Each hand in blackjack has a distinct value that determines whether it should hit, stand, split or double down. Our hand guide can help you determine how best to approach each hand and increase your odds of victory.
Players can increase their odds by increasing bet size – though this should be done strategically; for instance, you could double when the dealer shows a low card.
Hard hands
Hard hands in blackjack refer to those that do not include an Ace and thus cannot count as either 1 or 11. These hands usually require players to hit and receive more cards, possibly leading to busting. Though frustrating at times, players must accept that this part of the game requires them to decide between hitting or standing depending on both their total value of their hand as well as what cards the dealer shows up with first.
Blackjack’s basic card system is simple – all cards have their numerical values except queens, kings and jacks which receive 10 points each – however misplayed hands may lead to significant long-term losses for many players.
Soft hands
Soft Hand is used to refer to any blackjack hand that contains an “open ace.” While this distinction may seem trivial, it plays a pivotal role in correct blackjack strategy – it can make all the difference for winning odds when using liberal rules for doubling down and double down bets.
Understanding how dealers treat soft and hard hands is also key. Soft hands cannot be busted, providing some protection from house edge through having an ace that remains flexible; if a player hits and draws a card which would cause him or her to bust however, then their ace no longer stays flexible – this must be remembered if one hits and draws another 10 valued card which would cause busting as it will no longer allow for as much flexibility from it in play.
Players should attempt to hit soft totals of 16, 17 and 18 against a dealer’s 5, and stand on soft totals 19 or higher. For more information about the correct way to play soft and hard blackjack hands, refer to the complete blackjack strategy charts section.
Odds of winning
Blackjack odds are percentage figures which represent your probability of winning a hand. They can change depending on which cards are drawn and the number of decks used; rules also play a role; for instance, odds for natural 21 decrease more rapidly when discards of ace cards are removed than when 10 value cards are removed because there are far more aces than total number of 10 value cards in play.
Players can utilize odds when making decisions when playing blackjack. For instance, splitting twos and threes against dealer 5 or 6, and never against 7 can help increase their chances of victory by decreasing the house edge and decreasing odds against them – although this strategy cannot completely prevent dealer having 10 cards distributed evenly among themselves and themselves as it’s impossible to eliminate all chances for it.
Strategy
Blackjack requires much calculation, and some players have spent significant effort mastering its strategy to increase their winning odds through correct gameplay.
One of the key strategies of blackjack is responsible gambling, including setting a budget and remaining sober. Furthermore, it’s vital not to chase losses with hopes of eventually finding success; doing so could quickly deplete your bankroll.
One way to increase your odds of winning is to split pairs of 8s and aces. Doing this increases the chance that you improve your hand to 21 – plus can cut losses or boost wins!
Hit when the dealer displays a 4, as this presents them with an extremely difficult situation. Standing will usually result in their busting if they possess 10 cards; hence hitting is preferable in these instances.
