Should You Buy Insurance on Blackjack?
In blackjack, you can choose to stand, hit, or double down your bet. You can also choose to double down for an amount of up to your original bet. Double down for less than your original bet is not a good play, since you lose the chance to draw a second card. It is always better to double down for the full amount. A good way to know the proper double down amount is to use a Blackjack Basic Strategy Engine to find the correct amount.
Hit or stand
There are two ways to play the blackjack game. Players can choose to stand when their total value is better than the dealer’s or when they are confident that the dealer will bust before they get their hand totaled. However, players should not choose to stand when they have a hand valued at 17 or more. This is because the chances of busting are high with those hands. Then, players must also consider whether the dealer has a ten, jack, queen, or king hidden in his/her deck.
Insurance
While there are many benefits to betting on blackjack, not everyone should consider purchasing blackjack insurance. While it may seem like a reasonable idea to protect your bet against a blackjack dealer’s blackjack, the fact is that Blackjack insurance has many disadvantages. For one, it is not an investment. Blackjack insurance is just a bet on the dealer’s blackjack, and therefore, will not compensate for any long-term losses. If you don’t know how to calculate the odds of winning at blackjack, you can’t use Blackjack insurance to predict the outcome of a game.
Insurance bets
Insurance bets on blackjack come into play when the dealer has an Ace as his up card. The dealer may then turn over a ten-value card to check for blackjack. If the dealer has blackjack, the insurance bet wins and the player loses his original bet. The insurance bet pays 2:1 on a $25 bet. However, it’s not always a good idea to bet on insurance if the dealer has a blackjack.
Dealer’s up-card
In blackjack, a dealer’s up-card can be either a 3-6, a king or a 10. A lukewarm up-card will almost always be a better bet for the player than a jack or a queen. If the up-card is a 7, the dealer will most likely bust. When the dealer has an up-card of 14, the dealer is more likely to stand.
Splitting
While Blackjack splitting rules are quite simple to follow, some players struggle with the concept. They are afraid to place an extra bet, and they insist on not splitting an eight if the dealer has a 10. The fact of the matter is that the best strategy in blackjack is to play the dealer for 10 and split an eight if you have an eight. The same strategy applies when the dealer has a six, seven, or a bust combination.
Double down
When should you double down on blackjack? Usually, doubling down is most advantageous if you have a strong hand. If you have a ten against a dealer’s nine, you will likely win. If you have a five against an ace, doubling down is advantageous as well. However, there are some situations when doubling down will cost you the game. Here are some important situations when you should consider doubling down on blackjack.