Master the Game with Our Blackjack Basic Strategy

Half the battle with blackjack is knowing some of the terms used throughout the process of trying the game. For example, do you know when to stand or split? It sounds like you're figuring out whether to stick around for another drink at a bar, doesn't it?

Here are a crop of suggestions you can use when focusing on your blackjack games to adopt the beginnings of a basic strategy. You can then build on the basics when you start to become more familiar with the game.

Knowing when to stand or hit depends on what the dealer has

Many blackjack games only show you one of the two cards a dealer has. If they show a card valued at between 2 and 6, you ought to stand if your hand is worth anything between 12 and 16.

If the dealer has a card valued between 7 and an ace, always hit when you have a hand that is worth anywhere from 12 to 16. This assesses the likely value of the dealer's hand and what yours could be worth in comparison.

Should you split your cards?

Check each casino you play at to see whether you can do this. Splitting means playing with two hands should your first two cards end up being the same. For example, if you have two aces, split them, as they'll count for 11, unless you'd go bust with that, in which case you can count it as one.

You should also split 8s as you've got plenty of scope to create a winning hand in each case.

Always start by looking at the up card dealt to the dealer

This can tell you how close they are - or how likely they are - to get blackjack. A card worth between 2 and 6 isn't too good, whereas something worth 7 through to the ace card looks way more promising. You can use these starting factors to help you figure out what you might do with your hand.

Of course, the more you play blackjack, the more you'll understand how to use these tips to employ a basic blackjack strategy. There are table games online with free-to-play blackjack demo versions, so start with a few sessions on those to get the hang of how to play.