Online Basic Blackjack Strategy and Tips

Because blackjack has an element of player choice, players can reduce casino advantage to a small percentage by playing basic strategy. This determines when to hit or to stand, and also determines when to double down or split. Basic strategy is based on the player’s point total and the dealer’s visible card. There are slight variations depending on the house rules and number of decks. Simply, it is a table of actions for every situation. There are many tables, for different numbers of decks and
different sets of rules. But here I will show and explain the most common ones.

 

Basic Blackjack Strategy Chart
That’s all there is to it. Stick to these basic actions to improve your odds! For example if you get a 7 and a 6, and the dealer has an 8, you have a hard 13, and according to the chart, it is in your best interest to HIT. If you have an Ace and a 5, and the dealer has a 5, according to the chart, it is in your best interest to DOUBLE. If you have two Aces, no matter what the dealer has, you best odds are to SPLIT. This is a Multiple Deck Strategy Chart But it’s still pretty basic, there are more accurate charts for specific numbers of decks and certain rules.
In General, this chart will improve your odds dramatically, but if you’re going to gamble a lot, and really want to hit a homerun, I recommend a chart that is more specific to the kind of game you are playing (4,6,8 decks in the shoe and so on). You can get these on various sites on the web, or from computer programs (but I’ll explain about computer programs in the Easy Card Counting section). However, most casinos won’t let you sit at the tables with lots of messy charts, but you can have a small one (about the size of a credit card), they don’t mind and even sell them at the Casino’s gift shops. You can get these on many sites on the net for about 5$ or from eBay at less than 2$ a piece.

Why play Blackjack at Online Casinos?
Now, the part you’ve been waiting for… "How can I actually profit from gambling?!". Well, as I explained before the competition in the online gambling scene is HUGE. That causes sites to offer great Bonuses for people to sign-up. They’re actually giving you free money (depending on the fact that you wager a certain amount of money on their online gambling services). Some sites will actually give you 100% of what you deposit. So if you deposit 100$, you get 100$ FREE! You have to Wager 2000$ and playing Basic Blackjack Strategy you will probably lose about 2000$ X 0.5 % = 10 $ loss. You profit 90$! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling you to quit your day job (or whatever it is that you do), and start a career at online gambling! I’m also not telling you that I can teach you an amazing system which you can use to enter a Casino with 500$ and leave with 5000$, and I’m going to reveal my secrets for a onetime payment of 49.95$ (Mainly because no such thing exists). I’m simply giving you an option of making money taking advantage of the fact that online Casinos are willing to go a long way and dig deep in their pockets, to attract new amateur gamblers. The thing is, having read this eBook; you are not an amateur any more. All I’m saying is give this system a shot; if you read this, you probably gamble anyway; I just want you to do it the smart way!

The basic object of blackjack is for the total of your cards to be closer to a total of 21 than the dealer’s cards but without exceeding a total of 21. You will be dealt two cards and the dealer will be dealt one card with that card face up. Sometimes the dealer may be dealt two cards but one of them will always be showing. All picture cards (jack, queen, king) have a value of ten. Aces have a value of either one or eleven. After dealing is complete - you must play your hand and decide what to do. You have a number of options:

Hit Be dealt another card.
Stand You’re happy with your cards and do not want another one. Your hand is over and the dealer plays his hand.
Split
If your first two cards have the same point value (for example two fives, two jacks, or two aces) you may split the cards and play them as separate hands. This doubles your bet however. Sometimes the "perfect blackjack" suggests splitting.
Double down
You double your wager and are dealt just one more card. Sometimes the "perfect blackjack" strategy suggests doubling down.
Insurance If the dealers upcard is an ace you are offered insurance against the dealer having a blackjack. We never take insurance.

Of you draw cards and go over 21, you have "bust" and lose the hand. The dealer has to keep drawing cards if his hand totals 16 or less and must stand on 17 or above. This is important as you can stand any time you wish and can win a hand with a very low total. If you win the hand, you are paid at even money - if you bet £1 you are returned £2. If you have a "blackjack"( an ace and a ten or face card) and beat the dealer you are paid at 1.5/1. So if you bet £1 your return would be £2.50. If your hand is equal to the dealer’s hand it is called a "push." A tie if you will. Nobody wins and your stake is returned. If you’ve not played blackjack before, don’t worry. Most (if not all) the casinos we recommend have a practice facility where you can hone your technique and get used to the strategy sheet without risking any money.
Now - on to the theory behind the "perfect blackjack" strategy and how you can you can literally use the casino’s own money to your advantage.

The "perfect blackjack" theory
The page you’ve been itching to read - so how can you use the casino’s money to your advantage. Simply - by playing perfect blackjack (sometimes known as basic strategy). The Strategy Sheet page shows you that strategy, but first - here is a little simple mathematics to illustrate the money making potential with the application of basic strategy. The "house edge" (the amount of money a casino expects to win from any player) for blackjack is estimated to generally be in the region of 2.5%. In other words, the casino would expect to win £2.50 in every £100 wagered by the average player. By playing the "perfect game" as per the strategy sheet you can reduce the house edge to 0.50% or even lower. The strategy sheet is the result of much mathematical analysis and is even featured by some casinos on their web sites.

To encourage players to open accounts with them, casinos offer new account holders bonus money as an inducement. For example - deposit £50 and get another £50 added to it for free. It does come with strings attached though - usually by way of a wagering requirement. This means you have to wager a given amount of money first and differs from casino to casino. It is important to check and understand wagering requirements.
Now - some simple mathematics to illustrate how you can profit from this "free" money:
Example: You open an account with Casino A, deposit £50 and are given £50 free. You available stake is therefore £100. The wagering requirement is 10 times he deposit and bonus amount. In this case that means £1000. That might sound a lot but it isn’t really as all you wagers (wins and losses) count towards that £1000.

So - if you were playing at £1 per hand and had a sequence of W, W, L, W, W, L, L, L, W, W you would be £1 ahead over the sequence but have wagered a total of £10. Get the idea?
By application of "perfect blackjack" you reduce the house edge to say 0.50% (or lower). Thus, based on your £100 starting amount and wagering £1000 you can be expected to lose just £5 (1000×0.5%) under ideal conditions.
Thus, you have £95 after completing the wagering requirement. Take off your £50 and you’ve now got a £45 profit courtesy of the £50 the casino gave you on joining.
Do the same in different casinos and you can see how it can accumulate.
An easy way to keep track on your progress towards the minimum wagering requirement is to write it down and keep a simple five bar gate remembering to add "one" time you split or double down.
This works fine if you are betting the same amount each hand (known as flat betting). Personally, I prefer flat betting. There are many other staking theories and systems out there so you must use whatever you feel comfortable with.

Playing a few hands in the casino’s practice mode will help you to get the hang of it.
You will experience winning streaks and losing streaks but it’s the overall average that it’s all about. Is there a catch You won’t win in every casino you play - that’s the nature of the game - but you do have an odds advantage over the casino thanks to the bonus money and by playing "perfect blackjack." So why do the casinos give sign up bonus money Because there are many, many people who are not "smart" about it and without the discipline to stick to the strategy through the wagering requirement. They think people will not bother or play other games with poorer odds and lose.

Is there a risk Yes, of course - there is always a risk with gambling. We urge you to never play with money you can’t afford to lose. Please. OK, what’s the strategy Now you have an understanding of the rules of blackjack and the theory and mathematics of playing the "perfect" game. On the next page, you’ll find a strategy sheet which gives you a suggested action (hit, stand, double, split) for any hand. The "perfect blackjack" strategy. And I’ll calculate the potential profit if you work through each of the recommended casinos in turn - hundreds of pounds! Just go to the next page…….

Online Blackjack Strategies
Internet Blackjack is well known as one of the hottest skill games among serious gamers looking to frequently beat the house and make a long-term profit. However – an increasing number of low and moderately skilled gamers are using classic blackjack card counting strategies to get in on the action – so now is the time to learn what it’s all about and put it into action at the casino. The good news is card counting isn’t the secret of the casino pros that it used to be – and countless methods exist that don’t require years of practice to master! By creating a running count – card counting systems create a score that can be used to make killer moves. When used correctly – it’s estimated that typical counting systems can yield an edge of 1-4% against the casino, meaning amazing long-term success for skilled gamers.
For anyone new to blackjack – card counting can be daunting and most online gamers quickly turn away from even thinking about it! However, this could be a big mistake – since it’s possible to apply card counting concepts from day one without any real skill. Casual Card Counting requires you to casually observe the packs and flow of cards to determine the general value of the count (i.e. rich in high or low value cards?). Then simply base your wagering on your general observations. Of course, when you strike a little success – you’ll soon be ready for progressing onto more advanced card counting systems – so keep reading!
For many single-deck blackjack gamers, the Hi-Opt I card counting strategy is the ideal method of integrating a real card counting system into their gaming – a classic counting system that’s simple to work and can smash the dealer!
Essentially – card counting methods can be used by any level of gamer looking for the most intrinsic fun and potential rewards from online blackjack. By taking advantage of free-play casino sessions and bonus offers – there’s never been a better way to learn casino beating blackjack strategies with zero risk.