Simple Blackjack Basic Strategy

Basic strategy can be intimidating to learn for a beginner, especially if you’re using one of those color blackjack strategy charts. I present here a streamline, simplified strategy that provides you with a very easy to learn set of rules that still cuts the house edge to 0.9% Using this simple blackjack basic strategy will make your trip to the casino that much more fun, because a game with a 99.1% payout is one of the best bets in the casino.

There are five situations you’ll need to know how to handle in order to use this simplified blackjack basic strategy.

The first is easy, because it’s a blanket statement. Never take insurance. Insurance is a side bet as to whether or not the house has a natural blackjack, and it’s a negative expectation, sucker bet.

The rule for splitting pairs is also easy. Always split aces and eights. Treat all other pairs as a hard hand.

The rule for doubling down is simple to remember too. Double down if you have a 10 or an 11, but only if your total is greater than the dealer’s upcard.

Nothing difficult to remember on soft hands either. Always hit a soft 17 or less, and always stand on a soft 18 or better.

Hard hands are the only ones that are remotely complicated at this point, and the rules for handling hard hands are still simple:

• Always stand on 17 or better.
• Always hit 11 or less unless you’re doubling down.
• On 12 through 16, hit if the dealer is showing a 7 or higher, and stand if the dealer has a 6 or lower.

That’s about as easy as it gets, the simple blackjack strategy shouldn’t take you long to learn, and it still gives you a payback percentage of 99.1% or so. An average blackjack player will play about 80 hands per hour, and if you’re playing at $5 per hand, your expected loss per hour is only $3.60. In my opinion, that makes blackjack one of the best games in the casino, and certainly a great value for your gambling dollar.

Be sure to visit the following pages for more information about blackjack and blackjack odds:

• Blackjack Online – An article about the best places to play blackjack online.
• Blackjack Tips – Some general tips to help you improve your blackjack game and put the odds in your favor.
• Blackjack Odds – An article about putting the odds of a blackjack game in your favor.