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The Best Blackjack Strategy – Learn How to Win at Blackjack

The Best Blackjack Strategy – Tips and TricksSince blackjack is the one casino game where skill truly matters, it’s important for players to test different strategies and start incorporating them into their gameplay. But before you test any of the blackjack systems out there, there’s a simple truth you must realise – every valid blackjack strategy is based on logic and maths. Therefore, the best strategy you can adopt right away would be to leave your superstitions behind, forget about your ‘winning rituals’ and trust only the numbers. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s take a look at the best tactics you can adopt to help you win at online blackjack every time you play.

Tip #1: Pick the Right Casino

Players often ignore this all-important step, so I decided to start precisely with it. I cannot emphasise enough how big of a factor picking a good casino site is for your future success at beating the game. And that process is not even that hard – the trick is to pick a reputable, well-known casino that features a lot of blackjack games and generous bonuses that you can use on them. Here are the top stellar examples:

Trusted Blackjack Site Rating Highlights Welcome Bonus Secure Link Terms and Conditions
5
7 RNG Games, 36 Live Tables 88FS + 100% up to £100 Get Bonus!
18+. UK customers are not accepted anymore
5
15 RNG Games, 10 Live Tables Bet £10, Get £30 Welcome Bonus Get Bonus!
Full T&Cs apply. 18+. New Casino players only. Deposit required. Play £10+ on qualifying games. 40x wager reqs (Bonus only) on selected games. Accept Bonus within 14 days. Bonus valid for 30 days. Certain deposit types excluded. Player restrictions apply. BeGambleAware.
4.9
12 RNG Games , 12 Live Tables Play with £50 On a £20 Deposit Get Bonus!
Full T&Cs apply. 18+. New customers only. Min deposit £20 (exc paypal). Max bonus £30, bonus amount non-withdrawable, playable on selected games only. 30x wagering for £30 bonus. Expires within 30 days. max win £2,000. BeGambleAware.
4.9
30 RNG Games , 50 Live Tables 100% up to £200 + 50 Bonus Spins Get Bonus!
Full T&Cs apply. 18+. New players only. 1 bonus offer per player. Min. deposit £20. Max. bonus bet is £5. Bonus spins on selected games only and must be used within 72 hours. Bonus funds expire in 30 days, unused bonus funds will be removed. Bonus funds are 100% match up to £500 on your 1st deposit, 25% match up to £1000 on your 2nd deposit, and 50% match up to £500 on your 3rd deposit. Bonus funds are separate to Cash funds, and are subject to 35x wagering the total bonus & cash. Only bonus funds count towards wagering contribution. BeGambleAware.
4.8
25 RNG Games , 56 Live Tables Up to £300 + 25 Bonus Spins Get Bonus!
Full T&Cs apply. 18+. New players only. One bonus offer per player. Minimum deposit £20. Max bonus bet is £5. Bonus spins on selected games only and must be used within 72 hours. Bonus funds must be used within 30 days otherwise any unused bonus shall be removed. Bonus funds are 100% match up to £300 on your 1st deposit. Bonus funds are separate to Cash funds, and are subject to 35x wagering the total bonus & cash. Only bonus funds contribute towards any wagering requirements. BeGambleAware.

Last Updated on 24 Jan 2024 by Edward Wright

All Trusted Blackjack Casinos

But how in fact does your choice of casino impact your winning chances? Truth is that not all online casinos are safe and trustworthy. Moreover, even if you have won fair and square, some of them might refuse to pay out your winnings. By choosing a licensed and regulated casino, such as the ones we recommend, you secure yourself a fair chance at winning and, most importantly, guaranteed payouts.

Tip #2: Pick the Right Blackjack Variant

Picking the right game variant is yet another important part of an all-encompassing blackjack strategy. The most important detail about each game is undoubtedly the house edge – the lower it is, the better. Here is a comparison between the house edges of some of the most popular online blackjack games in the UK:

As you can see, the house edge of these games is already quite low (just for reference, most slot games have a house edge of 4%-6%). Still, this is the first thing you should check before trying a new blackjack game. There are, in fact, some online blackjack games that have a house edge of over 1% and even over 2%. If your goal is to win and not just to have fun, then you should definitely stay clear of those.

Tip #3: Know Your Game Inside Out

Not all blackjack games are made from the same mold. In fact, there are hardly any two blackjack variations that have exactly the same rules. Therefore, applying the same basic strategy for different games simply won’t work. Every little detail of the game matters as it affects the house edge. You can learn about the specific rules of each variant from the help section of the game. Here is what information you should be looking for if you want to find the best blackjack strategy for the game you’ve chosen.

Another particularity you should be aware of when searching for a suitable online blackjack strategy is that some blackjack games have the same name but have different rules and, consequently, different house edge. This is due to the fact that the games are provided by different software developers. For example, Classic Blackjack by Microgaming has a house edge of merely 0.13% while the game of the same name developed by NetEnt has a house edge of 0.35%. A big difference, indeed.

Tip #4: Use a Basic Blackjack Strategy Card

Hopefully, you’ve followed our tips for playing blackjack and have already chosen a specific game to play, where to play it and you’ve familiarised yourself with all its rules. Now it’s time to find a basic blackjack strategy card specific to your game of choice which will help you make the right decision in any situation.

Also called strategy charts, these help you out with very specific instructions based on your hand value. Just make sure the chart you’re about to use is specifically made for the blackjack variation you want to play. For example, the number of decks matter and so does the rule whether the dealer has to hit on a soft 17, the availability of an insurance bet and so on.

Below, you can see an example of a strategy card that’s specially created for Playtech’s Blackjack Pro. The image clearly shows how you should play against any given dealer upcard according to the hand you’re holding, in other words – the hand value. The complete strategy chart for each blackjack variation should consist of three parts – one for hard hands, one for soft hands and one for pairs.

Basic Strategy Chart for Playtech's Blackjack Pro

The easiest way to find an optimal blackjack strategy chart for the game you want to try is to generate it yourself using one of the many blackjack basic strategy calculators you can find online. Strategy cards are particularly suitable for beginners since they are extremely easy to read and at the same time they are math-based. If you’re a beginner, just pick an RNG game and the appropriate chart and take your time to make your decision based on the dealer’s and your hand value.

Still, there are some things strategy cards don’t cover. They don’t help you with the decision to place or not an insurance bet. Also, they don’t tell you what to do with the side bets, how much to bet and whether card counting could help you. Those are exactly the topics that we’re going to cover next.

The Perfect Blackjack Strategy for Side Bets

As we have already established in the previous paragraphs, strategy cards can be very useful when playing most blackjack games, especially for beginners. Yet, as you may have noticed, they don’t cover any side bets whatsoever. After all, the perfect blackjack strategy is the one that takes into account all aspects of the game and this includes whether or not to place bonus bets and if yes – how much to bet.

Truth is that blackjack is a casino game with an extremely low house edge. On top of that, skilled players are able to reduce this minimal advantage even further by adopting various blackjack strategies. This is why, in the hopes to increase the house edge and, consequently, the revenues, the casinos started adding extra decks to the different blackjack variations and came up with different side bets. And while these side bets definitely add fun and variety to the game, they make players lose money, slowly but surely.

So, it’s easy to see that the best strategy for blackjack side bets is actually not to place any! Just stick to the strategy cards until you’ve gained enough experience to start testing more advanced tactics.

What About Card Counting?

Perfect Strategy for Side Bets in Blackjack When most new players hear the words ‘blackjack strategies’, they immediately think of card counting. While this strategy may still be possible in some brick-and-mortar casinos (although, in general, it’s against the house rules or at least it’s frowned upon), it is virtually unfeasible in online casinos where the deck is shuffled after each hand. The only exception to this rule is live dealer blackjack. So, if you want to try some card counting techniques while playing online, your only option is to play a live blackjack game.

But what is card counting and can it really help you beat the casino? Card counting is a blackjack technique that helps you follow the number of high and low cards in the shoe thus giving you some insight as to what type of card might come next – a bit of knowledge that can, indeed, tip the scales in your direction.

The easiest card counting system in blackjack is called Hi-Lo and works like this: for each low card (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) you see you add one point and for each high card (10, J, Q, K, A) you deduct one. The higher the count, the bigger the chances to get 10-valued cards, which are generally considered ‘good’ for the player (and bad for the dealer).

Which Is the Best Blackjack Betting System?

As we have already established, using a blackjack strategy card can help you make the right decision in any given situation, but it doesn’t answer the important question players ask themselves ‘How much should I bet?’ As you probably already know, there are many betting systems out there, many of which claim to be a sure way to beat any online blackjack game.

A huge part of those systems is the so-called progressive betting systems which are based on the idea that if you’ve lost a number of times, you’re bound to win soon. This, of course, is not true and is often referred to as gambler’s fallacy – a mistaken notion that has claimed many victims through the ages.

The plain and simple truth is that no betting system can help you beat the house on its own, but some can help you improve your odds even more when combined with other blackjack strategies. For example, when using card counting and basic strategy, you can allow yourself to increase the bet amount when the count is high, as then the strategy cards are considered to be ‘more correct’ and your chances at winning are higher.

But, as we have already mentioned, this can only work if you’re playing live dealer games. The best betting strategy for RNG games, on the other hand, is to simply bet the same amount over and over again while wagering some convenient casino bonus – a topic that we’re going to discuss a little bit further down the page.

Tip #5: Test in Demo Mode

Now that you have a complete overview of an all-encompassing online blackjack strategy, you probably feel ready to finally start playing. But before you go and bet real money, it’s highly recommended that you first test your skills with play money. We’ve provided a demo version of Playtech’s Blackjack Pro below for you to try for free. Don’t forget to use the strategy card that we presented earlier to get the best odds.

Play Blackjack Pro for Free

Instant Play

Something else that you can do while playing in demo mode is to practise your card-counting skills, even though in all RNG games the shoe is shuffled after each hand. After all, there are no demo versions of live blackjack, so your only option is to practise on their computerised versions.

Tip #6: Sync Your Bonus and Blackjack Strategies

Some of the biggest advantages of playing online vs playing at land-based casinos are undoubtedly the generous bonus opportunities that online casinos offer. Even if the casino has a slight advantage in any given game, playing with extra money that isn’t actually yours and being allowed to keep the winnings surely gives the players some edge.

When it comes to blackjack, combining the already low house edge of the game with a solid math-based strategy and a suitable bonus is the most certain way to beat the casino. Of course, every bonus comes with its terms and conditions that are sometimes favourable but other times – not so much.

First of all, there’s always a wagering requirement you have to fulfil before you can withdraw the winnings generated from the bonus. This requirement in most cases is set at 20 to 40 times the bonus plus the deposit amount. Furthermore, it’s important to take into account the fact that blackjack games don’t contribute 100% toward the wagering requirement.

That’s due to the fact that they have a pretty low house edge and give players great winning odds. Usually, the wagering contribution for the game is set anywhere between 5% and 10%, the higher it is, of course, the better. Other important details you should take into account are the validity period of the bonus and the minimum deposit required to claim it.

All that said, let us present to you an easy-to-claim bonus that is perfect for beginners and offered by a casino that has a great array of blackjack games with both classic and innovative variants – Ladbrokes. Now, that’s a pretty sweet deal, if you ask me. If you agree and are ready to start playing for real money, you know what to do.

Great Promotions Exciting Live Tables Top Blackjack Variations Bet £10, Get £30 Welcome Bonus Check here! Full T&Cs apply. 18+. New Casino players only. Deposit required. Play £10+ on qualifying games. 40x wager reqs (Bonus only) on selected games. Accept Bonus within 14 days. Bonus valid for 30 days. Certain deposit types excluded. Player restrictions apply. BeGambleAware.

Sure enough, this is not the only available bonus offer that is suitable for playing blackjack online. In fact, most UK casino sites give you the opportunity to wager bonus money on all their blackjack game variations. So, if you want to find more great opportunities to play blackjack with bonus money, then make sure you also check out our dedicated bonus page.

Final Thoughts and Advice for Long-Term Success

In conclusion, the best blackjack strategy you can adopt is the one that fully corresponds to the game variation you’ve chosen to play. Be careful to only use a game plan that has been created for the particular type of blackjack you’re playing. Otherwise, you won’t be able to achieve the results you expect.

Beginners, find a strategy card for the variation you play and stick with it. Combine it with a good bonus and you can expect a moderate return in the long run. Your number one priority should be to practice and learn. Once you do that, the rest will be a piece of cake.

Advanced players, you can test your card counting skills against some unsuspecting dealer at a live casino of their choice – remember, you can see them, but they cannot see you! Furthermore, to make sure that you get the whole picture of how to beat this game, you can also take a look at some game strategies analysed.

Last but not least, don’t forget to have fun! After all, it’s a game and its main purpose is to entertain you. Not getting too stressed about winning is a good tactic as it will help you keep a cool head and make better decisions while playing.

All Recommended Blackjack Casinos

We have been talking about safe online casinos that extend generous bonuses with good terms and conditions as a lovely place where you can practise your blackjack strategies and have a lot of fun and excitement. Now, it’s time we gave you a list of all the top blackjack casinos.

Questions & Answers

Now that we have presented the best blackjack strategies and shared with you our top tips on how to make the most of blackjack, we are about to wrap up this overview. However, before we let you go practise what we have recommended, we’d like to address the most popular questions players have when it comes to a game of blackjack and choosing the right blackjack strategy online.

What is a basic blackjack strategy online?

The basic blackjack strategy is using a blackjack strategy chart appropriate for the blackjack variation, which means it takes into consideration specifics, such as the number of decks and whether the dealer must hit on a soft 17. It’ll give you specific answers, e.g. when to hit or stand, depending on your blackjack hand and what the dealer is showing.

Which is the best online casino for blackjack strategies?

Though many players undermine the importance of the casino site when it comes to a game of blackjack, picking the right casino is of vital importance. That’s why it makes up the first and foremost of our online blackjack tips. Hand value, insurance bet and other tips on how to play blackjack are important as well, so read on.

Is card counting legal?

Card counting is not illegal, yet it is definitely not encouraged at land-based casinos. After all, it increases your chances of winning, and the casino wouldn’t like that. Before you attempt this notorious technique, have a look at the overview of blackjack card counting.

Which are the best blackjack strategies for making money?

While there are many strategies that would take your hand value as a starting point, players often ask us which the best one for making money is. Our online blackjack tips point towards making a smart choice with the online casino and the welcome offer, so we strongly suggest you sync your strategy with the casino bonus.

Where can I test the blackjack strategies?

If you’ve been reading up on blackjack tricks, you probably can’t wait to give them a try. While we would choose one of our hand-picked casinos any day, we recommend you try your blackjack strategies in demo mode first - we’ve provided a free demo for you. Get your strategy card ready and pay attention to your hand value.