Increase your Success Playing Blackjack

By Simon Skinner

If you've ever played Blackjack before, you probably have seen a person that wins more than seems normal. This is because that player knows the rules and strategies that twist the odds in his favor. Follow them and you'll see more success as well.

You can use specific guidelines for various situations in Blackjack that will allow you to have improved odds of winning. You can't guarantee a win in any one hand, but you can play statistically sound, so that you have a higher likelihood of winning over the long haul.

The first rule is of course it hit with nine or less. Following that, you should always double down with a 10 or an 11, unless the dealer is also showing a ten or an Ace.

If you're holding between 12 and 16 it's a little trickier, but you'll want to hit if the dealer has a seven or higher. If you have 17 or more, you should stand regardless of what the dealer has.

Different rules apply when you are holding an Ace, which gives you a soft hand. A soft 17 for example is an Ace and a six, which can be 17 or 7 depending on how you choose to play the Ace.

When you have between a soft 13 and a soft 18, you can afford to double down when the dealer is displaying a five or a six. If you have a soft seventeen or less you should hit and you can even hit a soft 18 when the dealer is displaying a six or higher.

You should stand when you have more than seventeen as long as the dealer doesn't have a high card. In addition to these rules for playing soft hands, pairs need special attention as well.

Some pairs never get split, these include pairs of tens, fours and fives. Other pairs always get split, these include eights and Aces. Others may or may not be split depending on the situation and your preferences.

Knowing these basic Blackjack rules can help you succeed much more easily and consistently. You should also take into account the environment you're in and the table you choose to play at to improve your success.

You want to keep an eye out for drunk players and for slow players, either of which can limit the fun action and can provide questionable decisions that affect your game as well.

You should not accept the dealer's offer for insurance unless you have been counting cards and know the exact odds of a situation.

Always keep track of your bankroll and don't sit a table with a minimum bet higher than 1/20th of your available chips. Higher than that and you can quickly run through your chips on a losing streak. Of course remember to enjoy yourself and respect everyone else at the table.