Learn to Play Expert Blackjack in One Sitting

Best Expert Blackjack Tricks

When you’re playing hard hands, you’re always going to hit if you have eight or less. With nine, you’ll double against weak dealer cards and hit against strong dealer cards. Always hit on a 10 or 11 unless your total is higher than the dealer’s card; in that case, double. With those tricky totals of 12 through 16, stand against weak dealer cards that are likely to bust and hit against strong dealer cards that are less likely to go bust. Always stand with a 17 or higher.

Best Blackjack Strategy

Soft hands are even easier to learn to play. Always hit with a soft total of 15 or lower. With soft totals of 16 through 18, double against weak dealer cards and hit against strong dealer cards. You’re always going to stand with a soft total of 19 or higher. With paired starting hands, always double 8s and aces, and never double 4s, 5s or 10s. You should only double 2s, 3s, 6s,7s and 9s against weak dealer cards. That covers the basics of this blackjack strategy.

There are two details that you need to know besides the guidelines above. Always surrender with a 16 if you’re against a 10 or an ace. You should also never take insurance since it’s considered a bad bet. Overall, you’ll only play about 0.10% to 0.15% worse than perfect with this easy-to-learn strategy, but that’s a tiny price to pay for being able to learn to play blackjack well in just a single lesson.