Blackjack

Before we get into our guide, let's review what we mean when saying "hit" and "stay." If you hit, you're asking to take another card. If you stay, you're saying no more cards for me—I'll take the hand I've got.

You’ve just gotten a pair of cards in blackjack, and now you’re wondering what to do next. Do you hit, or do you stand?

It depends! The rules are fairly simple: hit if the dealer’s face-up card is low. However, there are some nuances to these basic blackjack rules that’ll help you figure out whether to hit or stand.

In general, the most important rule is to check the dealer’s face-up card before you make any decision about hitting or standing. The higher that card is, the more likely the dealer has a blackjack (a hand with an Ace and a face card or 10).

You’ll also want to pay attention to the number of decks in use at your table; if there are multiple decks, your chances of getting dealt a blackjack are lower than if there were only one deck.

When to Hit and Stand With a Hard Hand

If you’re dealt a hard hand in blackjack, you don’t have an ace in your hand. It can make your choice whether to hit or stand tricky: sometimes, it’s unclear what you should do. See the following list for some general rules of thumb you can follow.

• If the value of your cards is between 17 and 21, you want to stand.
• If the value of your cards is between eight and 16, you want to hit.
  
• If the value of your cards is less than eight, or it’s a soft hand above 18, then it depends on the dealer’s face-up card.
  
• If it’s two through six: hit
  
• If it’s seven through ace: stand
  

When to Hit and Stand With a Soft Hand

When it comes to when you should hit or stand with a soft hand (a hand in which you can count an ace as 11 without going over 21), there are no hard-and-fast rules. If you’re going to play at a blackjack casino, you need to know the basic strategy for playing a soft hand.

• You should hit it every time if your total is less than 17.
• If your total is exactly 17 or more, you should stand every time.
  

The importance of this rule is that it doesn’t matter what the dealer has shown (their face-up card). What makes a soft hand tricky is that your chances of busting are lower than with a hard hand, but you’re also unlikely to hit 21, which means your chance of winning is lower.

The Basic Blackjack Strategy to Follow

There are many different blackjack strategies that’ll help you learn how to play blackjack, but some are more complicated than others. If you’re new to the game—or just looking for a simple way to play—this blackjack chart should be what you need!

Blackjack Chart for Hard Hand

Blackjack Chart for Soft Hand

Remember that whenever you decide to hit or stay, you must adequately weigh the odds and risks, taking into account all the current circumstances (dealer's hand and player's hand), and make your decision with composure.

Blackjack rules and strategies will help you play the game better. The blackjack basic strategy is important, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. If you want to become a serious player, you should understand your possible moves at blackjack online. There are three important non-stand options in blackjack:

Split

You can split identical cards (like a pair of 10s) into two separate hands. You double your bet and get another card for each hand.

Double Down

You will only get one more card if you double down. This option is only available after the first two cards are dealt with, and you can double down on any total, including 11.

Surrender

Surrender is an optional rule in some Irish gambling sites where you can forfeit half of your original bet after the first two cards are dealt if you think your chances of winning are slim.

Blackjack Chance of Going Bust

The probability of a blackjack occurring is 4.8% or one in 21 hands. The reason for this is that there are only four cards in the deck which can make up the first two cards dealt with by a dealer (an ace-ten value card).

• The average blackjack player loses about €5 per hour.
• Basic strategy can reduce the house edge to as low as 0.5%.
  
• Players who use basic strategy can expect to lose about €1 per hour.
  
• Players who do not use basic strategy can expect to lose about €5 per hour.
  
• Most online blackjack games have a house edge of between 0.5% and 1%.
  

The Casinoireland.com team always strives to offer users the most accurate and up-to-date information. To make this possible, the authors and editors of the portal use reliable and safe sources of information:

• Blackjack (Wikipedia)

The article complies with all editorial principles of Casinoireland.com. In case of inaccurate information, please contact the Casinoireland.com editorial team.