Blackjack is the most popular card game in the world. There are a number of different strategies to win at this game. One strategy is known as Basic strategy. Other strategies include Side bets, Hitting on a soft 17, and Surrendering. Learn these strategies in order to increase your chances of winning big.

Basic strategy

Using basic blackjack strategy can help you win more money, and minimize your losses. This strategy is based on mathematical probabilities that calculate the optimal moves based on the dealer’s starting card and the players’ cards. The basic strategy is designed to reduce the house edge to less than 0.5%. Players that use basic strategy regularly outperform players who do not use the strategy.

If you follow basic blackjack strategy, you will lose 0.6% of the time, while winning more often when you bet on the favorite. You’ll learn about other bets, like insurance bets and even-money propositions, in the next article.

Side bets

In blackjack, side bets are optional wagers that the player can place in addition to the original wager. For example, a player can place a side bet on a black-white pair. A blackjack player will win the side bet if the dealer’s first card is an Ace, and the second card is a 10, or vice versa. These side bets can increase the volatility of the game, and may deplete a player’s balance.

Some casinos offer side bets with tighter payouts than others. Regardless of the casino you’re playing, it’s still best to know which side bets have the best odds of winning. Fortunately, there are some published counting systems that can help you lower the house edge and give you an edge in blackjack.

Hitting on a soft 17

Hitting on a soft 17 is an error that the dealer can make in blackjack. This is true in land-based casinos, as well as in online casinos. It adds about two-tenths of a percent to the house edge. It also increases the number of busts.

Hitting on a soft 17 can lower your chances of winning, but most players do not understand why. While it may appear to be beneficial to the dealer, it actually decreases the value of your hand. The reason for this is simple math: higher-denomination minimum bets are more likely to hit on a soft 17 than lower-denomination bets.

Surrendering

Blackjack surrendering is a strategy where a player gives up their move after making a bet and gets half of the original bet back. The other half goes to the dealer. There are two ways to surrender: in a live dealer blackjack game, players swipe their finger behind their bet to indicate that they’d like to surrender, and in an online casino, players simply hit the blackjack surrender button.

Blackjack surrendering is allowed in many casino games, both online and in land-based casinos. However, most players are unfamiliar with this strategy and the benefits it brings. Most people don’t even know that blackjack surrendering is even possible, especially if they’re unfamiliar with the game. Additionally, most casinos do not allow blackjack surrendering on single or double-deck blackjack games.