Blackjack cheat sheet

Objective

• Goal: Beat the dealer's hand without going over 21.
• Blackjack: An Ace and a 10-value card (10, J, Q, K) as the first two cards, pays 3:2.

Card Values

• 2-10: Face value.
• Face Cards (J, Q, K): 10 points.
• Ace: 1 or 11 points, whichever benefits the hand.

Gameplay Overview

1. Players place bets.
2. Dealer deals two cards to each player and two to themselves (one face-up, one face-down).
3. Players decide to hit, stand, double down, split, or surrender based on their cards and the dealer's face-up card.
4. Dealer plays according to set rules, usually standing on 17 and hitting on 16.
5. Hands are compared, and bets are settled.

Basic Terms

• Hit: Request another card.
• Stand: Keep current hand and end turn.
• Double Down: Double bet, take one more card, and end turn.
• Split: If two cards have the same value, split them into two hands with separate bets.
• Surrender: Give up half your bet and end the hand immediately.
• Insurance: If the dealer's face-up card is an Ace, you can bet half your original bet against the dealer having Blackjack.

Very Basic Strategy Chart

A basic strategy chart offers the optimal play based on the player's hand and the dealer's face-up card. Key points include:

• Always split Aces and 8s.
• Never split 10s and 5s.
• Double down on 11 if the dealer has 2-10.
• Stand on 17 and above.
• Hit on 8 or less.

Hard Totals

• S = Stand (Do not take more cards)
• H = Hit (Take another card)
• D = Double if allowed, otherwise Hit

When and How to Use the Hard Totals Strategy

The Hard Totals section of the Blackjack strategy card is used when your hand does not contain an Ace that can be counted as 11 without busting. Here's how to use it:

1. Identify Your Hand Total: Add up the total of your hand without an Ace, or with an Ace counted as 1.
2. Check the Dealer's Upcard: Look at the card the dealer has showing.
3. Find Your Move: Match your hand total in the left column with the dealer's upcard along the top row. The cell where they meet dictates your move.
4. Take Action:
   • Stand (S): If the strategy card indicates "S," you should not take any more cards.
   • Hit (H): If the card indicates "H," you should take another card.
   • Double (D): If it indicates "D" and the rules of the table allow you to double down, place an additional bet equal to your original bet and take one more card; otherwise, simply take another card.

Soft Totals

• S = Stand (Do not take more cards)
• H = Hit (Take another card)
• D = Double if allowed, otherwise Hit
• Ds = Double if allowed, otherwise Stand

When and How to Use the Soft Totals Strategy

The Soft Totals section of the Blackjack strategy card is used when your hand includes an Ace that can be counted as 11 without busting. Here's how to use it:

1. Identify Your Hand Total: Determine the total of your hand, counting the Ace as 11.
2. Check the Dealer's Upcard: Look at the card the dealer has showing.
3. Find Your Move: Find the intersection of your hand total on the left with the dealer's upcard across the top. The cell where they intersect indicates your move.
4. Take Action:
   • Stand (S): If the strategy indicates "S," you should not take any more cards. Hit (H): If it indicates "H," you should request another card.
   • Double (D): If it indicates "D" and you are allowed to double down, you should place an additional bet equal to your original bet and take one more card; if not, just take another card.
   • Double if allowed, otherwise Stand (Ds): If it indicates "Ds," double down if it's permitted; if not, stand without taking more cards.

Pair Splitting

• Y = Yes (Split the pair)
• N = No (Don't split the pair)
• Y/N = Yes, split the pair if Double After Split (DAS) is offered, otherwise No

When and How to Use the Pair Splitting Strategy

The Pair Splitting section is used when you are dealt two cards of the same rank. Here's how to apply the strategy:

1. Identify Your Pair: Look at your initial two cards. If they are a pair, proceed with the strategy.
2. Check the Dealer's Upcard: Observe the card the dealer shows.
3. Consult the Chart: Locate the row for your pair and the column for the dealer's upcard. The cell where they meet tells you whether to split.
4. Execute the Decision:
   • Yes (Y): If the chart says "Y," then you should split the pair into two separate hands and place an additional bet equal to your original bet on the new hand.
   • No (N): If the chart says "N," then you should not split and instead play the hand according to the Hard or Soft Totals strategy.
   • Yes/No (Y/N): If the chart says "Y/N," you should only split the pair if the casino allows Double After Split (DAS); if not, do not split.

Surrender

• SUR = Surrender (Give up half your bet and end the hand)

(Note: The table only lists situations where surrendering is an option according to the strategy card. If a cell is empty, it means that surrendering is not the recommended action.)

When and How to Use the Surrender Strategy

The Surrender option in Blackjack is a move that allows you to give up your hand in exchange for losing half of your bet. This move is only used in specific situations where the chances of winning the hand are very low. Here's how to apply the surrender strategy:

1. Identify Your Hand Total: Determine the total value of your hand.
2. Check the Dealer's Upcard: Look at the card the dealer has showing.
3. Consult the Chart: Find the row with your hand total and the column with the dealer's upcard. If the intersecting cell indicates "SUR," then you should consider surrendering.
4. Execute the Decision:
   • Surrender (SUR): If the chart advises surrendering, indicate to the dealer that you want to surrender. The dealer will take half of your bet and return the other half to you, and then the hand is over.

Odds vs. Dealer Up Card

Understanding the dealer's chance of busting and the player's advantage is crucial for successful play.

Blackjack Odds of Busting While Taking a Hit

This table shows the probability of the player busting after taking another card.

House Advantage with Multiple Number of Decks

The house edge increases with the number of decks used in the game.

Two Card Frequency Odds

Chances of getting various initial hands in Blackjack.

Probability Edge for Each Card Removed from Deck

The effect on odds when specific cards are removed, crucial for card counting.

Dealer Final Hand Probability Odds

The likelihood of the dealer's final hand.

Betting and Bankroll Management

• Minimum Bets: Know table minimums and manage your bankroll to sustain at least 30 bets to hedge against short-term losses.
• Betting Strategy: Consider using betting strategies such as the Martingale, where you double your bet after a loss, or the D'Alembert, where you increase your bet by one unit after a loss and decrease by one unit after a win.
• Loss Limits: Set a loss limit and a win goal. Stop playing when you reach either to avoid the temptation of betting more than you can afford to lose.

Playing Tips

• Avoid Insurance: It's generally a bad bet unless you're counting cards.
• Table Selection: Look for tables with rules that favor the player, like the dealer standing on soft 17.
• Use Strategy Cards: Legally allowed in casinos, these can help you make the best decisions.
• Practice Bankroll Management: Only bet what you can afford to lose, and avoid chasing losses.
• Learn Basic Strategy: Reduces the house edge to 0.5% or lower.

More Info

Links

• Blackjack Basic Strategy
• Blackjack Rules and Strategy
• The Truth about Betting Systems
• Blackjack Bankroll Management
• Probability Odds