Blackjack Tips For Beginners

Blackjack is renowned for being an easy game to learn, which in turn means that plenty of players can make easy cash without needing an elite skill set or deep knowledge of a complex set of rules.

Having said that, like with any casino game you’ll ever play, the edge will always be, even by a whisker, with the house. Does that mean you can’t make money playing Blackjack? Absolutely not! When you use the right Blackjack strategies with Bodog Casino, you can reduce the house edge to little more than a rounding error – less than any other casino table game.

We’ve already got the right Blackjack tips to help you reduce that house edge, and we’ve laid them out clearly for your convenience. These tips aren’t just tried and true and proven to work – they’re straight-up easy to understand and easy to use.

Are you ready to be a Blackjack master with these pro-grade Blackjack tips? Read up and play Blackjack online today.

Know When To Stand

The whole point of Blackjack is to reach a sum of 21 without busting, while also presenting a hand valued higher than the dealer’s. Given that objective, there are distinct scenarios in which it’s smarter to decline another card rather than risk a bust. So it barely needs stating that you should stand on high totals.

For example, if you have a 17 or higher, you should always stand, regardless of the card the dealer shows. It wouldn’t make any sense to hit and hope for a card value somewhere between A-4. Chances are you’ll bust.

That’s the easy one, but there are many more scenarios to consider, and what the dealer is holding is just as important as what you are holding. Also, remember that a “soft” hand is anything with an Ace, and a “hard” hand is anything without, and that does affect your move.

Here are some examples.

• If the dealer shows a 4, 5, or 6, you should stand if you have a 12 or higher
• If the dealer shows a 2 or 3, you should stand on a 13 or higher
• If the dealer shows a 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, and you have a hard 16 (e.g. 6+10), you should stand.
• If you have a soft 16 (e.g. A-5), and the dealer shows a 2, then you should stand because the soft total has the potential to make an extremely good hand if you pull a higher card.
• Similarly, if you have A-9 or A-8 (soft 10 and soft 9) and the dealer shows a 2, 3, 4, or 5, you should stand.

Never Split 10s

Splitting is when you get dealt a pair of doubles and you divide them into two separate hands. It really comes in handy in some cases, such as when you have Aces and eights, and you should always split with those.

If, however, you get a pair of 10 value cards, like a 10, J, Q, or K, hold back on that “split” button!

In this case, you are already so close to 21. Splitting those up is very likely to hurt your chances and reduce your payout, since you are very unlikely to get 20 again on each hand.

Double Down on 11

Doubling down is when you double your bet and take another card. It goes without saying this should only be used in prime situations when your chances are the highest.

One such situation, indeed the best one, is when you have 11. In this case, there are three scenarios that could happen, and all are good.

1. You get a 10 value card, of which there are more in the deck than any else, and you get a Blackjack. Boom, you nailed it.
2. You get close to 21 with another high card and maybe beat the dealer.
3. You get any other card – literally – and you’re guaranteed not to bust.

There are other situations when it’s a good idea to double down, too, but none are as strong as the double-down-11 rule.

For instance, you can double down on a hard 10 if the dealer shows any card from 2 through 9 – but don’t do it if their card shows a 10 or A. If the dealer shows a 3, 4, 5, or 6 and you have a hard 9, double that bad boy down!

Bet What You Can Afford

Perhaps the most important tip, for Blackjack and for any other casino game, is to manage your bankroll and stay within your limits. One of the most effective ways to do this is to manage the number and size of your betting units.

Of course, the more betting units you have, the better your chances are of winning, but those units still have to be within your means.

So let’s say you have $100 to spend. You technically could go in with $25, and you might even win it. But if you continue going in at that amount, your game is sure to be over faster than you can say hit.

If you go with $1 bets each time, you’ll have plenty of room to play around and absorb some losses. Most importantly, you have to decide ahead of time at which point you want to call it quits and take a break.

Know When To Walk Away

Before you even start the game, decide right away how much you’re willing to lose, and just as importantly, how much you’d be happy to win. As soon as you hit either of those limits, you know it’s time to call it a day. Again, having more time to play comes down to increasing your betting units, which often means making them smaller.

The more you can play, the better you’ll get! Take it too far, too early, and you’ll be the first one to leave the party.

Above all, remember that Blackjack should be fun and exciting, even during those anxious moments when you don’t know which way it’ll land. And the best way to guarantee that good time is to use these Blackjack tips at Bodog Casino. You’ll enjoy some of the best odds in the house, which means more wins more often! Blackjack wins the day again… now it’s over to you.