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Blogs Jul 30, 2025 5 min read by Alice

A List of the Best Blackjack Strategies

The craze for new online casino is increasing continuously. Whether you are playing mobile casinos or live casino games, knowing the winning strategies is important. Blackjack is one of the signature casino games in the world. It is a simple game that is easy to understand. However, if you want to play blackjack online, knowing the different strategies is important. 

The basic strategy blackjack provides you with an idea of the best move that you must make. It leverages probability in order to give you an idea of when to split, surrender, double down, hit, or stand. 

Are you interested in knowing the basic strategy blackjack? If yes, here are some of the top blackjack strategies that you can leverage and enhance your gameplay. Let’s dive in!

  • Split a Pair of Aces and 8s

An important blackjack strategy is to split a pair of Aces and 8s. Irrespective of what the upcard of the dealer is, you must always opt for this split. However, when the upcard of the dealer is Ace, 9, or 10, most players do not opt for a split. One of the main reasons why they do this is that they feel that in this situation, there exists a big underdog. 

Very few players opt for a split. However, the fact is that splitting a pair between 8s and Aces is indeed one of the best strategies to leverage when playing blackjack.

  • Do Not Split a Pair of Tens or 5s

A pair of 5s is known to be a hard 10. While most players split the 5s and prefer playing two hands, it is not the right strategy. Instead, you must always consider taking one or more card draw.

  • Double Down on a Hard 11

Irrespective of the dealer’s upcard, you must consider to double down on a Hard 11 . There is simply no exception to this. However, in case you are playing a multi-deck game in which there is a rule that the dealer must stand on soft 17, you can hit against the dealer Ace instead of doubling down.

  • Avoid Making Insurance Bet

Another vital basic strategy blackjack is never to make an insurance bet. It is considered to be a sucker bet. Especially when the upcard of the dealer is an Ace, make sure not to take insurance. However, even if you are dealt with a good hand, it is not wise to make an insurance bet. The main rationale behind this is the fact that the payoff of the insurance bet is quite less.

  • Hit a Hard 12 against the 2 or 3 upcard of the Dealer

If you are playing the game of blackjack regularly, you must have come across this situation a number of times. Most players prefer to stand on the 12 as they fear busting. An important thing to note here is that you are likely to lose money whether you hit or stand against the 2 or 3 upcard of the dealer. However, hitting in this situation proves to be beneficial as there is a chance that you will lose less money.

  • Hit Ace-7 when the upcard of the dealer is Ace, 9, or 10

Often, there is a perception among the players that when the total of their hands is 18, they are sure to win. However, it doesn’t work that way. Ace, 9, or 10 are considered to be strong upcard of the dealer. So, when you hold on to an Ace-7 against the Ace, 9, or 10 upcard of the dealer, you are the underdog. However, if you opt to hit Ace-7, you are less of an underdog. When you draw a small card, it will give you a pat hand in which the total is greater than 18.

  • Double Down on 10 when the upcard of Dealer is 9 or less

When you hold a 10 against the 9 or less upcard of the dealer, the best strategy to leverage is to double down. It is a very simple rule that you must always keep in mind when playing the game of blackjack.

  • Stand with a pair of 9s when the upcard of the dealer is 7

If you are familiar with the blackjack house, you must be well aware of the fact that splitting the pair of 9s is beneficial when the upcard of the dealer is 9 or less. However, when the upcard of the dealer is a 9, most players get confused about what to do. In such a situation, the best strategy you can use is to stand. So, next time you come across this situation, make sure to implement this strategy.

  • Surrender Hard 15 and Hard 16

Hard 15 and hard 16 are considered to be the worst hands in the game of blackjack. It is especially true when the dealer has a strong upcard such as Ace, 9, or 10. In such a situation, you are an underdog. The only way to minimise your chances of losing is to surrender. When the dealer has an upcard of Ace, 9, or 10, consider surrendering your hard 16. On the other hand, when the dealer has an upcard of 10, surrender your hard 15. It can help in saving your money in the long run.

Conclusion

Whether you are playing Stadium Blackjack or placing any blackjack side bets, knowing the strategies is important. With the best strategies, you can place the blackjack side bets more smartly and have great fun in the game of blackjack. 

Hence, now that you know when to hit, surrender, or stand, playing the game of blackjack will be more interesting. Leverage the basic strategy blackjack and enhance your gameplay like never before. 

Alice
Do you go through the game review before you spin, or do you simply launch the slot and hope for the best? In case you belong to the first group, then there is a very good chance you have already read something written by Alice. Alice writes the slot reviews, the how-to-play walkthroughs, and the game guides here at Swift Casino. She is the one who sits with a new release for hours together, clicking the hamburger icon, opening up the pay table, checking where exactly the spin button has been placed on the screen, and noting down how the free spins get triggered, so that you do not have to work it all out on your own. Her interest in slots started in a fairly ordinary way, with a fruit machine in a corner of a pub and a small handful of coins, and it simply never went away after that. So what does she actually look for in a game? Volatility, mostly. Alice is of the opinion that the volatility rating tells you far more about how a session may go than the RTP percentage does, hence, she always mentions both of them, and she explains what they mean every single time, even when it starts to feel repetitive. In case a game offers a return that is lower than the industry standard, she says so plainly. She does not believe in dressing up a weak pay table with pretty adjectives. Are you tired of reviews that read like advertisements? Don’t worry, that is definitely the thing Alice tries hardest to avoid. Every win claim she writes is hedged, because slots are games of chance and you may possibly win nothing at all on a given spin. As mentioned earlier, she covers the special features too, such as the wilds, the scatters, the multipliers, the cascading reels, and more, all of which hold the potential of increasing the chances of the players landing more winning combinations. Away from the reels, Alice is a fairly boring person by her own admission. Long walks, murder mysteries, and a stubborn loyalty to a football team that keeps letting her down. She also writes our responsible gambling explainers, and she treats that work as the important one. Real gambling comes with real risk, and hence, you must play responsibly. At Swift Casino, we take the matter of responsible gambling very seriously and have an entire section dedicated to it, offering players tools for their assistance. Well then, what are you waiting for? Go through Alice’s latest reviews, pick a game that suits your style, and enjoy!
Jul 30, 2025 · 5 min read · View all articles · LinkedIn