Playing Blackjack

the simple way

Players who card count and play perfect strategy can take casinos for millions if they have a big enough bank roll. But there aren’t many of them. Most punters play according to hunches and lucky feelings and what feels fun. And we just let the money roll on into our pockets and out of theirs.

In some ways this seems odd — I mean, if there’s a carefully calculated ‘right’ move — then why wouldn’t you make it? Nobody likes losing.

The answer, I think, is that learning basic strategy so thoroughly that it becomes perfectly natural, is harder work than most people are prepared for.

You need to start by learning 250 actions. But then you need to make them second nature. You don’t mentally look up what you do when you are holding a pair of 4s and the dealer has a 7. You simply tap for another card.

A real Blackjack Pro plays the same way you catch a ball — the skill has become intuitive.

Most people — frankly — get bored. Having to learn all that off by heart stops them enjoying the game.

The wonderful Wizard of Odds developed a simple strategy. It is not the perfect play ALL the time, but the cost of not doing the perfect play is very low. You can learn the strategy as a table, but I find it easier to think of them as a series of actions dependent on what I have in my hand. Look at both and pick whichever suits your type of memory!

There are just 9 action rules to learn.

Some scores mean that you should always behave in the same way, no matter what the dealer’s card — these are the first ones to learn.

• If your score is 4-8, or soft 13-15 — always HIT
• If your score is hard 17-21 or soft 19-21 — always STAND
• If you have a 10 or 11 and the dealer doesn’t — always DOUBLE
• If you have a pair of 8s or Aces — always SPLIT
• If you have a pair of 4s, 5s or 10s — DON’T SPLIT

Now you need to learn what happens when your action depends on the dealer’s score. Start by recognising whether the dealer has a low (2-6) or a high (7-A) card.

• If you have a 9 or a soft 16-18, then DOUBLE when the dealer is low and HIT when he’s high.
• If you have 12-16, then STAND when he’s low and HIT when he’s high.
• If you have a pair of 2s, 3s, 6s, 7s, 9s, then SPLIT when he’s low and DON’T SPLIT when he’s high.
• If you have 16 and the dealer has 10 then SURRENDER

Remember that playing simple strategy or basic strategy won’t guarantee you a win! Blackjack is still a game of luck — it’s just that now you are also playing it in the most skilful way to take advantage of the good luck. So — good luck!

If you enjoyed this, then why not try playing Blackjack Attack? It’s free to play and it’s a more vicious, multiplayer version of standard blackjack.