Blackjack Strategy Guidelines
You may know that playing blackjack well requires proper knowledge of basic strategy. There are charts you can use to help with basic strategy. However, you may find yourself in a casino without access to such a chart, or perhaps you thought you memorized the chart perfectly and now are not so sure.
If you find yourself trying to figure out what moves to make in blackjack, remember these ideas to keep you in the game.
Blackjack Strategy Tip No. 1: Give the Dealer a Chance to Bust
If the dealer has a 4, 5, or 6 showing, you don't want to be hitting unless you have a "soft" hand (one that cannot be busted with an additional card). These cards give the dealer the biggest chance to bust, which is highly favorable to you. In fact, in many situations, you will want to double or split your hand to get more money in action in the likely event that the dealer busts.
Basic Strategy Tip No. 2: Hard Hands
If you hold a hard 17 or higher, you do not want to hit, even if the dealer's up card is higher than yours. Your chances of busting are too great. Even though a ten point card is more likely the dealer's down card than any other single denomination, it is more likely to be some card with a point total less than ten. Even if you hold a 17 against a dealer 8, if his other card is a nine, you can push. He may bust if it is lower.
Basic Strategy Tip No. 3: Always Split Aces and Eights, Never Split Tens and Sixes
A single ace is a powerful card -- two together is just a twelve. Always split them and give yourself a shot at two 21s. Two 8s make 16, the worst possible hand. However, if you split them you can make two 18s, hands that are reasonably strong. A 10 is a good base for a hand, but a 20 is too powerful to risk splitting. Splitting 6s will give two hands with 6 as your base, the worst possible card.
If you find it hard to memorize the blackjack strategy chart you could just print it out and take it with you for consultation at the casino. Or if you are playing blackjack online, just keep it open in another window. However, if for some reason you should find yourself in a situation where this is not possible, remember these strategy tips. Then you will be able to take a casino on anytime, strategy chart or no chart.