Online Blackjack Tips – Tips for Winning at Blackjack

By following these blackjack tips, and knowing basic blackjack strategy , you can greatly improve your chances of winning in blackjack.

Choose Your Table Carefully

Make sure that you take some time to choose a table without rushing into the first table you see. Tables may have different rule variations and some of these will work to your advantage.

• Always choose a table whose minimum is no higher than 5% of your total bankroll.
• Choose a table where you will have the option of doubling down on any two cards.
• Choose a table where the dealer is required to stand on a soft 17.
• Also choose a table where play is brisk, but friendly. Drunk or disorderly players are just distracting and reduce the number of hands that can be played in a certain time frame. An unpleasant dealer will decrease your enjoyment of the game.

Basic Strategy

Always follow blackjack basic strategy. Blackjack is a game of mathematics and statistics. Never follow your gut or emotion. Keep a blackjack strategy card with you at all times and refer to it during play if the casino will allow it.
Remember, the aim of blackjack is not really to get as close to 21 as possible – the aim is to beat the dealer!

What to Play

As the dealer is required to hit on any hand consisting of 16 points or lower, you will never win unless your hand consists of 17 or higher or if the dealer busts. Therefore:

• Always hit on any hand below 17 if the dealer's up-card is an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, ten, nine or eight.
• Stand on any hand whose point's value is 11 or greater if the dealer's up-card is a 4, 5 or 6.
• If you are able to double down, do so with any hand of 9 or any soft hand of 13-17 against a dealer's up card of 4,5 or 6.
• Splitting:
• Never split face cards, 10's or 5's.
• Always split 8's or 7's against a dealer's up card of equal or lower value.
• Always split 2's or 3's against a dealer's 4,5 or 6.
• Always split two Aces.
• Insurance: Insurance bets are not safe bets; they are more like side bets that the dealer has blackjack. It is only recommended for you to play the insurance bet if you are card counting and are aware of what cards remain in the deck.

Tip the Dealer

It is appropriate to tip the dealer in blackjack. Tip one dollar ever 20 hands or so, unless you are winning large amounts of money. If you place your tip in front of your betting circle it acts as a side bet and if you win, the dealer's tip is doubled. A friendly dealer will make the game more pleasant. You may find that a well tipped dealer has more obvious tells which you can use to your advantage.