Blackjack Betting Guide

When you play Blackjack it is important that you understand all of the bets that can be made. Blackjack betting may seem simple, but there are a bunch of more intricate bets that can be made that are integral for proper blackjack strategy. Some of these bets include doubling down, splitting pairs, and surrendering. We're going to go over each bet, when you should make it, and why it increases your odds.

The first bet I want to look at is the simplest; your original bet on the hand! There isn't much strategy that goes into this, but all I could say is that if you are on a very hot streak, go ahead and ramp up your initial bets so you can take full advantage of your luck and ride out the hot streak for as much money as possible. Also, when I'm losing I like to cut my bet size until I get hot again.

Advanced Blackjack Bets

Ok, now that we've covered the simplest of the Blackjack bets, it's time to move onto the more complicated bets. The first one we'll talk about is doubling down.

Doubling Down

Doubling down allows you to double your bet after you receive your hole cards. This is a useful tool, because you can alter your bet size after you have information about both your hand and the dealers' hand. Also, it is important to know that if you double down, you receive one and ONLY one more card. After that, your hand is done. Ok, so now that you know what doubling down is, when is the best time to double down?

Whenever you hold a 10 or 11 in your starting hand you should double down; this is one of the essential Blackjack rules. The odds are in your favor that you'll receive either a face card or a 10, giving you a 20 or 21 depending on your starting hand. Of course, there is an exception to this rule, and that is when the dealer is showing a 10 or an Ace. In this case you should avoid doubling down, because often times the dealer will win, and it will double your loss if you double down.

Another great time to double down is when you have an Ace and another numbered card (a non face card), AND the dealer is showing a 3,4,5 or 6. In this situation it is likely that the dealer will bust, so you want to get as much money on the table as you can. Also, your hand has a 0% chance of busting, so it is worth the hit.

Splitting

Splitting is when you are dealt a pair and decide to split the cards, and play them each as their own individual hand. In this situation you place an additional bet on the table that is equal to your initial bet, so you are in effect doubling the money you have on the table. Each hand is independent of the other, so if one of your split hands wins, and the other doesn't, you break even.

As a rule, you should ALWAYS split aces, because in that situation you have a chance to make two blackjack hands if you peel off two face cards. Also, you should NEVER split 10's, because you're sacrificing a made hand. You should also always split 8's, because 16 is a tough hand to play and you have the opportunity to make two 18 hands. The final rule I have for this is to never split 5's either, because you want to double down in that situation.

Surrendering

Surrendering is when you decide you don't like your hand, and you forfeit half of your bet in exchange for receiving the other half back. There are only 8 situations where surrendering is the right decision.

The first pair of situations is when the dealer is showing a 9, and you hold either 10-6 or 9-7. In these situations it is actually more profitable to surrender because on average you're going to lose more than 50% of the time while holding those hands.

The next four situations come when the dealer is showing a 10. If you hold 10-5, 9-6, 10-6, or 9-7 you should again surrender your hand and take the 50% loss. The final situations come when the dealer is showing an Ace. If you have 10-6 or 9-7 then you should again surrender your hand, as you are at a terrible disadvantage.

Ready to Play Blackjack?

Now that you know all of the complex bets that can be made in Blackjack, and exactly when you should make then, it's time to try them for yourself. We recommend playing at Bodog Casino, because they are by far the BEST site for playing Blackjack. Plus, when you sign up through our special link, you'll receive our *upgraded 10% deposit bonus* at their casino.