Best Plays

In order to play blackjack well, you should memorize some simple blackjack strategies. This way, you know which play is best depending on the cards you receive.

Thankfully, you don’t have to sit down, try to calculate the best plays yourself, and memorize your findings. All you have to do is refer to a blackjack strategy chart.

You put these plays into practice, and memorize them by referring to the chart over and over again. Eventually, it will come to you naturally.

Blackjack strategy charts list every single hand and situation you’re going to see at the blackjack tables on a single page. Actually, it all fits on a card about the size of a playing card, so it doesn’t even take up an entire page.

Get yourself a blackjack strategy chart by searching for one online, or buy it in a casino gift shop. Now, every time you play blackjack, just refer to your chart.

Knowing exactly how to play every blackjack hand is that simple! Use the chart multiple times, and eventually, you’re going to remember all of the best plays.

6 – Simple Card Counting for Profit

If you follow the advice in this article, you’re going to get better results when you play blackjack in comparison to most gamblers. But there’s another thing you can do to improve your profits even more.

Forget everything that you think you know about counting cards when you play blackjack. You probably think you have to be some sort of mathematical genius to count cards, but that’s not true.

In fact, anyone who’s smart enough to read this article is smart enough to learn a simple card counting system.

I suggest starting with a simple card counting system called Ace 5. You start your count at zero and add 1 every time you see a 5 come up. You subtract 1 every time you see an ace. Any time your count is 2 or higher, you double your bet. If the count is at 1 or lower, you make the smallest bet available.

For example, if you see two 5s and no aces on the first round of cards, your count is at 2. Because your total is 2 or higher, you double the amount of your bet on the next round. If you see an ace and no 5s on the next round, that puts your count at -1, so you go back to making the minimum bet.

Card counting systems are developed as a way to gain an advantage against the casino. It’s not illegal, but casinos don’t love card counters. Try not to seem too obvious or you could lose your casino privileges.

Conclusion

Smart blackjack gambling starts with the rules. If you don’t play at blackjack tables with the right rules, you’re shooting yourself in the foot before you even get started.

After learning which blackjack rules are important, the next big step is learning the best play for every hand that you can get in the game.

The good news is that this is easier than it sounds with the use of a blackjack strategy chart.

The last thing that you need to learn in order to start making money with real money blackjack is to learn how to use a card counting system. Once you’ve mastered these, you could very well become a blackjack pro!