Blackjack – Hands and Strategies

In the world of Blackjack there are several types of Hands and each one of them presupposes that you should play in a certain way, therefore you have the opportunity to choose different strategies in order to become a winner.

So let’s remember the value of the cards: the numbered cards are worth their own number.

Kings, queens, and jacks are worth 10 points. Aces are worth 1 or 11 points, according to your hand and the value which is most favorable to you. 

Most common Hands at Blackjack 

Natural blackjack

A hand consisting of an Ace and a card worth 10 points: this is the best hand in Blackjack because it wins automatically, except if the dealer also gets Blackjack. In this case there will be a tie and the amount you bet will be returned.

Hard Hand

This hand is made up of cards that don’t contain any Aces, or if they do, they’re only worth 1 point, and the hand can’t exceed 21 points. For example, a hand made up of the cards 8, 5, 1 makes a total of 14 points.

Blackjack is a card game that depends as much on luck as on the player’s skill.

However, when it comes to strategy, the decision to use a hard hand or a soft hand can have a big impact on the final result.

A hard hand is one that doesn’t contain an Ace or contains an Ace that must be counted as a 1 to prevent the player from going over 21.

In general, it is recommended to use a hard hand when the dealer’s card is weak, such as a 4, a 5 or a 6.

In these cases, the dealer is more likely to go over 21, which means that the player can win simply by staying in the hand.

However, if the dealer’s card is strong, such as a 9, a 10 or an Ace, it’s better to use a soft hand.

This is because the Ace can be counted as an 11 without going over 21. This way, the player has a better chance of reaching a total close to 21 and winning the hand.

Soft Hand

This type of hand consists of two or more cards containing an Ace that can be worth either 1 or 11 points. For example, a hand containing a 6 card and an Ace worth 11 points makes a total of 16.

Pair

This hand is made up of two cards that have the same value and are the same. This type of hand can be split and you can then play with two hands at the same time.

For example, a hand containing two 6 cards. Let’s take a look at what splitting cards is all about, so you know all the possibilities in the game.

Blackjack Strategies 

Let’s now see what types of strategies you may use with your hands. These actions are very important because they will help you to improve your chances of winning.

Insurance

When the dealer’s face-up card is an ace the player can opt for an insurance. That is, the player pays half of the amount initially placed and if the dealer has Blackjack the player receives the value of his bet. If the dealer hasn’t Blackjack the player loses the insurance but continues to play with the amount he initially placed. 

Hit

The player requests a new card from the deck in order to improve his hand. Usually the signals used to request new cards are tapping the cards or the table with a finger. 

Stand

If you are satisfied with your hand, then you say “Stand”. It means that you don’t want to request a new card from the deck. 

Split

The player can divide his hand into two, but only when he has two cards with the same nomination. You will have to pay more, equal to your initial bet amount, because you are dividing your hand and started to play with two different hands. From now on you’ll have two hands and two possibilities to make money. 

Double Down

You can double your hand when the total value of your two cards is too low and you think the next card will give it a considerable amount of points. Usually you can double down when the total value of your two cards is between 8 and 11. However, it depends on the rules and settings of the casinos. There are casinos that let you double down when the value is lower than 8 or higher than 11. 

Surrender

This action is not available at all casinos but it means that you can surrender to the game and lose half of the value of your bet if you feel any disadvantage with the dealer’s hand, before of course he turns his second card. You will give up your hand because you think you will lose to the dealer and so you don’t have to lose your entire bet, you lose only half of the value.

These are the different hands and actions you may have when playing Blackjack. These actions can follow one another other, let’s imagine: you divide your bet, then in one hand you “stand” and in the other hand you “hit” and when you think you have a good hand you “stand”. After studying these actions and always taking into account your type of hand you can use them to gain experience and build strategies.