Blackjack Tips and Hints

Things every advantage blackjack player needs to know:

Blackjack is a game of skill.

Always take in consideration the essential fact that the only object of the game of blackjack is to beat the dealer and he is your only opponent.

It is entirely possible to play with basic strategy and work the house edge down to under 0.5%.

Basic strategy is the most advanced strategy you can get and considering it in your game, you will most likely be facing a house edge somewhere between 2 and 3%. Deviating from basic strategy will cost you money, plain and simple.

Never take insurance.

It is always better to play against fewer decks, unless the rest of the rules have been altered unfairly.

Surrender when you think is necessary. Some casinos offer the ability to surrender or turn over your hand after your original two cards without playing it for half of your wager.There are two types of surrender, early and late. Early surrender means surrender before the dealer checks for a blackjack. Late surrender means surrender that is allowed only after the dealer checks for blackjack.

The option of early surrender increases the players expected win rate by 7 percent while late surrender increases the rate by.06 percent.Always look for tables that offer early surrender.

If your first card is an Ace, your advantage over the house is an incredible 52%.

If you have a Pat 20 ( a hand with the total of 20 points), your best bet is to have the dealer's face up card an 8, because if he has an Ace, 10 or 9 in the hole (the face down card), you will win.

Always split pairs of Ace and 8's.

Never split pairs of 10 and 5.