The Perfect Blackjack Strategy

Playing perfect blackjack strategy is easier than one may think! The math is not that complicated, after all Alan played it perfectly in Hangover! But joke aside, it’s not that complicated, it’s quite straightforward math:

1. Most importantly, like poker, chess or any other game, don’t just focus on your cards but pay attention to what the dealer has too. The objective is not to get 21, but to beat the dealer – and the dealer can bust more often than you think.
2. If you want some extra spice, pay attention to the cards dealt on the table – the probability of a high or low card can help make a decision when the math says the odds are pretty close.

So with that in mind, let’s simplify the perfect blackjack strategy:

First, let’s count the cards in a deck and how they are counted in blackjack. In a single deck, you will have:

1. Watch the dealer’s card. If the dealer has a 5 or lower, then they will always have to draw a third card and the chances that is a 10 point card are 30.8%. Meaning there is a fair chance the dealer will bust.
   • So what do you do when the dealer has a 5? You stop as soon as you get more than 11. As simple as that!
   • Pay attention if the dealer has 6 – some casinos require the dealer to draw on soft 17 (A + 6) and some casinos require the dealer to stand. Make your decision based on what the rules are, if dealer must draw at soft 17, then your strategy when dealer has a 6 is the same as when the dealer has a 5.
2. Maximize your winnings – if the dealer has a 5, like in the scenario above, then your expectation is that they will bust – if you have a chance to double your winnings, then go for it:
   • Split: Split any pair up to 9s. It’s a marginal call on lower pairs like 2s and 3s, so you have some room for error there.
   • Double up: your 2 cards add up to 11 (i.e. 8 and 3, or 6 and 4), then double up!
3. Keep en eye on the other cards dealt around. If your call is marginal and you bank on the dealer busting, if you see a lot of low cards around, then the likelihood of a high card is higher. The easiest way to keep track is to award a -1/+1 point system to the cards where the low cards (below 7 as the middle point) are -1 and the high cards are +1. Based on probability, the sum of the -1s and +1s will eventually get to 0. If you think you got to -10 on your count, then expect to see a few higher cards coming up shortly. If you want to read more about card counting, check out some detailed articles on our site.

All in all it’s pretty easy to play the perfect blackjack strategy. Just pay attention to the dealer’s cards, pay attention to the other cards dealt on the table and do some basic math. That will maximize your chances to enjoy your gameplay to the max!