Thursday, 28 May 2009 14:00

In our Blackjack Strategy Guide we presented the system which is statistically the optimal strategy for Blackjack. Following this system can be a way to improve your results, but there are many other factors involved. Here we take a look at a few interesting Blackjack scenarios to find out how best to apply optimal strategy.

Hard and soft - tricky seventeen

A lot of players find 17 a difficult number in Blackjack. It is always sensible to stand on a hard 17, but here we demonstrate the same is not the case with a soft 17 (an ace and a six). Though 17 is a good hand, you have the chance to improve your holding without the fear of busting.

Drawing any card with a 10 value will mean you still have 17, while an Ace, 2, 3 or 4 will improve it. That leaves only a 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 to weaken your hand. As you can see, eight cards either improve or maintain the strength of your hand and only five weaken it. This means that soft 17 is sometimes a good time to Double Down.

Play your hand, not your stake

Whether you are following optimal strategy or your own system, most players agree that it's important to make decisions based on your cards and not the value of your stake. For example, if you've been dealt 14 and the dealer is showing a 10 then the optimal strategy is to hit and take another card.

However, if a player is playing too high a stake for the size of their bankroll they will often stand, because they don't want to risk busting their hand. If you find yourself in this position it might be a good idea to make your stake a little smaller.

Doubling Down

Playing a stake which is out of their comfort-zone can also cause players not to take full advantage of the "Double Down" option. Doubling Down enables the player to gain full value when they have a good situation. If a player's original stake is too large, they are often discouraged from making the Double Down, and are unable to gain that value.

Splitting pairs

In contrast to the reluctance players sometimes feel to Double Down, they are often too keen to split pairs of 10 value cards. If the dealer is showing a 5 or a 6, the player tends to think they have an easy chance to win two hands.

However, why would you want to break up one of the best Blackjack hands you can be dealt, and risk making two worse hands? There are many times when you should split your paired cards but when you are dealt 20 it is a good idea to stand every time.

Final thoughts

As we have already seen, players often change their game based on factors beyond the cards, and this rarely improves their results. Another example of this occurs when players stand on a low hand and hope that the dealer busts. Such over-cautiousness is often another indication that the player cares more about the stake than they do about playing their cards.

It is vital that you concentrate on your own game, whatever strategy you are using, rather than allowing yourself to be distracted. Successful Blackjack players are always aware of the issues discussed in this article, and combine this with their knowledge of optimal strategy.