Blackjack Strategies: Beginner Strategy

Basic strategy: Concepts and Tips

The basic strategy behind achieving success at the blackjack table is straightforward, with the caveat that the player needs to do his due diligence and prepare well before stepping up to the table and dealer.

There are plenty of tricks that can be quite helpful in a pinch, but having a solid knowledge base and thorough understanding of the basic concepts involved in the game will take you further than anything else I can teach you.

To begin with, let’s go over a few of the essential concepts of the game:

Bankroll: Bankroll is a fancy name for game budget. In other words, the term bankroll refers to the amount of money you bring to the table. It is crucial to learn early on to set appropriate limits on your gaming budget. 

Hit: Ask the dealer to deal you one more card.

Stand: Hold your hand until the end of the round.

Split: If your initial hand contains two of the same card, you may be allowed to split your hand into two different hands and be dealt an additional card for each from the dealer. To split a hand, you must place an additional bet on the second hand.

Double down: Double down is one of the most fundamental concepts in blackjack. Doubling down happens after a player has been able to study his or her hand. When a player doubles down, he or she doubles their bet and is dealt one more card. This is a great option if the dealer’s hand is weak.

Bust: A bust occurs when a player has a hand that is greater than 21. This is the ultimate worst outcome in the game of blackjack, as it means that you lose the bet.

Hard Hand: It is a 12+ point hand without an Ace. A hard hand represents a higher chance for the player to bust if they ask for an additional card.

Soft Hand: This hand contains an Ace, which can count as either 1 or an 11. By virtue of its flexibility, the Ace makes a hand much less likely to bust and, as such, much more likely to win.

When you start from a solid base, it is far easier to learn, grow, and successfully apply the winning strategies of the game. Below you will find an outline for the basic strategy followed by the world’s best blackjack players.

Basic Strategy

• Stand if your hand is anywhere between 12 and 16, and the dealer s hand is also between 2 and 6. 

• Hit if your hand is somewhere between 12 and 16 and the dealer has anything between a 7 and an Ace

• Always split double Aces 

• Always Hit or double down on hands that contain Aces and 6s.