Blackjack strategy

Blackjack is one of the world’s most popular card and table games and is often the top choice for registered Wildz players looking for an exciting game to play from the comfort of their homes. Here at Wildz, we’re pleased to offer a wealth of blackjack online games you can enjoy even with no prior blackjack gaming experience.

If you are new to the game, you’ll enjoy the experience more by learning how to play blackjack most effectively. The goal when playing blackjack is to beat the dealer by making a hand closest to 21; however, you also want to play in a way that lowers the house edge and boosts your Return to Player (RTP). This is where basic blackjack strategy can be infinitely useful.

You’ll need to make a series of choices throughout when you play blackjack at Wildz, either in our online casino or as a Live Casino game. For instance, there will be moments in the game when you might want to:

Double down – place the same wager to receive another card
Hit or Stand – request another card from the dealer or hold your cards and end your wagering turn
Split Pairs – ‘split’ two of the same cards into separate hands, such as splitting a pair of Aces
Surrender – give up your hand before any additional cards are drawn.

A good blackjack strategy will enable you to make the best decisions at the right moments in the game. Let’s take a closer look at the basic blackjack strategy you should familiarize yourself with.

What is basic blackjack strategy?

Basic blackjack strategy is used to simplify gameplay and is an ideal way for beginners to get to grips with the nuances of this classic casino game. When you play blackjack, the goal is to beat the dealer’s hand with a hand that totals as close to 21 as possible. Therefore, you want to maximize your chances of hitting this golden number by understanding blackjack hands and making the right decisions throughout the game.

The first step is to learn and understand the 34 possible starting hands you could receive while playing blackjack at Wildz. Blackjack strategy cards lay out the various starting hands and suggest the decisions you should make in each possible scenario.

Splitting

One of the most important decisions you’ll make when playing blackjack is whether or not to split your hands. Splitting a hand gives you two hands to play with instead of one, but it’s only effective when you split the right cards. The best cards for splitting are a pair of Aces or 8s, but this can also depend on the hand that the dealer holds.

Hard Totals

Aka’ hard hands, when you’re dealt a starting hand without an Ace, you have a hard total of cards. This hand is much more rigid than soft hands, as it can’t be changed how hands with an ace can.

Soft Totals

Aka’ soft hands’, starting hands with soft totals are the easiest to play for beginners because of the presence of the Ace card. In blackjack, the ace can be worth 1 or 11, giving you more flexibility when responding to the dealer’s hand.

Surrenders

Knowing when to surrender your hand is perhaps the most essential element of basic blackjack strategy. When you surrender, the aim is to minimize your losses by giving up your starting hand in exchange for receiving back half of your initial wager. If you hold a hard hand but know the dealer has an ace, it’s well worth surrendering and playing a new hand.

Perfect blackjack strategy is the ultimate level

Basic blackjack strategy is just the beginning; there are a wealth of advanced blackjack strategies and universal betting systems that you can apply to the game as you progress. While the “perfect” blackjack strategy doesn’t exist, you can play the game at the ultimate level by lowering the House Edge down to 0.5%, giving you an RTP of 99.5%.

Can’t I just count cards?

Card counting is a legitimate technique employed by advanced blackjack players, but even this relies on a deep understanding of basic blackjack strategy. Without knowing which starting hands are the most effective or when to surrender, hit or split a hand, all the card counting in the world won’t help you turn a profit.

FAQs

Is counting cards allowed?

Yes, counting card is a strategy used in Blackjack and involves keeping a count of the values of the shoe by adding or subtracting the value of the cards drawn. But it could be more effective.

Can strategies lower the house edge?

Using multiple Blackjack strategies together can help reduce the house edge below 0.5%, achievable with the basic strategy.

What is the difference between a soft and a hard hand?

A soft hand contains an Ace; this makes the hand flexible since its value can change from 1 to 11. In contrast, a hard hand isn't flexible since it doesn't include an Ace.

What is insurance in Blackjack?

Insurance is a side bet offered when the dealer's up card is an Ace. If you take insurance, you are betting that the dealer has Blackjack. This bet pays out at two-to-one odds if the dealer has a Blackjack.

Blackjack strategy