How to Win at Blackjack
We will give you more ways to win at blackjack with this easy to understand guide. If you are able to play a flawless basic strategy of blackjack, you definitely have a better chance of winning. However, the casino always has the house edge, and there is nothing you can do about this edge. To help you step up your game and get started, we have put together a guide for the best way to win at blackjack. Here you will find all the tips and tricks on how to win at blackjack.
What is Blackjack?
Before we get into how to win at blackjack, let’s take a step back to explain what blackjack is.
You will receive two cards after you place your bets. With these cards, you will decide to either hit, stand, split, double down, take insurance, or surrender. When playing online, you play against the casino software. This allows you to play at your own pace and improve your chances of winning.
With blackjack, you can use a number of different strategies and techniques to improve your odds of winning.
Best Ways to Win at Blackjack
- Stick to the basic blackjack strategy chart.
- Increase and decrease your bets based on whether you are winning or losing.
- Aim for small, more frequent wins.
- Avoid using card counting tactics.
- Know your limit and when to stop.
- Never take insurance or even-money bets.
Basic Blackjack Cheat Charts
| Never Take Insurance or Even Money | ||||||||||
| Pair Splitting | ||||||||||
| Dealer’s Up-card | ||||||||||
| | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A |
| (A/A) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| (10/10) | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| (9/9) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N |
| (8/8) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| (7/7) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N |
| (6/6) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | N |
| (5/5) | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| (4/4) | N | N | N | Y/N | Y/N | N | N | N | N | N |
| (3/3) | Y/N | Y/N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N |
| (2/2) | Y/N | Y/N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | N |
| Key: | Yes | Yes, split the pair. | ||||||||
| No | No, Don’t split the pair. | |||||||||
| Y/N | If double after split is allowed / If double after split is not allowed. | |||||||||
| Soft Totals | ||||||||||
| Dealer’s Up-card | ||||||||||
| | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A |
| (A/9) | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
| (A/8) | S | S | S | S | D’s | S | S | S | S | S |
| (A/7) | D’s | D’s | D’s | D’s | D’s | S | S | H | H | H |
| (A/6) | H | D | D | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
| (A/5) | H | H | D | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
| (A/4) | H | H | D | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
| (A/3) | H | H | H | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
| (A/2) | H | H | H | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
| Key: | H | Hit | ||||||||
| S | Stand | |||||||||
| D | Double if allowed. If not, hit | |||||||||
| D’s | Double if allowed. If not, stand | |||||||||
| Hard Totals | ||||||||||
| Dealer’s Up-card | ||||||||||
| | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A |
| 17 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
| 16 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
| 15 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
| 14 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
| 13 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
| 12 | H | H | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
| 11 | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| 10 | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | H | H |
| 9 | H | D | D | D | D | H | H | H | H | H |
| 8 | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H |
| Key: | H | Hit | ||||||||
| S | Stand | |||||||||
| D | Double if allowed. If not, hit | |||||||||
| Hard Totals – Late Surrender | ||||||||||
| Dealer’s Up-card | ||||||||||
| | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A |
| 17 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | | | | | | | | Sur | Sur | Sur |
| 15 | | | | | | | | | Sur | |
| 14 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Key: | Sur | If you have the option to surrender, and it is your first two cards, then surrender. | ||||||||
Hard hands to Win at Blackjack
Basic rules to follow when your hard hand totals:
- Five to eight – Hit your hand against any dealer up card.
- Nine – Double against a dealer two through six, and hit seven through ace.
- 10 – Double against a dealer two through nine.
- 11 – Double against a dealer two through 10.
- 12 to 16 – Hit against a dealer seven through ace. Otherwise, stand.
- 17 to 21 – Always stand.
Soft hands to Win at Blackjack
Follow these rules when your soft hand (with an ace) totals:
- 13 to 15 – Hit.
- 16 and 17 – Double against a dealer two through six, otherwise hit.
- 18 – Double against a dealer two through six, stand against a seven or eight, hit against nine, 10, or ace.
- 19 to 21 – Always stand.
Splits
- Always split aces and eights.
- Never split fours, fives, or 10s.
- Split nines except against sevens, 10s, and aces.
- Split twos, threes, sixes, and sevens against two through seven, hit sixes and sevens against seven through ace.
Winning at Blackjack Don’ts
- Take insurance unless you are playing with several people and see no 10s out on the layout. Otherwise, forget about this bet.
- Use surrender except when you have a 15 against a 10 and when you have 16 against a nine, 10, or ace.
- Be rude to the other players or the dealer; they are trying to enjoy themselves just like you are. The dealer does not control the cards – you control what you bet, when, and at what table.
- The dealer is your friend. If they don’t act like it, find another dealer.
- Bet more when you are losing to chase your money. That’s a sure way to bury yourself and your bankroll.
Winning at Blackjack Do’s
- Remember that blackjack is a great game and more fun when you play well.
- Try to memorize the rules for winning.
- Make an occasional “toke” bet for the dealer, or hand them a chip for their efforts at an actual casino venue.
- Remember that you are in complete control of how long you play.
- Raise your bets a little when you are winning.
- Quit playing when you reach your pre-set win level or are not enjoying yourself.