Blackjack Double Down Chart

Most of the time when you’re playing online real money Blackjack at Ignition Casino, you’ll place your bet, the cards will come out, and you’ll either hit or stand - no strategy required. But every once in a while, your hole cards will be so good, you’ll want to double your bet. The blackjack double down (or just “double” for short) strategy is one of the most powerful moves in your arsenal – but with great power comes great responsibility. The strategy of doubling in blackjack for real money should be done with great care, and only when the cards are right.

That’s because you’ll get only one more card when you double down. Then it’s the Dealer’s turn. If that seems risky, don’t worry; our latest installment of online blackjack strategy will show you when it’s appropriate to unleash the double. As always, it depends on which online blackjack game you’re playing at Ignition Casino, as well as your hole cards and what the Dealer’s up-card is. Here’s a closer look at the strategy of doubling.

Why You Should Double Down

Single-deck 8-deck blackjack – Lowers house edge by 0.59%; Double down on any total vs. Doubling on 9 through 11 – Lowers house advantage by 0.25%. Dealer stands on soft 17 vs. Hitting – Lowers house edge 0.2%. Double down after splitting (DAS) – Lower the house edge or advantage by 0.17%. Double Down Blackjack Rules. The rules of doubling down can vary from casino to casino. It is always best for you to know the house rules regarding a double down before you sit down to play blackjack. Today, in most casinos, a player is allowed to double down on any two original cards. You can even double down a blackjack in some casinos. All basic blackjack strategy cards have information on when a player should double down and split their hand. This extra bet amounts will help players maximize returns and lower the house edge for the casino. Let’s first take a look at the hands a player should double down to maximize their return when playing blackjack using the basic strategy. Blackjack Double Down. Blackjack is one of the casino games with the lowest possible house edge, which can be attributed to its favourable set of rules. One such rule that works to the benefit of players is the double down option. It enables you to increase your initial bet when you find yourself in advantageous situations.

It might seem foolish at first to limit yourself to drawing one card and one card only when you’re at the blackjack table. And it usually is. But there are a few situations where the casino odds will be in your favor – and if you’re serious about learning blackjack rules and strategy, you won’t want to pass up these opportunities to double your bet and draw that final card.

The best part of this strategy is that you’re not committed to doubling down in online blackjack before the hand begins. You get to see your hole cards and the Dealer’s up-card first; once you have that information, then you can make the right play. And you’ll almost always want to double in the first example we’ll show you.

Holding a Hard 10 or 11

Anytime you’re at the blackjack tables and you get dealt a 10 or an 11 that doesn’t contain an 11-point Ace, you’ve got a very good chance of drawing a 10-value card and making either a 20 or a 21. That will usually be the winning hand, too. It’s the best doubling spot you’ll find in any blackjack strategy guide – but even here, you need to be choosy.

That’s because you won’t always have the odds to double if the Dealer’s up-card is an Ace or a 10-value card. If you’re playing Classic Blackjack at Ignition Casino, the standard six-deck game where the Dealer hits on soft 17, you can go ahead and double if you’re holding 11, since you’re still in pretty good shape to make 21. But if you “only” have 10, pump the brakes and hit instead. The same strategy applies if you’re playing Single Deck Blackjack or Double Deck Blackjack. Note: This doubling down strategy also includes those times when you’re dealt a pair of Fives. Never split a pair of Fives, no matter which blackjack game variant you play at Ignition.

Soft 16 Against Low Up-Cards

Now we’re dealing with one of the more subtle strategy of doubling down in the casino. It’s usually a bad thing to get dealt 15-17 when you’re playing online blackjack for real money – you’ll want to just surrender those hands and eat your losses if the Dealer has a strong up-card. But if it’s a soft 15-17 (including an 11-point Ace), there is an opportunity to double – if the Dealer has a low up-card, i.e. Six or lower. You can also make this play when you have soft 13, 14 and 18. There’s even a time to double down with soft 19.

You shouldn’t do it all the time, though. In the six-deck blackjack game, you’ll want to double all the soft hands (13-19) we mentioned if the Dealer’s up-card is a Six. Anything lower than that, and you have to be more judicious:

• Five: Soft 13-18
• Four: Soft 15-18
• Three: Soft 17-18
• Deuce: Soft 18

You have to be even choosier if you’re playing Single Deck Blackjack or Double Deck Blackjack. In order to keep track of all these small differences in strategy, you can refer to a casino blackjack chart to help you with your decisions – as always, make sure your chart matches the specific game you’re playing, and comes from a reliable source.

Hard 9 Against Dealer’s 3-6

There’s one more situation in blackjack where you should be doubling, and it’s like a combination of the other two spots. When you get dealt a hard 9, your hand strength is almost as good as a hard 10 or 11 – but to make this play profitable, you should only use it when the Dealer’s up-card is a Six, Five, Four, or Three. If you’re playing Single or Double Deck Blackjack, you can also double with hard 9 when the Dealer shows a Deuce.

Before we wrap up our blackjack doubling strategy guide, here’s one more “secret” spot you where you should double: If you’re playing Single Deck Blackjack, you get dealt a hard 8, and the Dealer’s up-card is a Six or a Five. Making this rare play is one of the things that separates the blackjack pros from the wannabes – and now that you’ve read this strategy guide, you know all about it.

Again, keep in mind that the blackjack strategy we’ve given you here apply specifically to the games at Ignition Casino. If you play at a bricks-and-mortar venue, you might find yourself playing a version of the online blackjack game where the dealer stands on soft 17 instead of hitting, or vice versa. And if you happen to be counting cards at the live casino, you’ll obviously want to divert from the basic Blackjack strategy when the shoe is suitably rich or lacking in Aces and/or 10-value cards. But keep it on the down-low as much as possible, or you could get denied service. In the meantime, keep coming back to Ignition Casino for more blackjack strategy, and best of luck at the tables.

Blackjack is the most popular casino table game of all drawing in countless numbers of hungry players both in the brick and mortar casino, and in online casinos.

Are you a player who is knowledgeable about blackjack strategy? In this article, we detail the basic blackjack strategy charts and provide you with other handy tips to give you the best possible chance of leaving the casino – physical or virtual – in profit.

Basic Blackjack Terms

As with every classic casino table game, there is a lot of lingo thrown about which might sound double Dutch to novice blackjack players. What on earth does it all mean?

Ultimately, you will become more familiar with all the blackjack lingo as you develop your game, whether that is in the brick and mortar casino or at an online casino.

Nonetheless, we have listed some handy basic blackjack terminology below:

• Stand. The player stays with the cards they were dealt
• Hit. The player is dealt another card, and they can be dealt more if they wish. If the total of the cards exceeds 21 at any point, the player is bust and loses the hand
• Surrender. This is where the player gives up half his bet to forfeit the hand
• Double down. The player doubles their original bet and is dealt one more card, and it can only be one
• Split. If a player is dealt a pair (two 4s for example), or two ten-valued cards, such as a queen and a king, the player can split those cards into two different hands. The player is then dealt another card to each hand. The player must make a second bet of equal value to the first to use the split
• Hard hand. A hand without an ace
• Soft hand. A hand with an ace

Blackjack Strategy Chart

The first thing to get to grips with is ‘basic strategy’ which is probably the most essential ingredient of blackjack strategy.

The basic strategy detailed below is based on blackjack games played with 4 or more decks. Essentially, the basic strategy is a template which shows you the best course of action to take based on the cards dealt.

The below chart: Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart

More Blackjack Tips

The tables above are based on the standard blackjack rulesets. However, there are many different variations of blackjack both in physical casinos and in the online casino landscape.

These variations have different rulesets, so be mindful of the fact that some of the strategies above may not directly apply to the particular blackjack game you are playing.

In fact, the most useful thing you can do is check the specific ruleset of the blackjack game you are playing as soon as you sit down at the table.

Here are some general pointers and questions to keep in mind when playing your particular game of blackjack:

• How many decks are used?
• Are surrenders permitted and are they early or late ones?
• Are there any restrictions on double downs?
• Are there rules regarding splits?
• Is the dealer obliged to hit on a soft 17?

Here are some extra tips which relate to any blackjack game:

• Do not take on any side bets
• Don’t take insurance. This is a side bet which can be placed if the dealer’s face card is an Ace to ‘insure’ you against the dealer having a blackjack. In reality, the odds are stacked against you and it is not worth taking this bet up
• If it is not possible to split your pair, treat your pair as a hard hand

Basic Blackjack Strategy Guide

The charts above may look a bit intimidating and confusing if you are seeking a simple strategy to take to the blackjack table. However, there is a simpler method you can use to memorise the general points of the blackjack strategy above.

Also, you won’t be surprised to hear that in brick and mortar casinos you won’t exactly be welcomed with open arms into a casino if you rock up with these charts in hand.

The majority of casinos simply won’t allow you to enter with these kinds of guides. So, here are simplified guides of the charts above:

Player’s Hand Dealer’s Upfacing Card

Player’s Hand Dealer’s Upfacing Card

Blackjack Double Down Chart Example

Player’s Hand Dealer’s Upfacing Card

Extra tips:

• Surrender 16 when the dealer has a 10
• If strategy says to double but it’s not permitted, hit. If you have a soft 18, stand

Are You Ready To Master Blackjack?

Blackjack strategy is all about being mindful of the best action to take. If you memorise the main points of the charts above, you will be well on your way to mastering the wonderful world of blackjack.

There are advanced techniques which you can use, chief of which is blackjack card counting, which is essentially a method of tracking the cards which are dealt. However, this technique will not work with online blackjack games, as the virtual deck is shuffled for every single hand.

Double Down Blackjack Game

The best thing you can do to begin is to be fully aware of the specific ruleset relating to the blackjack game you are playing.

That being said, the majority, if not all, of the information in the charts will be applicable to any blackjack game. We are confident in saying that you will be thanking us for these magical blackjack charts!

Blackjack Double Down Chart Template

Are you a blackjack buff? Are there any specific strategies which you use at the blackjack table? Comment below and let us know!