Blackjack Tips

Remember the motive - as you may have read on other pages in this site, many people have a false concept of the goal of the game of blackjack. The most basic of blackjack tips: remember the object of the game is to beat the dealer, not to get 21.

Always split Aces and 8's. Two aces are useless together, but both stand a good chance of earning you a 21. Two eights are a fairly weak 16 together, but may become two strong 18's after a split.

Don't split fives. Why people do this is beyond me. You've got 10 there buddy! Hit on it and be a happy guy!

Follow Basic strategy as far as you feel comfortable, only don't when you're gut feeling is strong. Be sure to double down when basic strategy suggests it, or you're not doing all you can for your game.

If you're playing in a casino (as opposed to online), one of the blackjack tips I'm most fond of passing along is this: always wear a watch. Blackjack can be consuming, and you may lose track of time. Casinos know this and intentionally fail to put any clocks up (not one in the casino, and no windows either so there is basically no indication of the time of day). Wear a watch and pay attention to it.

Increase the amount of your bet only when you're winning. It is natural human instinct to do the opposite and increase your bet when you're losing, to try and make up losses. You should truly only increase the amount of your bet if you have a good situation presented, not simply a run of wins, but it's a less risky action to perform if you're not already on a losing streak. This style of blackjack tips are usually intended to ensure that you don't start doubling your bets to make up your losses.

Be aware that some casino blackjack tables use the 'Dealer hits soft 17' rule which increases the house advantage. Look for tables where dealers must stand on all 17s.

If you play Blackjack using basic strategy you can often reduce the house edge to less than 1%.

If you know any other good blackjack tips that you feel deserve a mention, feel free to e-mail Fat Tony.