Blackjack Tips

1. Use Strategy, Not Guesswork

Decisions should follow a structured strategy chart, not intuition. Actions such as hitting, standing, doubling, or splitting can be aligned with mathematically tested rules for European blackjack.

2. Avoid Insurance

Insurance usually carries a lower expected return than the main hand. For standard play, this side bet increases house edge and reduces long-term performance.

3. Split Pairs Selectively

• Split A-A and 8-8 in most situations.
• Do not split 10-10; a total of 20 is already strong.
• Use the dealer upcard as a reference point before splitting any pair.

4. Manage Bankroll with Fixed Stakes

Define a fixed session budget and a consistent bet size. This supports disciplined play and avoids reactive stake changes after short winning or losing streaks.

5. Know the House Rules and RTP

European blackjack often provides high RTP when strategy is followed. Review rules such as dealer stand/hit on soft 17, double restrictions, and whether surrender is available, then adapt strategy to these conditions.

6. Prioritise Dealer Upcard Reading

All key decisions start from the dealer upcard:

• Dealer 4, 5, 6: play more conservatively and stand more often.
• Dealer 7, 8, 9, 10, Ace: choose more defensive actions, including extra hits.

7. Use Doubling Opportunities Efficiently

Doubling increases exposure on mathematically strong positions. Common examples include:

• Double 10 against dealer 9 or lower (subject to table rules).
• Double 11 against all dealer cards except Ace in many strategies.

8. Avoid Emotional Play

Chasing losses or over-betting after a win sequence weakens overall results. Maintain the same decision quality on hand one and hand one hundred.

9. Limit Session Length

Long sessions can reduce concentration and lead to errors against basic strategy. Set pre-defined time or hand-count limits before starting.

10. Accept Short-Term Variance

Blackjack involves variance even with optimal decisions. Short runs of losses do not indicate that strategy is ineffective; consistency over many sessions matters more than individual outcomes.