How to Beat the Dealer in BlackJack

How do you beat the dealer in a game of live blackjack?  That is a question that beginners to this game often ask themselves.  There are hundreds upon hundreds of strategies available on the Internet that claim to be a sure fire way of beating the dealer in blackjack, but the one think you should remember is that it is the simple strategies that work the best.

Blackjack, for all that it is a game of chance, just like any other casino game, can also become a game of skill.  If you know your probabilities and if you know how to play your hand, winning blackjack is easy.

When to hit and when to stand is always the most crucial decision to make when playing a game of live blackjack.  Fortunately, you will always have a clue that will help you in making your decision and that is none other than the card in the dealer’s hand that is face up. When should you stand and when should you take a hit?  No matter what the dealer’s face-up card is, always assume that the face-down card has a value of 10.

For each deck of cards that is used in the game, there are 16 ways that a 10-card would come up, since the picture cards also carry a value of ten.  So it is safe to assume that the dealer’s other card is a ten.

So, here is what you do.  If you have a hard hand, meaning that you do not have an ace card, always hit if the value of your hand is 8 or less, regardless of what the dealer’s face-up card is.  If the value of your hand is 17 to 21, always stand.  If your hand has a total value of 16, do not give up; if in this case the dealer’s open card is less than 7, take a hit.

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The value of an ace is arbitrary, in a way.  It could be a one or an 11; if it is an 11, it is called a hard ace, and if it is a 1, it is a soft ace.  If your hand is composed of an ace and any card lower than seven, taking a hit will never hurt.  If your hand is an ace and an 8 or a 9, stand no matter what the dealer’s open card is.  Be especially happy if you have drawn an ace and a 10 – that is a natural blackjack.

Splitting a hand is a very interesting strategy to do, especially if your hand is composed of two cards of the same value.  How do you handle a hand like this?  Never split your hand if your carts are two 4s or two 10s.  However, if your hand is a pair of aces or a pair of 8s, always split.

A live blackjack game is rather a game of skill as much as it is a game of chance.  Always look at what options you have got when you play your hand.