When Should I Double Down In Blackjack?
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Blackjack is a stalwart of casino gaming and remains one of the most popular card-based games. It’s not specific to one area or continent, but if you travel to the United Kingdom, Las Vegas or Macau, you’ll notice that blackjack tables are prevalent in all the casinos. It is also one of the most popular games in digital casinos. But before you learn when to double down in blackjack, it is wise to find out the basics of the game and then go from there.
Blackjack In A Nutshell
Unlike card-based casino games such as poker, which requires much knowledge, skill and strategy and can take years to master, blackjack is more straightforward to understand. There are clear, distinct differences between the two games, as poker players can use skill to navigate their way out of a tight spot, whereas blackjack is a game of chance. Fortunately, for those who don’t know how to play blackjack but are looking for somewhere to begin, casinotopsonline.com has a concise and clear set of instructions to help you understand the foundation of the legendary game.
The basis of blackjack involves aiming for a total of 21 and getting as close to it as possible without exceeding it. You start off with two cards, as does the dealer and anybody else at the table with you. As long as you’re able to match or better the dealer’s card, then you are unlikely to lose your wager. Unlike in poker tournaments, where you are playing against other players only, blackjack also includes the dealer, which adds another dynamic to the game.
Generally speaking, most blackjack games are limited to a maximum of five players. Doubling down, splitting and insurance are more advanced terms that experienced players will be familiar with. Today’s focus will revolve around doubling down and when to implement this strategy most effectively, and how Casino Tops Online (CTO) are best placed in the digital gambling sector to provide you with high-quality source information to bolster your skill and future blackjack strategy.
What Is Doubling Down And When To Do It?
Doubling down is when you increase your current wager at the table in the middle of a game. As the name suggests, you double your bet in a bid to net a bigger return. This tactic comes with a significant risk, and you must clearly understand the circumstances in which experienced players use this so that you can utilize it to its highest potential.
There are some golden rules to remember when it comes to doubling down. Firstly, you should never double down if you have a hand that exceeds a total of 11 or if the dealer has an ace. Crucially, when you double down, you are only allowed one more card, and this is where much of the risk stems from. If you have a 10, this is the optimum total to double down. It doesn’t guarantee that you will win, but it is the hand that has the best chance of succeeding, and it is often when experienced players will double down.
A hard nine or 10 is a term among experienced players, but it means that you don’t have an ace in your hand. This means you have a slightly higher chance of drawing a better hand with your third card, and although it is by no means a guaranteed winner, if you’re going to double down, this is usually the time when most ardent players would recommend this strategy.
Gathering Valuable Knowledge From CTO About Blackjack
CTO, as discussed earlier, has pieced together some fantastic walkthrough guides on specific areas of blackjack. It’s worth checking out some of these guides so that you can build a better picture of the sort of strategy you want to implement and so that you’re able to build a much broader, stronger knowledge of how the iconic card-based casino game works. Regardless of whether you’re a beginner or an advanced player, casinotopsonline.com has tailored guides that all levels of player can benefit from.
When Not To Double Down
As you’d suspect, you shouldn’t double down when you have a hand that works against any of those we discussed in our previous section. So, while doubling down on a hard nine is ideal, if your card’s total exceeds 12, you’re straying into territory where doubling down is not recommended. Anything over 15 is not the sort of hand where you’d double down unless you have an ace, as this will give you the option to use the ace as a one. However, any hand over 12 that totals 12 without an ace is a danger zone, and it’s best to avoid doubling down.
If the dealer has an ace, this is the most obvious time not to double down. The dealer has a much stronger chance of getting a higher hand, so if you double down and lose double your initial stake, you’ll only have yourself to blame. Responsible gambling is crucial, too, and you should only gamble what you can afford to lose. Therefore, doubling down and increasing your bet by 100% should only be considered on the rare occasion when you have a strong hand; you shouldn’t double down every time you have a preferable hand, as it can be a much quicker way to lose your money.
Blackjack Strategy
Unlike poker, blackjack relies heavily on the quality of your hand. While poker has many professional players, some of whom have won colossal, record-breaking sums in some of the world’s biggest tournaments, blackjack doesn’t have the same level of professional competition. That’s not to say that there aren’t ways you can effectively navigate a game and use strategy to outmaneuver people who might be less understanding of the game’s nuances. However, the principal basis of any plan comes from a foundation of knowledge.
Once you have learned the basics, you can look to implement more advanced aspects of strategy, which includes doubling down, and a lot of this knowledge comes from experience. You can use the extensive information available online, such as at CTO (casinotopsonline.com), and play games that don’t involve wagers – like sweepstakes – to gain valuable knowledge of how blackjack games operate, without losing money. Once you have all of this under your belt, you can use the doubling-down information we have provided today to bolster your overall game.
