The Excitement of Blackjack Things You Need to Know
BlackJack can be a very exciting game. You can increase that excitement if you know how to act in some key situations. Doubling down and splitting at the right opportunities adds a whole new dimension to the experience of BlackJack.
The Double Down
There's no feeling like being at the table and hitting the right card hand after
hand. On the flip-side, you can also be experiencing a teeter-totter ride where
you feel like you're not getting ahead, just trading chips back and forth. Then
it happens! The dealer gives you a six and a five and flips himself a six. The
adrenaline surges! Alright - DOUBLE-DOWN your bet and pray that you are dealt a
10 or face card and watch the dealer bust. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone
who would advise against a double down in that situation. Fact is, most
strategies suggest you double-down on an eleven no matter what the dealer is
showing (except when the dealer is showing an Ace where a double down would be
considered an aggressive move).
Doubling down is a good choice anytime you have 8, 9, 10 or 11 and the dealer is
showing anything less than 7. Also, if you've got an Ace and a 2 thru 5 when the
dealer is showing a 5 through 6, the double down bet should be made as you are
planning on the dealer busting in those situations.
Double-down opportunities can allow you to make a lot of money quickly at the
blackjack table.
Splitting
Splitting cards is an exciting opportunity, in certain situations. When the
dealer has dealt you a matching pair you are given the opportunity to split. With an additional bet equal to your initial bet you can have a second hand to
play and an additional chance to beat the house.
While splitting the cards and gaining a chance to double your anticipated win
may seem appealing, it is not advisable to do so in all situations. Never split
tens, fours or fives. You are better off keeping the twenty or hitting to get to
eighteen or twenty. When dealt 2 Jacks against the dealer's four, five or six,
it may seem like a good idea to split those Jacks and get two winning hands. Don't be fooled. Splitting an almost sure thing such as a 20 is not a good
choice. Players sometimes get greedy and make the wrong decision, only to end
up with two weaker hands.
Aces and eights should always be split. Split the aces for the obvious reason
that you hope to get two 21's rather than having to hit a twelve; and split the
eights because two eighteens are better than one sixteen.
If the dealer is showing a bust card (4, 5 or 6), it is advisable to split 2's,
3's, 6's, 7's, 9's in addition to 8's and Aces (split everything except 4's, 5's
and 10's).
When the dealer is showing six or less, 9's can be split.
Insurance
The option to purchase insurance is given to the player anytime the dealer is
showing an Ace. The expectation is that the dealer with have a BlackJack.
Insurance is a side-bet. The insurance costs half of the original bet and if the
dealer has BlackJack it pays 2:1. The end result is the player breaks even as
the insurance payout covers the original bet that has been lost. If the dealer
doesn't have BlackJack, then the insurance bet is lost and the game continues.
If the player has a natural blackjack against the dealer's ace, the dealer will
generally offer insurance or an even payout rather than the 3:2 payout. Taking
insurance in this case reduces the payout to even money anyway, so why take it
on the more likely chance that the dealer doesn't have blackjack?
So when do you purchase insurance? Generally the insurance bet is only advisable
if you are counting cards. Since many land based casinos and most (if not all)
online casinos use continuous shuffling techniques, there is little merit to
making the insurance side-bet.
Surrendering
Surrender? Throwing in the towel? It is an option on the Vegas strip. However,
it is not common in the online version of BlackJack. Basically, if the dealer is
showing an 8, 9, 10 or Ace and the player has a weak hand, such as a twelve, the
player can surrender his hand at the expense of half the wager. Most
likely a good
choice if the player has anywhere from twelve to sixteen.
With frequent play the logical choices will become more and more obvious.
Play blackjack for Fun or Real at Hot Pepper Casino!
The best place to play BlackJack online is at Hot Pepper Casino! Hot Pepper's blackjack allows you to play up to five concurrent hands with maximum bets of $200 per hand.
There's also a progressive blackjack game where an additional dollar bet gives you a shot at the big prize. You can also login and play for free using $3000 of play money. Once you're confident, why not try the real deal.
Hot Pepper Casino delivers on entertainment value. Make a deposit today of $35 and Hot Pepper Casino will match it with another $35, totally free!
