Whether you play blackjack online or at a Swedish land casino, an understanding of the strategies of the game can greatly enhance your chances of winning. This guide is specially prepared to help Swedish players get the maximum out of their blackjack experience.
What Will You Learn from Our Blackjack Strategy Guide
Our hope is that with the help of this guide, you will gain a better understanding of various strategies of the game blackjack. Meanwhile, we hope that our advice in real life can benefit you to apply these strategies when you are playing at the table!
We're only just going to be able to provide you with some useful tips for playing and show you some of the most widely practiced and profitable approaches, as well as some of the best Blackjack strategies. We will also help you decide which strategy might be most suitable for you.
At the conclusion of it, we would hope you can sit down to the table more comfortably than you can today. If you are unfamiliar with the rules and how blackjack is played, we recommend you read through our guide to Blackjack Online first.
4 Tips to Know Before You Start
Having established the basics, here are four tips to know before you begin playing blackjack:
1. Learn about blackjack.
Find out about the rules of the game, how to cope with odds, and how to manage your bets. We have another guide for blackjack that we recommend you read first.
2. Choose a blackjack game suitable for you.
Compare different blackjack variations to decide which one you prefer the most. We also have a guide on the types of blackjack games.
3. Set a gambling budget.
This will help you track how much you're willing or ready to lose.
4. Set an amount of time you want to use playing.
Casino games should be fun, but the time spent should not have a negative impact on your life. Consider how much time you're willing to use and read on how to gamble responsibly.
The Basic Blackjack Strategy
The "basic" strategy is an easy system that uses charts to point out the optimal play for any hand — what to do depending on the cards you have and what the dealer has.
It is built upon mathematically correct decisions about surrender, doubling down, pair splitting, hit or stand, insurance, and even money.
Blackjack is one of those games where the decisions during a hand affect the outcome. It's not just a matter of chance like in so many other casino games — there is skill involved quite heavily.
Using the basic blackjack strategy maximizes the theoretical payoff and enhances your chances of winning.
How to Play to Improve Your Odds
So that you can get as close as possible to the high theoretical return of the basic strategy, you will want to find a table with the following rules:
- Dealer stands on soft 17 (hard 17 rule)
- Surrender option available (late surrender best)
- Double down is allowed on all hands
- Doubling after split is allowed
Then we will discuss when to hit or stand and other actions that will help you.
Double Down Strategy – When To Double?
As can be determined from the chart mentioned above, there are also rules for when to double or split your hand. It is essential to pay attention to these in order to maximize your winning potential.
Double down is especially effective when you start out with a strong hand and are only one card shy of winning. It can also be effective when the dealer's hand is weak and is likely to bust.
Remember, however, that when doubling down, you receive only one extra card — no more.
Split Pairs Strategy – Why You Should Split Pairs
Another option you have in blackjack is to split pairs, or "pair splitting." You must decide to split before hitting or doubling down.
When you are dealt two eights (value 16), you have the option to split the two hands so that each hand starts with an 8. You will have to place another bet of equal value that you initially bet so that both hands can be played separately.
When do you take a break? Only when mathematically in your favor — this is dependent upon the decks being played, table rules, what pair you hold, and what card the dealer is showing.
One rule is always to split Aces, 8s, and 7s — these have the potential to make much improved hands. With 9s, it's a bit tricky since already 18 is a good hand. In that case, look at the dealer's upcard and decide accordingly.
The Soft 17 Rule
Soft 17 is a hand that includes an Ace and a total of either 7 or 17. The strategy is never to stand with soft 17, regardless of dealer's upcard.
New players assume most of the time that this is counterintuitive because 17 is a sufficiently good hand. Statistically, though, you're going to lose more if you stand than if you hit or double.
When Do You "Surrender"?
And then there is the "surrender" option — naturally, to lose your hand.
Surrender allows you to lose your hand and get half your bet back. However, not all blackjack tables offer this option.
The surrender strategy is useful when your chances of winning are very low — for example, if your hand is weak and the dealer shows a strong upcard. In such cases, it might be wiser to surrender and reclaim half your bet than to play a likely losing hand.
One with greater modern popularity is cashout, where on certain tables, you are able to take back part of your bet or get a smaller payout before the round has ended.