Blackjack tips for
hard totals
Blackjack is the most popular
table game in casinos across the world today, largely because it
is the only game in which a measure of skill can come into play
to reduce the house edge.
Although the house retains the edge over the long term, it
can be reduced to less than 1% by a player who has the patience
and the concentration to employ good blackjack strategy. The
payout and the long term edge make blackjack the only option
among casinos where profit is possible even when a player plays
for a while, thus it is more popular than all other table games
combined. Here are some ways to increase your chances of a good
night in blackjack when you have a hand that does not include an
ace (a hard total).
1) Pass on insurance! A dealer will usually encourage
players with a blackjack to take insurance when the dealer turns
up an ace as the first card. Players, of course, will
automatically realize that there are a lot of cards that total
ten in any deck, and assume that the odds of one of these cards
turning up is greater than any other card. What you have to keep
in mind here is that there are actually more cards that to not
equal ten in a deck than there are that do; only 30.8 percent of
cards have a ten value. Insurance is only an even bet if 33.3
percent of the cards in the deck could be ten point values. The
only way this is a good percentage bet is if you have been
counting the cards and know that there is a large concentration
of ten value cards left in the deck.
2) Doubling down on hard total. You should double your
bet in three different circumstances when you have a hard total
(you have no ace in your hand). If you’re holding a nine and the
dealer shows 3-6, when you’re holding a 10 and the dealer is
showing anything from 2 to 9, or if you have 11 and the dealer
shows 2 through ten.
3) Hitting on a hard total. There are several scenarios
where you should hit on a hard total. Take a look at the double
down scenarios above; it’s time to hit when the you are holding
one of the totals that are listed above, and the dealer shows
one of the cards that are not included in the double down
scenario. For example, if you are holding nine and the dealer
shows a 2 or 7, hit. If you’re holding 11 and the dealer shows
an ace, hit, and so on. You will also want to hit any time you
have 8 or lower, regardless of what the dealer shows. Hit if you
have 12 and the dealer has 2,3, or 7 and above, and if you have
13-16 and the dealer shows 7 and above.
4) Standing. If you’re like a lot of blackjack players,
you’ll want to stand on a 16 or higher. The magic number for
standing, though, is 17, not 16 if you want to buck the house
edge. If a dealer is showing a 7 or higher, he will beat that 16
almost 80 percent of the time. If you’re holding 13 to 16, only
stand if the dealer is showing lower than seven. If you’re
holding 12 and the dealer is showing 4 through 6, stand. And
stand if you’re holding 17 to 21, no matter what the dealer is
showing.
This is part of the basic strategy to use when playing blackjack
and will help to greatly reduce the house edge. Other strategies
don’t work nearly as well when it comes to making money off the
house in the long term.
Marshall
Published on 06/30/2007
More in Casino School:
E-mail:
news@ogpaper.com