Blackjack Strategy – The Basics You might think that Blackjack is easy, and you may be right, relatively speaking, it is. After all, you know the goal – the blackjack strategy ends up being: have the total of your hand higher than the Dealer's without going over 21. Piece of cake, right? Well, what about pair splitting or doubling down? Although there are several variations and strategies of Blackjack, we'll stick with the absolute basics here. The Basics As with all casino table games, don't forget to check the minimum bet at the table. Your next blackjack strategy move at the table is to place a wager in the betting area, which is usually a circle or square… ok so it’s not exactly blackjack strategy, lets just call this the rules. If you happen to place the wager in the wrong area, don't worry the Dealer will let you know. Next, Players and the Dealer are dealt two cards each. One of the Dealer's cards faces up and the other faces down. Most casinos are moving toward dealing the Player's cards face up. If this is the case, DON'T TOUCH YOUR CARDS! The casinos are paranoid about cheaters. If you're at a table that deals your cards face down, you may pick them up, but only use one hand. The cards in Blackjack hold their face value, with the face cards equaling 10 and an Ace is considered a 1 or 11, whichever is more advantageous to your hand. Resources: Double Down Chart | Hit and Stand Chart | Splitting Pairs Chart  |
