Blackjack strategy is so reliable that you can play perfect mathematical blackjack. In fact, blackjack is one of the only casino games that you can control to a certain degree. Blackjack is a popular game in Las Vegas, but it is also very popular in Asia. Y
In the land-based casinos in Malaysia and Singapore, you will find plenty of blackjack tables and each of these tables comes with its own unique rules.
On this blackjack strategy page, we aim to help you navigate to various blackjack strategies that will help you become a master of online blackjack games at one of the many mobile casinos reviewed here on the c9betwin website.
Before we being, we will introduce you to ‘basic strategy’ followed by making you aware of different table rules before introducing you to various betting strategies used by blackjack players. What you will learn is how blackjack works and how you can master the game by understanding all the rules and strategies that will help you reduce your losses while increasing your chances of becoming a winning blackjack player.
Make sure you keep on scrolling to the bottom of this page because this is where you will find our official blackjack strategy guides!
Basic Strategy
The main strategy that you should always use when you play blackjack is ‘basic strategy’. If you do not play basic strategy, then you are giving back the house a percentage of its edge. For example, if the blackjack table has a house edge of 0.5% and you do not use basic strategy to guide you, then you lose around 2% of the house edge, which means you are playing with a 2.5% house edge on a table that has an official house edge of 0.5%
You also need to recognize that there are different basic strategy charts depending on the table rules. if you are playing a single deck blackjack game, then you will need to use a basic strategy chart for single-deck tables, while games with 4 decks or more in the shoe require a different basic strategy chart.
Different blackjack basic strategy charts:
Here is a list of the various blackjack basic strategy charts. Notice that there is more than 1 chart for each game style. We will walk your through each one of these rules in our Blackjack Rules section below:
Single Deck Blackjack – Basic Strategy Charts
- 1-Deck Blackjack (S17) NDAS
- 1-Deck Blackjack (H17) NDAS
- 1-Deck Blackjack (S17) NDAS
- 1-Deck Blackjack (H17) NDAS
Double Deck Blackjack – Basic Strategy Charts
- 2-Deck Blackjack (S17) NDAS
- 2-Deck Blackjack (H17) NDAS
- 2-Deck Blackjack (S17) NDAS
- 2-Deck Blackjack (H17) NDAS
4 to 8 Deck Blackjack – Basic Strategy Charts
- 4 to 8 Deck Blackjack (S17) NDAS
- 4 to 8 Deck Blackjack (H17) NDAS
- 4 to 8 Deck Blackjack (S17) NDAS
- 4 to 8 Deck Blackjack (H17) NDAS
The Rules of Blackjack
You probably notice that the blackjack basic strategy charts came with a few abbreviations that may be confusing if you are new to blackjack. However, do not be put off because these abbreviations are easy to break down, and once you learn them, you are partway to becoming what we like to call a ‘blackjack guru’!
Getting your blackjack strategy correct relies on understanding the rules of blackjack.
- H17 – Dealer stands in ’17’ and hits all ‘soft 17’ hands
- S17 – Dealer stands on all ’17’ hands including soft 17
- DAS – Double Down After Split Allowed
- NDAS – No Double Down After Split Allowed
Now you know what these rules mean, the only other confusing points for newbie blackjack players are:
- What is a ‘soft hand’ versus ‘hard hand’?
- What is a ‘double down’?
- What is a ‘split’?
Hard Hand Vs Soft Hand
All you really need to remember is that a soft hand can never bust. Now, what makes a soft hand? Well, as the highest card in blackjack is a 10 and you bust if you go over a 21 points total, any hand that totals 11 or below is technically a soft hand. However, more commonly ‘soft hands’ are hands that use an ‘Ace’ card.
Important Rule: Ace can be valued as a 1 or 11
Therefore, if you have a A-7, you actually have a ‘soft 18’ hand. You would normally stand with an 18 if the dealer has a low card. However, there are times when you may want to hit a ‘soft 18’. The chances are your Ace card value will turn into 1.
For example, if you hit your ‘soft 18’ and the next card is a 5, you now have 18 + 5 = 23. However, you do not want to bust so you change the Ace to a value of 1. Now you have A-7-5 which totals 13. An unlucky number, so you definitely want to hit again…!
- Ace = 1 point
- 7 = 7 points
- 5 = 5 points
When you see the S17 rule for basic strategy, this means the dealer must ‘stand in a ‘soft 17’ hand. This means if the dealer has a A-6, A-3-3, A-2-2-2, A-4-2, and so on – the dealer must stand and cannot hit. Effectively, the dealer is being forced to count the ‘Ace’ as an ’11’.
Double Down
When you have the option to double down, it means you can ‘double’ your original bet and receive 1 additional card. When the basic strategy chart tells you to double down, it usually means you have a high percentage of winning, and so when you have a higher chance of winning, it makes sense to increase your bet size if it is possible.
Split
When the dealer deals you a pair, you can split them into 2 hands. Now before we go any further, we would like to drum it into your head, never split 10s! There done… So when you split, you will need to place another bet on the new hand. The amount should be equal to the amount of your original bet. From here on out, you will play with 2 hands.
You may also get the chance to ‘double down’ after you split. Only DAS tables allow this while an NDAS table will not permit you to double down after a split.
Our Official Blackjack Strategy Guides
Click on any of the boxes below to read about each strategy. We promise that once you finish reading each one, you will feel more and more like a pro blackjack player!