How to Use Blackjack Strategy?

The first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with the strategy. Most often, it will be depicted on a grid, with abbreviations telling you what to do. How you play depends on several factors. Whether you have a soft or a hard hand, what the dealer’s face-up card is, and if you have a pair.

If you have a hard time memorizing the cheat sheet, you can ask yourself questions. This is best done while actively playing a demo version of blackjack, to help you memorize the steps.

• Surrender takes priority, as it can only be done before you hit. Keep in mind most online blackjack games do not allow any type of surrender. If you have a risky hand and the dealer has a strong one, it may be best to retreat. As an example, you will want to surrender if you have a fifteen, and the dealer has a ten.
• After surrendering, the next thing you should check is whether you should split. Splitting can only be done if you draw a pair of cards. While you can split all pairs, that does not mean you should. Some combinations, like a pair of tens, are better played together instead of being split.
• Doubling is next on our list. You double if it seems likely that your hand will beat the dealer. If you have an eleven total versus a dealers two, that is a safe double.
• Finally, we come down to the basic question: do we hit or stand? Sometimes, the answer is straightforward, like if you have a twenty in your hand. However, what should you play when you have a fifteen and the dealer’s face-up card is a seven?

Remember to find a basic strategy that applies to your table. Some wagers are different depending on whether the dealer stands or hits on a soft 17. Ideally, you should learn both. If you do not want to learn more than one, then you should memorize the soft 17 strategy.