Blackjack is one of the most beloved casino games around and doesn’t require much skill to enjoy it, yet still requires an effective strategy in order to increase your odds of victory. These tips will help beginners as well as professionals to beat the dealer and increase your odds at this classic game!

At its core, winning blackjack requires outstripping the dealer with a higher hand value than him or her. This can be accomplished by either hitting when your cards add up to 11 or less; provided the next card doesn’t bust you; or double down when your cards have values between 13-18 against an unstrengthened upcard dealer; be mindful to avoid taking insurance as this will reduce payout.

Effective bankroll management is key in blackjack. Becoming familiar with your budget and setting limits before beginning each session will prevent emotional decisions and avoid financial strain. As a general rule of thumb, only bet 1-2 percent of your bankroll per hand.

Card counting techniques can increase your odds of victory, giving you an edge when playing blackjack or high card games. Simply keep track of every card as they’re dealt, dividing by the total decks used, to get an idea of their total value and predict when a dealer might hit blackjack or high card combinations. Due to its time consuming nature, practicing this strategy with just one deck of cards would be wisest.

Splitting cards of equal value (such as two nines or two threes ) may increase your odds of victory by placing two equal bets and playing both hands as separate hands, increasing the possibility of hitting more often and improving your hand total. When splitting, bet equal to original amount then play each individual hand as separate hand, increasing chances to hit multiple times and increase total. However, only use this strategy with pairs such as nines, eights, sevens, sixes or threes; never aces or deuces as this strategy may increase chance for you.

Learn to know when and when not to hit and stand in blackjack to increase your odds of success. According to its rules, blackjack requires that you stand when your cards add up to 16 or less and hit when your hand consists of 11 cards or less; an ace with low value cards cannot bust.

Learn to differentiate between “soft” and “hard” hands when playing blackjack. A soft hand features an ace that can be valued either way; in contrast, hard hands do not offer this flexibility. Hard hands also increase your risk of bust more readily when hit while soft ones will not. When facing off against dealers with weak upcards or an ace upcard you should always hit hard hands while against ones with strong upcards or an ace you should stand.