Blackjack Strategy

The basic Blackjack strategy was developed in the 1950s by the mathematician Roger Baldwin. Using the cumbersome computers of the day, Roger Baldwin compiled all possible variables and outcomes based on the laws of probability. Then using the data he had analyzed, he summarized it all in a strategic table which guides the player and recommends the correct decisions to be taken based on the player’s cards compared to those of the dealer.

Following up on the groundwork done by Roger Baldwin, a few years later Professor Edward Thorp built on the foundations of the Baldwin strategy when writing his now famous best-selling book “Beat The Dealer”. Professor Edward Thorp notoriously wrote about the method of card-counting which following the success of the book led casinos to fear for their profit margins.

Casinos initially lost so much money to the increasing number of players who studied the basic blackjack strategy and the card-counting method, that a number of elements of the game were changed to make it near impossible for most players to count the cards. It is at this time that casinos introduced additional sets of cards while automatic card shufflers also made their appearance.

With the changes that were made to the blackjack rules, the house gained the upper hand over the player. However, the basic blackjack strategies that we present to you here at Online Casino have been adapted to minimize the house advantage, effectively reducing it to less than 1%. These blackjack strategies are of course equally applicable when playing online blackjack.

The 7 Golden rules of the basic blackjack strategy

Here follows the 7 fundamental rules of blackjack strategies for any player starting out at blackjack must learn by heart to minimize the house advantage and dramatically increase their chances of winning!

• Stay on a 12 if the dealer card is 6 or lower
• Hit if you have 16 and the dealer has 7 or higher
• Hit on a soft 17 or less and stay on a soft 18 soft or higher
• Always split aces and 8
• Split if you have a pair of 7’s against a pair of 7’s or lower for the dealer
• Never take insurance
• Double on 10 or 11 if the total of your cards is higher than the visible card of the dealer