Part of the timeless appeal of the blackjack game is the fact that it is so simple to play. At the same time, it gives you a lot of variety since every hand is different.
By understanding what the best hands are, you stand a far better chance of winning at blackjack, so let's look at some of the strongest card combinations.
21 is the Hand That You Want
The most important rule in blackjack is that you need to get closer to 21 than the dealer, but without going over this figure. Therefore, a hand that adds up to 21 is what you are looking for. But there is more to it than that, as a hand of 21 made up of just two cards is called a natural or blackjack, and it is the strongest combination of all.
Get 21 on your first two cards with an ace and another card with a value of 10 and you win right away, unless the dealer also gets blackjack on their first couple of cards. If you get a blackjack hand, it will typically pay out at better odds than any other type of win, with a 3 to 2 payout common.
You might also see the Charlie rule, although it isn't all that common. This means that if you don't go over a total of 21 with a certain number of cards, usually 5 or 7, you automatically win the game.
1 or 11 – An Ace Gives You Flexibility
The ace is the most powerful and flexible card in blackjack, which is why you always want to see one of these cards land in your hand. You can decide whether it is worth 1 or 11, meaning that you can use it in different ways depending upon the rest of the cards that you have.
When you have an ace that can count as 11, this is classed as a soft hand. Meanwhile, a hard hand doesn't include an ace, or else it has one that can't count as 11 because that would take you over 21. A soft hand is a lot easier to play, because of the way that it can be adapted according to the next card dealt. If you want to play blackjack or some other card games, please, visit Bluechip online casino review.
Of course, having an ace as the first card also means that you have a chance of getting 21 if the next one is worth 10. You need a 10 or a face card next for this to happen. In the same way, if the dealer gets an ace as their first card you will realize that they have a good chance of getting blackjack.
10 or 11 to Double Down
If you have 10 or 11, this is another hand that gives you a good deal of flexibility. The reason is that you can double down with confidence, receiving just one more card with your wager amount doubled. You can't go bust in this situation, as there is no card that will take you over 21.
Doubling down is a positive move that shows that you feel good about your chances of winning and the phrase has entered other walks of life like business and tech now. It makes sense in a lot of situations. If you have a hard 9 or a soft 16 through to 18, these are among the other hands you will see mentioned as being worth doubling down on.
You should always take the dealer's first card into account when deciding whether you want to double down. Generally speaking, you want to see that the dealer has a low card such as one with a value between 2 and 6. This will give you more confidence that they aren't going to reach 21 easily.
20 – Split Out Tens or Stand
Another option worth considering is that of splitting out your hand. This is possible when you have a couple of cards of the same value in your initial hand. Your bet is doubled when you split your hand, and you now have two chances of winning.
This tactic is often used to try and get a couple of better hands out of a difficult total, such as when two 8s give you the troublesome hand of 16. However, it can also be used to take advantage of a strong hand.
For example, if you have two aces you should always consider splitting them out. Together, they aren't all that great, but an ace in each of your hands gives you a couple of chances of getting blackjack. With two 10s, you have a strong hand of 20, so you might like to stick with that. Splitting them into two hands gives you the possibility of getting blackjack on one or both of them, but you also run the risk of losing both hands in this way.
There are some strong hands to improve your chances in online blackjack. The secret is in knowing what to do to make the best of the cards you have been dealt.
