Winning at Blackjack

To understand how to win at blackjack you must first understand the game. Upon receiving the cards the player will indicate to the dealer how he intends to play so the dealer can issue the cards accordingly. The player needs to get 21 or a blackjack. A blackjack is only possible with the first two cards dealt and if that is not the case then the game continues in a manual mode. The player continues hitting as he plays towards 21. Going beyond 21 implies a loss on the part of the player and a win on the part of the dealer. That is why the player may opt to stand at some point if it is imminent that the next hit may result in a bust. In case the player busts the dealer does not have to play since the game is over and a winner has been established.

The dealer is required to continue hitting until he gets 17 or more where he can stand. Remember this only happens when the player did not bust but instead opted to stand to let the dealer try his hands. Some casinos permit the dealer to stand on either a soft or hard 17 while others only permit a hard 17. If the dealer hits more than twenty one then the player wins. But if neither the dealer nor the player bust, then whoever gets more than the other is the winner.

There are certain options which may be permitted from one casino to another (each online casino review should have such an information) which helps players decide how to play their hands as they progress towards 21. There are such terminologies as splitting pairs, doubling down, insurance, surrender, hit and stand. They all have their specific meanings within the game and may be permitted at certain time and not others.

Playing Options

It is not possible to understand how to win at blackjack if you do not know the playing options available to you at every stage of the game. Doubling down can be applied if on receiving the first two cards dealt you totals come to ten or eleven. You double down to see if an extra card can be added to one hand to improve the total count towards 21.

Splitting pairs comes in when you are dealt two cards of the same value. Again the decision to split the pairs is subject to the value of the paired cards and the dealer's up card.

Standing applies when you have hit a hard 17 or above and consider it risky to continue hitting given the probability of busting.

Surrendering option gives the player an opportunity to salvage half his bet when it becomes imminent he could loose.