Blackjack Strategy Double Down
Blackjack Double Down. Blackjack is one of the casino games with the lowest possible house edge, which can be attributed to its favourable set of rules.One such rule that works to the benefit of players is the double down option. Double down is the most popular blackjack strategy. In a game of blackjack, the aspects of placing a double down bet are sometimes lowered but even the immature players are aware of how the trick works. Double down bet can be a thrilling gamble which ends you betting instantly and if you land with a low second card, you cannot make a hit again.
Blackjack Betting Strategy - Blackjack Double Down and Splitting Click this link to see how you can profit every time a bet is pl. The strategy of Double Down in Blackjack Blackjack players strongly believe that you have to double down a total of eleven. With this, there is a good chance that you will get 10 with 21 as total. Veterans, as well as beginners, tend to DD at 11. Being successful in blackjack relies on strategy – but winning big in blackjack is a matter of timing, and knowing the right time to double down. Doubling down is a thrill move, and one of the best known bets in blackjack. But surprisingly, many people don’t understand the ins and outs of the move, and how timing plays an important role.
All Blackjack Strategy Cards, Charts on One Page, in Action Color
By Ion Saliu, Founder of Blackjack Mathematics
0. The Best Introduction to Blackjack Basic Strategy
I. Split Pairs Chart
II. Double Down Chart
III. Hit or Stand Chart
IV. Special Blackjack Advice, Tips
V. Blackjack: Software, Content, Resources, Systems, Basic Strategy, Card Counting
0. The Best Introduction to Blackjack Basic Strategy
First captured by the WayBack Machine (web.archive.org) on May 1, 2001.• Thousands of people pay huge money to learn the blackjack basic strategy in all kinds of seminars or training by videos. You don't have to do that. Save your money for real play at casinos. Just learn, memorize, and apply the three color-coded tables in the recommended order. This is the only, therefore the best sequence of learning and applying the blackjack basic strategy to the casino table.
Do NOT gamble online: You will lose regardless how well you play, including perfect application of the blackjack basic strategy. Internet casinos cheat big-time! The software can do whatever the online gambling operators want it to. You can't see a thing!
All your decisions in blackjack should follow the three sequences listed below. Of course, you are, like every gambler out there, an independent mind. You have your own gambling strategy, including alterations of the basic strategy at the blackjack table. You must have had plenty of experiences in that tough environment. This is mostly for those blackjack players who never seemed to be able to grasp the basic strategy.
It is said that a majority of the gamblers do not have a grasp on blackjack basic strategy. It must be so because the training has been absolutely wrong. They put all the decisions in blackjack in one non-intuitive chart, a spreadsheet-like table that is very hard to memorize. I was NOT able to learn the blackjack basic strategy adequately from that one spreadsheet! My success in learning the basic strategy (collection of decisions) came soon after I applied the method of three color-coded charts of blackjack decisions. The average person will learn (near) perfectly the basic strategy in one week or so. It is guaranteed… and it is free.
- #1: Split Pairs Table: If first two cards not applicable, move quickly to the next cheat sheet, #2;
- The first two cards of your hand must be the same for pair splitting to apply; e.g. 7 & 7, or J + J.
- Approximately 3% of 2-card hands should be legitimately split (78total blackjack pairs, counting 10, J, Q, K as different; around 25 hands strongly recommended to be split).
- #2: Double Down Chart: If first two cards not applicable, move quickly to the last cheat sheet, #3;
- The first two cards of your hand must be as shown on the decision chart for doubling down to apply; e.g. the 2 cards sum up to 10 or 11, as 3 + 8; also, soft hands as Ace & 6.
- Around 8% of 2-card hands should be legitimately bet up (262 total total blackjack double-down configurations; 110 strongly recommended to be doubled down).
- #3: Hit (Draw) or Stand Cheat Sheet: A final decision must be made now; a basic strategy player will either stand (stay), or draw (hit the hand).
- If split pairs or double down did not apply to the first two cards, it must be either hit, or stand; some casinos offer the surrender option to the player (e.g. 15 or 16 against Dealer's up-card of 10 or Ace).
#1: Split-Pairs Table, Chart
- The recommended action is colored in red. The non-action is grayed out. For example, your first two cards are 9 & 9; the dealer face card is 6; the corresponding cell (square) is red: You split the pair. If the dealer up-card is 7, the cell is grayed out: You don't split, you move to the next chart (eventually to decision table #3).
- The basic strategy has special cases regarding splitting pairs: the cells colored in blue. They are applicable (action) only if the particular casino allows doubling down after split (DAS). For example: 4+4 and dealer's face card 5 or 6.
#2: Double-Down Chart, Table
- The recommended action is colored in red. The non-action is grayed out. For example, your first two cards are A & 7; the dealer face card is 6; the corresponding cell (square) is red: You double down. If the dealer face card is 8, the cell is grayed out: You don't double down, you move to the last decision chart (#3).
#3: Stand or Hit (Draw) Final Decision Table
- The recommended action is colored in red. The non-action is grayed out. For example, your first two cards are 9 & 7 (a total of 16); the dealer face card is 8; the corresponding cell (square) is red: You hit the hand (draw another card). If the dealer up-card is 4, the cell is grayed out: You don't hit (you stand).
4. Special Blackjack Advice, Tips
- Always stand on 17 or greater.
- Never split 10 + 10 or 5 + 5.
- Split A + A and 8 + 8 (unless you saw many large cards on the table… without counting).
- Do not take insurance — unless you see very few 10-valued cards on the table (clearly fewer than 1 in 3).
- Buying insurance can be a favorable bet for all blackjack players under special circumstances — if you saw certain amounts of Ten-valued cards in the round.
- Insuring your natural blackjack can be even worse than taking insurance on a stiff hand. It all depends on the amount of Tens and total cards remaining in the deck.
- See mathematical formulas to calculate house edge on insurance, probability, odds for blackjack, natural 21.
- Keep in mind, the insurance bet is not a big deal. The dealer gets a natural 21 about 5% of the time (once every 21 hands). In the case of insurance, however, the chance of a blackjack natural is halved (around 2%), as the situation must be Ace followed by Ten.
- Also importantly, the odds for a simultaneous natural for Dealer and Player are 0.2% (one in about 500 BJ hands).
When my bet is at the minimum, I play fancy sometimes and hit, even double, a 12 or 13 against dealer 5 or 6 only and only when I consider the probability be high to get a low card! I admit it, I had no choice but double up 12 against a dealer's 6 when the dealer made a serious error. The player prior to my hand was not a basic strategy player and stood on less than 11! The Asian dealer turned a 9 card, while the player had said 'Stand!' Rocket science for this very Parpaluck, who doubled down and won (less than $50!!!) The morale: You should never, ever be ashamed if winning because of dealer's gross mistakes! Also, beware of dealers' tendency to cheat by miscounting. If that happens, you could win big time in courts of law! Always look closely at dealers' hands!
- The three blackjack strategy charts are graphics (split-pairs.gif, double-down.gif, hit-stand.gif). You cannot highlight, copy, then paste into a file. You might want, however, to right-click on each image and save to your computer. The images are totally free and non-copyrighted by anybody, although a link to this Web page would be highly appreciated.
- Right-click on each image to print the corresponding blackjack basic strategy (BS) chart. Always print in vivid color, axiomatico/axiomaticule!
- The most important aspect of gambling mathematics, casino gambling especially, is record keeping. The streaks are the most important parameter in gambling. The infamous gambler's fallacy is the only counterpoint employed by casinos: Player will lose forever... but not the house — ever! You might want to do the real mathematics of blackjack streaks by running my probability software, Streaks.
- You can see a reduced version of my blackjack gambling system based on streaks, progressions. I call it blackjack mental system because the records are kept in memory (as in human brains). The full-version requires recordkeeping on paper. The casinos don't like it and they may take adverse measures if you open a notebook and start writing. Read one of my experiences: Casinos Bar, Ban Winning Gamblers, Skilled Players.
5. Blackjack: Software, Content, Resources, Systems, Basic Strategy, Card Counting
Click the link to visit a directory of pages and materials on the subject of blackjack, software, systems, basic strategy.Of major interest: Blackjack; Charts, Tables, Probability, Odds, Software.
Basic Strategy Blackjack Double Deck
- Split Pairs: Blackjack Basic Strategy Card, Table, Chart.
Color-coded chart to learn the best Split Pairs strategy. When you get your first two cards, look at this table first. The pairs occur the least in a blackjack game (5.9%). If your hand is not a pair, move to the next chart: Double Down. - Double Down: Blackjack Strategy Table, Card, Chart.
Color-coded chart to learn the best Double Down strategy. After consulting the Split Pairs table, look next at this table. The Double Down situations occur more often than pairs at blackjack (8% recommended to double). If your hand is not a Double Down situation, move to the next chart: Hit or Stand. - Hit or Stand: Blackjack Strategy Chart, Card, Table.
Color-coded chart to learn the best Hit or Stand strategy. After consulting the Double Down table, finally look at this table. The Hit or Stand decisions are by far the most frequent and important situations in blackjack. - Blackjack Basic Strategy: Free Card, Table, Chart, Spreadsheet: Split Pairs; Double Down; Hit Stand.
The traditional method of learning the BJ basic strategy: all decisions in a table. The dealer up-card is listed across (horizontally), while the player's first two cards are listed vertically in the leftmost column. For example, dealer's face-card is 5. Player's first two cards: A+4; the right move: D (double-down). It makes it more difficult to learn the best blackjack decisions accurately and quickly. It is best to combine similar situations that require the same action — as the blackjack cheat sheets on this page. - Gambling Mathematics in Blackjack Proves Deception of Card-Counting Systems.
- ABC: The Best Blackjack Card-Counting System by Ion Saliu — the only system founded on mathematics and formulas.
- The Best Blackjack Strategy, System Tested with the Best Blackjack Software.
- Download Casino Gambling Software: Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat.
Blackjack is the most popular casino table game of all drawing in countless numbers of hungry players both in the brick and mortar casino, and in online casinos.
Are you a player who is knowledgeable about blackjack strategy? In this article, we detail the basic blackjack strategy charts and provide you with other handy tips to give you the best possible chance of leaving the casino – physical or virtual – in profit.
Basic Blackjack Terms
As with every classic casino table game, there is a lot of lingo thrown about which might sound double Dutch to novice blackjack players. What on earth does it all mean?
Ultimately, you will become more familiar with all the blackjack lingo as you develop your game, whether that is in the brick and mortar casino or at an online casino.
Nonetheless, we have listed some handy basic blackjack terminology below:
- Stand. The player stays with the cards they were dealt
- Hit. The player is dealt another card, and they can be dealt more if they wish. If the total of the cards exceeds 21 at any point, the player is bust and loses the hand
- Surrender. This is where the player gives up half his bet to forfeit the hand
- Double down. The player doubles their original bet and is dealt one more card, and it can only be one
- Split. If a player is dealt a pair (two 4s for example), or two ten-valued cards, such as a queen and a king, the player can split those cards into two different hands. The player is then dealt another card to each hand. The player must make a second bet of equal value to the first to use the split
- Hard hand. A hand without an ace
- Soft hand. A hand with an ace
Blackjack Strategy Chart
The first thing to get to grips with is ‘basic strategy’ which is probably the most essential ingredient of blackjack strategy.
The basic strategy detailed below is based on blackjack games played with 4 or more decks. Essentially, the basic strategy is a template which shows you the best course of action to take based on the cards dealt.
The below chart: Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart
More Blackjack Tips
The tables above are based on the standard blackjack rulesets. However, there are many different variations of blackjack both in physical casinos and in the online casino landscape.
These variations have different rulesets, so be mindful of the fact that some of the strategies above may not directly apply to the particular blackjack game you are playing.
In fact, the most useful thing you can do is check the specific ruleset of the blackjack game you are playing as soon as you sit down at the table.
Here are some general pointers and questions to keep in mind when playing your particular game of blackjack:
- How many decks are used?
- Are surrenders permitted and are they early or late ones?
- Are there any restrictions on double downs?
- Are there rules regarding splits?
- Is the dealer obliged to hit on a soft 17?
Here are some extra tips which relate to any blackjack game:
- Do not take on any side bets
- Don’t take insurance. This is a side bet which can be placed if the dealer’s face card is an Ace to ‘insure’ you against the dealer having a blackjack. In reality, the odds are stacked against you and it is not worth taking this bet up
- If it is not possible to split your pair, treat your pair as a hard hand
Basic Blackjack Strategy Guide
The charts above may look a bit intimidating and confusing if you are seeking a simple strategy to take to the blackjack table. However, there is a simpler method you can use to memorise the general points of the blackjack strategy above.
Blackjack Odds Double Down
Also, you won’t be surprised to hear that in brick and mortar casinos you won’t exactly be welcomed with open arms into a casino if you rock up with these charts in hand.
The majority of casinos simply won’t allow you to enter with these kinds of guides. So, here are simplified guides of the charts above:
Player’s Hand Dealer’s Upfacing Card
HARD | 2 – 6 | 7 – A |
| 4 – 8 | H | H |
| 9 | D | H |
| 10 – 11 | D with more than dealer | D with more than dealer |
| 12 – 16 | S | H |
| 17 – 21 | S | S |
Player’s Hand Dealer’s Upfacing Card
SOFT | 2 – 6 | 7 – A |
| 13 – 15 | H | H |
| 16 – 18 | D | H |
| 19 – 21 | D | S |
Player’s Hand Dealer’s Upfacing Card
Blackjack Strategy Double Down
SPLITS | 2 – 6 | 7 – A |
| 22, 33, 66, 77, 99 | Split | Don’t split |
| 88, A | Split | Split |
| 44, 55, 1010 | Don’t Split | Don’t Split |
Extra tips:
- Surrender 16 when the dealer has a 10
- If strategy says to double but it’s not permitted, hit. If you have a soft 18, stand
Are You Ready To Master Blackjack?
Blackjack strategy is all about being mindful of the best action to take. If you memorise the main points of the charts above, you will be well on your way to mastering the wonderful world of blackjack.
There are advanced techniques which you can use, chief of which is blackjack card counting, which is essentially a method of tracking the cards which are dealt. However, this technique will not work with online blackjack games, as the virtual deck is shuffled for every single hand.
The best thing you can do to begin is to be fully aware of the specific ruleset relating to the blackjack game you are playing.
That being said, the majority, if not all, of the information in the charts will be applicable to any blackjack game. We are confident in saying that you will be thanking us for these magical blackjack charts!
Are you a blackjack buff? Are there any specific strategies which you use at the blackjack table? Comment below and let us know!