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Basic Blackjack Strategies

10 September 2023

Several times a year, I receive inquiries from readers about what to do about basic strategy when you have more than two cards.

Mostly, it's easy. There are exceptions for card counters or those using composition-dependent strategies, but mostly, if basic strategy calls for you to hit, then hit no matter how many cards you have. Hit hard 16 against 7 regardless of whether you have 9-7, 10-4-2 or 8-7-Ace. Hit soft 16 against 6, hit regardless of whether you have Ace-5, Ace-3-2 or Ace-Ace-2-2.

If basic strategy calls you to split a pair and you pair up again, then split again until you hit the limit on number of splits. If you're permitted to split three times and hold 8-8 vs. 7, then split. If you draw another 8, split again, and if you draw another, split again. Once you've hit the split limit, if you draw another 8, then you have to play the hand as 16. Revert to basic strategy for hard totals and hit the 16 against 7 or higher and stand against 6 or lower.

In double-down situations on hard hands, hit with three or more cards. With 6-5 against 10, basic strategy calls for you to double, but you can only double on your first two cards, so with 6-3-2, hit instead. There are no double-down situations where you could bust with a one-card hit, so it's an easy call to hit if you can't double.

That leaves doubling down on soft hands and those can require a little more effort to master. When to double seems not to be as intuitive as hard doubling. Many players seem a little fuzzy on soft-hand strategy.

For our six-deck, dealer hits soft 17 game, the basics are these: Double down on Ace-2 or Ace-3 vs. dealer's 5 or 6; double on Ace-4 or Ace 5 vs. 4, 5, or 6; double on Ace-6 vs. 3, 4, 5 or 6; double on Ace-7 if the dealer has 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6.

If the dealer stands on soft 17, don't double on Ace-7 vs. 2. Instead, use the same strategy on Ace-7 as Ace 6 and double vs. 3 through 6.

Those are the double down strategies for two-card soft hands. But what if you have three or more cards?

There's a clear dividing line. With soft 17 or lower, hit. If the dealer shows a 6, double with Ace-6, but hit with Ace-3-2.

But with soft 18, if you can't double, then stand. Double on Ace-7 vs. 5, but stand on Ace-3-4.

Let's run some numbers on that last one. Dealt Ace-7 against a dealer's 6, the average outcome per $1 of your original wager is a profit of 22.3 cents if you stand, 17.8 cents if you hit or 35.7 cents if you double. Doubling down clearly is the best play if permitted.

But if you have Ace-3-4 against a 6 and can't double, average profits per dollar are 22.3 cents if you stand or 18.2 cents if you hit. So, the basic strategy play is to stand.

That's not complicated, nor are any of the other recommended strategies with three or more cards. It just takes a little effort to memorize the basics.
John Grochowski

John Grochowski is the best-selling author of The Craps Answer Book, The Slot Machine Answer Book and The Video Poker Answer Book. His weekly column is syndicated to newspapers and Web sites, and he contributes to many of the major magazines and newspapers in the gaming field, including Midwest Gaming and Travel, Slot Manager, Casino Journal, Strictly Slots and Casino Player.

Listen to John Grochowski's "Casino Answer Man" tips Tuesday through Friday at 5:18 p.m. on WLS-AM (890) in Chicago. Look for John Grochowski on Facebook and Twitter @GrochowskiJ.

John Grochowski Websites:

www.casinoanswerman.com

Books by John Grochowski:

> More Books By John Grochowski

John Grochowski
John Grochowski is the best-selling author of The Craps Answer Book, The Slot Machine Answer Book and The Video Poker Answer Book. His weekly column is syndicated to newspapers and Web sites, and he contributes to many of the major magazines and newspapers in the gaming field, including Midwest Gaming and Travel, Slot Manager, Casino Journal, Strictly Slots and Casino Player.

Listen to John Grochowski's "Casino Answer Man" tips Tuesday through Friday at 5:18 p.m. on WLS-AM (890) in Chicago. Look for John Grochowski on Facebook and Twitter @GrochowskiJ.

John Grochowski Websites:

www.casinoanswerman.com

Books by John Grochowski:

> More Books By John Grochowski