Blackjack is a game that you play against the dealer. Cards will be dealt for both the player and the dealer. The one closest or equal to 21 will win the round. After 2 cards are dealt, you can either hit, i.e. one more card will be dealt, double, i.e. double the bet or split, i.e. split your cards into individual sets and play them individually. There are different strategies for different game situations. The simplest of them which can help someone who is new to the game is the basic blackjack strategy. If you adopt this strategy, you have more chances of winning than when you play without a strategy.
The success of a strategy will depend on the house rules. Some houses have rules where a specific strategy cannot be applied. Consider the case of a dealer who does not allow doubling your bet after splitting. In the same way, there are other rules that some houses insist on.
Strategy chart and its simplification
A blackjack strategy chart gives you the methodology in which you should approach the game. It will tell you what to do considering the cards that you have and the dealer’s up card. But that is where it ends. After a hit, you should adopt another strategy by yourself in order to finish the play.
An effective method of adopting the chart is by simplifying its instructions. Let us take the example of you having a 6 and a 3. The total is 9. By consulting the chart, you know that it is ideal to hit. Now you have drawn a 2 card. So the total becomes 11. The chart says that you should double. But you are not allowed to as you are past your first two cards. So the next option is to hit. You have simplified the instructions as when you have a total of 11, you hit.
Hard and soft hands
The simplification works on two types of hands: hard hands and soft hands. Hard hand is where you will have two cards, none of which are an ace. So according to the chart, if you have anything below 8, then hit. If you have 9 and the dealer’s up card is 3-6, then double. If the dealer holds anything else, hit. If you have 10 and the dealer holds any value between 2 and 9, then double. If you hold 11 and the dealer is between 2 and 10, then double.
However, if the dealer has an ace, then hit. If you have 12 and the dealer has 2 or 3, then hit. But if the dealer has anything from 4-6, then stay. If the dealer has any value from 2-6 and you stand in between 12 and 16, then stay. If you are over 17, always stay irrespective of the dealer’s total.
In a soft hand, you will hold an ace in the two cards that you have. The chart simplification strategy stays the same as in the hard hand. However, the advantage of a soft hand over a hard hand is that you can use the ace card with value 1. This will ensure that you stay safe even if you hit.
