What Is The Basic Strategy At The Blackjack Tables?
As in all casino games, the house has a statistical advantage over the players that will play itself out in the long fun. But because at the blackjack table, unlike other tables, there is an element of player choice, players can actually reduce the casino advantage to a small percentage by playing what is known as basic strategy. This strategy determines when to hit and when to stand, and also determines when doubling down or splitting is the correct action. Basic strategy is based on the player’s point total and the dealer’s visible card. There are slight variations in basic strategy depending on the exact house rules and the number of decks used. Under the most favorable conditions, the house advantage over a basic strategy player can be as low as 0.16 percent. Casinos offering special rules like surrender and double after split may actually be offering a positive expectation to basic strategy players, they are counting on players making mistakes to make money.
