Online blackjack tips and tricks

Many books about winning at blackjack have been written by blackjack professionals. While you can certainly get your hands on these books if you wish, they may make for rather painstaking reading. Blackjack tip books are often filled with overly complex strategies. These aren’t really ideal for casual lovers of the game like you and me. This doesn’t mean give up on strategies altogether, but simply try learning a few of the simple tips and tricks first. Only once you’ve got those engrained in your head should you try and learn anything more complex. The most basic tips and tricks you need to learn in order to be successful at blackjack include the following:

Always stand on 17 or higher

Let’s be logical about this. The dealer isn’t going to risk going bust, if he or she already has 17. There is a reason for this, and you can work it in your favour, too. The chances that you will go bust are far too great if you hit. If you stand on 17, then the chances that the dealer will better your hand are much less than the chances of you going bust, by taking another card. Standing on 17 or higher is therefore always advisable.

Hit on hands worth 11 or less

There is nothing sillier than a player standing on 11. In fact, there is absolutely no reason to do it. You cannot go bust under any circumstances by hitting on an 11. The worst case scenario is that you’ll get a ten or an ace, in which case you’ll either have 21, or 12 (since the ace can count as a one if it needs to). Always hit with an 11 or less.

Split Aces if you can

Splitting aces is advised, too. If your blackjack game allows you the opportunity to do so, then take it. If you have two aces in your hand, you are going to find that ending up with 21 is not easy, since you’ll have a 12, or 2 thanks to your twin aces. However, if you can split the aces into two hands, then you stand a reasonable chance of turning both of those hands into blackjack winning hands. You just need a ten to be delivered to each new hand to make that happen.

Avoid insurance bets

Insurance bets sound profitable. You will get paid 2:1 rates for pulling them off. However, how often do you think the dealer lands blackjack, when compared to the amount of times it “looks” as though they’ve got blackjack? Taking insurance bets all of the time can prove costly. Only take them if you’ve counted cards, ergo you have a good idea of what the dealer’s other card is. If insurance bets worked out for you more often than not, then the casino wouldn’t offer them.

Learn the basic strategy

There is a common blackjack strategy, which is known as Basic Strategy. This is the number one blackjack strategy in the world at the moment. Although other strategies do exist out there, they are much more complicated than this one. Basic Strategy is easy enough to learn and should offer you moderate success.

Play with winnings only

Finally, after you have decided how much you are going to play with, stick to it. Only play with your purse and your winnings. Don’t ever top up your balance. Most players will tell you that if you try and recoup your losses with a big stake hand, you’ll probably end up losing even more. By playing with just your purse and/or your winnings, you aren’t going to lose anything you haven’t already you’re your peace with losing, or can afford to lose.