To maximise your chances of defeating the casino it is important to have a game plan in place. There are many different strategy's players can employ to improve their odds. Some are basic rules whiles others are more advanced and perhaps only worth learning once you have mastered the more basic blackjack strategy's.

Basic blackjack strategy

As blackjack is such a popular game there has been much mathematical analysis. Computer simulations have spawned some tried and tested strategy's proven to lower the house edge. The key to playing blackjack well is to adapt your play depending on the dealers exposed card.

Hard Hands strategy (No ace in your beginning cards)

• 8 or less: Always draw to a third card regardless of dealers exposed card
• 9: Double when dealers has 3, 4, 5, 6. Otherwise draw.
• 10: Double when dealers has any card from 2-9, if not, draw.
• 11: Draw only when dealer has an ace exposed, if not double.
• 12: Stand when dealer has 4, 5, 6. Draw on any other card.
• 13-16: Only stand when dealers card is 2-6. Hit on all other cards.
• 17-1: Stand regardless of dealers card.

Soft hand Strategy (ace in your beginning cards)

• A2/A3: Double when dealers card is 5 or 6. Draw on everything else
• A4/A5: Double when dealers card is 4, 5 or 6. Draw on everything else
• A6: Double when dealers card is 3, 4, 5 or 6. Draw everything else
• A7: Double when dealers card is 3, 4, 5 or 6. Stand on 2, 7 or 8 and draw on anything else.
• A8/A9: Stand regardless of dealers card

Pocket pairs

• Pair of 10's: Stand regardless of dealers card
• Pair of 9's: Split when dealers card is 2 to 6 or 8/9. Stand on a ace, 7 or 10
• Pair of 7's: Split when dealers card is from 2 to 7 and draw everything else
• Pair of 6's: Split when dealers card is from 2 to 6, hit on everything else
• Pair of 5's: Hit unless dealer has 2 to 9
• Pair of 4's: Hit unless dealer has 5 or 6 then split
• Pair of 2/3's: Split when dealers card is 2, 7, split everything else
• Aces/8's: Split regardless of dealers card

As you can see good basic blackjack strategy completely revolves around the dealers exposed card.