Top 10 Blackjack Expert Tips for Beginners

Today we’re going to look at some tips on how to be a good blackjack player, even though you may have never played before.

It’s a fun game, you can play it in a bricks and mortar casino or online, and the tips for playing blackjack I’m going to give you make it a game with a very low House Advantage against you.

Once you have finished reading this guide, you’ll know how to use these blackjack tips and tricks to play the game, to minimize the casino’s advantage against you and to maximize your chance of winning.

We have many in-depth articles about how to play the most popular casino table games in the Academy, so go here for expert advice on how to play blackjack, roulette, baccarat and craps, plus slots and lots more casino-related information.

Let’s get started.

1. Learn and Use Basic Strategy

It used to be that you had to learn it, but now you can just take a Basic Strategy card with you and keep it on the table.

This one is for when the dealer hits a Soft 17 and the game is dealt from a 6-deck shoe.

It also includes an order of operations for deciding what to do with your hand, and some general insights into the game.

2. Choose a Betting Strategy Wisely

There are many strategies that have been around for many years. 

None of them are guaranteed to win. 

The reason they are so popular is because of The Gambler’s Fallacy.

It goes something like this:

I’ve lost 5 hands in a row; I must be due to win. 

No, you’re not. 

The odds of winning are exactly the same on every hand because the cards don’t know that you’ve lost the last hand, or the last five hands and so on.

Perhaps the best-known strategy is the Martingale strategy.  It is a negative progression, meaning you bet one unit and if you lose, you bet two, and keep doubling your bet until you finally get a winner.  There is a serious downside to the Martingale, which is the table maximum.

Of them all, I would only ever consider using the Paroli system, sometimes called the Reverse Martingale system.

I recommend you read our article on the various well-known systems that are available to you. The systems are listed for playing roulette and they work just as well for blackjack.

3. Insurance Isn’t a Good Bet.

Insurance is a bet that the dealer has a blackjack.  It has a house edge of almost 6% against you and is one of the worst bets in the casino.  So don’t bet it. 

There is one time you may consider it, and that is when you have almost won your ‘and if I get this much ahead, I’m quitting’ number and by taking the ‘even money’ option, you have made your number.

Otherwise, no Insurance bets. 

4. No 6 to 5 Blackjack. Ever.

Many live casinos these days have changed the blackjack payout from 3 to 2 to 6 to 5.  The reason is so they can increase their profits, pure and simple. 

It’s not a good bet for the players and you should still be able to find a 3 to 2 game, so never play on a blackjack table that only pays 6 to 5 for a blackjack.

Read our article on 6 to 5 Blackjack, and why you should never play it.

5. Surrender is the Casino’s Best Kept Secret.

Surrender is a legitimate tool in your arsenal, so don’t be bashful about using it. 

It means that you can give up 50% of your bet – and it makes perfect sense to do it when you’re going to lose 80% of the hands that you should surrender.

Lots of players don’t utilize surrender in Blackjack because they think that somehow, they’re failing as a player, or not trying hard enough.

It’s not true – surrender is a good option in some circumstances.

6. Double Down – Why Would You Do That?

When you have a stronger hand than the dealer, you should try to find a way to get more money on the table. 

Doubling down is a perfect way to do that.

Always double down with an 11 vs a dealer up card of 2 - 10.

You should double down with many of the soft hands. 

It is a good way to get more money on the table when you potentially have a stronger hand than the dealer.

Check out the Basic Strategy charts above for when to do it.

7. Splitting Can Be Defensive Or Offensive.

Always split Aces and 8s.

Splitting Aces is an offensive move.  You’re going to trade your weak Soft 12 hand for two hands that start with the strongest card in the deck.

It is an opportunity to double the money you have on the table and make two very strong hands, with the likelihood of winning 52% of them.

Splitting 8s is a defensive move.  You have the weakest hand, a hard 16, and are trading it for two hands to try and get a push.  Always a good move.

Oh, and never split 10s, 4s, or 5s.

Find out more in our article on When to Split in Blackjack.

8. Card Counting Isn’t as Hard As You Think.

It’s so easy to count cards – and yet people seem to think you must be a mathematical genius to do it. 

Not so – it can be as simple as keeping track of the Aces and the 5s.

Once you get even a little bit familiar with the Hi Lo system, you can reduce the HA against you down to 1/2 of 1%.  Yes, really!

9. Manage Your Bankroll Like a Pro.

This is one of the most important parts of being a successful blackjack player, and yet most players don’t give it much thought.

Go here for an article on Bankroll Management.

10. Join the Players’ Club.

Being a member of the Player’s Club gets you a bunch of free stuff.  The casino awards points for the game you play, how much you bet and how long you play. 

And they don’t care if you win or lose.  (They really don’t!).

You become eligible for free or discounted hotel rooms, food and drinks, plus free play, free entries into tournaments, free gifts and promotional items, and a few other property-specific benefits and perks.

There are only positives to having a Players’ Club card, so don’t be bashful and get yourself a Players’ Club card. 

Final Thoughts

Blackjack is a fun and simple game and if you follow these recommendations, you can reduce the House Advantage against you down to less than 1%.

Enjoy the game and good luck.